Murder of James Walsh

Around 1 am on May 18, 1853, 54-year-old James Walsh was found stabbed in a court area in 1 Pleasant Passage, Lower Holloway in London, England. He was unable to say much except it was a woman who stabbed him. But he was unable to say how it happened. He was taken to the hospital and died shortly after. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Murder of Caroline Frances Ely

 On February 26, 1915, 25-year-old Caroline Ely died from an illegal operation in Fulham, England. It's not stated what kind of operation it was. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

December 27, 1902 Marylebone, England Baby Doe

On December 27, 1902, a baby was found wrapped up in a parcel beside the Great Central Railway at Rossmore Road Bridge in Marylebone. The infant had been born alive and healthy. It was found that she had a bruise over the right eye and her nostrils flattened. It's believed that something was pushed onto her face to cause suffocation leading to her death. 

The coroner added that the baby may have been a victim of baby farming and was part of the illegal disposal of infants at the time.


SOURCES:
Unsolved Murders UK

Murder of Jesa "Toni" Corazza

 

In 1934, 17-year-old Jesa "Toni" Corazza was a dancer and lived on Randor St in the Chelsea area of London, England. She acquired certain fame in theaters and even had a part in one or two films. By October she would become pregnant and did not want to keep it. At this time abortion was illegal in England and would seek help and have one illegally. On October 28, 1934, Toni would miscarry and be sent to St. Luke Hospital in London, England. 

Toni denied that she had an abortion and claimed that she fell dancing, but there was evidence of an instrument used by someone accustomed to this type of work. It was also found that she was taking pills to induce a miscarriage and they were hidden inside a matchbook inside her purse.

 

Toni would develop acute blood poisoning due to the instrument used in the surgery. She would not admit to either who the father was or who had given her the abortion. She would even say that she may have slipped on accident while dancing as an excuse for her condition. She passed away on November 13th due to heart failure caused by the blood poisoning. 

Her mother said that she didn't know if anyone had interfered with her daughter. She stated that Toni tried to tell her something as she was dying, but she couldn't be understood. 

A jury would find a verdict of murder against some person or persons unknown was returned.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Evening Standard November 19, 1934

Kingston News and West London Times November 23, 1934

Evening Standard November 26, 1934

November 8, 1577 London England Unknown Poor Woman

On November 8, 1577, a poor woman died in the streets of London, England. Her name and where she was from was unknown, but some believed she may have been Welsh. She was buried in the Bedlam Burial Ground.

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

October 1767 South Shields, England Doe

In October of 1767, a drowned Person was found in or near South Shields, England. They would be buried on October 20th in St. Hilda's Church. The gender of the victim is unstated.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave

October 4, 1698 London, England Jane Doe

On October 4, 1698, the body of a girl was laid inside a church in London, England. The child was buried at the Bedlam Burial Ground. It's not stated how old the girl was or how she died. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Murder of Flora Alice Fisher

On July 24, 1904, 27-year-old Flora Fisher complained of her insides hurting. The next day she would get a consultation from 3 doctors. Flora stated that she didn't know what caused her illness. 

On September 5, 1904,  Flora was taken to Westminster Hospital in London, England. She would soon after die from sepsis caused by an illegal abortion. It was obvious that these were not self-inflicted and that someone had done this to her. 

Her husband was informed and it was said in newspapers that he seemed surprised. He had no idea and that he and Flora were not the type of people to do something like that. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Daily Mirror September 10, 1904

Saturday Telegraph September 24, 1904

The Sunday People September 25, 1904

Death of Eveline Downing

 On August 2, 1924, 31-year-old Eveline Downing with her mother spoke to Dr. Lade about her pregnancy. Her mother spoke, but Eveline denied it and wasn't happy about it. He then sent her to Lambeth Hospital for general peritonitis. The two did not mention any help with abortions or such to the doctor. This was also the first time he had seen her and the last one she saw him was 2 years prior. He would sign papers for her as she was a war widow. 

On August 6, 1924, Eveline died from an illegal abortion. She would die in Lambeth Hospital in London, England. She had likely gotten the abortion because war widows would lose their pension if they gave birth. The person who had performed this surgery was skilled and was likely in the medical field. It's possible that the person who did the operation was trying to help her out but unfortunately resulted in her death. This person was never discovered, or at least in this case.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

The Birmingham Post August 12, 1924

The Gloucester Journal August 23, 1924

July 26, 1924 North Yorkshire, England Baby John Doe

On July 26, 1924, the body of a newborn baby boy in a sack was found by 3 boys who were fishing in the River Ouse in North Yorkshire, England.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Murder of Ada Susans

On July 20,1917. 38-year-old Ada Susans would be admitted to St Thomas Hospital in London, England. She was admitted as an abdominal case, but it was found that she had an illegal operation She would die from it at 11:30 that night. 

