Note: This silver watch is connected with one of the most callous murders in the annals of British crime. In May 1870, in the village of Denham, Bucks, a caller at the blacksmith's shop, found the owner, Emmanuel Marshall and six members of his family brutally murdered with a sledgehammer. The victims were Marshall (blacksmith), his wife, mother, sister and three children aged 8, 6 and 4 four years old. Each had broken skulls. A man had been seen in the area when this happened, who had been temporarily employed by Marshall earlier that year and suspicion was aroused. He was traced to an Inn or "Tramp's kitchen" at Silver Street, Reading. The suspect was John Owen, an itinerant and known thief who had several aliases. John Owen was arrested by Supt. Hanham of Slough in the company of P.C. Toulman of Reading. During the arrest, P.C. Toulman noticed Owen pulling a pistol from his pocket and showing great presence of mind, the policeman jumped over some benches and grasped the loaded weapon. The pistol had been stolen from Marshall and in fact the 38 year old Owen was wearing a pair of boots which the dead man had been wearing. The crime caused a considerable stir at the time, thousands flocking to the scene seeking gruesome souvenirs. "The Times" of the day reported considerable traffic jams in the area and special coach trips were organised. Lynch mobs were out in Reading and the spirited Owen when being escorted by rail shouted to a crowd at the railway station that he would like to set about them with a sledgehammer. The trial of Owen was held at Aylesbury Summer Assizes, and after a deliberation of only two minutes, the jury found him guilty. He was executed at Aylesbury Gaol having shown no sign of remorse, in fact he maintained a callous indifference to the crime throughout. His arrogance persisted to the end, for records show he mounted the scaffold steps two at a time to meet his end. From sifted evidence, it is thought John Owen harboured a grudge against his temporary employer over payment for work. This culminated in entering the smithy and as each member came to investigate the noise, they were brutally attacked. SELLAR, READING is unrecorded as a watch-maker and was no doubt a local retailer in Reading of docks, watches jewelry and plate.