Salt Hill
Encyclopedia
Salt Hill is a district within the unitary authority
of Slough
in Berkshire
in the south of England
, close to London
. Before 1974, Salt Hill was part of Buckinghamshire
. It is to the north of Chalvey
and the Great West Road
, surrounding Salt Hill Park.
The name Salt Hill is derived from Montem Mound
in Chalvey, which was also known as Salt Hill, or Salts Hill.
In 1807, the French nobleman Antoine Philippe, Duke of Montpensier
died here of tuberculosis on the way from London to Devon.
On 1 January 1845, John Tawell
, who had recently returned from Australia, murdered his lover, Sarah Hart, at Salt Hill by poisoning her with prussic acid. With various officials in chase, Tawell fled to Slough Station and boarded a train to Paddington
. Fortunately, the electrical telegraph
had recently been installed and so a message was sent ahead to Paddington with Tawell's details. Tawell was trailed and subsequently arrested, tried and executed for the murder at Aylesbury
on 28 March 1845. This is believed to be the first time ever that the telegraph had been involved in the apprehension of a murderer.
Salt Hill Park once boasted great iron gates, which were subsequently smelted as part of the war effort during World War II
.
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in the south of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, close to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Before 1974, Salt Hill was part of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. It is to the north of Chalvey
Chalvey
Chalvey is a former village which is now a suburb of Slough in the unitary authority of Slough in Berkshire, England. It was transferred to Berkshire from Buckinghamshire in 1974....
and the Great West Road
Great West Road
The Great West Road may refer to:*A4 road from London to Bath and Bristol, England*The Golden Mile in West London, part of the above*Great West Road, Zambia...
, surrounding Salt Hill Park.
The name Salt Hill is derived from Montem Mound
Montem Mound
The Montem Mound is a mysterious and ancient mound of earth. It lies on Montem Lane, around half a mile west of central Slough, Berkshire, overlooking the Chalvey Brook, a minor tributary of the River Thames....
in Chalvey, which was also known as Salt Hill, or Salts Hill.
In 1807, the French nobleman Antoine Philippe, Duke of Montpensier
Antoine Philippe, Duke of Montpensier
Louis Antoine Philippe d'Orléans, duc de Montpensier was a son of Louis Philippe d'Orléans and his duchess Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon...
died here of tuberculosis on the way from London to Devon.
On 1 January 1845, John Tawell
John Tawell
John Tawell was a British murderer. In 1845, he became the first person to be arrested as the result of telecommunications technology....
, who had recently returned from Australia, murdered his lover, Sarah Hart, at Salt Hill by poisoning her with prussic acid. With various officials in chase, Tawell fled to Slough Station and boarded a train to Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
. Fortunately, the electrical telegraph
Electrical telegraph
An electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electrical signals, usually conveyed via telecommunication lines or radio. The electromagnetic telegraph is a device for human-to-human transmission of coded text messages....
had recently been installed and so a message was sent ahead to Paddington with Tawell's details. Tawell was trailed and subsequently arrested, tried and executed for the murder at Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
on 28 March 1845. This is believed to be the first time ever that the telegraph had been involved in the apprehension of a murderer.
Salt Hill Park once boasted great iron gates, which were subsequently smelted as part of the war effort during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.