Ada Susans died from an illegal operation. It's not stated what kind, but it may have been an illegal abortion. She had died from an unknown instrument used illegally by an unknown person or persons. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

June 1858, London, England Baby John Doe

In June 1858, an unknown baby boy was found on Hardwick St in London, England. The boy was not a newborn and was around 6 months old making his birth around or in December. It's not stated if his death was murder or not. He was buried at the  City of London Cemetery on June 14, 1858.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Ghosts: The Watercress Lady

 

Created in Bing Create

Pluckley, England is home to many hauntings. One of which is of a woman called the Watercress Lady. In the early 1900's likely the 1920's there was a gypsy woman who was living in Pluckley. Now Gypsies at the time were traveling nomads from either Ireland or Eastern Europeans living in wagons and at their stops would either earn money from trading things or working on local farms. This woman made a living gathering watercress and selling it to the villagers.

The old woman was known as an eccentric but harmless person. She was known for smoking her clay pipe and known to enjoy gin from her battered old flask. After the sun would set she would go to the crossroads bridge. She would sit on the walls enjoying the night air smoking her pipe and drinking her gin.

However one unfortunate night she fell asleep while doing so. She would spill her flask on herself and the pipe would fall and light her up. It was said that no one heard her screams. The next day she would be found as a pile of ashes with her flask and pipe nearby. Letting people know it was the Watercress Lady and she had a tragic end.

Even though the Watercress Lady's screams were not heard the night she died it was afterward. Her ghost would be seen many times after her death reliving her death. She would be covered in flames and her heartbreaking screams could be heard. Slowly however she stopped being a screaming ball of fire to a faint pink glow hovering over the place she burned to death.

SOURCES:
London Walking Tours

Ghost Connections

Ghosts Wiki

680-780 AD Hereford, England Man

In late 2016 and early 2017, Archeological work by Headland Archeology's Midlands and West Office was done in Hereford, England in the College Cloisters beside Hereford Cathedral. They were trying to make improvements to the building and facilities. 

During this time they were able to excavate three skeletal remains. These three were radiocarbon dated to the 7th and 8th centuries. This was an interesting find as out of all 2456 burials excavated only one other person was found to be from the same time period.  They were found at a depth of around two meters within an area formerly occupied by the 15th-century Custos Lodge.

It was found that the three skeletons were of one male, one female, and one juvenile whose gender was unknown. I could not find information about the child and female, but the male had died a brutal death. 

The man was between 35 to 46 years old. He had lived and died between 680 and 780 AD. He had been stabbed at least 4 to 5 times with two of them being fatal on their own. However one of the wounds, a possible cut, on his elbow had traces of healing, unlike the rest. This meant this wound was older than the rest and was not from the time he died. 

His attacker used a narrow, and very sharp blade to attack the man. They stabbed him at a downward angle and was possibly left-handed as the wounds were on the left side. Two of the wounds would have been deadly, but if he had somehow survived he would have been paralyzed. 

The fatal wounds were stab wounds between the 8th and 9th ribs that would have punctured the spleen, stomach, or lungs. The second fatal wound was that the skull was hit with such a powerful blow from an edged weapon that the blade would have entered the brain. The lesser injury was on his thumb. 

At this period at the beginning of the 8th century, the Welsh and English were in conflict. In 743 the kings of Mercia and Wessex teamed up together against the Welsh. This would cause violent skirmishes and battles at the time. There was one battle in 760 AD this was the battle of Hereford. It's possible that this man was a casualty of this battle. This may be why he seemed to have a healed stab wound.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Headland Archeology

Hereford Times

Archeology

May 21, 1932 Birmingham, England baby Jane Doe

 On May 21, 1932, the body of a newborn baby girl was found in a public lavatory on Washwood Heath Rd in Birmingham, England. The baby had been decapitated and had signs of scorching on the body after death. It was born alive and died due to suffocation possibly caused by constriction of the throat with a finger and thumb.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Birmingham Gazette May 26, 1932

Murder of William Bamford

 On April 20, 1912, 26-year-old William Bamford was in Manchester, England. Around 11:30 pm he returned to his home in Hare Place, Rochdale in a taxi bleeding from his face. He at first wouldn't admit what had happened, but would later admit he had been attacked in Manchester.

 He was sent to the Rochdale Infirmary for his injuries, but released. However, due to his injuries, he was admitted to the Dearnley Workhouse Infirmary on September 27, 1913. He would never leave and on February 4, 1914, he would pass.

