The Horfield Horror: A Victorian Murder That Shook Bristol
News of the Times | Episode 523 | 1841
🕯️ A Brutal Victorian Murder. A Teenage Suspect. A Trial Gripped by Doubt.
In 1841, the quiet village of Horfield near Bristol was shattered by the violent murder of 67-year-old Martha Shedden. Her skull was crushed in eleven places. No weapon was ever found. No one saw the killer.
But a 17-year-old errand boy with a grudge stood accused.
Was Charles Rudge the murderer—or a convenient scapegoat?
With circumstantial evidence, a conflicted jury, and a courtroom brimming with Victorian tension, this chilling case left more questions than answers.
🔎 Explore the forensic clues, timeline contradictions, and moral dilemmas of a community shaken to its core.
👀 Plus: in Further Particulars, a cow invades a barber shop and the local markswoman solves the problem... from the roof.
👤 Hosted by Robin Coles
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▶️ Related episodes from the vault:
1849: The Curious Case of the Harvard Murder | EP378
https://youtu.be/n23PlQFqhlw
1844: The Case of The Colwick Murders And The Subsequent Tragedies | EP389
https://youtu.be/GgyyTQFkL6A
1836 & 1843: The Trouble with Harriet | EP398
https://youtu.be/BrZh10eMQ0s
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