In 1935, a murder was committed amongst the poor of Hanham Woods, revealing living conditions that were reminiscent of squatters in the last century.
In the 1930's there were various families living in the woods. There were two brothers by the name of Franklin whose origins were unknown. Living on the opposite side of the track was the Nott family-a hudband, wife and one son. And at one period, Mrs Nott moved to the Franklin brothers`home.
Eventually Mrs Nott moved back with her husband. There ensued a row, and one day Frank Nott came across to see Franklin, who came out of his shack with a
gun and fired at Nott, and knocked his eye out. Franklin went back into the hut and killed Mrs Nott. He was arrested and taken to Horfield Prison Bristol.
He was sentenced to death, and was hanged at Horfield.
The strange thing was that during the second world war, Nott was still living in the same place, and a bomb dropped on his shack and killed him. It seems fate followed them right the way through. Eventually, the son was married and lived at the village of Pucklechurch, and he was haymaking one day and fell off the haymould and broke his neck.
The other Franklin brother committed suicide in a rain filled quarry in Hanham Woods. Because there was no sewage,
no water supply, no electric, no anything there. He stood on the edge of this
pool and fired his gun, and fell back into the pool. He was missed after a couple of days, the police found him, in the pool. It took serval days days
before they found the gun.
