Murder of Charlotte Dymond
1844 murder
Charlotte Dymond (1826 – 14 April 1844) was an 18-year-old servant who was the victim of a notorious murder which influenced the folklore of Bodmin Moor. In 1844, she was found dead on the moor in grisly circumstances. A fellow farm worker, Matthew Weeks, was convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. The notorious crime inspired poetry, songs, and ghost stories in Cornish folklore. It is considered to be one of the most infamous murders in Cornwall.
Crime
Charlotte Dymond was born in Cornwall into poverty and illegitimacy. She was a servant at Penhale Farm, which was situated between Camelford and Davidstow, on the outskirts of Bodmin Moor. The farm where she worked was owned by Phillipa Peter, an elderly widow and her son John. Dymond resided with two other live-in servants, John Stevens and Matthew Weeks (also spelled Weekes), who also worked for the farm. Although Dymond and Weeks were believed to be courting, she was also thought to have romantic feelings for her employer's nephew, Thomas Prout.
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