The Bermondsey Horror.

Map of Bermondsey. Image taken from: https://sorry.port.ac.uk/visionofbritain.org.uk_planned.html

One of the most sensational crime stories of the Victorian era, The Bermondsey Horror. The unhappy love triangle between the wealthy Patrick O'Connor and the drunkard Frederick Manning over the Swedish beauty. The horrific death of Patrick O'Connor on 9 August 1849 sent shockwaves through the capital and across the country. So who were these people and why was this particular crime so shocking?

The ill-fated love triangle. 

Image of Maria Manning: https://headstuff.org/culture/history/terrible-people-from-history/fred-maria-manning-victorian-murderers/

First, we need to look at the two perpetrators. Maria Manning née. La Roux was born in Switzerland in 1821. La Roux emigrated to England and began working as a lady's maid for Lady Blantyre. It was during this employment that she developed a taste for a more luxurious lifestyle. She began to dread the idea of poverty, which was a daily reality for most Victorians at the time, who had to rely on the charity of others or face the workhouse. When she went to Bolougne with her employer, she met the wealthy 50-year-old Mr Patrick O'Connor, to whom she was instantly attracted by his wealth.

However, she was already involved with Frederick George Manning, who was a guard on the Great Western Railway. Frederick had a chequered past, despite working for the railway, he was suspected of being involved in some robberies. However, when he proposed to Maria, he claimed that he had come into some money from his mother, which he may have exaggerated in order to convince Maria to marry him instead of O'Connor. While Patrick O'Connor was immediately wealthy, he worked as a customs officer, but was in his 50s and a heavy drinker.

When Frederick proposed in 1847, Maria accepted. Mainly because Frederick was her age and he promised that he was going to receive some money. When Maria found out that the money was a lie, she began sleeping with O'Connor, apparently with Frederick's blessing, as Patrick was often at the Mannings' home in Bermondsey.

The Murder.

Things came to a head in 1849 when both Mannings plotted to kill O'Connor. It is unclear what motivated them, but it seems that Maria did not want to marry O'Connor, but she did want his money. On 8 August 1849, Maria and Frederick bought a shovel and some lime and invited O'Connor to dine with them. It seems that their plan to murder him was foiled when O'Connor brought a friend. However, Maria was not deterred and wrote to Patrick again inviting him to dine with them the following evening. On the 9th of August 1849, O'Connor was shot at close range, and when this didn't kill him, it is believed that Frederick Manning beat O'Connor to death with a crowbar. He was then buried in a pre-dug grave in their kitchen. 

Image taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/issyxb/maria-manning/

The Escape

After the murder, Maria managed to sneak into O'Connor's house and loot his valuables. Unfortunately for the murderous couple, O'Connor was immediately missing from work and two friends went to the Mannings' house to ask where he was. This immediately frightened the couple, who believed the 'friends' to be undercover police. 

Maria told Frederick to sell the furniture, but managed to pack her belongings and take a trip to Scotland. But when Frederick returned to find Maria missing, he too packed up and moved to St Helier, Jersey. However, both were soon caught by the police, as Maria was caught trying to sell Patrick's belongings and Frederick's drunken behaviour led the authorities to suspect and arrest him.

Frederick and Maria Manning. Image taken from: https://southwarknews.co.uk/history/in-depth-history/bermondsey-horror-maria-manning-frederick/

Trial and Execution

The trial took place at the Old Bailey on 25 October 1849.  At the trial both Maria's and Frederick's lawyers tried to blame the other for the crime, Maria's lawyer even tried to have her tried separately from Frederick on the grounds that she was Swiss and not of English nationality. But the judge rejected this, arguing that Maria had married an Englishman. When the Manning's were asked if they had anything else to say, Frederick remained silent. While Maria, who exploded into a volatile tirade, is even quoted as saying at one point 'You have treated me like a wild beast of the forest', she even interrupted the judge as he sentenced them both to death. 

After the trial, Mary and Frederick were sent to Horsemonger Lane Gaol to await their execution. On the morning of 13 November 1849, Maria Manning is believed to have tried to take her own life, but was quickly stopped by the guards.

