December 2007
Letter offering reward for the discovery of the mince pie poisoner, 1857
Reference: DD/H 169/157
In March 1857 Joseph Hodson, a farmer living in South Collingham, died after eating a mince pie laced with poison. He was 75 years old. He left an estate worth between £200 and £300 (between about £8,580 and £12,780 in today's money). The beneficiary was his nephew, a flour dealer living in Manchester.
Later in 1857 this letter was sent by Mr Waddington at Whitehall, on behalf of the Home Secretary, Sir George Grey, to the Nottinghamshire coroner William Newton. In the letter Mr Waddington indicates that the Home Secretary considers offering a reward to the individual who catches the person who sent the poisoned mince pie.
The inquest into the death of Joseph Hodson does not survive, but his burial at South Collingham is recorded in the church burial register. There are no records to show if the mince pie poisoner was ever found, or indeed who he or she was.
You can read the letter in more detail here [PDF 2557KB] 
Read a transcript of the letter here [PDF 15KB]
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