MURDER AT THE HOUGH

This is the story that got me interested in Ghosthunting.
I dont know what interested me more. The fact that people had claimed to see this ghost over 100 years or the fact that it could be possible to come back after dying and that being so, why haunt a place that brought so much pain. Or was it the fact that this person hasnt come back, its just the area replaying events that have happened (like on a recorder).
Whatever the reason, my nan's story started me on a jorney that I continue to this day and will do for a very long time.


Hough was a settlement described as HOUCHT in 1287. It is about 3miles south of Crewe, Cheshire.

Back Lane, Hough, is the scene of this tale. It is known locally as Murder Lane.
In 1890, it was just a muddy track laid with rough stones.

Richard and Mary Davies had eight children. John(married),A married daughter, Richard(18yrs), George(16yrs), Emily, Frederick(10yrs), Tom(8yrs) and another son.

On Saturday January 25th 1890, Mary Davies and two of her sons, Richard(18yrs) and Arthur(6yrs) were sitting at home. When George, another son(16yrs) came rushing into the house. He shouted to his mother that two men had attacked him and his father. They had been riding home in the pony and trap from Crewe and he thought his father was dead.
His mother sent for her married son, John and a neighbour named Smith. John, Smith, Richard went with George to find their father. The body of Richard Davies(Senior) was found lying in a pool of blood under a hedge about a quarter of a mile from the family home.
John took charge and told George to get the village blacksmith and Richard to get the police. There was no one about at the village police station, so Richard drove the pony and cart to Edleston road police station in Crewe. He repeated George's story to Inspector Alfred Oldham. The Inspector sent Richard back while he went to get his Sergeant. Before Richard left Crewe, he went to 85, Victoria st to see his sister. This is where he and his brother George worked with his sister in the family tailoring and drapery business. Emily lived over the shop with Fredrick and Mt Davies's father. Richard told his sister that their father was dead.
Richard returned just before the police and at 4am, Superintendent Jesse Leah, head of the Nantwich Division of Cheshire Police was called for.
The police didnt beleive the events that had been told to them and charged George and Richard with their father's murder.
The brothers, now changed their stories and claimed eachother had killed their father.On Thursday January 30th 1890, They were charged.

Richard Davies,senior, was buried in the graveyard of the Congregational Church at Haslington and the inquest into his death was opened at The White Hart Inn,Hough on the Monday morning following the murder but was adjourned until Friday January 31st 1890.
Dr Frank Matthews, the Nantwich Surgeon who carried out the post mortem told the coroner that he had found 10 separate head wounds. The skull had been fractured in 6places. The inquest jury returned a verdict that Mr Davies had been murdered by person or persons unknown. George and Richard Davies both entered a plea of not guilty and they were formally committed to trail at Chester.

During the trail, the jury heard that Mr Davies was a quick tempered man. He was a violent husband and beat his children. He had threatened to kill his wife. They all lived in fear of him.
The murder weapon had been claimed to be the lather's hammer, which was missing from the shop.
The two brothers were founf guilty and given the death penalty.

Most people found this unfair, beleiving that only one brother could have killed their father and the otherone was guilty by helping but which one. Was George guilty cause he had been with his father or had Richard sneaked out of the house and lyed in wait and then killed his father and got back into the house unseen. No one knew cause both brothers were still blaiming eachother.
Numerous petitions were called for to save these brothers from the gallows. They were sent to the Home Secretary with over 50,000 signatures on including Churchmen, MP's and the press.

In the end, one brother was saved from death. George Davies was sent to Parkhurst but Richard Davies died on the scaffold on Tuesday April 8th 1890.

On Saturday April 1st 1905, George Davies was released from Parkhurst Prison after serving 15years of a 20year sentence. He was now 32.

Nobody, to this day, knows the truth. We dont even know where George lived after leaving prison.
Why kill one brother and not the other. Surly it would have been better to have them both in prison and then maybe they would have told the truth in time.


Since this murder, a man has been seen walking up and down this lane. He matches the describition of Mr Davies, senior. Some reports have him as a headless figure.
My nan claimed to have seen this headless form and this was the version she told me.

I have walked tis lane many times and I still have not seen this ghostly man but one thing is for sure, at night, this is one scary place to walk.