Murder on the Canal - Buxworth Basin

The canal boat "Annie", owned by Boulton Limekilns of Kidsgrove, Staffordshire arrived into Buxworth Basin on the early morning of October 26th 1898.

On board were, boatman, John Cotton, and his wife, 30 years his junior, Hannah Cotton.

The "Annie" was loaded with a cargo of limestone and prepped for the journey back to the Limekilns the following day, the Cottons then made their way to the Rose and Crown Inn for refreshment.

Bugsworth Basin in 1889

An argument began between the pair which became more and more quarrelsome, john Cotton drank rum whilst his wife Hannah took tea, on leaving the inn, the pair continued to quarrel with voices became more raised.

Without any further provocation, once aboard the boat, John Cotton set about his wife, beating her mercilessly. Some onlookers who witnessed the scene described Cotton as though he conducted himself "like a wild animal - a look of fiendish loathing across his face".

Hilda Hayes, a young child, saw what was happening aboard the "Annie", she described Cotton as having hold Hannah's arms as she lay flat on the boat and shouting "if you don't speak I'll throw you into the canal".

Hannah didn't speak, Cotton then smashed her head against the side of the boat. Hilda ran to the the Rose and Crown to get help from her father.

John Cotton then took a heavy metal poker and began beating poor Hannah bout the head with it, Thomas Hayes from the Rose and Crown got to boat, he found Hannah lay in a pool of blood by the hatch, he took hold of Cotton and threw him off the boat to prevent him from hitting Hannah any further.

John Cotton made his way back to the Rose and Crown and asked form more rum. Mrs Hayes refused to serve him and said to him "you've really gone and done it this time", he replied "you hold your tongue or I'll serve you as I served her".

Rose and Crown Inn (now demolished)

Police Constable Whitley from Chapel en le Frith police station attended the scene at 8pm, he found Hannah Cotton lay in the floor of the boat, she was unconscious and had at least 7 severe wounds to her head, face and scalp. she was taken to the Navigation Inn whereby Dr Allan was called to attend - he did what he could but her injuries were so severe she died the following morning.

John cotton was arrested and taken to Chapel en le Frith police station.

A post mortem was carried out on the body of Hannah Cotton which concluded she had died from haemorhrage to the brain caused by beating.

The case against John Cotton was heard at Derby Assizes before Mr Justice Matthew.

Evidence was heard from a number of witnesses. 

A local farmer named Carrington, told the court he had heard Cotton declare;

"I have had one wife, I wont be without the old ??? - I will have another, I have been tired of her for a good while".

It didn't take the jury of 12 good men and true, long to reach a verdict, just 15 minutes, they returned with a verdict - Guilty of Murder with no recommendation for mercy.

John Cotton was a native of Penkridge, he was almost 65 years of age, his father had been an innkeeper in Wolverhampton, unable to read or write he became a boatman from a young age. Hannah had allegedly been his third wife, he had been heard to boast the he had killed his previous two wives.

Mr Justice Matthew donned his black cap and in a hushed, packed courtroom sentenced John Cotton to death by hanging.

At 8am on the morning of Wednesday 21st December 1898, John Cotton was hung by the neck at Derby Gaol, Billington of Bolton carried out the execution assisted by his son.

James Billington - Public Executioner

Murder at the New Inn, Little Hayfield

George Frederick Walter Hayward was born in 1897 in Pendleton, Salford, the son of George Frederick and Alice Walter, the 1901 census tells us the family, including Georges sister, Beatrice, were living at 9 Jackson Street in Stretford. George senior was employed as a clerk on the railways.

10 years later, the family had moved to 24 Alpha Street West in Seedley, near Pendleton, Salford, at this point, the mother Alice had passed away in late 1910 leaving George senior to care for his two children. Fast forward another 10 years to 1921 and the family continue to live at 24 Alpha Street West, George senior now works as a clerk in a furniture store, whilst George junior is a clerk in sewing machine factory.

George junior has at some point left the industrial area of Salford and has moved to the idyllic village of Little Hayfield, where in late 1925 he married Edith Robinson, the couple had a baby boy, Eric, in 1927. The family lived at the White House, George was working as a commercial traveller.

George was a regular at the New Inn (now the Lantern Pike). 

George Hayward

On the morning of Armistice day 1927, George Frederick Walter Hayward went to the pub, Amy Collinson, the wife of the landlord, was cleaning out the grate of the fireplace in the living room, Hayward approached her and bludgeoned her over the head with a piece of lead pipe before cutting her throat, he stole a quantity of cash and made off from the property.

The newspapers of the time were awash with reporting of the ghastly murder and it wasn't long before Hayward was apprehended and taken into custody. 

