You are in [Places] [Combe Gibbet] [The Real Black Legend]

Introduction:

Elsewhere in this Virtual Museum, under the article on Combe Gibbet, there are some of the many "folklore" versions of the story behind Combe Gibbet. Famously, a dramatic silent black and white film was made of the story in 1948 by a very young John Schlesinger. The film is called "Black Legend", and information about the film can be found in a separate article.

However, extensive research was carried out in the 2020s by a local family history researcher, Patricia Coveney Sears, MSc, Dip Gen, QG, into the Crown & Garter pub in Inkpen, and with it the history of Combe Gibbet. She presented a talk to the Society of Genealogists on 7 May 2026, entitled "The Landlords of the Crown and Garter: Fact, Fiction or Folklore?".

Patricia Sears has kindly written a special article for the Virtual Museum, which gives us the most accurate account of what was behind "Black Legend". We are very grateful to Patricia for carrying out such dillignet research, and for sharing it with the Virtual Museum.

Primary evidence of 'The Black Legend':

At the beginning of May 2026, I gave a presentation at the Society of Genealogists in London with the title: The Landlords of the Crown and Garter: Fact, Fiction or Folklore?

It has become part of Inkpen village folklore that the Crown and Garter pub played a part in the so-called ‘Black Legend’: the story of George Bromham and Dorothy Newman, whose bodies were hung on the gibbet on Combe Down in 1676. Every few years, those who have recently taken up residence in Inkpen are invited to a viewing of a black and white film, made in 1948 by John Schlesinger, who was a student at Oxford at that time, during the summer vacation at his family home in Kintbury. In the programme notes to his film, he states that he based it on a document he discovered at Winchester Archives.

I wanted to find some primary evidence that would prove whether this story was based on fact or fiction and whether the Crown and Garter pub was involved in any way.

Bearing in mind how close Combe is to county boundaries, I searched the parish records of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire and found a burial record for a Nicholas Newman in Vernham Dean, which is about 5 miles south of Combe, on 24 March 1657 and the baptisms of his sons; Thomas, who was baptised there in 1650 and, possibly, his posthumous son Isaacke, who was baptised on 5 July 1658. Nicholas’s wife was named Dorothy [1] [2] [3]. I then found a burial record for ‘the wife of George Broomeham’ in East Woodhay – 3 miles to the east of Combe – on 31 August 1675 [4].

I also searched for evidence of a George Bromham in Berkshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire parish records and found the marriage of George Bromham and Martha Bishop in Urchfont, Wiltshire in 1665. Urchfont is just over 3 miles southeast of Devizes [5].

I decided I needed to go and examine for myself the assize record that John Schlesinger referred to in the programme notes for his film in 1948. It’s now housed at the National Archives at Kew. To prepare for my visit, I searched for similar documents online to familiarise myself with the terminology in 17th century jail records and the handwriting of the time.

I came across a pamphlet written by L. White and published in London in 1676, just weeks after the Lent Assizes were held at Winchester [6]. As it was written so soon after the events took place, it’s a much more trustworthy source than the variations on the story that have been passed down over the years. A full, semi-diplomatic transcription of the document is attached but the following is a summary of the contents:

• George Bromman was a servant to a Farmer Hunt of Ham, just over the border from Inkpen in Wiltshire.
• George had been in a relationship with Dorothy Newman of Vernham Dean for over four years.
• Dorothy had a friend in Newbury whose daughter had emigrated to Virginia
• In August 1675 Dorothy persuaded George to visit his wife where she lived, near Devizes, and take her to Newbury.
• The next day they arrived at Vernham, and then proceeded to Dorothy’s friend in Newbury.
• Martha could not be persuaded to go to Virginia, so Dorothy convinced George to kill his wife and son.
• The next day, they took them to Ball Hill in East Woodhay, where George killed his wife.
• He then murdered his son on Combe Hill and flung him in a deep pond of water.
• When the bodies were found two days later, they could not be identified by the local inhabitants, as they were ‘strangers to the area’.
• But the news spread quickly and Dorothy’s friend in Newbury informed on her.
• Dorothy’s son confessed that George used to come every night and fetch a ladder out of the barn to climb into his mother’s window. The following night he was caught doing just that.
• George was unrepentant for killing his wife but showed greater remorse for killing his son.
• George and Dorothy were imprisoned in Winchester Jail until the Lent Assizes took place.
• They were sentenced to be hanged in Chains of Iron back-to-back at Combe Hill.
• This took place on Monday 6th March 1676.

