Morgan's Hill Round Barrow(s) View all content for Morgan's Hill

Morgan's Hill is so named after a Mr. Morgan of Heddington who murdered his uncle. For this he not only hung but his body was left hanging on the hill top gibbet. Gibbeting was common law punishment, which a judge could impose in addition to execution. This practice was regularised in England by the Murder Act 1752, which empowered judges to impose this for murder. It was most often used for traitors, murderers, highwaymen, pirates, and sheep-stealers, and was intended to discourage others from committing similar offences. As was the case with murderers, he was not given a Christian burial in a church yard but what was left of his remains were placed face down and covered with stones. In Morgan's case, this was somewhere on the parish boundary between Heddington and Bishop Cannings, probably just over the road from Smallgrain Plantation. It would appear that the spot contains several bodies of highwaymen too, but none of the infamous Cherhill Gang who robbed the stagecoaches naked, for none was ever caught. This tale told to me by the late Mr. Atwell of the motor museum who was shown the very spot while out horse riding "on the same day they buried Winston Churchill".

Posted by Chance 15th July 2010ce

Comments (1)
You're reading some pretty grisly stuff Chance.. always felt the dark hand of death up by Cherhill White Horse, now I know why ;)	Posted by moss 15th July 2010ce
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