George Hayward was put on trial at Derby Assizes, the sitting judge was Mr Justice Hawke - this would be the first capital charge to be heard by him.

The trial began on Monday 20th February 1928, again the newspapers were full of the reporting of the event.

The court heard that Amy Collinson was the wife of the landlord of the New Inn, Little Hayfield, Hayward appeared composed in the dock as the charge was read out him, to which he made the reply, "Not Guilty".

Sir Henry Maddocks K.C. for the prosecution, his opening speech lasted for over an hour, he told the assembled court that Hayward had lived with his wife for almost two years at White House, some 600 yards from the New Inn, he continued, Mrs Collinson looked after the house whilst her husband went daily to work in Glossop. The Collinson's kept money on the premises, including takings, a reserve and the husbands wages. Hayward who was friends with the Collinson's knew this fact, and also that Mr Collinson left the pub daily for his work.

Sir Henry continued, on arriving home from Glossop on the evening of November 11th, Mr Collinson was apprehensive on finding the house locked up, on entering he went into the living room where he found his wife lying on the floor in a pool of blood, she had been bludgeoned and her throat cut.

The prosecution continued, it would be shown that Hayward was seen going towards the inn at around 10.30 that morning, and a short time later he was seen heading towards the bus terminus.

A search of the pub revealed hidden in an old cistern, a length of lead pipe wrapped in brown paper with wood running through the centre, one end of the pipe was also wrapped with a dust cap that had belonged to Amy Collinson. 

Haywards house was searched and found hidden in the chimney of his bedroom was a large quantity of money, even more damning was that the waste pipe in his house had been cut, the pipe from the pubs cistern was an exact match for the missing piece.

Evidence was heard that Hayward was in financial difficulties at the time of the murder.

10 witnesses took to the stand and gave evidence against Hayward;

Charles Hobson was the local milkman, he testified that he had delivered milk to the New Inn between 9.30am and 9.45am on the morning of the murder, Mrs Collinson answered the door to him and was her usual cheery self.

John Barr working at Clough Mill spoke to Hayward around 10.15am and saw him walk towards the Inn.

Emma Bradley who had a grocers shop on Clough Lane also saw the offender walking towards the Inn at the material time, similar evidence was also heard from Mary MacBrain and Arthur Lomas, a roadman, who it seems was the last person, other than Hayward, to see Amy Collinson alive.

Further evidence was heard that Hayward, after the murder, was seen taking a bus towards New Mills, once there, he bought a £4 money order, payable to a furniture company in Manchester.

The attending doctor gave evidence as to the injuries inflicted upon Amy Collinson, he stated that the injury to her throat was so severe that death would have occurred within 1 minute and that the knife was still lodged in her throat, on hearing this one of the jurors collapsed and was unable to continue jury service.

Hayward eventually took to the witness stand and gave his evidence, he told the court that he been employed in silk manufacturing until the October before his arrest, he had served in Egypt during the Great War but hadn't seen any fighting. He explained that the lead piping that had been cut in his home had been done in order to clear a blockage but he couldn't account for the offcut, when asked why he had traces of lead in the pockets of his clothes he replied that he often carried tools in them. He stated that he had gone to the pub in order to but cigarettes, Amy Collinson supplied him with some. 

He was then asked directly by the prosecution;

Prosecution - "Did you murder her ?"

Hayward - "No Sir"

Prosecution - "The piping, did you hit her with it ?"

Hayward - "No Sir"

Prosecution - "Do you know how it got there ?"

Haywards - "No"

Hayward explained that he kept money up the bedroom chimney in his bedroom so that his wife wouldn't find it, he couldn't account for blood on his shirt, although he did state that cut his face whilst shaving that morning, he had no idea how blood had got onto his shoes and his hat.

The trial lasted for a total of 5 days, it didn't take the jury long to return with their verdict.

GUILTY OF MURDER.

Hayward maintained a cool demeanour when the verdict was read out, he was asked if he had anything to say before sentence was passed, in calm tones and loud enough for everyone in the courtroom to hear he said,

"I am not guilty, I am quite innocent my lord"

Donning his black cap, his honour Mr Justice Hawke passed the only sentence available to him - Death !

Calendar of prisoners showing Hayward

Hayward was taken to Nottingham's Bagthorpe prison to await his fate, he appealed the verdict, this was unsuccessful.

At 8am on the morning of Tuesday 10th April 1928 - George Frederick Walter Hayward was hung, the executioner was Albert Pierrepoint.

Haywards would become the last execution to be carried out at Bagthorpe, after his hanging the topping shed as it was known was closed and later became a store room.

Grave of Amy Collinson - Glossop Cemetery