172:(15 May 1847 – 14 July 1903), a notorious womanising convicted forger, was a soldier who used his medal-winning administrative skills to ill effect. He married three times, and the first two wives died in suspicious circumstances. Dougal spent little time before replacing them in other relationships where he sired numerous illegitimate children in addition to his legitimate progeny. Dougal's downfall came soon after a servant of his sought an affiliation order for the child she had borne him. The scrutiny from the court process revealed that the woman he had been living with was not in fact married to him. Indeed, she had not been seen by her own relatives for four years despite her funds and share holdings having been cashed in over the same period. The discovery of this woman's murdered corpse on their property precipitated the murder trial that ended in Dougal's conviction as a murderer and his hanging for his crime soon after.
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December 1902; Dougal evidently refused to provide for the child, so Kate sought an affiliation order on 27 January 1903. Information given to the court revealed that Camille Cecile Holland was not married to Dougal, resulting in some further enquiries being made about him. Initially, the enquiries centred on fraud and forgery until it became quite evident that Miss Holland was missing and had not been heard from by her relatives for over four years. Weeks of digging ensued at the Moat Farm until 27 April 1903 when Miss Holland's body was found. Following an inquest where it was discovered that Miss Holland had suffered a bullet wound to the head, Dougal was committed for trial on 22 June 1903.
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In 1892, Marian left Dougal over his bad behaviour towards her. Later in the same year he married Sarah
Henrietta White, a 20-year-old Irishwoman. With Sarah, Dougal began his career of defrauding easily victimised women. He persuaded a woman called Emily Booty to live with him as his wife but promptly spent her money and humiliated her by bringing his real wife to live at their joint home. Miss Booty suffered further public humiliations attempting to regain possession of her property. Dougal moved on but did not give up his schemes until he was found guilty of stealing and forging cheques. He was sentenced to twelve months prison with hard labour to be served at
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sexually-motivated attack on her refused to be left alone with him. Miss
Holland had left in a pony and trap with Dougal driving, telling the servant that she would not be long. Dougal returned alone and claimed that Miss Holland, whom the servant was led to believe was 'Mrs Dougal', had gone away to London. The servant's mother removed her daughter from Moat Farm the following day.
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in 1889. A fire at the
Royston Crow, following soon after an earlier one that had been extinguished by a business neighbour, raised suspicions of arson. Dougal was charged with defrauding an insurance company but was found not guilty. Nevertheless, the local magistrates refused to return his licence.
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in 1877 and subsequently extended his period of service to 21 years. In June 1885 his wife Martha died suddenly, after having no prior illness of health condition. Two months later, Samuel Dougal married a young Irish woman, Mary
Herberta Boyd, who already had a child; in another two months Mary died
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Subsequently, a series of young women were to suffer similar fates at the hands of Dougal: no sooner did they start work than Dougal was preying upon them. Within three months of his appointing
Georgina "Kate" Cranwell as a servant, he had made her pregnant. She left six months later and gave birth
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Faking a suicide attempt, he was removed to Cane Hill
Lunatic Asylum where he served most of his sentence. He was discharged perfectly sane on 8 December 1896. Again his youngest brother helped him by providing employment for him at Biggin Hill, Kent and he was here until 1898 by which time he had
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In early 1903, questions arose as to the whereabouts of
Camille Cecile Holland and the fact that cheques and other financial instruments were being presented with what purported to be her signature. No one had seen her since 19 May 1899 when the maidservant who had rebuffed Samuel Dougal's
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where he set up home with a woman named Marian Paine, a widow with children. She subsequently bore several illegitimate children of Dougal's. With Marian, Dougal acquired the goodwill and furniture of the
Royston Crow public house on Baldock Street in
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in 1869. The first of Samuel's legitimate children, Charles
Herbert Dougal, was born in London in 1871, when he was elsewhere. Many other children were born but not all survived long. By choice, Samuel Dougal transferred to
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Miss Holland is believed to have advertised for a husband to which Dougal presented himself as a candidate. Having ensnared her, though he was still legally married to Sarah, they first set up home as a married couple near
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Samuel Herbert Dougal was the oldest son of Maria Josephine Thompson (1822–1897) and Samuel Dredge Dougal (1826–1900); he was born in Bow, London on 15 May 1847. At 19 he enlisted for 12 years in the
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whilst Coldhams was renovated. On 24 April 1899 Miss Holland and Samuel Dougal moved into the property that they had renamed Moat House Farm - or Moat Farm as it was to become known.
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On 23 June, with the unanimous verdict of the jury, Dougal was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by
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On discharge from the Royal Engineers, Samuel Dougal gave what appeared to be his youngest brother's address in
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suddenly and inexplicably in October 1885. Mary was rapidly buried at
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lined up his next target, 56-year-old Camille Cecile Holland.
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Moat House Farm, Clavering, Essex in 2021, aerial shot.
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Samuel Dougal, pictured with Georgina Cranwell, c. 1902
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