A Grim Almanac of Suffolk

Do you know who killed Maria Marten in the Red Barn at Polstead in 1828? And did you know that some of Matthew Hopkins's largest and most horrific witch hunts were conducted in Suffolk? Or that a pile of dung killed two smugglers at Tunstall in 1775?

Have you ever wondered about the darker side of Suffolk's history?

If you have then enquire within. Upon every day in this almanac can be found a dreadful deed, macabre death, strange occurrence or grim tale from the sinister side of the county's past.

Jostling for position in this cornucopia of the criminal and curious are diverse tales of highwaymen, smugglers, murderers, footpads, poachers, rioters and rebels.

This sordid cast of characters is deservedly accompanied by accounts of old gaols, bridewells and punishments, as well a liberal smattering of death omens, disasters and peculiar medicine