Summary of the Magisterial Hearing into Sarah Ann Tizzard
Sarah Ann was charged with concealment of birth. At this Dr J S Webb advised that he had examined the defendant on 17 Juyl and had concluded that she had recently given birth to a child about four months into it gestation. On 20 Jul he had conducted post mortems on two boys and a girl, all fully developed, two of whom had been still-born. A neighbour Matilda Symes (wife of James) gave evidence that she was a neighbour as Sarah Ann who lived opposite the old workhouse and she had seen her on 14 July and she was very stout but on 16 July when she saw her she was very weak and not so stout. Jane Harriett Hann (wife of Alfred) gave evidence that she had known Sarah Ann for about eight years and noticed about three weeks ago she had appeared stouter than usual but on Friday at Sarah Ann's house she was very weak and had a headache so she had made her a cup of tea. She did not know that she had given birth but the rumour in the village was that she was pregnant. Mrs Symes and Mrs Watts were also in the house. Eliza Budden (wife of Benjamin) who lived opposie said that Sarah Ann hadn't seen out of the house for about two months but on Saturday had seen her carrying a bundle in the direction of Netherbury rather than Slape. This would have taken her to Hingeston Lane, Jane Hane was recalled to confirm that Mrs Watts who had refused to give evidence, as she knew nothing about it, was in the house. PC Job Dewland of Powerstock gave evidence that he was instructed to go to an old filled-in well in Hingeston Lane in which he found a bundle with three bodies that he took to Beaminster police station and had then gone to Sarah Ann's house where he found the rest of the carpet and shawl used to bundle the bodies. Sarah Ann was committed for trial at Dorchester Assizes othe following day where she was sentenced to 1 month imprisonment with hard labour