The Ballad of Lucy Sands

The Ballad of

Lucy Sands

A new film tells the story of a 16-year-old murder victim whose death fascinated Victorians 140 years ago

In March 1882, a grim discovery was made beneath a pile of Cumbrian road cobbles. Lucy Sands, 16, had gone out to meet friends three months earlier, and never returned home. Her brutal death gripped Victorian society, a precursor to the notorious Whitechapel murders (attributed to the mysterious Jack the Ripper) of 1888. The grisly news spread far and wide, quadrupling the readership of the local newspaper’s special edition and drawing reporters and tourists from across the country, in feverish anticipation of the trial following the arrest of a local man.

Lucy’s story is all but forgotten today, but a new British period drama directed by Steve Baldwin promises to solve the case. Part of the filming took place on the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway last summer, in the presence of one of Lucy Sands’ descendants; large crowd scenes were filmed at Bodmin Central station, and actress Leah Smith, 15, underwent five hours of make-up to look like a threemonth old corpse, unable to speak or open her eyes while “dead”.

The team behind The Ballad of Lucy Sands spent seven years researching her sad tale to ensure no stone was left unturned. Delayed by lockdowns, the independent production is currently at the editing stages, with hopes of release as a six-part series in 2022.

The film represents a labour of love for director Steve Baldwin, not to mention an intense journey that began with a vivid dream and took in some spooky coincidences along the way. “In my dream, I saw a house I used to play in as a child, and heard a scream and a girl’s voice saying ‘Help me’,” says Steve.

Originally from Belfast, Lucy was orphaned and moved to live with her aunt and grandmother in Workington. Many of the original locations in Cumbria had long since disappeared, but in a twist of fate, West Country based Steve visited Bodmin to get his car fixed and found all the period sets he needed, courtesy of the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. “Cornwall chose me,” he says. “It was spot on.”

A social media call-out for cast and crew drew the attention of Bodmin actor MarkAllan Pilgrim. Having recently embodied American outlaw Wyatt Earp, Mark took on a key role as Inspector Isaac Bird. “I live five minutes’ walk from the set,” he said. “I read the script and was blown away, both by the story and by the idea of playing real people who had never been played before. But I could hardly find any material online - in its day, this story was of the same magnitude as the Titanic, but it had been completely forgotten. It was heart-breaking, and I was in tears at times while making it.”

The discovery of the body was one of many emotional scenes. “A little girl approached Isaac Bird and gave him a coin to put towards Lucy’s burial,” Mark explained. Whenever I read that, I burst into tears. Steve said if I did that on set, I’d have to do it for every take, so I had to really control myself.”

The story bears an uncanny resemblance to that in 1844 of Charlotte Dymond, whose memorial stone can be found at the foot of Roughtor on Bodmin Moor. Farm labourer Matthew Weekes was tried and hanged for her murder, despite protesting his innocence; the tale was a key part of the Bodmin jail experience for many years.

In contrast, a trial involving Lucy Sands’ murder resulted in an acquittal. “I think when crimes go unsolved, there’s a yearning to find out the truth,” says Steve, who believes he can name the murderer. “I feel this restless soul had attached herself to me, and I needed to find justice.” l