This broadsheet corroborated the parish records I had found for Dorothy Newman, her deceased husband and sons in Vernham Dean, the burial of Martha Bromham in East Woodhay and the marriage of George and Martha in Urchfont, near Devizes.

I also visited the National Archives to have a look at the document named by John Schlesinger. My attempt at a transcription of the document is attached. 

This is an extract from the document (ASSI 23/1) [7]:

 Extract from the document (ASSI 23/1)

The blue arrow shows the name ‘Georgius Broomham’ and the red arrow ‘Dorothea Newman’. The text between the two arrows says ‘Indicted for murdering of Robert, sonne of George Broomham by a staffe’. Further down the page, it says ‘The aforesaid Georgius and the aforesaid Dorothea indicted for the murdering of Martha, the wife of the said George Broomham by a staffe’.

I also found evidence in another record (ASSI 24/22) from the Winchester Assizes of 1676 [8]: 

 Extract from ASSI 24/22 from the Winchester Assizes of 1676.

A full, semi-diplomatic transcription of this document is also attached. The above extract states: ‘Whereas at this present Assizes and generall Gaol delivery held for this County George Bromham and Dorothy Newman were indicted and convicted for two most barbarous, bloody and foul murders’. It broadly confirms the account in the broadsheet and the parish records I found, which place George’s wife Martha near Devizes, and that Dorothy lived in Vernham Dean. It also explains why George’s wife was buried in East Woodhay.

There’s no mention anywhere in these documents of Inkpen. But such a scandalous and violent event would have been talked about for miles around for many years after it took place and it’s inevitable that the story became embroidered and details became confused over the centuries.

Semi-diplomatic transcription of
https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_most-wicked-cruel-bloo_white-l_1676/page/n7/mode/2up
Title page:
“Most wicked, cruel, bloody, and barbarous News from This Last Lent Assizes At the City of Winchester in Hampshire.
Being a Full and true Relation of George Bromman and Dorothy Newman his wicked strumpet, being both agreed to make away his own wife and son; with the manner how they brought it about, and for what intent, and how they were Discovered after he had Murthered his wife, on Ball-hill in East-Woodhay parish and his son on Coum-hill, in a most cruel and frightful manner, as the Book within doth more largely express.
Also the manner how they were Hang’d in chains, both he and his Harlot one at one end and the other at the other end of the Gibet, on Coum-hill, seven Miles off Newbury and Five Miles off Hungerford, on Tuesday the 7th of this instant March, 1676.’

Inside the document, it continues:

