Ancestry search leads to Norwich murderer William Sheward

Mary Jackson lives in Belper, Derbyshire, but found out she had Norwich links after looking into her extended family history.

However, the grandmother-of-nine would uncover a "horrific" murder involving her great-great-grandfather in the 1800s.

Image of Norwich City Gaol (Image: Arc)

Mary, 81, said: "Having already investigated my family history I knew about my great-great-grandmother Charlotte Book who lived in Norwich.

"She married William Sheward in 1862 and also had a child with him called Arthur - but I couldn't find any more information about him.

"One day I just ended up Googling his name and Norwich to see if anything would come up - I found something but it wasn't what I expected."

What Mary found out was that William Sheward brutally murdered his previous wife, Martha Sheward, on June 15, 1851, after a dispute over money.

William's son - who he had with is second wife Charlotte Book - Arthur William Sheward, with his wife Mary (Image: Mary Jackson)

The 56-year-old Sheward stabbed Martha to death with a pair of scissors before dismembering and hiding the body.

Sheward kept the murder a secret for 17 years before walking into a police station to confess after getting drunk.

He was executed by hanging at Norwich City Gaol on April 20, 1869, at the end of St Giles Street - where the Cathedral of St John the Baptist is located on the corner of Earlham Road and Unthank Road.

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The discovery shocked Mary and the rest of the family.

Mary Jackson, 81, said she couldn't quite believe what had happened in the family (Image: Mary Jackson)

"I was amazed and couldn't believe it for quite a while," added Mary.

"I mentioned it to my brother and he was absolutely devastated - he even said a prayer for William the next time he went to church - he was horrified.

READ MORE: Heartbroken mum determined to keep murdered son's 'legacy alive'

"I want to include it when I write out the family history for any children or great-grandchildren in the future to look at if they want."

Cathedral of St John the Baptist where the Norwich Gaol used to be (Image: Newsquest)

Sheward's execution

Norwich City Gaol existed from 1827 to 1881 and during that time two men were executed there.

The first, in 1829, was 42-year-old John Stratford, who was hanged for murder. The public execution from the roof of the porter's lodge attracted a large crowd.

READ MORE: Remains of Norwich murder victim blessed

The second was that of William Sheward in 1869, aged 57, after admitting to cutting up his former wife Martha 17 years earlier.

Rev Fiona Haworth carries out A 2019 blessing in the Guildhall's undercroft where most of murdered Martha Sheward's body lies. With her is Sandra Francis, Martha's great-great-great niece, with family and friends (Image: Denise Bradley/Newsquest)Tabernacle Street in Norwich where William Sheward murdered his wife and dismembered her body (Image: Newsquest)

Public hangings had been outlawed though and he was hung in private. A crowd of around 2,000 people were waiting in front of the prison gates for the black flag to rise through - the sign that a life had been taken.

Sheward, who once ran the Key and Castle pub in Oak Street, was buried in the prison grounds but Martha lies under the Guildhall, in an incomplete state.