Aftermath

Shortly after the funeral of William Farrow, the Northampton Herald's correspondent 'Roundabout' reported in his 'Bucks Whispers' column "That Mrs. Farrow, widow of the murderer of Mr. Watts, is shortly leaving to join her relatives in Lancashire ."

She left behind her the enigmatic inscription on her husband's gravestone and the furore surrounding it. Nothing more is known of her and her children, and Hanslope & District Historical Society would be very grateful to hear any information readers might have, in order that the story of the Farrow family can be recorded.

(Latest - The hope expressed in the previous paragraph took nearly 10 years to materialise. Then a message was received from a great grandson of William Farrow (from the family of his eldest daughter Jane) from which a link with Jane’s son was established. Subsequently he paid his first visit to Hanslope and saw his grandfather’s grave. Click here to read the story of the Farrow family before and after the Tragedy)

George Green was awarded a plaque and a gold watch to reward his bravery in being the first person prepared to enter North Spinney immediately after the murder.

Lily & George Green in the back garden of the Lodge.

This photo was taken at the time of the tragedy.

For further details about George Green, his family, and life at Hanslope Park , click here.

The Hanslope Park Tragedy receded into memory as the newspapers filled their pages with other tragedies and crimes, and the Watts family were left to their grief and mourning. Mrs Watts had a plaque to her husband mounted on the family gallery in Hanslope church. Little had she guessed how soon it would join others to the Watts family.

The expressed desire of Mrs Watts for a permanent memorial to her husband at the scene of the crime was not fulfilled in her lifetime. She did however, have the road diverted (at her expense) to avoid the spot where the Tragedy occurred and she planted snowdrops there. She was often seen standing alone at the spot where her husband fell. The episode is described in Edward French's book "The Hanslope Park Tragedy".


An enlargement of the map shown on the Inquest page, indicating the alterations made to the road layout.

The new line of the road necessitated the removal of much of the South Spinney.

Later, two residents of the village who were lifelong friends, Alf Keeves and Sid Garratt, helped to found the Hanslope and District Historical Society in 1990. They decided that Mrs Watts' desire for a memorial should be followed up and as a result the newly formed Society put the project in train.

The site of the tragedy, known locally as 'The Grove', was by then owned by the Beesley family, local farmers. They kindly agreed that as part of the Hanslope Parish Council's centenary celebrations a plaque should be erected at the 'Grove' in memory of Squire Watts.

The Grove in winter.
The original line of the road can be discerned, as can the snowdrops Mrs.Watts planted.

Subsequently iron gates were put at the entrance to the Grove opposite those of Hanslope Park (now owned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office). A path was made and a plaque erected near the gates. The inscription reads:

'This plaque was erected to commemorate the centenary of Parish Councils.
Squire Watts was murdered here on 21st July 1912'




The Dedication of The Grove

left to right:
Sid Garratt, Don Hellings, Mary Bennett, Eric Dodsworth.
On Sunday 23rd July 1994 the memorial site (The Grove) was opened by Mrs Mary Bennett, Chairman of the Parish Council together with the Chairman and members of the Hanslope and District Historical Society and others. A brief service of dedication was conducted by Mr Eric Dodsworth, Lay Reader, at Hanslope Church, St James the Great.

Later the deaths of Alfred Keeves and Lady Markham (the Society's mentor) were marked by putting seats in their honour in The Grove. Their relatives were present and the seats were dedicated by Mr. Eric Dodsworth on July 12th 1998.

In 1999 the death of Sidney Garratt was marked by fixing a dedication to him on the seat beside one already there to Alfred Keeves. This seat is close to the exact spot where Squire Watts fell. In springtime each year you would if seated there be close to the snowdrops planted by Mrs Watts which have been augmented by well-wishers. The Grove is maintained by Hanslope & District Historical Society members.


For other details on the Tragedy, follow the links on the navigation bar at the top of this page