Simon Furber

A historical account recounts the crimes of serial killer John George Haigh, whose murder cases between 1944 and 1949 were closely tied to West Sussex, particularly Horsham and Crawley. Haigh confessed to multiple killings after murdering William McSwan and later McSwan’s parents, disposing of victims in acid at a Crawley workshop. Forensic evidence including gallstones and bone fragments disproved Haigh’s belief that destroying bodies would prevent prosecution. His insanity defence was swiftly rejected, leading to his conviction and execution in 1949.

Woking Crematorium, opened in 1878 as Britain’s first dedicated crematorium, marked a shift in attitudes toward death and public health despite early local opposition. Driven by surgeon Sir Henry Thompson, it initiated the practice of modern cremation in the UK, conducting the first official cremation in 1885. Initially met with suspicion and petitions against it, the site influenced the nationwide adoption of cremation, which now accounts for most UK funerals.