THE HONEYPOT LANE MURDERS

Jessie K Payne, in 'Basildon A Pictorial History', explained that Honeypot Lane became 'impassable' during winter because of the yellow 'London Clay', hence the reference to a Honey Pot in the road name.

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The summer of 1906 was a hot, dry one.  With no water on tap in the area the residents of Honeypot Lane had to rely on water from ponds to drink and to give to their animals.  This was no different for Albert and Emma Watson who had a very well tended small holding with a garden and animals.  They had no water on their land so were given permission by a neighbour, Mr Buckham, to collect water from a pond on his land at Sawyers Farm.

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Today Honeypot Lane runs alongside Ghyllgrove having started from Perry Green, going through Whitmore Way and then taking a sharp turn where it ends beside Broadmayne.  This is all that remains, changed by the creation of the New Town.

 

Prior to this Honeypot Lane joined 'Pippshill Road' by, what was, the Old Rectory (now the Festival Leisure Park).  It then followed its current route and ran between Broadmayne and Great Oaks before turning through the town centre and crossing the train line.  It then followed what is now Waldegrave before joining Clayhill Road.

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Mr Buckham would walk from his home to Laindon Train Station every morning to go to work in London. Wednesday 23 August 1906 was one of those days.  The Watson's had gone down to the pond to collect water.

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Later that morning a passerby was stopped by the two brothers and informed that the Watson's had drowned in the pond.  A police officer was summoned from Billericay who moved the bodies in to their bungalow.  His sergeant was called and he examined the bodies to find wounds on both.

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The following day Robert broke down and admitted to police that his brother had shot the Watsons. Their house was searched and two guns were found. Richard and Robert were charged with the murder and were found guilty at the inquest.

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The case was heard in November 1906 and the younger brother, Robert, who was 16 at the time was acquitted of the murder.  His brother was not so lucky.

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Richard's mental state was examined, he suffered from headaches and mental illness ran in the family.  The court were told that Emma Watson had been shot twice, requiring Richard to have reloaded the shotgun to shot her again.

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On 4 December 1906 Richard was hanged at Chelmsford Prison. This murder case is thought to be one of the first to have taken a defendants mental state in to account.

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Mr and Mrs Watson were buried in the graveyard of St. Mary Magadelene's in Great Burstead.  A large crowd turned out to pay their respects to their murdered neighbours.

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Robert Buckham, having been acquitted, went on to have a distinguished military career, receiving an award for his actions during the First World War. 

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