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| New Alresford Parish Church |
William Titheridge was born in Old Alresford, Hampshire in 1762 son
of William Titheridge and Ann Cranston. On
the 8 November 1782 William married Ann Smith at New Alresford. Their marriage produced seven children all
born and christened in New Alresford
Robert christened
19 March 1784
William
christened 4 January 1786
Richard Cranston
chrtistened 23 January 1788
Joseph christened
8 November 1789
Stephen
christened 7 August 1791
Jeremiah
christened 4 November 1792
Elizabeth
christened 14 September 1794
Stephen died in October 1792 and Jememiah died in June 1793. The family lived in New Alresford, where William
was a tailor.
Tragedy struck the family in December 1794 On Sunday 21 December William travelled from
New Alresford to Winchester, a distance of seven and a half miles and failed to
return home. The next morning he was
found on the Winchester to Alresford Road, near Mattingley Farm and died soon
after. He was buried in Old Alresford on
26 December 1794. An inquest was held
and came to the conclusion that he had died by “visitation of God”. Ann was left with 5 children aged between 10
and three months and unable to support herself without her husband ended up in
the workhouse.
This is the article that reported William’s death in the Hants
Chronicle on 29 December 1794
“Wednesday
morning (December 24) an inquisition was taken before Mr Newlyn, at the house
of Mr John Clark, at Mattingley farm, in the parish of Easton, on the body of
William Titheridge, many years a tailor at New Alresford, when, after a careful
and minute investigation of all the circumstances, and together with the
examination of a surgeon from Alresford, and other persons, it appeared, that
the deceased had gone from Alresford to Winchester the preceding Sunday, and
the following morning, about nine o'clock, he was discovered lying on the road
side, about fifty yards from Mr Clark's house, near his garden-pales, by one of
the Southampton stage coachmen, who, on meeting two persons named King and
Huntley on the road, informed them of the same; they accordingly hastened to
the spot, and there found the deceased speechless, and on the same being
communicated to Mr Clark he humanely ordered his servants to carry him into his
house, where every care was taken, and medical assistance immediately procured;
and, after using the remedies for recovering persons perishing with cold, for
near three hours, which was thought to be the case of this unfortunate man, he
survived until next morning about six o'clock when he expired, leaving a wife
and five children to lament his loss. The jury unanimously returned a verdict
that he died by the visitation of God, and not from any hurt, violence, or
injury, of any person or persons whomsoever.”
Despite this verdict William’s son Richard (better known as Dickey Dung
Prong”) was convinced that his father had been murdered. He claimed he was murdered by a person in the
neighbourhood but there was no evidence against him.
It was just over 39 years before the truth was unearthed in the
form of a death bed confession. In April
1833 it was widely reported in papers across the country from the Devises and
Wiltshire Gazette, the Morning Post London, Salisbury and Winchester Journal to
name but a few of the papers. The basis
of the report was that nearly 40 years earlier a tailor called Titheridge was
found murdered on the Winchester to Alresford road between Matterly Fam and the
turnpike gate. The report claimed he was
murdered by stabbing. Shortly after the murder
a toll collector at Matterly gate was apprehended and questioned by magistrates,
but he was discharged since there was no evidence against him. Soon after that the
toll collector left his employment. The
toll collector was now dead having died 5 years before the article was
written. The widow of this toll
collector now lived abroad and was dangerously ill and had now chosen to
disclose the fact that it was her husband who had killed Titheridge in a fit of
jealousy, “having waylaid the unfortunate man, cut his throat and thrust a
piece of tile into the wound in order that he might bleed to death.”
There seems to be a little bit embellishment to the story here
since if William had had his throat cut
would the jury really suggest death was due to “a visitation from god”?
If you have not come across the story of Dickey Dung Prong you
might like to go to our website for the full story of this fascinating
rogue
http://www.mike-titheradge.webspace.virginmedia.com/#!/content/membersofinterest/dickydungprong.php
