Sarah Ann Barton, a 17 year old young gypsy girl who life was cut short by her Lover
Frederick Williams was born in Shere Surrey in 1902, the eldest child of Obadiah Williams and Alice Chapman.
At age 14, he left his family, traveling around and getting work on various farms.
Frederick had been living with an uncle for several years but for the past year had been living in Polegate, Sussex, in a caravan with his cousin, also called Frederick Williams.
He arrived unexpectedly on 26th June 1925 to his father, who was living at a campsite in a tent, working temporarily at St Mary Farm at Falmer, Sussex. (now an Equestrian centre)
He was accompanied by a young gypsy girl called Sarah Ann Barton.
Sarah Ann Barton was born in Feb 1908 to Romany gypsy travellers Reuben Barton and Emily Lee. Her older sister Ada was living in a relationship with Frederick Williams's cousin, (Frederick Williams) in Polegate, and on a visit to her sister, she met Frederick and they grew close and eventually she decided to go and live with him, as a man and wife, in the caravan, with her sister Ada and her partner.
Little did she, or anyone else around them know, that she was living with a ticking time bomb and she would shortly lose her life!
On the night of Sunday 5th July, Obadiah Williams, known in Falmer by the name of Smith. was seen by press representatives
He was a ''gypsy' in his manner of life but appeared not to be a real Romany but a nomadic farm labourer.
He and others were living in a small encampment, in the most primitive manner, on the South Downs at Falmer.
There were three tents, not more than three feet in height, in which fifteen people, were said to reside.
It was said that Williams appeared to be somewhat distressed, sitting with just his head and shoulders protruding from his, as described 'squalid home'.
He gave his account of the tragedy to the Press representative, who had knelt over him and wrote it all down by the light of matches struck by the guides, who had taken them to the camp and told the following story:
He said that he had not seen his son for about three years and that he had arrived just over a week ago, bringing with him his 'wife' Sarah Ann Barton ''That is what we call our women Sir'' said Williams.
He went on to say, they had seemed perfectly happy together. and set off together earlier in the afternoon for a walk on the Stamner Down.
''At about 5.30, my son returned alone and I asked Where's the wife, Freddy? He said ''I had killed her''. At first, I refused to believe him but then I noticed he was covered with blood, and asked him to take me to the spot where the body was lying''.
He then said that afterward, they went together to the village policeman, then all three went to the blacksmith's and telephoned the police at Lewes Sussex who came and they all went to where the body laid and his son was arrested.
His father said he had done it with a large pair of scissors. When asked why, he said he did not know. His father could not think of a motive.
This happened the day before the Lewes Assizes and so on Monday 6th July 1925 Frederick Williams, age 23, was brought before the Lewes Magistrates, charged with wilfully murdering Sarah Ann Barton, aged 17, at Falmer, on Sunday afternoon.
The only witness examined that day was PC. Baker. who stated that at 5.45 pm on Sunday, he received a statement from Obadiah Williams. the prisoner's father and he communicated with Superintendent Waghorn at Lewes, who came at once.
They all then went to the Downs, near Mary Farm, where the body remained.
She was lying on her stomach. her right hand was at her throat. and her left band was clutching the top of her head. Her right leg was out straight. and her left leg was bent. The body was lying in the open, about three yards from a large clump of bushels. There was blood on the grass on both sides of the young woman's legs and about a foot from her head. Two yards behind the body, just in the bushes, he found a pair of scissors.
The prisoner accompanied them. and was present, when viewing the body.
He was taken to Lewes Police. Station afterward , where he was charged with murdering the girl and cautioned. He replied: "Oh. Yes."
On Tuesday 7th July at the Swan Inn, in Falmer, they held an inquest on the body of Sarah Ann Barton
In the chair was Mr George Vere Benson, the East Sussex Coroner. Mr F. H. M. Anderson was chosen as the foreman of the jury of nine and Superintendent Waghorn, of Lewes, represented the police.
