The Dark Side of Nottingham #1 The Slaying of Bessie Sheppard

This new series looks at the darker side of Nottingham. In this instance, the murder of a 17 year old girl in 1817 and the monument left where she fell that stands on the A60 if you know where to find it.
This video has been a long time in production. After being sidelined and several cameras later, it is complete - woohoo
Note - I've misquoted the pub in Bunny, it is in fact the Rancliffe Arms, not the Ranskill Arms !!!!!
If you enjoyed the video and want to read more about Bessie Sheppard, the book mentioned at the end of the video is available here;
amzn.to/44zKyiA
Words & Production: Paul Turton
Additional Camera Work: Connor Turton
Verge Rummaging: Melanie Turton
Opening Music
Eyes Gone Wrong Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons...
Closing Music
'Passion For Life'' 10 second & full version
Jay Man - OurMusicBox
/ ourmusicbox
Greenscreen and sound fx courtesy of KZbin community

[@davidterry2038]

Excellent Paul, thank you. I've often looked in the rear view mirror whilst driving up the hill through Harlow Wood, but never been lucky enough to have seen poor Bessie searching for her shoes.

[@paulturton9755]

Try tomorrow night... it's the anniversary... you never know

[@rickybruske59]

Thanks Paul another great video. This new series on the darker seamier side of Nottingham should be fascinating.

[@paulturton9755]

Many thanks Ricky I've got the next two planned, one more recent and another older one following that. Fingers crossed i can do them all justice.

[@drtonyrotherham2904]

It was my ancestor Charles Rotherham who committed the crime. A Napoleonic war hero, who captured enemy guns from the French during the Penninsula war. Came back to nothing, no work, no real life, that's why he turned to drink. Although he was said to have confessed to the crime, there was never any proof he actually committed the crime.

[@paulturton9755]

I agree. From what I've read, most of the troops were treated like dirt on their return. Although i tried to leave the video open for people to make their own minds up, I personally believe he was the scapegoat. He was found so quickly and almost certainly suffering from PTSD. Sadly I doubt that he wasn't the only one who was treated this way.

[@drtonyrotherham2904]

@@paulturton9755 yeah, well, that's what the family believe,. They needed to get someone quickly and because of the shoes and parasol he was trying to sell, he was the one that they got. Even though at his trial, he said that he found the items on the road.

[@paulturton9755]

@@drtonyrotherham2904 personally i believe an "entitled" person was responsible and the memorial was a cover up. Sounds odd, but this was the days before a police force, and money bought people.

[@drtonyrotherham2904]

@@paulturton9755 oh yeah, you could get away with murder if you could afford it.

[@mauricecarnell9523]

I still go past Bessie's monument, tragic aged 17 in 7/7/17

[@GenaF]

My local history teacher at Kimberley Comp, Donald Grundy, told me of this terrible story in the mid eighties. Upon travelling back from somewhere else, he stopped the school minibus to show our class the stone memorial to Bessie Sheppard. I don't think others were interested whereas I loved the lessons and wish I could have learned more of Nottinghamshire. I thrives in Mr Grundy's lessons. We got on well because he knew he wasn't wasting his time with me, whereas some pupils were just gormless and had no interest in our past.

[@paulturton9755]

Sounds like you had a good teacher there, not just interested in the curriculum, but local history too. So many people drive past the stone and don't even know it's there

[@GenaF]

@@paulturton9755 It's quite a fast road so I suppose if people saw it there and didn't know, many would just drive on by. Local history to me is very interesting. Twenty one years ago I moved to South Lincolnshire and whilst I have looked into my local history, I am still fascinated by Nottinghamshire.

[@joyrice1608]

Oooh! Must have passed that spot lots of times! Never knew this story!

[@paulturton9755]

Just visible from the side of the road at the moment.