Plea for Help with the Oldest Unsolved Cold Case in Co Durham
Posted by laura@YFH
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Plea for Help with the Oldest Unsolved Cold Case in Co Durham April 14, 2011 08:54PM |
Admin Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 62 |
YFH has received the following plea for information:
A new book will attempt to use 21st century investigation methods and hi‐tech forensics to solve the brutal murder of a young Victorian doctor.
The death of Dr Robert Stirling remains the oldest unsolved cold case in County Durham whose rural police force was formed just fifteen years before the 1855 fatal robbery. Two men were tried and acquitted after their crown court case made legal history by hearing and accepting “dream” identification evidence from the victim’s mother.
Now author and journalist Cliff Goodwin ‐ whose books include best selling biographies of Sid James, Tony Hancock and Oliver Reeds and whose new book on the life of comedy star Kenneth Williams is due out later this year ‐ is turning his hand to crime writing in an attempt to close the 156‐year‐old case.
The recently qualified surgeon was about to take up a post at Scutari Hospital in the Crimea and was acting as locum for a Burnopfield doctor when he was attacked at Rowlands Gill. His silver lancet was stolen and sold the following day in Durham City. The killers also took the doctor’s pocket watch which, although surfacing in the 1980s, has once again disappeared.
The murder sparked national outrage and a £500 reward (more than £37,000 by today’s standards) was posted for the conviction of the killers. The then Secretary of State, Sir George Gray, even wrote personally to several North‐East newspapers offering immunity to the man who had attempted to pawn the doctor’s stolen watch. And such was the local interest that the foreman at the doctor’s Gateshead inquest was fined a staggering £40 (£3,000 today) for failing to attend one hearing.
“I was vaguely aware of the story, but it wasn’t until I discovered Dr Stirling is buried in my local churchyard that I became fascinated by the murder and determined to finally solve it,” explains Goodwin, who lives at Tanfield Village, County Durham.
The writer is in the process of gathering all the recorded evidence, both from the police investigation at the time and subsequent court cases. His book will then examine the crime in detail with the hope of returning “modern verdict”.
As well as hearing from the victim’s ancestors ‐ the 25‐year‐old doctor was born and raised in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow ‐ Goodwin would also like information on the two men originally accused of the murder. One, John Cain, was known locally as “Whisky Jack” because of his dealings in illicit spirits. The other, Richard Rayne, was a blacksmith at Winlaton Mill, not far from Gateshead.
“Any legal or crime professionals, who think they can contribute are also very welcome to make contact,” adds Goodwin.
Cliff Goodwin can be contacted by email on stirlingmurder@me.com or by post at: Cliff Goodwin, c/o Clovelly, Station Road, Rowlands Gill, NE39 1PZ
A new book will attempt to use 21st century investigation methods and hi‐tech forensics to solve the brutal murder of a young Victorian doctor.
The death of Dr Robert Stirling remains the oldest unsolved cold case in County Durham whose rural police force was formed just fifteen years before the 1855 fatal robbery. Two men were tried and acquitted after their crown court case made legal history by hearing and accepting “dream” identification evidence from the victim’s mother.
Now author and journalist Cliff Goodwin ‐ whose books include best selling biographies of Sid James, Tony Hancock and Oliver Reeds and whose new book on the life of comedy star Kenneth Williams is due out later this year ‐ is turning his hand to crime writing in an attempt to close the 156‐year‐old case.
The recently qualified surgeon was about to take up a post at Scutari Hospital in the Crimea and was acting as locum for a Burnopfield doctor when he was attacked at Rowlands Gill. His silver lancet was stolen and sold the following day in Durham City. The killers also took the doctor’s pocket watch which, although surfacing in the 1980s, has once again disappeared.
The murder sparked national outrage and a £500 reward (more than £37,000 by today’s standards) was posted for the conviction of the killers. The then Secretary of State, Sir George Gray, even wrote personally to several North‐East newspapers offering immunity to the man who had attempted to pawn the doctor’s stolen watch. And such was the local interest that the foreman at the doctor’s Gateshead inquest was fined a staggering £40 (£3,000 today) for failing to attend one hearing.
“I was vaguely aware of the story, but it wasn’t until I discovered Dr Stirling is buried in my local churchyard that I became fascinated by the murder and determined to finally solve it,” explains Goodwin, who lives at Tanfield Village, County Durham.
The writer is in the process of gathering all the recorded evidence, both from the police investigation at the time and subsequent court cases. His book will then examine the crime in detail with the hope of returning “modern verdict”.
As well as hearing from the victim’s ancestors ‐ the 25‐year‐old doctor was born and raised in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow ‐ Goodwin would also like information on the two men originally accused of the murder. One, John Cain, was known locally as “Whisky Jack” because of his dealings in illicit spirits. The other, Richard Rayne, was a blacksmith at Winlaton Mill, not far from Gateshead.
“Any legal or crime professionals, who think they can contribute are also very welcome to make contact,” adds Goodwin.
Cliff Goodwin can be contacted by email on stirlingmurder@me.com or by post at: Cliff Goodwin, c/o Clovelly, Station Road, Rowlands Gill, NE39 1PZ
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