Frederick Williams, charged with the murder, was present in the custody of a police officer. He was described as ' A typical young Gypsy, clad in rough clothes, with a brightly-coloured neckerchief'. (although he wasn't one)
He appeared to take very little interest in the proceedings. He sat on a couch and his gaze wandered vaguely from the representatives of the law around him, to the pictures on the walls of the room.
There was said to have a somewhat strange look in his bright blue eyes, and he spoke in a confused manner.
The first witness was Mrs. Emily Barton, who stated she was ''in a world of trouble” and ''had not much to say '’
She stated that she was a van dweller, commonly called a Gypsy. She was staying at Three Chimneys Farm, Goudhurst, Kent.
Sarah Ann Barton was her daughter, adding ''This was my baby girl, but one, of ten.”
She stated Sarah was not married, but she and Frederick had gone off together at the end of last March, after she turned 16 and lived together. The two appeared very happy together. She said she did not think it was wrong that they should have run away together, as she said Williams appeared ‘‘ever such a nice fellow to her'' and they were living with her other daughter Ada.
Ada Barton, age 24 years and daughter of the last witness, living in Polegate, said the accused and deceased appeared to be very happy together, and about a fortnight ago they went on a visit to Falmer to Frederick's father and mother.
The Coroner: ''Do you think the accused had any reason to be jealous of your sister?''
Witness: ''I cannot say. I never saw her speaking to anyone before she had him''.
Obadiah Williams. father of the accused man:
''On Sunday my son and the girl went off to the Downs''.
Then he said, in the early evening, he was sitting by the fire at the camp when his son came back alone and said ''I have killed my wife ” Obadiah said ''Freddy don’t be so silly” but he said ''I have”
Seeing his son covered in blood, Obadiah then asked Frederick to show him and they went over the Downs to the spot, where the girl was lying dead.
There was blood about her head
Obadiah then asked his son ''What did you it with? and he replied “ With a pair of scissors''
He then asked him why he did it and his reply was ''I don't know''
Obadiah then took him to the police station at Falmer and later Supt Waghorn arrived, then with a constable, Obadiah, and Frederick went back to the place where the girl’s body was lying.
Dr Fawssett Salts MB, Police Surgeon at Lewes, then gave evidence about the body of the deceased:
''The left hand was in the hair at the back of the head, and the right hand was under the chin. The face and hair were smothered with blood, and the teeth were clenched on the tongue. There were thirty stab wounds on the face and head. One of the wounds penetrated the outer table of the skull. There were wounds on the hands, as though some sharp instrument had been grasped in self-defence. All the wounds might have been caused by a pair of scissors. Death was due to shock from the multiplicity of wounds and the loss of blood; and, possibly, to slight injury to the brain. There were forty wounds altogether on the head and hands''.
The Coroner: ''Death, I suppose, must have come pretty quickly?''
Dr Fawssett Salts: ''I cannot say''.
Frederick Williams cousin of the accused was the next witness:
He stated he was living in a caravan at Polegate with Ada Barton, the deceased's sister
He said that the prisoner and the deceased seemed to be very fond of each other. They were always happy and singing. and he had never heard any quarrelling, he had never noticed anything strange about the accused.
He went to the doctor at Alfriston Sussex with him last May, while they were working for Mr Matthews. He could not remember what the accused complained to the doctor about but he did not complain about his head, he just said he said he felt bad in his stomach, and the doctor gave him a bottle of medicine.
Frederick, the accused, then interrupted and said: ''I also went to a doctor at Rottingdean, Sussex and told him he was wrong in his head. I went there by myself''.
Frederick, the witness said: ''He also went to a doctor in Eastbourne with his girl''.
Frederick, the accused said: ''I told them I was wrong in my head. I had no gift for anything''.
Frederick, the witness said: ''I had heard him say, that he had seen them about his nerves''.
Frederick the witness, then said he had gone to Brighton race course to try and find the accused father.
Frederick Williams, the accused, then responding to the usual caution, elected to give evidence.
He said, “I Lost my Nerves.”
The Coroner: ''Do you wish to tell the jury anything about how you came to kill Sarah Ann Barton?''
Frederick: ''I lost my head. I had no gift for myself whatever. I told cousin Fred to take me somewhere, but he never did so''.