“One George Bromman Servant and Head-Caterer to one Farmer Hunt of Ham in the County of Wilts, a very Honest and good Sufficient man, but it may happen that many an Honest man may have a bad servant, but it was otherwise by this man, for he had a very true and faithful Servant of this John*, till the Devil and a base Strumpet laid their heads together for the Trappaning of this poor fellow, (if I may call him so) for truly he is to be pittied by any that fears God; but to be short, this man forsook his wife and children, and kept company with a wicked base Strumpet, for several years, in the filthy sin of Adultery, and did keep themselves as close from the world as possible they could, bit not so but that it was understood by some to their great shame, but his own wife, poor soul, which lov’d him as the Apple of her Eye, was blinded, and would not believe no such thing of her husband at first, till it was too evidently made appear by a Countrey talk; this passed on for four years and upwards, and the Whore now begun to grow weary of his Wife; telling him how happily and comfortably they might live together if his Wife was dead; Why saies this John would you marry me then; Yes, answered she, and you should find me a good friend to you too, better then you do now; he replys, what shall I do to make her dye, she answered that she had a Friend in Newberry, which had a Daughter living in Virginny, if you’l go over and fetch your Wife and Son and meet me upon such a day, i’le see and lay wait for some in the mean time for to perswade your wife and Son to go to Virginny to this Gooddy Geis daughter, and will tell her it is a fine sweet Countrey, and ‘tis better living there then here; these and a great many wicked fancies they had to make her away: so by her persuading he hired a Horse and came to his wife neer the Devizes in Wiltshire, who poor soul when she saw him leapt and hung about him, and wept for Joy, for it was known that she was a tender, loving wife to him although he had a stony Knaves heart to her and her children, so he told her that he came to fetch her to Newberry, and that horse he had brought to carry her; then her joys was doubled, and was exceeding glad she should receive so much love from him; so the next day they came to this whores house at Vernum; His wife not knowing that was his whore; and from thence they went to Goodwife Geis in Newberry, where they propounded the question for she and her Son to go to Virginny, but there was no perswading of her, they carried them back again the same day; with that the Strumpet whose name was Dorothy Newman sent her own son to her husband to come and fetch away his wife and son, and beat their brains out, for she would not go to Virginny, not she, so the next morning he came early, and had them along with him both wife and son, and his Whore went also with them, till they came to a bye place on Ball-hill, in Wast-wood-hay-parish in Hampshire, where most inhumanely he fell upon his wife, giving her several wounds in the head and stopping her mouth with fern or brakes, thrusting of them down her throat with a stick, so leaving of her dead went and murdered his son, a boy about 14 years of age on Coum-hill, some seaven Miles from Newberry, then took and flung him in a deep Pond of water: this was on Tuesday in the begining of August last, & the Murthered bodies was found out on Thursday following; but when they were found, none of the Neighbouring people knew them, they being Strangers, but the News flying about the Country, of such Murders done on the body of a Woman and a young Lad, and coming to the ears of Good-wife Geis of Newberry, it run in her mind that it was the Woman and her Son that Dorothy Newman had brought to her house to be sent to Virginny, and to be satisfied therein went and found they were the same indeed; and forthwith she caused the strumpet Dorothy Newman to be Apprehended, but for the man she did not know him, declaring that she never saw him to her knowledge.
But he was soon discovered by his Whores own son, which did confess that this George Brommon used to come every night and fetch a Lader out of the Barn, and set against his Mothers window, and so creep in and lye with her, wherewithal care was taken, and a Watch set privately, and that Night he was taken with the Ladder on his shoulder, and being apprehended he confest it, and withal said; that the killing of his wife did not trouble him to speak on, if he had not murdered his son, which beg’d so hard for Gods sake, and Christ Jesus sake to save his life, and hung very fast about him all the time.
So they were committed to the City of Winchester, there being the County Goal for Hampshire, where they have lain till this Lent Assizes; and being come to their Tryals before the Judges of the Circuite, the chief witnesses against them was this lewd Womans own son, and some others that made out what a wicked liver she had been, and how it has been judg’d that she had made away her former Husband and a Child before, and having nothing to plead for themselves, was sentenced both of them to be hang’d in Chains of Iron back to back at Coum-hill in Hampshire, not far from the place where he committed these cruel Murthers, being some seaven miles from Newberry, and five miles from Hungerford, and about seven Miles from Andover: This was done on Munday, March the 6th 1676.”

ASSI 23/1 is written in court hand, in a mixture of English and Latin and, as was usual in legal documents at this time, contains many contractions and abbreviations. Although I successfully completed the modules on Palaeography in my MSc course, including passages in Latin, none of the documents I had to transcribe were in court hand, nor were there any assize records. I have spent some time familiarising myself with court hand script and found transcriptions of assize documents on British History Online and the National Archives. From these I was able to make an educated guess as to the contents of this document but, if anyone reading this has the expertise to provide a full and accurate transcription and translation, I would be delighted to hear from you.

My interpretation of the relevant extract from ASSI 23/1:
Charles II
Session of gaol delivery in the county of Southamptonshire held on the 28th day of February in the city of Winchester in the said county of Southamptonshire and on the following days in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Charles II, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland by the grace of God, defender of the faith, before Sir Richard Raynesford, chief justice to the King.

