I think thats how they spelt his name..my Great Aunt claimed that he once stared at her,through her kitchen window..I don't know much about this chap exept that he was a notorious Victorian Sheffield criminal.
Can anyone fill in the details????
Charles Peace born in the centre of Sheffield in 1832 Was a law breaker all his life imprisoned a number of times,
The murder was commited at 959 Ecclesall road a Mr dyson was shot and killed Charles peace was hanged at Armley jail Leeds
on the 25/Feb /1879. books have been printed about his life which was very eventfull he having lived in other parts of the country,
If I recall my history correctly, there was a murder on Psalter Lane, just round the corner from me, that Charlie Peace committed.
As I undertand it, CP shot (or otherwise killed) the bloke, who was the husband of the woman whom he was having an affair with. he lay in wait in the outside loo, and murdered the hubby.
he also shot a policeman, (IIRC) who tried to capture him after this incident. (PC Nicholas Whalley)
He escaped custody in a very dramatic way. He was being escorted to the prison, by train, he gave the gaolers the slip, and leapt out of the window of the speeding train, and made his way to (temporary) freedom.
He was recaptured, and was later hanged for his crimes.
The story goes that he was an excellent violinist.
re the comment about him being buried in ecclesall churchyard :- as i unerstand it, a convicted criminal who was executed would not be accorded the privilege of being buried in"hallowed" ground.he would most likely be buried within the prison walls
My mother as a young girl lived in a house at the rear of the shops near the public house on Leopold Street.
The back of the house had a slop kitchen and was all whitewashed with 'Bug Blindinding". The rear of the house was virtually in the yard of the new Orchard Square.
I believe in those days the address was Orchard Lane although it is a few yards away from the remains of todays Orchard Lane.
Maybe the road was altered when the original Barkers Pool was altered after the new Town Hall was built.
When they were developing the square I watched them pull down the kitchen to build shops that front into the square.
She told me that the rear of their house and the slop kitchen featured in the old silent movie that was made about Charlie Peace.
I have seen the film and Charlie scrambles out of the window onto the kitchen roof and away. He is followed at the window afterwards by a thwarted constable waving his truncheon.
She recollected that people used to come to look at the back of the house and even asked to come inside to have a look around.
There used to be lots of articles and old newspaper cuttings about Charles Peace on the walls in the public bar side of the Banner Cross pub. They may still be there, but it is a long time since I last visited that particular establishment.
[Edited thread title as his name is 'Peace' not 'Pease']
Nomme
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People come and go, And forget to close the door,
And leave their stains and cigerette butts trampled on the floor, And when they do....
every year there was a play on in sheffield called THE STIRINGS IN SHEFFIELD it used to be about charlie peace
I think, anyone know if it still is acted at any theatre?
Originally posted by kath every year there was a play on in sheffield called THE STIRINGS IN SHEFFIELD it used to be about charlie peace
I think, anyone know if it still is acted at any theatre?
I'm not sure that 'Stirrings In Sheffield On A Saturday Night' (by Alan Cullen incidentally) was anything to do with Charles Peace was it?
The last professional production of this play that I remember was the revival by Sheffield Crucible in 1992, though I bet it's something that am-dram companies produce reasonably regularly.
In fact, I've just done a quick Google search and found this info from the Retford Little Theatre (phone 01777 702002)...
THE STIRRINGS IN SHEFFIELD ON SATURDAY NIGHT
By Alan Cullen
14th - 22nd May 2004, 7.30 pm
It's hard to believe that the doors of the theatre building first opened as many as 20 years ago (April 1984). To celebrate this significant moment in RLT's long history, we have chosen "Stirrings" because we are asked so often and by so many to revive it, and because it has a "cast of thousands".
A lively and entertaining musical documentary, blending comedy, drama, melodrama and music hall styles, "Stirrings" charts two historical stories: the troubles of the saw grinders union in the cutlery trade, and the coming of gas to the streets of Sheffield. The show has been revived times many in its native city, but, as a piece of theatre, its appeal is much wider than that and, like "Oh What a Lovely War", it never fails to get the audience laughing, crying, singing - and thinking.
Charles Peace was born in Angel Court Sheffield on 14th May 1832, the son of a local shoemaker. Peace started his career of crime as a pickpocket, his favourite pitch being the Sheffield Fairground. In his spare time he was a popular musical entertainer, playing a number of instruments. he could also sing and often gave recitations.
His first appearance in court was in 1851 when he was charged with housebreaking. In 1854 he was sentenced to 4 years penal servitude on another charge of burglary, being charged in conjunction with his sister and another woman.
he was released from gaol in 1858 and in the following year he married a widow, Mrs Hannah Ward.
Peace then moved to Manchester and while lodging there he and another man burgled a house. For this crime he was sentenced to six years penal servitude.
Released on 'Ticket of leave' in 1864 he returned to his wife in Sheffield and assisted at her small shop in Kenyon Alley.
Here Peace made picture frames and for a while kept out of trouble.
Finding his workshop too small he moved to larger premises in West Street, but after a while business declined and Peace giving up the shop, moved with his wife to Manchester. While there he was again convicted of burglary and at court in 1866 was sentenced to seven years.
