Mariah Marten: Murder in the Red Barn

This is a true story that happened in a small Suffolk village in 1828. It is rather grim and makes me feel sick at the same time as sending shivers down my spine. It has been turned into melodrama plays, songs and stories. There are many different versions of this tale and this is just two of them. Also Mariah is sometimes known as Maria.

Beth

William Corder was a famous womaniser, from a wealthy Suffolk family. Mariah Marten was the village beauty, daughter of the local mole catcher. Apparently, Corder wished to meet Mariah in the Red Barn. But he told her to come dressed in men's clothing. That in itself seems rather suspicious. Mariah went off and arrived at the barn. Whilst she was waiting, Corder entered carrying a pistol and shot her. He then buried her in the barn. Then Corder left for London and wrote to Mariah's father telling him that they were happy and married on the Isle of Wight. A year later, a gruesome discovery was made. Mariah's body...

The second version is a bit more graphic... Mariah Marten, a local girl, was forcefully taken as a servant instead of the rent for the family a day early before it was due to be paid by the land- lord's son William Corder. He went onto have an affair with Mariah and she had a child. Corder was worried because this was not very good in those days and therefore put Mariah and the baby in a house in the woods. One day Mariah's sister- Anne and friend- Tim came by unexpectedly and saw the baby.  Corder came round the corner just as they were promising to keep the secret of the child to themselves. He was afraid. That night he feed the baby poison and the baby died. The next day, Mariah found the baby dead, she was very upset but Corder said that because it was illegitimate, it could not be buried in a graveyard. As a result they buried it in the woods. That night, Corder told Mariah to meet him in the Red Barn, but wear men's clothes so they could run away and marry. However he entered with a pick axe and pistol. Then he shot her and hacked her to pieces. He buried her in the woods by the child. Mariah's mother suddenly awoke at that moment with a dream that her daughter was being murdered. The dream told her where Mariah was buried and she made her husband dig her up. Meanwhile, Corden was in Ipswich. He married a school teacher but a week later he was arrested. 

This part of the story we know is true because there is evidence from the court and parts of Corden's body... Corden was taken to court and charged with the murder of Mariah Marten. He was found guilty. After he was hanged, Corder was scalped and the skin from his back was used to bind a  book of this story. You can still see them, but they are stomach churning. To this day, Mariah is remembered nationally and locally. Her story was featured in an episode of Lucy Worsley's 'A Very British Murder'.