It was in the George Inn in Blandford (featured) that an argument between George Seaviour and his married lover, Emma Tanswell led to her tragic death. Originally known as the Three Swans, the pub’s name had been changed to celebrate King George III passing through the town on the way to Weymouth.
Emma (28), a married woman, had left her husband about four years earlier and was living with George Seaviour (27) in two small rented rooms. He was a carter who worked for Charlie Coates who was a straw and hay dealer. A Bridport newspaper was to describe Seaviour as ‘somewhat repulsive in countenance..’
Seaviour was drinking in the George Inn in Salisbury Street when Emma entered with friends. He was 5ft 8ins in height, powerfully built and was described as ‘not well-educated’. An argument broke out between the two drinkers after Seaviour began abusing her using particularly bad language and urging her to go home to her husband and children. Emma claimed during the previous night he tied her up and threatened if she left him to murder her. He called her a whore and kicked her under the heart on the left hand side. Emma responded by throwing beer at Seaviour which missed him. He reacted by picking up the beer mug in his right hand, holding her down with his left hand and hitting the back of her head three times drawing blood. The handle of the beer mug broke and a piece of the brim came out. Someone shouted at him to stop, claiming he would ‘kill the woman’. Seaviour responded:
‘No, if blows would have done it, I should have done it long ago!’
The blows were violent leaving Emma apparently senseless for a short while. An observer reckoned Seaviour did not appear to be the worse for liquor. Next day, Emma showed a friend, Mary Pitman a rope and marks around her neck. A few days later two neighbours witnessed Seaviour beating Emma through a window. He was holding a stick. Emma’s mother visited her daughter but could not get her out of bed. She saw blood oozing out of her head onto a pillow. She accused Seaviour of slowly murdering her daughter.
Emma Tanswell died on 6th March 1883.
PC Goddard of the Blandford Police apprehended George Seaviour and charged him with causing the death of Emma Tanswell. He made no reply. When her body was laid out, there were a great many marks of blows on the body and a mark round her neck.
George Seaviour was found guilty of manslaughter at Winchester Assizes and was sentenced to 20 years penal servitude. The judge said:
‘The jury have taken a merciful view of your case. Had you been found guilty of murder I should have felt it my duty to have left you for death.’
Seaviour served his sentence in Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight - one of the toughest prisons in the British Isles. What eventually became of him is not known.
Newspaper, the Western Gazette reported the case had ‘excited considerable painful interest in the town of Blandford.’ The George Inn in Salisbury Street, Blandford was demolished in 1965 to be replaced by a Woolworths store which, of course, now is no more.
(Credit: Carole Dorran.)
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