In November we will be running a course at The Blencathra Centre entitled Lakeland Legends and Ghosts and whilst researching this I read about Thomas Lancaster of Threlkeld. He is sometimes called the ‘arsenic poisoner’ or the ‘Mass murderer of Threlkeld’. Using white arsenic he poisoned his wife, her father and her three sisters, her aunt, her cousin and a servant boy, besides several of his neighbours who became seriously ill between November 1670 and November 1671.

The first two murders were in Threlkeld and the rest were in Hawkshead and were members of the family of a local farmer and Quaker, John Braithwaite. The facts are contained in the Rydal papers, published in 1890 by the Historical Manuscripts Commission. Writing from Rydal on November 24th 1671, to Sir Joseph Williamson, Sir Daniel Fleming said:

"Being lately in Lancashire I received there - as a justice of the peace of that county - an information against one Thomas Lancaster, late of Threlkeld in Cumberland, who, it is very probable, hath committed the most horrid act that hath been heard of in this countrey. He marryed the 30th of January last a wife in Lancashire, who was agreed to be marryed that very day, or soon after, to another; and her father afterwards conveyed all his reall estate to this Lancaster upon his giving security to pay severall sums of money to himselfe, and his other daughters. And though covetousness to pay these and other payments it is very probable that Lancaster hath lately poysoned - with white arsenic - his wife, her father, her three sisters, her aunt, her cosin-german,and a servant boy, besides poyson given to severall of his neighbours who are and have been sick, that people - as it is presumed - might think the rest dead of a violent fevor. I have committed him prisoner unto Lancaster Castle and shall take what more evidence I can meet with against the next assizes, that he may there have a fair triall, and - if he be found guilty - such a punishment as the law shall indict upon such like offenders."

On April 3rd, of the following year, Sir Daniel, writing to Sir George Fletcher, at Hutton, returned to the subject, after he had discussed private affairs and the action of the judges with regard to the Papists. At the Lent Assizes at Lancaster, he said, - "Thomas Lancaster has been found guilty of poisoning eight persons, and is to be hanged in chains." Three weeks later in a letter to Sir William Wilde, Justice of the Common Pleas, the same gossip recorded that - "Thomas Lancaster has confessed that he poisoned the old woman with arsenic, for a bribe of £24 from the heir to her estate, worth £16 per annum." It is, however, to the church registers of Hawkshead that we must turn for an account of the final proceedings, the entry being under date April 8th, 1672:-

"Thomas Lancaster, who for poysonning his owne family was adjudgt att the assizes att Lancaster to be carried back to his owne house att Hye-Wrey, where he liv'd, was there hanged before his owne doore till he was dead for that very facte, and then was brought with a horse and carr into the Coulthouse meadows and forthwithe hunge up iron chaynes on a gibbett, which was set up for that very purpose on the South syde, of Sawrey Casey, neare unto the Pool Stang, and there continued until such tymes as he rotted every bone from the other."

He was found guilty at Lancaster and committed to his own house at Hye-Wrey and was hung from his own door, an early example of gibbeting. He was then taken by horse and cart to Coulthouse meadows and then hung up in iron chains on a gibbet at Sawrey Casey. It was reputed that the ‘ghostly image’ of Lancaster was seen hanging for many years.

Tim Foster - Head of Blencathra Centre. Email for more info.