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Peter Williamson^{[1, 2]}
1814 - 1858

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• Birth	7 Nov 1814	Burraland, Northmavine, Shetland
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	General Merchant, Draper and Grocer
  1851 Census	159 Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland
  Died	25 Mar 1858	Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland
  	Cause: Suicide after murdering his wife and three of his children
  Person ID	I10706	Sandison/Roscoe Tree
  Last Modified	22 Jan 2014

  
  

  Father	William Williamson,   b. 1786, Northmavine, Shetland ,   d. 1 Jul 1849, Moorfield, Northmavine, Shetland
  Mother	Barbara Smith,   b. 1781, Hamar, Northmavine, Shetland ,   d. Bef 1855
  Married	7 Sep 1806	Northmavine, Shetland
  Family ID	F3448	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Agnes SANDISON,   b. Oct 1817, Udhouse, Delting, Shetland ,   d. 25 Mar 1858, Fox Lane, Lerwick, Shetland
  Married	22 Apr 1841	Nesting, Shetland
  	On 25 Mar 1858, Peter murdered his wife, Agnes, their children John, Agnes, and Peter, and committed suicide by slitting his own throat. His son, William, recovered from wounds inflicted by his father.
  Children	1. William WILLIAMSON,   b. 31 Jul 1842, Lerwick, Shetland ,   d. 30 Aug 1863, Udhouse, Delting, Shetland   2. John Stout WILLIAMSON,   b. 17 Feb 1844, Lerwick, Shetland ,   d. 25 Mar 1858, Fox Lane, Lerwick, Shetland   3. Agnes Jane WILLIAMSON,   b. 27 Nov 1846, Lerwick, Shetland ,   d. 25 Mar 1858, Fox Lane, Lerwick, Shetland   4. Gilbert WILLIAMSON,   b. 6 Oct 1848, Lerwick, Shetland ,   d. Aft 1872   5. Barbara WILLIAMSON,   b. Dec 1851, Lerwick, Shetland ,   d. 29 Sep 1852, Lerwick, Shetland   6. Peter James Scott WILLIAMSON,   b. 14 Sep 1853, Lerwick, Shetland ,   d. 25 Mar 1858, Fox Lane, Lerwick, Shetland
  Last Modified	17 Jun 2020
  Family ID	F3447	Group Sheet

  
  

• Notes

  Shetland’s only mass murder occurred in 1858 in Lerwick. Peter Williamson had a shop on Commercial Street, but lived above a different shop at the foot of Fox Lane. On March 25th he murdered his wife and three of his children. One child was injured but survived and another was visiting a neighbour at the time. After the horrendous crime nobody would occupy the house, and it later became a custom house. www.shetland-museum.org.uk/explore/murder_casebook.htm




• Sources

  [S2] Alexander Sandison (Sandy). [S3] North Isles Family History, Tony Gott, (www.bayanne.info/Shetland).