In August 1872, he was once more released on 'Ticket of Leave' and he returned to Sheffield to live with his wife in Orchard St. Three years later they moved to a semi-detached house in Brittania Road, Darnall, which was situated next door but one to a house occupied by the Dyson family. Peace then fell in love with Mrs Dyson which naturally caused trouble. In July 1876 after peace had insulted Mr Dyson and threatened his wife, Dyson took out a summons against him. A warrant was then issued and Peace left hurriedly for Hull where he opened a small cafe. He returned to Sheffield in October 1876, and found the Dysons had moved to a house in Banner Cross Terrace.
Visiting the house on 29th Nov he entered and shot mr Dyson in front of his wife. Peace then ran away across the fields which are now the Greystones Estate. A warrant was issued for the arrest of peace for murder and thus began a remarkable period of the man's life during which he achieved great notoriety. Naturally the press widely publicised the hunt for the murderer and Peace's likeness appeared on 'wanted' notices all over the country.
Peace had meanwhile settled down in Hull, using a disguise which inclided an artificial left hand, made by himself, to cover two of his fingers which were missing. His white beard was shaved, he dyed his hair and adopted spectacles. This disguise was so effective that he lived for a time at the home of a police sergeant. Later he moved to London, living there with his wife and a mistress. At night he carried on his life of crime by burgling houses in the South London area. One night he was caught robbing a house and while attempting to escape he shot a policeman.
He was caught and was remanded at Greenwich Police Court on 10th october 1878. Peace gave his name as John Ward, but on the 6th November he was identified in Newgate as Charles peace. Thirteen days later he was sentenced to penal servitude for life at the Old Bailey. The Sheffield Police then took steps to bring Peace to trial for the murder of Mr Dyson and these being successful Peace was sent under escort by train to Sheffield. On the journey he made an unsuccessful effort to escape by leaping from the speeding train, a jump that caused him a number of injuries. On 24th Jan 1879, Peace was committed for trial to leeds Assizes. There he was found guilty of murder and was hung at Armly Gaol on 25th February. So ended the life of a man who was to be remembered by the Sheffield folk for many years afterwards.
The story of his crimes was told over and over again, extracts of his life were re-enacted on the stage and even a very early silent film was movie was made of some of his more daring escapades. Embellishments were naturally added and the crimes of 'Charlie' Peace became a Sheffield legend.
From A Popular History of Sheffield by J Edward Vickers.
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D.I.L.L.I.G.A.................WELL DO I ?.
Thanks 'Playman' for putting the record straight. I will have to check the address of my old Mums place.
I thought it was Orchard Lane but I may be wrong and secondly it may have been Charlie's address although I do know that the silent film was filmed there.
Incidentally, there used to be a story in Buster comic in the late sixties about a 'lovable Victorian rogue' called, you guessed it, Charlie Peace. Unfortunately I can't find any images of it on the web and I'm not sure if I still have any copies of the comic featuring this character.
I've long wondered why they chose that name for a character in a kids' comic.
Re Charlie Peace. I think it was on Psalter Lane on the right side going up the hill there were about 3 terraced houses and on a paving stone outside was a carving of, I believe, a horses head. I was told this was done by Peace looking busy whilst Ole Bill was searching the locality. I could take you there but memories of road names are a bit dodgy. It was just left of a crossroad. Psalter Lane, I think, ran off to the left and the houses were on the right. Anthony
Anthony is correct about the carving on the doorstep of the cottages on Psalter lane ,These cottages where called (The Saltbox Cottages) opposite college & just above junction with Hunter House rd. up to the 1960's as i remember they where owned by a Miss Brown,
there is a picture in the libraries Sheffield collection listed under cottages
I do have a photo of these cottages and it is signed by Miss Brown who lived there, after her death the council in all there wisdom decided to pull these down,but i can remember the step with the horses head carving on it ,as my memory serves me it was the middle cottage where it was carved,
The cottages also had an orchard at the back and those where the sourest apples one could ever find i remember being chased By miss Brown many times with my mates who went scromping these apples,
As i was told these cottages where a toll house for the Salt being brought in to Sheffield hence the name olde english Psalt box cottages, in my posession i have a bowl that came from Charles Peace's house in Sheffield apparently my Great Grandmother was a friend of his family. But sadly have no more information about his.
The house that the Dysons lived in is still there but its now a shop. Its situated just down from the Banner Cross Hotel. The passage way where Mr Dyson was shot is still there also.The Dysons house is the next to last in the terrace past the passage way.
There was a bullet mark on the lintel accross the passage way where Peaces first shot hit but as to it still being there I dont know.A full account of his crime is in the book "The Sheffield Murders" by David Bentley and it is well worth buying.
Originally posted by soggy As i was told these cottages where a toll house for the Salt being brought in to Sheffield hence the name olde english Psalt box cottages, in my posession i have a bowl that came from Charles Peace's house in Sheffield apparently my Great Grandmother was a friend of his family. But sadly have no more information about his.
RGDS S.F.
Soggy, you are correct about Psalter Lane being named for the salt...
Apparently, that was the route into Sheffield from Cheshire where salt was mined.
There was, as I understand it, some confusion, hundreds of years ago about the naming of the lane...
The the salt connection was misinterpreted as being "PSALTER" as in the prayer book of psalms (A psalter) and the extra letter (P) was added.
This was never rectified, and over the course of many many years, the "PS-alter " thing just sort of "stuck".
Ah , Charlie Peace. He used to live a few streets away from me and I always thought he was a shifty looking character even before he shot poor old Dyson.
