Herbert George Bloye

Herbert George Bloye was convicted of the murder of his 52-year-old mother-in-law Clara Squires and his wife Alice Mabel Squires and sentenced to death. He battered them to death in a field on Town Farm, Swaffham on 15 June 1925. Herbert Bloye had been a labourer. He joined up in 1917, but only served one month in France and, after long periods in hospital, was discharged in 1919 with a disability pension of 24/- a week on account of epilepsy aggravated by military service. In 1921 he married Alice Squires, by whom he had two children. However, in May 1925 his she obtained a separation order of 25/- a week against him for persistent cruelty. Howevre, Herbert Bloye paid nothing under the order and told a friend that he would never pay a ha' penny. Alice Squires then went to live with her father and her mother, Clara Squires, at Swaffham. Herbert Bloye continued to live alone in his house at Swaffham. It was thought that rightly or wrongly Herbert Bloye blamed Clara Squires for having brought about the separation and on the 14 of June he told a friend that the first chance he got he would: xxxqxxx Do the old b______r in. xxxqxxx About that time he sent a letter to his wife. He spent the night of the 14th June at his mother's house and went to work next morning, but returned about mid-day and apparently provided himself with a double-headed heavy spanner. He then went off to a field where he knew Clara Squires was working, and in a lane near the field he met his wife wheeling a perambulator containing her two children, as she was returning from giving her mother, her dinner. Herbert Bloye then asked Alice Squires if she would return to him and, on her refusing, he struck her many heavy blows with the spanner on the head, and left her lying in the lane. He then went on to the field where Clara Squires was working and, after some words with her, he struck her a heavy blow on the head with the spanner, inflicting a wound through which the brain protruded. Clara Squires died within two days but Alice Squires lingered on until 3 August 1925, when she also died of the terrible injuries she had received. Herbert Bloye then went back to his mother's house and said: xxxqxxx I have done them both in. They have gone to a "better world". xxxqxxx He realised the position he was in for he said: xxxqxxx The police are after me. Where can I hide? xxxqxxx And then gave the spanner to his mother and asked her to hide it. It was afterwards found hidden under some faggots in the yard. Shortly after that Herbert Bloye was arrested. When he was arrested he made two long statements, that indicated that he had a perfectly good recollection of what he had done and before the Justices he made another statement. The defence at his trial for the murder of Clara Squires was insanity, but the medical evidence was to the effect that, although Herbert Bloye was an epileptic and had had at least two genuine epileptic fits while awaiting trial and several fits of an hysterical character, he had shewn no evidence of insanity or mental de ficiency. The hysterical fits were either genuine or were feigned, and two doctors who had been present at the Coroner's Inquest gave definite evidence that the fit which the prisoner had at the Coroner's Court was undoubtedly a piece of malingering. However, another doctor said: xxxqxxx I suggest that, although Bloye is not actually insane, yet his mental condition is unstable and abnormal, and that therefore he is not entirely responsible for his actions. xxxqxxx And that on those grounds he thought his sentence should be commuted. However, it was noted that the rule adopted by the Home Office with regard to epilepsy, was that where the crime was not referable to an epileptic attack, or was not committed while in a post epileptic condition, the existance of epilepsy in a prisoner was not sufficient to justify a reprieve. However, it was noted that whree there was a long history of epilepsy, that ie was recognised that the sufferer's normal power of self-control might have been weakened to such an extent as to entitle himi to leniency. However, a further complication that arose in such cases was the risk that a prisoner might have a fit on the scaffold or shortly before the time fixed for execution, which would therefore render it difficult, and perhaps undesirable, to carry out the execution. As such, it was noted that in the case of Henry Thompson, that the Home secretary sent special instructions that if the prisoner had an epileptic fir on the scaffold or within 24 hours of the time fixed for the execution, that the sentence was not to be carried out, pending further instructions. It was further noted that in that case, nothing happened and Henry Thompson was executed, and that there had been been similar instructions given on at least one previous occasion. However, it was noted that the motive in the case was a perfecvtly sane and very comon one and that was that Herbert Bloye wished to avenge himself upon his wife and mother-in-law on account of the separation order made against him, and that in such cases, aprt from any suggestion of insanity or epilepsy, the sentence was always carried out, and the police report recommended that it should be carried out in this case. Herbert Bloye was executed at Norwich on 12 November 1925.