The Poisoner of Henley
When undertaking research for my book, 'Murder at the Regatta,' my characters visited St Mary's Church in Henley. It was while researching the church online that I discovered a real-life Henley murderer was buried in the grounds of the church. I didn't have space in the book, neither would it have fitted with the story, to include Mary Blandy's tale. It does, however, make for an interesting blog post. So here it is. For those amateur detectives among you, the question is: guilty or not guilty? The Poisoner of Henley: A Tale of Love, Deception, and Disputed Innocence Used under CCL National Portrait Gallery On the morning of April 6th, 1752, at the age of 32, a young gentlewoman named Mary Blandy ascended the steps of Oxford Castle's gallows, her face pale but composed. As the crowd gathered to witness her execution, she made one final declaration: "For the sake of my father's memory and my mother's name, I declare that I am innocent!" This was not the first time Mary Blandy had proclaimed her innocence, nor would it be the last – her ghost, some say, still haunts parts of Henley, endlessly protesting her guiltlessness in one of the most notorious poisoning cases of the 18th century. The Beginning: A Father's Pride Mary was the only surviving child of Francis Blandy, a respected attorney and town clerk of Henley-on-Thames. Educated, witty, and accomplished, she was her father's pride and joy. Francis Blandy frequently boasted that his daughter would come with a dowry of £10,000 – a fortune that attracted many suitors to their handsome Georgian home on Hart Street. Enter the Captain In 1746, Captain William Henry Cranstoun, a charismatic Scottish noble's son, swept into Mary's life. Despite his aristocratic connections, Cranstoun hid dark secrets: he was already married to…