I have been commissioned by the Amberley Press to write a book about Herefordshire murders.

Like Joe Cocker (Letters July 27), I was struck by the similarities between the story of Mary Morgan, a teenager hanged in Presteigne for the murder of her new-born child in 1805 and that of Paris Mayo, sentenced in June to 12 years imprisonment for the murder of her new-born child.

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I had originally intended to end my piece on Mary with something along the lines of, “Well, at least we wouldn’t do anything like that these day.” I have had to re-draft it. Apparently we can.


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Incidentally, the reason Mary has two gravestones is that the first, described by Mr Cocker as sanctimonious cant, was paid for by the earl of Aylesbury, the second, with the more merciful inscription, was crowd-funded by the people of Presteigne, God bless ‘em.

DAVID PHELPS

Knightwick