Family murder prompted play

2:00pm Saturday 6th September 2008

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A grisly discovery about the death of a baby proved a dramatic moment in the life of Chris Wilmshurst.

While researching his family tree, the property consultant discovered an ancestor had been accused of murdering her child.

 A Tender Mother runs from Tuesday to Saturday at the Old Fire Station Studio in George Street, Oxford

Mr Wilmshurst's find led him to write about the three-month-old girl and her mother's subsequent trial at the Old Bailey.

His debut play, called A Tender Mother, explores the true story of Sarah Wilmshurst's murder trial in 1743 and its impact on her family.

Mr Wilmshurst, 52, of Picklers Hill, Abingdon, said: "Many years ago I remember telling my careers master at school that I would like to be a playwright.

"The grin on his face told me I should do something else. Well, now I have finally written a play. As soon as I came across the story of Sarah, I thought, 'this is it'."

Mr Wilmshurst was inspired to investigate his family tree by the BBC television series Who Do You Think You Are?

Mr Wilmshurst's 22-year-old daughter Rachel will play the part of Sarah, a deserted mother of 14 children. Mr Wilmshurst originally wrote a shortened version as a 21st birthday present for Rachel, and it was performed at her birthday party. He said: "I wanted to give her something unusual. And it was certainly a surprise."

The full version of the play, which he has written under the name of Kit Hyrst, brings the story up-to-date. It deals with a modern-day family who discover that one of their relatives stood trial for a child murder and have to come to terms with such a barbaric past.

Mr Wilmshurst, who read accounts of the trial stored at the British Library, is staying tight-lipped about the outcome of his ancestor's court case.

He said: "We would like audiences to hear all the evidence and make up their own minds."

Mr Wilmshurst's family has previously inspired a charity project.

Ten years ago he launched the Carys Wilmshurst Memorial Fund, which raised £52,000 for cancer charities as a tribute to his late wife Carys, who died in 1997, aged 42.