Murder of Maria Marten (Red Barn Murder)

Background

Maria Marten (born 24 July 1801) was the daughter of Thomas Marten, a molecatcher from Polstead, Suffolk. By her mid-twenties she had two children by other men in the neighbourhood before beginning a relationship with William Corder, a local farmer's son, in March 1826. Corder, born around 1803, had a local reputation as a fraudster, having sold his father's pigs without authorization and passed a forged cheque. Marten and Corder had a child together in 1827, which subsequently died.

The Murder

In the summer of 1827, Corder proposed to Marten's stepmother, Ann, that he and Maria elope to Ipswich, suggesting they first meet at the Red Barn, a local landmark on Barnfield Hill. After a delayed departure, Corder told Marten on 18 May 1827 that they needed to leave immediately, reportedly citing a warrant for her prosecution over her illegitimate children (no such warrant was later found to exist). Marten, dressed in men's clothing at Corder's suggestion, set out for the Red Barn that day and was never seen alive again. Corder later claimed she was safe in Ipswich or elsewhere, and subsequently sent letters to the Marten family claiming they had married and were living on the Isle of Wight, offering various excuses for her silence.

Discovery of the Body

Suspicion grew over the following months. Marten's stepmother reported dreams that Maria had been murdered and buried in the Red Barn. On 19 April 1828, Thomas Marten dug in the barn and discovered his daughter's decomposed remains in a sack. She was identified by her sister via hair, clothing, and a missing tooth matching the jawbone. A green handkerchief belonging to Corder was found around the body's neck.

Capture and Trial

Corder, who had married Mary Moore after meeting her through a newspaper advertisement, was traced to a boarding house in Brentford by local constable Ayres and London police officer James Lea. He was returned to Suffolk and tried at Shire Hall, Bury St Edmunds, beginning 7 August 1828, amid intense public interest. He pleaded not guilty, but evidence including testimony from Marten's stepmother, her father, her young brother George, and officer Lea led the jury to return a guilty verdict after thirty-five minutes of deliberation. Corder was sentenced to hang and be dissected. He later confessed to shooting Marten during an argument, though he denied stabbing her.

Execution

On 11 August 1828, Corder was hanged at Bury St Edmunds before a large crowd, estimated by contemporary newspapers at between 7,000 and 20,000 people. Before his execution he stated he was guilty and deserved his fate. His body was publicly dissected the following day before students and physicians, and his skeleton was later displayed as a teaching aid; it was cremated in 2004. Items associated with the case, including a book reportedly bound in Corder's skin, are held at Moyse's Hall Museum.

Legacy

The case generated extensive newspaper coverage, plays, ballads, and songs throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and Polstead became a tourist attraction, with the Red Barn stripped by souvenir hunters before it burned down in 1842.