The Leatts
This family lived in Sidbury, Colaton Raleigh, Metcombe and Venn Ottery during the 18 th and 19th century and in 1914, Ellen Eliza and George Leatt were living in Venn Ottery. George was a waggoner on the farm at Elliotts and Ellen a housewife. They sometimes took in lodgers. I found a newpaper story of one of their ex lodgers who was also a friend of theirs, George Staddon of Colaton Raleigh.
I found this - 'case of George Staddon 38, labourer was indicted of wounding Ellen Eliza Leatt with intent to murder at Venn Ottery on the 12th May 1914' in the newspaper archives and had to share it.
On the morning of the 12th May 1914 George Staddon called at the Leatts house at 8 am. Mrs Leatt was at home and made him some tea. As she was lighting a fire he seized her and there was a violent struggle, during which George took a knife from his pocket and stabbed her in the side of her neck. After the attack George left the house on foot and fled across the fields at the back of Elliotts farm and onto Green Lane.
Mrs Leatt ran bleeding, from the house holding her apron to her neck, down the steps to the farm opposite. Mrs Emma Salter lived on that farm ( Minors) with her husband Thomas. Emma heard the screams coming from the Leatts cottage and went out on to the road to see Mrs Leatt covered in blood. She took her into the farm and called for her husband to come quickly. Ellen was taken to Ottery hospital by her husbands employer, Mr Burrows of Elliotts farm.
Her wounds had severed the muscles in her neck but had just missed the subjacant vital structures.
George Staddon had been friends with the family for 4 years and had lodged with them. It was not uncommon for him to call at the house for breakfast, but the attack had been quite unexpected. He was a quiet man but was known for becoming aggravated when he had been drinking.
In a statement the accused said that about 8 years ago he had suffered sunstroke whilst employed on Woodbury common and he had never been the same since. About 12 months ago he had the wheels of a cart go over his head and when he drank he did not know what he was doing, his head was never still.
The jury found him guilty of doing grievous bodily harm and a sentence of 3 years penal servitude was passed. His lordship remarked that the accused was extremely fortunate he was not charged with causing the death of Ellen Eliza Leatt.
Luckily Ellen survived and lived in until 1969. I found this story particularly interesting as the Leatts would have lived in the cottages in front of our house ( pictured below and were demolished in about 1930 after a fire) so I could visualise the descriptions of the trial and Emma running out onto the road to find Ellen dripping with blood. It was fascinating reading all the newspaper reports.