Coroner ''Do you wish to give the jury any explanation as to why you killed this girl''
Frederick: ''Because I was down and out. I lost all my nerves in every way, and I had no gift for work or anything. I had been like that for about three or four months''.
Coroner: ''Surely that would not make you kill the girl you were in love with?''
Frederick ''l had so many thoughts in my mind. I could not keep one in my head for one second''
Coroner: '' Had she ever done anything to make you very angry with her ?''
Frederick: No, sir.
Coroner: ''Had she told you anything that displeased you ?''
Frederick: ''Only that she told me, she would leave me''.
Coroner: ''Was it because she said she would leave you, that you got so angry, and so you stabbed her? ''
Frederick: ''I lost my head, and had no control of myself''.
Coroner: ''Did you bring the scissors out on purpose to kill her?''
Frederick: ''Yes, sir''
The Coroner said he thought there could be no doubt how the young woman met her death. The wounds could not have been self-inflicted, nor could they have been accidental. On the other hand, they also had the statement of the accused to his father that he had killed his wife.
A juryman raised the question of the state of mind of the accused, but the Coroner pointed out this was no concern of a Coroner’s jury. That part of the case would be inquired into carefully by another court.
The jury, after a very brief absence, returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against Frederick Williams'' and he was committed for trial at the next Sussex Assizes on the Coroner's warrant.
On the 9th of July, Sarah's remains were interred at St Laurence Church cemetery in Falmer, surrounded by the family and the gypsy community.
On Tuesday 14th July, Frederick was brought before the Lewes Police courts again, no further evidence was produced and he was remanded again until Friday 17th.
On Friday 17th July at Lewes Police Court before the Mayor (Alderman Charles Donald Crisp OBE) in the chair and Alderman Mr A E Rugg.
Frederick Williams appeared. He was charged while on remand with the wilful Sarah Barton 17 at Falmer on Sunday, July 5th.
The prisoner was in the charge of a hospital Warder from Portsmouth Prison and he gave the impression that he was in a worried and confused state of mind.
It was said there were about half a dozen ''gypsies'' in Court, (no doubt family and friends) apart from these, only three members of the public were present, along with a few reporters.
Mr Sefton Cohen appeared on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions and said the facts of this case were in no way complicated. The only difficulty likely to arise, was regarding the state of mind the accused was in, at the time he admitted that he killed the woman. That being so, he did not desire to take up the time of the Court unnecessarily and unless the Magistrates desired it, he did not propose to make an opening statement.
The Mayor said the magistrates had no wish for an opening statement if that was not considered necessary.
First witness was Ada Barton, Sarah's sister
She explained that she was living with the cousin of the accused, who was also called Frederick Williams
Since last March the deceased had lived with the prisoner as his wife. Previously she had lived with her mother in various places. she was not married to Williams. She was in good health
Freddy had lived with them for 12 months and she had not noticed anything peculiar about him and the couple seemed very happy together.
In June Freddy and Sarah had gone to visit Freddy's parents.
Frederick Williams cousin of the accused was the next witness said he was living in a caravan at Polegate with the last witness, Ada:
''Frederick and Sarah seemed to be very fond of each other. They were always happy and singing. and I've never heard any quarrelling and I have never noticed anything strange about Frederick''
He then went through the same statement as he did at the inquest.
Evidence by the father of the accused, Obadiah Williams, came next:
He said he lived with his wife in a tent on the Downs at Falmer and worked for Mr J Briggs of Mary Farm
The accused lived with him until he was 14 years of age, then went out on his own and worked at different places
He never went to school and up till he went, Obadiah did not notice anything wrong with him
''Frederick arrived at my camp a week ago, on Friday, and stayed till July 5th''
''On the 5th at about 1 pm, Frederick asked Sarah to go to pick flowers and the couple went off to the Downs together.
They appeared to be quite happy he never heard a misword between them''
He then explained as he had at the inquest what happened next
When his son’s cousin Frederick Williams visited the camp after, he said he had taken the accused to a doctor at Alfriston because he was light-headed or because he suffered from nerves
While Obadiah was serving in the Army during the war, he said his wife took the accused to the Napper at Cranleigh, Surrey, because he complained about his head.
