John Bowes

John Bowes was convicted of the murder of his wife Isabella Bowes 50 and sentenced to death. He battered her to death with a railway sleeper at Seaham Harbour, near Sunderland on 8 September 1900. Isabella Bowes worked at the New Seaham Colliery where her father worked and had lived at Gunn's Yard, Seaham Harbour although at the time of her death she had been living with her uncle at 3 South Terrace, having separated from John Bowes on 21 August 1900 on account of their quarrelling. Later she took out a separation order but her husband didn't turn up at court. Isabella Bowes's daughter said that John Bowes had not done any regular work for three years and that he had been kept by both her and Isabella Bowes. She said that John Bowes was often drunk and would often drink in the house and that Isabella Bowes did not drink. She added that John Bowes used to accuse Isabella Bowes of having been out with other men, but she said that she had no reason to believe that she had. She spent a lot of time at The Blast at Noses Point, near Dawdon Colliery on the South side of Seaham Harbour where she collected coal. Refuse from the New Seaham Colliery was tipped over the cliff onto the beach below and people would then go down and collect any coals that had been included with it. They would climb the steep cliffs up a circuitous path often carrying 4-6 stones of coal and it was said that Isabella Bowes must have carried tons of coals during her time. Isabella Bowes's daughter said that she last saw Isabella Bowes on the morning of 8 September 1900, at which time she was perfectly well. However, she said that when she went to see her at Seaham Harbour Infirmary at 12 midday that she was very ill and said that she died later the same day at 2.50pm. John Bowes had met Isabella Bowes on the Saturday at The Blast and was seen to be asking her to return to him again but she was heard to tell him, 'No, I want nothing more to do with you'. He then picked up a railway sleeper about 4ft long, 6in broad and nearly 3in thick and hit her with it on her forehead. She staggered back and he hit her again a few more times and she then reeled to the ground. Her features were described as being literally beaten to a pulp. She was taken to the infirmary but never recovered consciousness and died three hours later. When a policeman arrived he denied having hit her and said that she had fallen. The post mortem showed that Isabella Bowes died from shock and loss of blood resulting from her injuries She had a compound communented fracture of the left upper jaw, extending from the region of the second upper incisor tooth, to the orbital plates, which was also fractured. Her cheek bone was fracted on the outer side of the orbit and the temporal arch in front of the ear was fractured in two places. The doctor that carried out the post mortem said that in his opinion the injuries could not have been done with the fist and thought that the piece of wood that he was shown might have caused the injuries. John Bowes was executed at Durham by James Billington on 12 December 1900. John Bowes, a bricklayer by trade, chose not to work, preferring instead to live off the earnings of his wife and twenty-one year old daughter. He drank heavily and often mistreated his family. The drink seemed to increase his feelings of jealousy and he would often accuse his wife of having affairs with other men. Isabella though was not the kind of woman to have affairs. She was a respectable woman who worked hard, scrimping a living by picking coal off the beach and selling it, for which, if she was lucky, she would earn five or maybe six shillings per day. She tried her best to put up with her husband's accusations and violence but even she reached the end of her tether on 21st August 1900. On that day Bowes, drunk yet again, had attacked his wife, torn up some of his daughter's clothes, and threatened to kill the pair of them. They left him the same day and went to live with Isabella's uncle. Bowes swore that he would get even with Isabella and his daughter, because they had left him. On 8th September, Bowes saw his wife on the beach, looking for the coal that paid her living. He stormed up to her and after a brief argument, picked up a heavy piece of wood that lay close by and struck her on the head. Isabella fell to the ground unconscious but Bowes struck her about the head another three or four times. His anger finally satiated, Bowes realised what he had done, knelt down and cradled his wife's head in his arms and even tried to wash some of the blood off her face. He was found, still in this position, by a policeman, whom he told of the argument, saying that he had only hit Isabella with his fists. Bowes later confessed that he had in fact used the piece of wood, describing it himself as one he would not have used to fell a bullock with. Still alive, Isabella was taken to hospital but never recovered consciousness. She died a few hours after she had been attacked. Bowes readily admitted his guilt and seemed genuinely remorseful for what he had done. He said that he had loved Isabella and would die happily for killing her. He paid that penalty on 12th December 1900, when he was hanged at Durham.