Background information on the murder of John Cotell
Sir Edward Hungerford was bequeathed the castle in 1516 and
died in January 1522. When he died he left everything to his
second wife Agnes Cotell, the main character in this story. She
had previously been married to John Cotell, who had been Sir
Edward’s steward.
An inventory of her possessions showed that the couple had not
been impoverished, but she felt she could do much better. On 26th
July 1518, on Agnes’ wishes, two of her henchmen strangled John
at Farleigh Castle, with his own linen handkerchief. John’s body
had then been burnt in the kitchen oven, which can still be located
today.
Agnes then went on to marry Sir Edward and came under his
protection. The murder was no secret locally and the villagers were
aware of who had committed it; however Sir Edward’s protection
kept Agnes and her henchmen safe.
Once Sir Edward had died, however, Agnes and the henchmen
were brought to justice and all three of them were hanged for the
crime at Tyburn in London on 1523.
Character information:
(NB Sir Edward and Agnes are actual people but the others are fictional)
Sir Edward Hungerford:
Although Edward did marry Agnes after the murder, he was not
involved with the event itself, but would have been present in the
castle. Pupils initially are drawn to the idea that Sir Edward did
assist in the murder, due to his secret love for Agnes, but he did
not commit the crime. He would have been aware of what
happened, but maybe not in as much detail. When answering pupil
questions keep this in mind, plus the fact he would not want to
incriminate his new wife.
Lady Agnes:
Agnes was central to the murder of her husband, however it is
important to highlight that she did not carry out the crime and was
not present. She is therefore the reason John Cotell was
murdered, but not the murderer. She would know the plan and
wanted desperately to better her life. She has a secret love for
Edward also, although largely based on his wealth.
Michael- The henchman:
Michael is an important character for this story, as initially many
pupils dismiss his importance, but he was one of the two
henchmen that committed the murder. It needs to be highlighted
that he was loyal to Lady Agnes and would do anything to protect
her. He worked for her, but there was no romantic attraction.
Mary- The servant:
From the outside it would appear Mary is a less useful character,
as she was not involved in the event and is essentially fiction.
However as a servant girl she knows all the gossip of the castle
and can be used to give lots of information to the pupils. On the
night in question she was clearing up from a feast in the great hall
and would have been near the area on the night in question. For
this character you have the flexibility to use her how you like.
Jack- The spit boy:
Jack is also a flexible character. He is important as he witnessed a
conversation between Lady Agnes and Michael discussing the
murder and how they are going to carry it out. He also saw Michael
washing blood and ash off of his hands. Jack can be used with
lower ability groups to give more information on the murder and
who was involved.
Jester:
The jester can be used as an additional character. For G&T he can
be used to make the plot thicker and for SEN can be used to assist
with more information.
Part of Heritage Explorer Case Study
Planning activities at an historical site; Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Murder Mystery