The Murder of Anna Maria
The True Story of William Burgess and the Wheal Eliza Mine.
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Under the trees, in a corner of the graveyard of St Luke’s church in Simonsbath on Exmoor, is a headstone marking the final resting place of six-year-old Anna Maria Burgess; murdered by her own father.
In 1858, in this isolated village, the death of this six-year-old child by her father’s hand shocked the small community.
The story of Anna Maria Burgess and the Wheal Eliza mine has since taken its place among the myths and legends of Exmoor. It has been told many times. And, as with any story that has been told and retold as this one has been over the years, there are conflicting accounts and differences of opinion. So what really happened? What is the true version of events?
The Wheal Eliza Mine
The abandoned Wheal Eliza mine lies on the banks of the river Barle in an isolated Exmoor valley. The buildings were deserted but the mine workings and shafts were still mostly intact. It was in this lonely place that the mystery of Anna Maria played out.
With the help of parish records, newspaper archives, contemporary reports of the murder and of the trial, and Ancestry.com, I have tried to piece together an accurate picture of the events that led to the deaths of Anna Maria and of William Burgess.
But there are still gaps, and it is not possible to verify all reports. Newspapers then, as now, were selective with the facts and each reporter put his own spin on the story.
When a story fires the imagination as this one did, there will always be errors and inconsistencies, so it is doubtful the whole truth of the matter will ever be known; but it is my hope that this account might come close to it.