Next witness was Mr Frank Fawssett MB Police Surgeon at Lewes:
He stated he visited on the evening of July 5th, in consequence of a telephone call and saw the deceased body lying on the Downs.
The accused was in the vicinity and the witness had a conversation with him. He described the accused as dull and appeared apathetic and said that his degree of intelligence seemed low.
He then discussed Sarah's Body: There appeared to be 34 wounds on the neck face head and seven cuts on the the hands caused by the pair of scissors (produced) and some of them gave indications that considerable force was used and that the majority of the wounds could not have been self-inflicted.
He said the deceased was not pregnant and death was either from shock or the loss of blood from a multiplicity of wounds.
Next heard was PC Baker from Falmer:
He discussed visiting the spot where the body was found and said that when the prisoner was charged with the murder of the girl, the prisoner replied ''yes”
The spot where the body of the girl lying was about three-quarters of a mile from the camp where the prisoner’s father lived.
The place was thickly covered with bracken gorse and the nearest road was three-quarters mile away and the nearest house was about the same distance away.
In the summer there were generally many people on this part of the Downs on Sundays.
PC Baker found the scissors (produced) in the bushes, near the spot where the young woman was lying and said they were covered with blood and the prisoner’s hands and clothing were also stained with blood
He said the prisoner seemed vague and he looked vacant, not showing any emotion when near the body of the deceased and when formally charged, the prisoner just mumbled something inaudible.
The decision was made and Frederick was committed for trial at the next assizes which was fixed to take place early in December, so he was remanded again.
While Frederick was waiting to leave the court, the family went over to him and Frederick kissed them affectionately, with tears in his eyes.
At Sussex Assize 10th December 1925. Frederick Williams, was brought into Lewes Crown Court.
His Lordship referred to the case. ''Whatever might be any possible defence to the charge, the Grand jury will not have any difficulty in saying that the bill should be found as wilful murder''.
Mr Blaker for the Defence, said he was instructed that the prisoner was unfit to plead.
Medical evidence was produced and the Grand Jury then returned the verdict that the Prisoner was insane and unfit to plead
The Judge then placed an order for Frederick Williams to be detained during His Majesty's pleasure.
After Life
This is a difficult one, due to records with fewer details on them in the 1900s and the fact they were travellers.
Due to the records for asylums only going up to 1921, I'm unable to follow the trail and see where Frederick went, how long he stayed, or his death.
His father Obadiah, was last recorded in the September 1939 census, as a widower, age 58, living in a cottage and working on Poplas Farm in Tonbridge Kent. He remained in Tonbridge until he died in 1849, aged 68
Sarah's mother had also moved to Tonbridge by September 1939, widowed and living at 64 Woodside Road, living with her son Bert. She died in Hawkhurst Kent 1963 at age 83
Sarah's Sister Ada never married Frederick, and it's unclear what happened to them both after the event.
SOURCES
Archive, T.B.N. (no date) History’s colourful stories in black and white, Home | Search the archive | British Newspaper Archive. Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
Brighton Herald (1925) Gypsy 'Girl Murdered' 11 July pg 8
Sussex Express (1925) 'Falmer murder charge ' 17 July pg 5
West Sussex County Times (1925) 'Murder Verdict against a Gypsy' 11 July pg 3
Sussex Express (1925) 'The Downs Tragedy' 24 July pg 5
East Grinstead Observer (1925) 'Falmer Murder Charge' 23 July pg 6
Western Daily Press (1925) 'Sussex Assizes' 11 December pg3
Sussex Express (1925) 'The Falmer Murder Charge' 11 December pg 6
Bring your backstory to lifeTM (no date) Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. Available at: http://www.ancestry.co.uk/
General Register Office (no date) General Register Office - Online Ordering Service - Login. Available at: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/ (Accessed: 16 MAY 2024).
Pictures and historical info from Wikipedia https://www.wikipedia.org/
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