Sentence of judgement of George Bromham for the aforesaid crimes?
Judged to be hanged in chaynes neere the place of the murder
Pleaded guilty? (po se cul[pabilis] but no chattels to forfeit? (sed null?)
Georgius Broomeham
Ind[icted] for murdering of Robert sonne of George Broomham by a staffe
Dorothea Newman
Pre dict Georgius (the aforesaid George)
Ind[icted] for murderinge of Martha the wife of the said George Broomham by a staffe
Pre dict Dorothea

ASSI 22/24:
Ind[ictment ] for George Bromham & Dorothy Newman to bee hanged in chaynes

Whereas at this present Assizes and generall Gaol delivery helden for this county, George Bromham & Dorothy Newman were Indicted & Convicted for two most barbarous bloody & cruel Murders by them committed the one of them for the murdering of Martha the wife of him the said George Bromham and the other for murdering of Robert Bromham the sonne of him the said George & throwing him into a pond of water This Court taking notice of the nature and fowleness of the offences & of the defise and request of the justices of the peace present in court wen (sic) judgm[en]t was given for their execucion doth order

That the said George Bromham and Dorothy Newman bee hanged on a Gibbett to bee sett up for that purpose in some convenient place neere the highway & not far from the place where the said Robert Bromham was murdered and there to hange in chaynes and that execucion bee done on munday the sixth day of March next Allso to the sherriffee of this County his under sheriff or Deputy is & also hereby required to cause punctually to bee observed and informed if he or they will answeare the contrary

This court takeinge into consideration the extraordinary Defalt & neglect of the under sheriffs of this County and his Bayliffes in not executing(?) the proces of this Court to the greate hinderaunce of the execucion of the Laws ag[ains]t parties Indicted for preventing and remedyinge whereof for the future this Court doth order that all such Baylliffes as shall receive or have any under[standing]? From the Sherriffe of this County upon any ? issuing from this Court doe make their returnes to the several under sherriffes of this County for the tyme being of w[ha]t is done on all such ? two dayes at the least before every Assize to bee held for this County And the several under sherriffes of this County for the tyme being are hereby ordered for the tyme to come to make theire returnes of the said ? from tyme to tyme to them directed in open Court the first day of any Assizes to be held for this County As they & any of them will answeare the Contrary at their perill?

References:

[1] Burials (PR) England. Vernham Dean, Hampshire. 24 March 1657. NEWMAN, Nicholas. Collection: Hampshire Burials. Transcriptions © Hampshire Genealogical Society. https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed 12 July 2026.

[2] Baptisms (PR) England. Vernham Dean, Hampshire. 31 March 1650. NEWMAN, Thomas. Collection: Hampshire Burials. Transcriptions © Hampshire Genealogical Society. https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed 12 July 2026.

[3] Baptisms (PR) England. Vernham Dean, Hampshire. 05 July 1658. NEWMAN, Isaacke. Collection: Hampshire Burials. Transcriptions © Hampshire Genealogical Society. https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed 12 July 2026.

[4] Burials (PR) England. East Woodhay, Hampshire. 31 August 1675. BROOMEHAM (wife of George). Collection: Hampshire Burials. Transcriptions © Hampshire Genealogical Society. https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed 12 July 2026.

[5] Marriages (PR) England. Urchfont, Wiltshire. 30 July 1665. BROMHAM, George and BISHOP, Martha. Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre; Chippenham, England, UK; Wiltshire Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: 645/4. Collection: Wiltshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812. https://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 12 July 2026.

[6] White, L. Most wicked, cruel, bloody, and barbarous news from this last Lent assizes.   London, 1676. Collection: Early English Books, 1641-1700. https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_most-wicked-cruel-bloo_white-l_1676/page/n7/mode/2up : accessed 12 July 2026.

[7] Assizes: Western Circuit Gaol Books, 1670-1824. Ref: ASSI 23/1. The National Archives, Kew.

[8] Assizes:  Order Book Western Circuit.01 July 1652- 31 March 1677. Ref: ASSI 24/22. The National Archives, Kew.

See also:

- The pamphlet about 'Black Legend' written by L. White and published in London in 1676

- Combe Gibbet (the main article which includes many other foldlore stories about Black Legend)

- Black Legend (about the 1948 film by John Schlesinger)

About Patricia Sears:

Patricia Coveney Sears graduated from University College Cork with the Diploma in Genealogy (Distinction) in 2022 and the University of Strathclyde in 2025 with a MSc (Distinction) in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies. She is a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists and has had articles published in The London Journal, Family Tree Magazine, and other genealogical and local history publications. She gives online and in-person talks on her specialist subjects and accepts commissions for client research. https://www.pcsgenealogy.com/