The hanging was one of the largest ever attended, with 30-50,000 people hoping to catch a glimpse of the murderous couple being hanged. The Manning's were executed by William Calcraft, and although the time of death was not recorded, it is thought to have taken between 5 and 15 minutes. It is said that Maria and Frederick actually made up on the scaffold, and she kissed him as a sign of forgiveness for letting her take all the blame. Maria Manning also made her mark on society by wearing black satin to her death. It is believed that the appetite for clothes had diminished as a result of her wearing it. Although largely disputed, she was dubbed 'the woman who killed black satin'. 

Charles Dickens, who was in favour of abolishing public executions altogether, said of the event that;

"I was a witness of the execution at Horsemonger Lane this morning" "I believe that a sight so inconceivably awful as the wickedness and levity of the crowd collected at that execution this morning." "When the two miserable creatures who attracted all this ghastly sight about them were turned quivering into the air there was no more emotion, no more pity, no more thought that two immortal souls had gone to judgement, than if the name of Christ had never been heard in this world."

It has to be said, however, that Dickens was more concerned about the attitude of the crowd than the heinous deed of the Mannings. And indeed, public executions were finally abolished in 1868. 

Frederick and Maria Manning are synonymous with the greed and desperation that pervaded Victorian life. The honest desire not to be trapped in the poverty that afflicted most of Victorian England was a daily reality. But although the blame has always seemed to rest with Maria Manning as the instigator, it must be said that Frederick played his own part in the murder. The Manning's remain one of England's most notorious couples, and the Bermondsey Horror still captures the public imagination.

 Sarah Harriet Thomas - Bristol 

Map of Bristol. Image taken from: https://www.vintage-maps-prints.com/products/old-map-of-bristol-uk-1890

Sarah Harriet Thomas is known as the last person publicly hanged in the city of Bristol. A young girl dragged up to the scaffold, screaming in absolute fear led even the hardest of hearts to evaluate their attitudes towards public hanging. 

We know very little about Sarah Harriet Thomas, but we know that she was employed as a maid to the 61 year old, Miss Jeffries. Miss Jeffries was a women of considerable wealth, however, she was well known to have a violent temperament. She had very little to do with any of her family and friends, and became increasingly isolated from society. She also lived alone apart from the support she had from a female servant.

According to the Sun on the 17th April 1849, the newspaper references a few of Miss Jeffries late employee's testified about their late employer. A witness named Sarah Miller, said that her employer was violent towards her servants and ill treated them. Another witness named, Lucy Chad had left her employment due to Miss Jeffries treatment of her. She claimed that Miss Jeffries had threatened to beat her and raise a stick against her. Furthermore, she also claimed that her employer had threatened to beat her because she did not get up in the morning, when she was called. Lastly, the newspaper references a women called Charlotte Morgan, who had only been able to remain in Miss Jeffries employment, for two nights and a day. But left due to her mistress arguing about Morgan getting up in the morning. These testimonies from these women demonstrate convincingly, the violent and abusive nature of Miss Jeffries. And, the amount of resentment shown towards her by past employees. 

Violence. Image taken from: https://nationalpeo.com/workplace-violence/

On the day of the murder on the 3nd March 1849, according to Sarah Thomas' confession. She claims that Miss Jeffries had called Sarah to her bedroom, and threatened to hit her. The next night, she stayed in the room with Miss Jeffries. After she was sure that her mistress was asleep, she got up and found a rock. She then hit Miss Jeffries three times, according to Sarah, Miss Jeffries woke up between blows and cried out "Christ God". After the murder was committed she robbed the house of Miss Jeffries, clothes, jewels and other valuables. And, then left for her parent's home. Sarah further claimed that she had killed Miss Jeffries dog and shoved the body somewhere in the house. 

According to the Sun, they reference witnesses to the murder. One women named Anne Ham said that she heard great screaming coming from Miss Jeffries room. She mentioned this to her landlady Mrs Fry, who knocked on the wall to Miss Jeffries house, in which the screaming stopped. Anne Ham claimed that the screaming she heard was from Sarah Thomas herself. This is because she had heard Sarah crying before, this was because Miss Jeffries had called her a "dirty hussy" and that she was slow in her work. The Sun, clearly sympathetic to Sarah Thomas' case said that the stone was not a normal weapon to murder someone with. And, that it was clearly something picked up in the heat of passion. This testimony, although not referenced in Thomas' confession. Shows that either Sarah was so frightened of what she was doing that she was screaming, or the witnesses' were mistaken and that it was Miss Jeffries crying out for help. 

