Joseph Hedley

Joseph Hedley, born in the 18th century, lived near Warden in Northumberland.[1] In his early life he trained as a tailor but for some reason gave up the craft for that of Quilt making.[2] During his life he was known as a highly skilled craftsman, creating quilts for customers as far away as America and Ireland, especially a pattern known as 'Old Joe's chain'.[1]

Hedley spent many years of his life caring for his elderly wife and when she died he was left almost destitute.[3] He spent his later life in a small cottage called "Homer's House", on the road between Warden church and Chollerford, over-looking the Tyne. He was generally well liked by the local community but his seclusion made him liable with it being reported that he would have starved during a severe snow storm in 1823, had it not been for a Hexham clergyman wading through snow drifts to bring him food when other attempts to reach him had failed.[2]

Poster, signed in the name of Robert Peel, offering a reward of 100 guineas for any information about Hedley's murder

On the evening of the 3rd of January, 1826 he was murdered in his home by an unknown attacker. Hedley was 76 years old.[4][5] He was found with a few days later with more than 40 wounds inflicted to his face and neck. There seemed to have been a struggle outside the cottage as his clogs and some scraps of cloths were discovered on the other side of the road. Hedley had a reputation for possessing money and some of the draws looked to have been rummaged through.[6]

A 100 guineas reward was put up by the local parish and a full pardon promised by Robert Peel for any accomplice who came forward.[7][2] Despite this, all efforts to find the culprits came to naught. Several arrests where made in the immediate aftermath but no one was prosecuted, and from time to time afterwards purported confessions were made but all have been discounted as fabrications.[2]

The life and death of Joe the Quilter was remembered in a contemporary ballad by A. Wright, which inspired the Richard Dawson song "Joe The Quilt Maker" from his album Glass Trunk.[2][8]

Hedley's cottage was demolished in 1872 and its location forgotten until archaeologists led by the Beamish Museum, using an 1826 postcard and old maps of the area, excavated the site.[3][5] The museum used a floor plan and information from the time to reconstruct the cottage, opening it to visitors in 2018.[9]