Buckland St Mary’s parish church stands tall in the tranquil village, but its quiet churchyard holds a haunting tale. In February 1823, uproar gripped the area as the search for the killer or killers of 13-year-old Betty Trump, brutally murdered near the Taunton to Chard Turnpike road, shook the community.
The local uproar led to a large reward for the apprehension and conviction of the murderer. The hunt was organized by the local gentry, with Mr. Samuel Hercules Taunton, a Bow Street Runner, leading the investigation. Despite a prime suspect, William Flood, and unusual methods employed to establish guilt, the murderer was never caught. While suspicion continued to fall on Flood, he was eventually set free due to insufficient evidence.
To this day, the murder of Betty Trump remains unsolved, with the culprit never brought to justice. William Flood, who had been the primary suspect, lived his final days maintaining his innocence, and the gravestone marking Betty’s resting place continues to tell the sad tale of her untimely death.