The stone as a murder weapon (obviously not the original one). Image taken from: https://www.clipartkey.com/view/ibwJTb_clip-art-rock-images-rock-stone/

However, Sarah Thomas' actions were soon discovered. A lady named Miss Miller who has also been mentioned within the Sun's report, claimed that she last saw the victim on the 2nd of March. When she returned the next day, the shutters were closed and the place looked deserted. Miss Miller claimed that it looked as if Miss Jeffries had left to go somewhere. Finally, Miss Jeffries brother who was a retired surgeon applied to the local magistrate, and, with the help of the Police finally gained access to the house. They found his sister's body lying in her bed, with several wounds to the head and a pool of blood on the floor. The stone was lying on the hob, with a clump of grey hairs and blood spattered on the rock. The house had been ransacked with a lot of Miss Jeffries valuables missing. 

Suspicion immediately fell on Sarah, as when the Police went to her parents house they immediately found all of Miss Jeffries belongings in Sarah's possession. When she was taken to the Police station, she immediately said that the perpetrator was an ex servant of Miss Jeffries, who had arrived on the morning of the 3rd of March to demand a character reference from her late employer. This servant, she claimed gave her all Miss Jeffries' possessions. However, the Police found that this story was plainly untrue. 

When Sarah was tried at the assizes, the evidence was found to be conclusively against her. The Jury found her guilty, but recommended to the Judge that because of  her age that she should be shown some leniency. During the trial, she showed very little emotion. But when the Judge placed the black cap on his head she was heard saying "Oh I cannot stand that". When the sentence was passed, Sarah begged the gaoler to intercede on her behalf to the Judge, and that she would not leave until he did so. The gaoler with the help of other officials managed to carry her from the stand. When Sarah had left the room, the Judge told the Jury that he would report their recommendation to the proper authorities. 

Judge wearing a black cap. Image taken from: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/obiter/rogues-gallery-makes-headlines/5058460.article

Whilst in prison, there were attempts by sympathetic members of the public to gain a reprieve from the Home Office against the Death penalty for Sarah Thomas. One of the petitions was signed by over  3,500 women and was given to the local magistrate. However, these petitions were ignored by the state who were too busy with the Stanfield murders perpetrated by James Bloomfield Rush, to fully consider Sarah Thomas' situation. In prison, Sarah was visited by her mother and sisters, in which her mothers were severely distressed. However, her mother seemed indifferent to the plight of her daughter. As a result of this meeting, her mother asked whether she could have the clothes that Sarah had stolen from Miss Jeffries. And, her sisters said that they would attend the execution. 

On the 20th April 1849, Sarah's gaoler Mr Gardiner approached her cell and said that she must accompany him to the place of execution. Sarah stamped her foot and said that she would not go. It took six to seven men to remove her from the room, whilst being taken away she told the gaoler to send her love to her father. Sarah managed to walk to the scaffold unaccompanied, but eventually lost her nerve and had to be carried the rest of the way, with her screaming and struggling violently. When Calcroft, the executioner at the time, put the noose around her neck, she exclaimed; ""The Lord have mercy upon me! I hope my mother and none of my family are watching", it was said that Sarah died quickly with a few short convulsions. 

Sarah Harriet Thomas. Image taken from: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3001828079855185&set=pcb.3001830726521587

The execution gathered a massive crowd, with an equally massive police force to try and keep the crowd under control. This was to ensure that no last incident was to off set the execution. When Sarah was dragged to the scaffold, the governor of the prison overcome by the sheer traumatic event unfolding before him actually fainted. Calcroft, the executioner was also equally affected by the death of Sarah Thomas as he said about the execution; “in my opinion, one of the prettiest and most intellectual girls I have met with.”. At the time, a crime reporter called Mr E Austin said of the case that "Ribald jests were bandied about and after waiting to see the corpse cut down, the crowd dispersed, and the harvest of the taverns in the neighbourhood commenced.”.

This was the last public execution in the city of Bristol, it was said that many of the crowd felt repulsed by what had happened to Sarah, and remembered the execution long after the public had forgotten the case. However, it would take a long time before juvenile prisoners were not automatically sentenced to the death penalty and a fair consideration of their age would be shown as a mitigation factor. However, in the tragic case of Sarah Thomas, whose crime was probably motivated by the psychological and physical abuse of her employer, she found no other way out of her situation but bludgeoning Miss Jeffries to death. 

