“A daring and cold-blooded murder was committed”, states the History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk in 1854 concerning an incident which had occurred the previous year. “About midway between Tittleshall and Wellingham, a person discovered a quantity of blood and, observing a trail that led to the ditch on Tittleshall Common, there found the body of the murdered man. The head of the deceased had almost been severed from the body, by a blow at the back of the head, and his face was dreadfully cut and mangled. A hatchet, found near the place, covered with blood, was no doubt the implement by which the brutal murder had been committed. Several watches and some money is supposed to have been taken out of the pockets of the person murdered.”
The victim of this brutal murder was Lorenz Beha, a dealer in jewellery, and watch-maker, from Norwich. Prior to his death, he had sold the pocket watch shown here.
Pocket Watch, Lorenz Beha, Norwich, 1849, Inv. 45-2947