Castleton and Its Old

Inhabitants.

Chapter 2. The Murders at the

Peveril Café 1945.

The Peveril Café stood near the

entrance to Peveril Castle. On the

night of Thursday 4th October 1945,

a soldier was lodging there; he was

completely unaware that a woman

and her little boy were lying dead in

the cellar.

Left, above and below; the Peveril Café was

formerly the Peveril Hotel and before that, the

Ship Inn. The Café was well known to visitors and

also took lodgers. Images reproduced courtesy of

CHS.

Above; Dundee Courier 8th October 1945. Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE

BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19451008/038/0003

Above; signs for the Peveril Café with Castleton Silver Band

in foreground. Image reproduced courtesy of CHS.

At the beginning of October 1945, 20 year old Joyce Bock was looking after the cafe whilst

her mother, Jean Breeze, the proprietress, took a short break in Brighton.

Harry Jarvis, from Sheffield, was an apprentice who also worked at the Peveril Cafe as a

waiter.

Joyce (right) was

looking forward to

joining her husband

Ladislav Bock (left) in

Czechoslovakia with

their little son Peter

Hugo (below) aged 16

months. Ladislav had

served in the Czech

Air Force in Britain

during the war.

When Jean Breeze returned from Brighton on the

evening of Friday 5th October, she found the cafe

deserted. Neighbours thought an accident had

happened in the house the previous day; Joyce had

apparently been seen running to the doctor’s

surgery with Peter, his face covered in blood.

They had not been seen since.

Above left, right and below; Ladislav, Joyce and Peter Bock. Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 12th October 1945 Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/view

er/bl/0000541/19451012/095/0005

After making local enquiries and finding that Joyce had never been to the surgery, Mrs

Breeze called the police and the cafe was searched.

The bodies of Joyce and Peter were found in the cellar just after midnight.

The Crime Scene. Initial reports suggested that both victims had been strangled and the

bodies tied together with flex. This was soon proved to be inaccurate.

Joyce had been shot through the head. Peter had been strangled.

Medical opinion at the scene was that both Joyce and Peter had died around 10 hours

earlier.

A revolver had been found in a bedroom drawer; the chamber had one spent cartridge. This

revolver had been seen in Harry Jarvis’s possession the previous summer. Joyce’s purse was

missing along with jewellery and other valuables.

Left; Lancashire Evening Post – Tuesday 30th October 1945. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/

bl/0000711/19451030/019/0001

Right; Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald - Friday 12th October 1945 Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.

uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19451012/095/0

005

Left; Aberdeen Journal 8th October 1945. Image © DC Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of The British Library Board.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.c

o.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19451008/03

1/0003

Above; Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald – Friday 12th October 1945. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19451012/095/0005

Derbyshire police reported that they were looking for a man who could help them with their enquiries. On Sunday 7th October, Harry Jarvis gave himself up to the police in London.

Jarvis, aged 20, of medium height and slight build, appeared at Chapel-en-le-Frith on 30th October charged with both murders.

It was alleged that he had shot Joyce through the back of her head and then hanged her son. He pleaded “Not Guilty” to the charges.

Court Evidence. On Thursday morning, Joyce and Peter had been alone in the house with

Jarvis. Just after midday, neighbour William Holland called to see Thomas Jones, a soldier

who was lodging at the café, but he was out. Mr Holland called again an hour later.

Jarvis had been standing near the fire looking pale and agitated; he had been sweating and

breathing heavily. Jarvis told him that Joyce had taken Peter to the doctors after hurting his

nose falling off his chair.

Above; Derby Daily Telegraph 8th October 1945. Image © Local World Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000521/19451008/057/0008

Around 1.40 pm Jarvis had gone to the Post Office with

a letter addressed overseas in Joyce’s handwriting. By

handing it over at the counter instead of putting it in

the post-box, it was alleged that Jarvis was trying to

provide himself with a witness, the Post Master, to

show that he was away from the café at that time.

Mr Jones returned to the café around this time but found no one there. He slept there

overnight but by morning Joyce had still not returned. He could find no clue to her

whereabouts.

Mrs Breeze returned from Brighton later that day; Mr Jones told her what had happened,

and after making enquiries, she called the police. The café was searched; traces of blood

were found in the pantry. Access to the cellar was gained from here and the bodies

discovered.

Jarvis’s story. Jarvis and Joyce had been discussing the BBC Radio series, “Appointment with

Fear”. He had wanted to have a joke with Joyce and had gone behind her asking, “What

would you do if somebody stuck a gun in your neck like this?” He put the revolver in the

back of her neck; she had moved and the gun had gone off. Joyce had fallen to the floor. He

didn’t remember much after this, but thought Peter was asleep in his pram at this time. The

next thing Jarvis could remember was walking past Hope Church; he claimed he knew

nothing about Peter being dead. On

hearing of the little boy’s death,

Jarvis had given himself up to the

police.

Left; Post Master Mr Richard

Gill; he gave evidence at the

trial. Image reproduced

courtesy of Mr Christopher

Gill.