Mary Ann Geering - Sussex

Map of Sussex: Image taken from: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/cgi-bin/mapserv?map=/usr/local/share/map-files/bound_map_page.map&layer=os_medium_1904&mode=map&map_imagetype=png&mapext=3346496.54950+2707563.18065+3383496.54950+2737563.18065&map_size=370+300 

Mary Ann Geering also known as the "Guestling Murderess"  murdered members of her own family with deadly poision. 

Mary Plumb was born in 1800, she was born the eldest of five children of George Plumb an agricultural labourer who lived in Westfield, Sussex. When she was old enough, she was sent into service. However, her first taste of employment was soured by accusations that she handled money improperly. Dismissed from her job, she soon found work in another place. It was at this place, where she met Richard Geering and a romance sprung up between the two. However, Mary soon fell pregnant with Richard's child out of wedlock. And, with the bastardry laws still in effect, she was soon forced to marry Richard Geering. According to the Morning Chornicle, which was published on the 22nd August 1849 she was literally carried into the Church to be wed.

 During there marriage, Richard and Mary had eight children. However, all was not well between them, it was often said that they had frequent fights due to Richard's dependance of alcohol and his habit of opium taking. This frequently led the Geerings to have very little money to live on, and often Mary was forced to pawn her husband and children's clothing. 

Arsenic Poision. Image taken from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/18/poison-arsenic-gun-control-crime

According to the Censor of the Times which was published on the 19th August 1849, Richard and his sons were part of the Guestling Benefit Society. One of the benefits of joining this society was that if a member died, all members would pay a shilling towards the cost of the funeral. There was over 100 members a part of this society which meant that Mary Ann Geering would be given a considerable amount of money, if one of more members of her family passed away. Furthermore, another stipulation of the society was that if a member had fallen ill they were to be given 10 shillings (£30.21) a week for the first 12 weeks. And 6 shillings (£18.13) for the next 40 weeks. It is believed that this inducement led Geering to commit the crimes that would send her to the gallows. 

This situation came to a head in September 1848. Richard Geering, who was 56 at the time.  Was taken ill with violent bouts of sickness and raging thirst, he died five days after he had fallen ill. When Richard died, the Doctor who had seen him had pronounced that although the death was sudden it did not give him any cause for alarm.  However, four months after Richard's death, George Geering, 21 was taken ill with the same symptoms as his father, and, although nursed by his mother and brother James, he passed away. Six weeks after George's death James, aged 26 was taken ill with the same symptoms as his brother and father, he died on the 6th March 1849. 

Victorian Graveyard. Image taken from: https://www.deviantart.com/estruda/art/Old-Victorian-Cemetery-329266356

Finally, on Easter Sunday that year, Benjamin Geering who was then 18 years old was taken ill. However, in Benjamin's case he was attended by two to three doctors, who elected to remove him from his mother's care. The fact that Benjamin recovered being away from his mother, caused suspecion to heavily fall on Mary Ann Geering. Furthermore, the Doctor's also concluded that the reason for Benjamin's sudden derioration was due to being poisoned by aresnic. The coroner under Police supervision, exhumed the bodies of Richard, James and George and found traces arensic in all the remains. At the inquest it revealed that Mary Ann Geering, had purchased arsenic from a chemist in Hastings. She was then arrested for the murder of her husband, her two sons and the attempted murder of Benjamin. 

Mary Ann Geering was convicted of the murders of Richard, George and James Geering and the attempted murder of Benjamin at the Lewes Assizes. She admitted her crimes to the court and was sentenced to death. According to the Morning Chronicle, Mary Ann had one interview with her family, it was said that she acted strange with them, however, she did send them affectionate letters. On the 21st August 1849 the day of her execution, Mary Ann Geering appeared on the scaffold dressed in black. When the noose was placed around her head, she clasped her hands as if in prayer but as was pulled down they went immediately to her sides. She convulsed for a few moments after which she was pronounced dead, at the age of 49. It is claimed that she kept saying "Oh Lord Jesus have mercy on me". 

