The
Lamb and Flag is thought to have been the place where, in 1849, the
infamous Dr. William Palmer, known as the "Rugeley Poisoner",
poisoned his first victim (George Abley).
Palmer was found guilty of murdering his friend and fellow racegoer
John Parsons Cook in Room 10 of the Talbot Arms Rugeley (now called
The Shrew). On 14th June 1856 Palmer was publicly hanged in front
of Stafford Gaol, watched by a crowd of over 30,000 people. Although
only found guilty of one murder, gossips accused him of murdering
up to fifteen other people. It is thought that his first murder victim
was 27 year old George Abley.
There are two versions of the story - One that Palmer invited Abley
to the Lamb and Flag and gave him brandy and water to drink but ordered
the landlady to give him eight pennyworth of brandy rather than the
usual four pennyworth. Abley soon became very intoxicated and refused
to drink any more, at which point Palmer offered him a half sovereign
if he could down another glass of neat brandy. Abley did so but was
immediately sick and went out for a breath of fresh air.
The
Lamb and Flag Public House as it looked in January 2001. Photograph
by D. Lewis |
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The
other version is that Palmer was having a drink in the Lamb and
Flag with his friend called Timmis when Abley, a thin pale man who
suffered indifferent health, came in. As it was cold outside, Palmer
offered to buy him a brandy but he refused saying that he wasn't
much of a brandy drinker. Timmis reckoned that Abley was being modest,
as he had seen him "knock back" three large brandies one
after the other. Palmer, always the gambler, offered to bet Timmis
three to one in half-sovereigns that Abley could not drink more
than one tumbler full of neat brandy. Abley wasn't interested but
Timmis offered him ten out of the thirty shillings that he could
win if he took on the bet. Eventually Abley agreed to take the bet
for fifteen shillings on the condition that Mrs. Bates the landlady
kept the winnings until he was sober.
Abley drank the first tumbler without flinching whilst Palmer sat
quietly holding the next drink. Palmer agreed that he had drunk
the first one manfully but would wager that the next one would make
him choke. Abley knocked the second drink straight back and everyone
had a good laugh at Palmer's expense and Abley even went so far
as to suggest that, as times were so hard, for fifteen shillings
he would consider drinking another one. Presently however Abley
"turned a bit green" and said that he would go out to
the stable for a breath of fresh air.
Both versions have a similar ending when an hour or so later they
realised that Abley was missing and went in search of him. Abley
was found stretched out on some old sacks in the stable groaning
and clutching his stomach with both hands. It took two men to carry
him home and put him in a warm bed. Unfortunately he died later
that night.
(Information taken from the biography - Looking back at The Rugeley
Poisoner - Dr. William Palmer,
the "Prince of Poisoners", researched and written by Dave
Lewis, published 2003)
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