William Burke Kirwan

Long Hole where Sarah Kirwan's body was found

William Burke Kirwan (born 1814) was an Irish painter tried in 1852 of murdering his wife, Sarah Maria Louisa Kirwan, during an outing to Ireland's Eye. He claimed not to be able to find her after she had swam while he sketched. Her body was found floating in the water and covered in blood. Kirwan had long maintained a separate home with his mistress, Maria Teresa Kenny and their eight children, which was presented as a motive for him to murder his wife. He was found guilty and sentenced to death, but this was commuted to life imprisonment and transportation after appeals by reputable citizens, including ten doctors who stated that his wife's death was consistent with drowning. He was sent to the Convict Establishment at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda,[1] and was freed in 1879.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Bermuda, a colony, a fortress, and a prison; or, Eighteen months in the Somers' Islands. With map and illustrations. By a Field Officer , by Ferdinand Whittingham. Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts. London. 1857
  2. ↑ Ireland’s Eye sees notorious murder. By Dan MacCarthy. Irish Examiner. Monday, 13 August, 2018
  3. ↑ William Burke Kirwan, Miniature Painter - Irish Artists. Library Ireland


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