His Majesty's Prison Lewes: Image taken from: https://institutionalhistory.com/homepage/prisons/major-prisons/hmp-lewes/

The case of the "Guestling Murderess" shocked not only Sussex but the country, that not only a women had murdered but that she had killed members of her own family for monetary gain. Mary Ann Geering's case is a clear example of a woman driven to desperate measures in order to save herself from abject poverty and a loveless marriage. It could also be said that greed further motivated her crimes, by not just killing Richard, she had also subverted the social norms that a mother should love and protect her children, not murder them. 

 Mary Ball - Coventry

Map of Nuneaton. Image taken from https://www.francisfrith.com/nuneaton/map-of-nuneaton-1899_rne794930

Mary Ball of Coventry, is another victim of the societal norms of the Victorian era. Due to the attitudes towards domestic abuse, and the view that a wife was the property of her husband. The law made little provision to women who found themselves in desperate situations. 

Mary was born in Nuneaton to Isaac and Alice Wright in 1818. Very little is known about her early life, but she married Thomas Ball in 1837 at the age of 20. However, just like today this marriage had all the hallmarks of a domestic abuse case. The marriage was described as tempestuous, and their fights borne out of poverty and desperation boiled out into the streets. To add to this dangerous mix, Thomas had found out that Mary was having an affair with 19-year-old William Bacon and, 5 out of her 6 children that she had with Thomas died leaving only a daughter, Mary Ann Ball who survived.

On the 18th May 1849, Thomas who was a labourer on the Thames Valley Railway had returned from fishing. He sat down to his supper which Mary had prepared for him and started suffering from excruciating pains in his stomach. The attending doctor, however, ruled that Thomas died of inflammation of the bowls.

Although, there was no suspicion on Mary there were sufficient rumours which persisted in the way that Thomas died. When she was questioned by constables, the inconsistencies in her story about what the arsenic in her posession was intended for, that she did finally admit that some arsenic accidently fell in his supper. A post-mortem showed that there was arsenic in Thomas' body. 

Mary Ball's death mask. Image taken from: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/tragic-story-mary-ball-last-20621674

Mary was tried in the summer Assizes before Mr Justice Coleridge on the 28th of July 1849 it took 10 hours to be heard. However, in spite of a convincing speech from her defence, she was convicted by a sympathetic jury after two hours who recommended leniency. However, Mr Justice Coleridge saw no legal reason for her to be given a lenient sentence, as at this time having a violent husband was not an excuse. It was said that during the trial that she remained indifferent to the situation she found herself in. The judge sentenced her to death.

Awaiting to be punished, she was visited by the prison Chaplain, the Rev Chapman who tried to make her confess to her crime. He lit a candle to her arm causing burns and blisters. The governor of the prison heard about the torture and fired the Chaplain. Mary who had always protested her innocence did finally confess to the crime to the Governor, she said:

“I told him (reverend) I knew nothing about it myself, but that is false. I put the arsenic on the mantle shelf and told him there was some salts on the shelf - he might take them, they would do him good; but I knew at the time it was not salts, but I thought if he taken it himself, I should not get into any scrape about it, for the people would think he took it in mistake.”

The governor asked her why she had done it and Ball stated: “Why, my husband was in the habit of going with other women, and used me so ill; no-one knows what I have suffered, but had I have known as much as I do now I would not have done it, for I would rather have left him and went to the Workhouse; but I hope God will forgive me.”

Mary Ball was hung on Thursday 9th of August, it was estimated that 15-20'000 people attended the execution. She was hung  by a Nuneaton native James Japhcote, she appeared to die easily. Mary's remains were later buried in the prison grounds. This would be the last public execution in Coventry.

Plaque in Coventry. Image taken from: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/tragic-story-mary-ball-last-20621674

Resources

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/tragic-story-mary-ball-last-20621674
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-crime-files-20000-people-12991353
http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/mary_ball.html

  Rebecca Smith - Wiltshire  

 

Map of Wiltshire, featuring Bratton. Image taken from: https://www.francisfrith.com/bratton,wiltshire

Dear readers, this is one of the most harrowing cases that I have yet researched. Rebecca Smith was the last woman to be hung in the United Kingdom, for murdering her own children. This case would have serious implications on how the UK's legal system worked to protect both mothers and their children.

