Home > Devon > Plymouth > Barley Sheaf Barley Sheaf
Picture source: Clive Schneidau
The Barley Sheaf was situated on the corner of Catherine Street and Duke Street, Devonport. This pub was first listed in 1798 and closed in the 1940s following bomb damage. Now demolished, the licence was transferred to The Grapes Tavern in 1954.
William Cann, a married man, met and fell in love with Elizabeth Duff, at waitress at The White Hart Hotel, Holsworthy, writing her extravagant love letters and saw her as often as business would allow. After taking Elizabeth out for tea they were strolling back to her lodgings when Elizabeth clutched at her stomach and, if it wasn't for William catching her, would have fallen. William distressed and wanting to help got Elizabeth back to her lodging and into bed. Her landlady offered help in the way of peppermint water and suggested a doctor, Elizabeth declined a doctor and died. An autopsy was done, Savin, a plant used to induce an abortion, was found to have seared her throat and stomach. Savin, depending on the amount taken, when taken in tea or a decoction, meant almost certain death. William was arrested and charged with wilful murder. But...he denied knowing Elizabeth was pregnant and was visibly distressed at the news. The problem for the several juries involved in the trials was did Elizabeth self administer the poison? did William suggest it, or did they plan this together? William was taken by open cart to Okehampton Railway Station, people lined the streets to see a murderer on his way to Exeter prison. He aged ten years with the sheer stress of it all and more was yet to come to add to his bewilderment and worry. The coroner found evidence of a previous pregnancy. From William's reaction it was clear this was news to him. Elizabeth's brother, John, came forward to say Elizabeth had been given a death sentence for killing her illegitimate two year old daughter, kate in 1866 while a servant at The Barley Sheaf Inn, Devonport. She had been paying a 'nurse' a laughable term for a baby farmer, two shillings and sixpence a week out of her meagre wages and couldn't pay more for what the 'nurse' said were necessities, so was told to take Kate away. Somewhere between leaving the 'nurse' and going back to The Barley Sheaf Inn, Elizabeth killed her daughter. Carrying her little body upstairs to her bedroom at the Inn, Elizabeth first hid her body in her servants box under her bed. When the body began to decompose she put Kate's body in a basket and hid it in the eaves of the roof. Elizabeth's master, noticing a distinctive smell, began to investigate and found the body. Elizabeth admitted to killing her daughter and was sentenced to death, commuted to ten years in prison. On release she came to Holsworthy, far enough away to be unknown. After protracted trials William was discharged. If Elizabeth's previous history hadn't been known, it was highly likely he would have been found guilty of Murder. It is most likely that Elizabeth knew she was pregnant and terrified of losing a man she loved and envisioning the same circumstances that imprisoned her in 1866, she took the risk with Savin and paid a very high price. This story is indicative of young women, either taken advantage of, coerced or in love with a man, becoming pregnant and going out of their minds with the terror of being abandoned. With nowhere to turn, a great many turned to extreme measures or left babies in the car of 'nurses' and paid most of their pitiful wages because they loved the child. We can only guess at Elizabeth's state of mind when she killed her daughter and what that did to her mental health for the rest of her short life. Elizabeth was 32 when she died.
Susan Pengelly (January 2026)
Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. You can also make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page.
Other Photos
Date of picture: 1870	Picture source: Clive Schneidau