Thomas Gardiner's Gravestone

One of the oldest dated entries in this archive. Found via a search of Historic England's own listings for the word 'murdered'. Thomas Gardiner, a 19-year-old 'post boy' (mail courier) from Lincoln, was murdered by two brothers named Hallam on 3 January 1732 - per Wikipedia's Nettleham article, the gravestone's date is Old Style (Julian calendar, in use in Britain at the time, under which the year began in March), meaning the killing would fall in January 1733 by the modern (New Style/Gregorian) calendar - the stone's 'Isaac Tho. Hallay' is most likely a run-together rendering of the two brothers' names, Isaac and Thomas Hallam. The Hallam brothers went on to commit another murder near Faldingworth before being caught; they were convicted at Lincoln and executed at the site of their crimes, in keeping with the period practice of hanging (and often gibbeting) murderers at or near the scene.