The case of Rebecca Smith begins in the village of Bratton in Wiltshire, both her parents were regarded as staunch pillars of the community, as they both attended the Baptist Church. However, according to an article published in the Patriot on the 30th August 1849, a man named Shem Evans presumably the minister of the said Baptist Church. Wrote to the Patriot in order to clear the taint left by Rebecca Smith. He said that her mother lived and died, a good and devout Christian, and that she showed a great deal of affection to her own children. 

However, he disparages Rebecca's character by arguing that she was not much of a church goer, who only attended one quarter of the allotted time. Although that does not sound like a heinous crime to you or me, you have to remember that in Victorian period it was frowned upon if individuals did not attend a place of worship. Evans also claims that Rebecca's character was lacking from the start, he says that her Sunday school teacher had said that she "was thoughtless, inattentive girl, absolutely willing to be ignorant.". However much of Evans' account is true, it is clear that the association with Rebecca Smith's crimes had damaged the reputation of the village, and, of certain members of the congregation. 

The next time we hear of Rebecca, it is that she married Phillip Smith on the 5th May 1831. However, this marriage was deeply unhappy. Phillip was a renowned alcoholic and although he worked he barely brought a shilling home. Her parents were emphatically opposed to the marriage, and wanted Rebecca to leave her husband and return home to Bratton. However, during this time Rebecca's father had passed away and had left his daughter £100 (around £6,041,70), however, this money disappeared quickly leaving Rebecca and her children in acute poverty. With Phillip not working it was up to Rebecca to fend for the family. she managed to find work in the fields, which gave her 4 shillings (around £12.08). Furthermore, this work was only seasonal, so she had to find something to live on in the meantime. It was said of Rebecca that she was “undernourished and in poor health, living in abject poverty and almost illiterate”. It was this combined pressure of Phillip's dependence of alcohol and having so many mouths to feed that Rebecca was forced to commit her crimes. 

A Victorian man enjoying a drink: Image taken from: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/193043359/wine-drinking-victorian-man-printable

At the age of 44, Rebecca had been married eighteen years and had eleven children. The first child a daughter survived, the second child had died of a bowl complaint two weeks after he had been born. Seven of her children, she murdered by using a concoction she called "blue".  It was this last child, Richard Smith who was born on the 16th May 1849, that finally neighbours began to be suspicious of Rebecca, who claimed that Richard was "wasting away" even though he looked perfectly normal. Rebecca had even asked her neighbour Caroline Mackay to purchase some arsenic, after she had done so Richard had passed away. This coincidence was too much for Smith's neighbours and the Police were called in to investigate, they discovered Richard's remains which had arsenic in them and arrested Rebecca for the murder. 

It is believed that Rebecca pleaded guilty to the charge and that she did not just confess to Richard's murder but seven other children that she had murdered. She further claimed that no one helped her thereby eradicating suspicion on other members of her family. Rebecca was tried on Tuesday 7th August in front of Mr Justice Cresswell. The jury found Rebecca guilty, but recommended that the verdict by reduced from the death penalty to a more lenient sentence. This was a normal recommendation according to the time, that women who faced these charges were often given a reprieve. However, it was not until the passing of the Infanticide Act of 1922 that permitted juries to find a person guilty of infanticide and not murder. In 1938, this was further expanded on, it found that if a woman murdered her child in the first year of birth, then it was commuted from the death sentence. This is the first time that post-natal depression was regarded as mental illness by the authorities, rather than vilifying the women involved. However, the Judge found Rebecca guilty of murder and she was sentenced to death by hanging on the 5th September 1849. 

Before her execution, Rebecca was visited by her husband, daughter and her siblings. It was said that her husband showed very little emotion to his wife. However, her siblings were deeply upset. When the day of the execution came, Rebecca was led to scaffold at the new Devizes prison. According to the Glasgow Chronicle, Rebecca conducted herself well, neither succumbing to hysteria or begging for mercy. Looking at her, people remarked that it was unthinkable she could have committed such a crime. With the noose finally around her neck, Rebecca clasped her hands in silent prayer. After a slight struggle she was dead. 

This case was seen as one of the most infamous of the Victorian era. It would take decades for Infanticide to be seen as a crime in itself rather than under the more lethal sentence of murder.  Whether Rebecca was driven by Post-Natal Depression or rather the circumstances of her unhappy marriage and the desperation to save her children from starvation, we will never know.