A Tragic Tale of Love, Death, and Victorian Justice
A chilling drama unfolded on a cold January night in 1889 in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. This is a tale of unhappy lovers, a mysterious death, and a controversial trial.
The Unhappy King’s Lynn Couple
Listen to a short Podcast on this story. The Drowning of Lizzie Green, 15 minutes
Barnell Joplin and and Frances Louisa ‘Lizzie’ Green were sweethearts. He was a 30-year-old who worked at the corn market, and she was an 18-year-old pupil teacher at St. Nicholas’s Infant School. Their engagement of 18 months was facing difficulty. Lizzie’s parents disapproved of the match, as did the headmistress at the school where Lizzie worked. There was a determined shadow over their relationship.
By January 1889, Lizzie wanted to end the engagement. Joplin, however, was unwilling to let go. In a disturbing turn of events, he swore to several people, including Lizzie herself, that if he couldn’t have her, no one else would.
A Fateful Night By The King’s Lynn River
On the evening of January 21, 1889, the couple took a walk along the Common Staithe by the River Great Ouse. What began as a stroll quickly devolved into an argument. In a moment of passion or madness, Joplin pushed Lizzie into the freezing cold water of the river.
Immediately filled with remorse, Joplin attempted to take his own life by throwing himself into the river as well. Their cries for help from both Lizzie and Joplin alerted nearby residents, who rushed to their aid. Joplin was rescued in a semi-conscious state and taken to the nearby Crown and Mitre public house. It was only some time later that he asked about Lizzie.
A woman’s muff was found floating on the surface of the river. After a two-hour search, Lizzie’s body was recovered.
Lizzie’s death shocked many people in the town. The funeral was a great affair with a procession from St Nicholas’ Chapel to Hardwick Road cemetery, crowded with pedestrians along route and at the cemetery.
The Inconsistent Aftermath
On the morning after the incident, PC Edwards went to see Joplin and asked, “Do you know how Lizzie Green is?” to which Joplin replied, “All right for all I know,” then, after considering for a while, Joplin commented: “She had a bad bilious attack last night, and we were on the quay for half an hour … I had hold of her with my left hand and my stick in my right. When she went in I jumped in on top of her ..If she says I pushed her in I’ll take the blame, I won’t deny it.”
In the following days, Joplin made several conflicting statements about the incident, ranging from “She pulled me in” to “I dived in after my girl”.
The Trial For Murder
The case went to trial at the Norfolk Assizes, with Joplin charged with willful murder. At the trial Joplin appeared in the dock as a well-dressed man and at first did not seem affected by the proceedings when he answered to the charge firmly and clearly with ‘not guilty’.
However, the proceedings took an unexpected turn when Surgeon Charles Jackson revealed that he had not conducted a post-mortem examination on Lizzie’s body, so could not say what the cause of death was.
Mr Justice William Ventris Field, presiding over the case, declared that without a post-mortem, there was insufficient evidence to determine the cause of death. This led to a dramatic courtroom scene where the local coroner, Mr Beloe, attempted to intervene.
The Controversy In Court
Mr Beloe, the Coroner for Lynn, was standing in the body of the court and interrupted, “I am the Coroner and I beg leave to say that every inquiry was made.”
Justice Field demanded, “Who is that man?”
The Usher replied, “The Coroner,” my Lord?
The judge then replied, “Then I pray that the Coroner will take himself from the Court.”
Beloe acquiesced, “I will my Lord.”
But the judge went on, “You are a professional man and ought to know better than to interrupt court in such a manner.”
Beloe replied, “I was only going to say…” but he was cut off again by the judge.
“You have no business to interfere here. I am surprised at you?”
Mr Justice Field refused to hear anything more from the Coroner, the prosecution was withdrawn, and Joplin was acquitted and discharged a free man. This decision sparked controversy and raised questions about the justice system’s effectiveness.
Mr Justice Field was known for his contempt of medical witnesses and was criticised in the Journal of Mental Science, April 1889, for his behaviour in another case, where, after treating the medical witness with studious rudeness, he refused to receive their opinion. Mr Justice William Ventris Field retired from the Bench a year later.
Reflections on Victorian Justice
This case sheds light on the complexities and shortcomings of the Victorian legal system. Justice Field’s known contempt for medical witnesses and his harsh treatment of the coroner in this case highlighted the personal biases that could influence legal proceedings.
The tragic tale of Barnell Joplin and Lizzie Green serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of possessive love and the importance of thorough forensic investigation in criminal cases. It also prompts us to reflect on how far our legal system has come since those times, and what improvements might still be needed to ensure justice is served.
© James Rye 2026
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Sources
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/search/posts/?q=True%27s%20Yard%20Lizzie%20Green
- King’s Lynn Forums https://www.kingslynn-forums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=9407
- Storey, N.R. (2012) Norfolk Villains: Rogues, Rascals, and Reprobates, The History Press
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