In late spring and summer 1845 a double drama unfolded in and around Carlisle. An elderly farmer of Grinsdale, John GRAHAM, died of arsenic poisoning. Suspicion fell on his son John GRAHAM junior, farmer at Kirkandrews-on-Eden. It was then remembered that the suspect's wife had died the previous autumn with symptoms compatible with poisoning, so her body was disinterred and examined and the suspicion of poisoning was proven to be true in her case as well. The inquests on both bodies went to extraordinary lengths to examine all the circumstances surrounding these two deaths and it seems as if half the population of those two villages as well as numerous other people get a mention either as witnesses or just mentioned in passing. Then of course there were the reports on the two trials at the assizes. I did transcribe these cases from The Times many years ago but The Times being a national paper did not report this extent of local detail - so I have done it all over again! I shall post these transcriptions in reasonable chunks over the next few days (weeks?). We could do a poll at the end to see how many people agree with the trial verdicts. I for one have my doubts about the accuracy of the verdict in the wife murder trial... Enjoy! Petra