Left; Yorkshire Post and

Leeds Intelligencer –

Wednesday 31st October

1945. Image © Johnston

Press plc. Image created

courtesy of THE BRITISH

LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnews

paperarchive.co.uk/view

er/bl/0000687/19451031

/164/0006

Left; Yorkshire Post and Leeds

Intelligencer – Wednesday 31st

October 1945. Image © Johnston

Press plc. Image created courtesy

of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchi

ve.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/1945

1031/164/0006

Medical Evidence. A bullet had entered the

back of Joyce’s head and come out from her

forehead. Peter had died from asphyxia due to

hanging. He also had bruises on the back of his

head; it was stated these could have been

caused by someone striking him, his own

struggles, or by someone holding him by his

face and dashing his head against the beam

from which he was hanging.

Motive. Robbery was suggested as the motive for the crime; Jarvis was accused of trying to

sell Joyce’s jewellery and her other valuables. He was short of money and had wanted to go

to London to see a married woman with whom he was on intimate terms; she had formerly

been a waitress at the café. She had withdrawn money from her savings and lent Jarvis £20.

A history of mental illness. Jarvis had been a patient in a Sheffield mental hospital in 1942

and 1943. During this time, the medical superintendent said a patient with a condition such

as Jarvis had been suffering from, would still

know the difference between right and wrong.

His father had thought he should be taken into a

mental hospital after he had been violent

towards his mother. It was agreed that some

forms of insanity began in adolescence and can

sometimes manifest in acts of violence.

However, as the bodies had been hidden in the

cellar, it appeared that the crime was being

covered up; therefore the person had known

they had done wrong.

Right; Western Daily Press –

Wednesday 31st October 1945. Image

© Local World Limited. Image created

courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY

BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.

co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19451031/0

45/0004

Left; Derby Daily Telegraph Wednesday 14th

November 1945. Image © Local World Limited.

Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH

LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/vie

wer/bl/0000521/19451114/011/0002

The Verdict. The Defence asked the jury to return a verdict of “Guilty but insane”, on the

grounds that Jarvis was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the crime. The jury

simply found Jarvis guilty; however they added a recommendation of mercy in view of his

young age. He was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Denning. His execution, by hanging,

was fixed for 4th December 1945 at Strangeways Gaol, Manchester.

A medical enquiry ordered by the Home Secretary later

certified Jarvis to be insane. He was to be held under Section

2 (4) of the Criminal Lunatics Act 1884, and he was removed

to Broadmoor Asylum.

Above; Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald – Friday 16th November 1945. Image © Johnston

Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19451116/013/0001

Right; Derby Daily

Telegraph Wednesday

21st November 1945.

Image © Local World

Limited. Image

created courtesy of

THE BRITISH LIBRARY

BOARD.

http://www.britishne

wspaperarchive.co.uk/

viewer/bl/0000521/19

451121/046/0005

Left; Western Morning News – Saturday 1st December 1945. Image © Local World Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/000032

9/19451201/053/0003

Joyce and Peter are buried together in St.

Edmund’s Churchyard.

Their grave is located to the right of the side

entrance from Castle Street.

The inscription on their grave reads; In Loving

Memory of my Dearest Wife (Beloved

daughter of J.E. Breeze) Joyce May Bock, aged

20 years and baby son Peter Hugo, who died

together October 4th 1945.

Bibliography.

Aberdeen Journal, Derby Daily Telegraph, Western Daily Press, Dundee Courier Monday 8th October

1945.

Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald Friday 12th October 1945.

Lancashire Evening Post, The Evening Telegraph, Derby Daily Telegraph 30th October 1945.

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Western Daily Press 31st October 1945.

Derby Daily Telegraph and Evening Telegraph, Gloucester Echo November 13th 1945.

Above; Castleton Burial Register entries for Joyce and Peter Bock. Image reproduced

courtesy of Reverends Ian Davis and Josephine Barnes. (Current in-use Register)

Right; Joyce and Peter Bock’s grave.

Derby Daily Telegraph 14th November 1945.

Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 16th November 1945.

Derby Daily Telegraph 21st November 1945.

Western Morning News, Derby Daily Telegraph 1st December 1945.

All the above newspapers are from The British Newspaper Archive.

Acknowledgements.

Thanks to Guy and Moira Browse for information regarding their former home. Thanks also

to the Castleton Historical Society for permission to reproduce our photographs and the

Reverends Ian Davis and Josephine Barnes for permission to reproduce the image from

Castleton Burial Register. My thanks to Christopher Gill for permission to reproduce his

family photograph of Post Master Richard Gill. Newspaper images are reproduced with the

kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive; www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

Sometimes the original sources of old images have been lost and cannot be traced; if this is

the case with any used in this history then please contact our Society, so, where

appropriate, correct acknowledgements can be given. Thanks also to Val and Ian Burgess for

their assistance with getting this history onto the CHS website.

Kay Harrison August 2014.