HE wanted to take the life of his unborn child – and lost his own.

James Lunnun had been indicted to stand trial at Hampshire Assizes in 1834 for assaulting his pregnant wife, intending to cause her to suffer a miscarriage.

It was the final act of brutality in their stormy two-year relationship which had borne one child. But for Lunnon, one child was enough and months later his wife fell pregnant again.

His wife, Mary, told jurors how he suddenly attacked her as they sat down at the Malt House in Porchester, kicking her in the back and then beating her with his fists about the head and body.

“I felt the child was still alive,” she said in answer to the judge, Baron Gurney. “But never after.”

But worse was to come.

A week later, he beat her about the head until she screamed “murder” and ran away.

When she returned home, he rained further blows on her and squeezed her around the waist so hard that later that night she went into labour, delivering a child on the floor while Lunnun, lounging in bed, refused to help.

The baby boy was dead.

Wihout emotion, he carried the corpse away, returning half an hour later, not saying where he had disposed of it.

The court was, however, told of a revealing conversaton Lunnun had with fellow villager, James Voller, in which he lied about his wife going to Whiteparish for the child to be delivered.

“But if she brings home a live child, I will kill it and her too.”

Voller chided him: “Don’t say that.” But Lunnun was adamant. “What I say, I mean, God strike me dead.”

Undeterred, Lunnun revealed to another Portcheser resident: “It’s over. It’s all gone where the other went. Now my wife will be able to do a summer’s work.”

Lunnun said nothing in defence of the charge but called a woman to give a character reference, which she did.

Jurors convicted Lunnun who was sentenced to death, showing complete indifference when Judge Baron Gurney put on the infamous black cap.