During his post-mortem, it was found that there was evidence of an operation on him. That there were holes in the vault where his brain mass was protruding. In larger pieces of the brain, there was an abscess. The abcess would cause weakening by discharge which resulted in William's death. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Murders of Thomas Smith and Squire Knyston

 

Photo of Thomas Smith

On April 4, 1905, 15-year-old Thomas Smith would leave his home on Wood Street in Chorlton-on-Medlock in Manchester, England. His mother would think that he was looking for work. However, the timid boy would not return home that night. It was assumed that maybe he had gone to visit either his sister in Dunkinfield or the one in Denton. 

The next day two boys he knew came to the house and asked if Thomas was going to work. Not knowing where Thomas was and not wanting him to lose his job she sent a note to his employers that he wasn't feeling well. However, she was worried sick about him. She would make inquiries to see if he was at either sisters, but he wasn't.

At 3pm on April 11, 1905, a rag-and-bone men would go to an uninhabited house on Hoyle Street off Fairfield Street in Ancoats. While gathering items he looked in the cellar window a body would be found lying on his back under a slab. He would tell another rag-and-bone man his discovery and the two would go to the police. 

The police would break into the home and go down to the cellar. It was obvious that the boy was murdered brutally. There was a bloody brick on his neck. A newspaper comic of "Funny Cuts" from April 8th was found stuffed in his mouth as a gag and his red handkerchief with 7 black stripes was tied over it. He was partially dressed and what clothes he had were torn and disarrayed. His pants were pulled down in the back and cut in the front. 

 His face was so beaten that he was unrecognizable. His body was also covered in bruises. He had fought back with his attacker that the nail from his middle left finger was torn off. His arms were covered in scratches he wasn't just beaten, but also stomped as a boot print was on his stomach. His genitals were also mutilated while he was alive. 

It could not be said if he was sexually assaulted, but it was suspected that he was. 

Even though the brick was bloody and found at the scene the coroner believed that a knob-like object was used to beat him. 

It was thought that he had been dead for a couple of days even though he had been missing for a week. It's not stated if they think he was held prisoner, but they know that the crime didn't happen in the cellar he was found in. The only access was a window as the doors to the cellar were locked. 

He had not been reported missing, but when the description was put in the paper his mother knew it was him. His mother and older brother, Issac, would go to identify him. They could not identify him from his face due to the brutality on it. Instead, they identified him by his clothes. At the time he was dressed in a black Vicuna jacket, black vest, dark grey trousers with black stripe, blue and red striped cotton shirt, two odd black stockings, and clasped clogs. He also had in his possession a second-class ticket for the swimming bath, Mayfield Baths, number 7,837.

In 1906, 15-year-old Squire Kynston lived with his mother at Whitsuntide at 7 Back Grey Street in Manchester, England. In August he and his mother would get into an argument after he had stayed out all night. She saw him the day after he stayed out on Butler St. She would say "You naughty boy, go right home and stay in the house" while slapping him on the side of the head. She would never see him again after this argument. 

Someone had told her later he was with his cousin. She would assume that Squire was staying with her sister and assumed he was safe. She did not check up on him however since she and her sister did not have a good relationship. It wasn't stated if he was staying with his aunt or just assumed he was. 

On Chapel St behind London Road Station, there was an unoccupied house set to be demolished. On November 20th A workman would enter the house. He stated when he entered the ground floor rooms of the home there was a stench in the air. He would find out that the stench was coming from the cellar. He would go down the stairs nearly tripping over something. It was Squire's body. The worker would quickly go and get the police. 

One of his shoulders was under a slab of flag and his head was partially under a slope stone. Squire was not wearing any clothes when he was found, but a thin strap was found wrapped around his neck. It's believed it was wrapped tightly around his neck. It was unknown what his cause of death was as he was too decomposed and rats had been eating him. However, it was believed he may have been sexually assaulted as his pants were not on him. He was not beaten on his head like Thomas.

Though both boys had died in different ways, the way they were found in similar ways and places. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK (Thomas)

Unsolved Murders UK (Squire)

Days of Horror

Manchester Evening News April 12, 1905

Leicester Mercury April 12, 1905

Birmingham Evening Mail

April 6, 1924, Sheldon, England Baby Jane Doe

On April 6, 1924, the body of a newborn baby girl was found in a pond at Garretts Green in Sheldon, England.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

March 29, 1924 Gosport, England Baby Jane Doe

 On March 29, 1924, an engine-room artificer of the Royal Navy was on duty at the Costal Motor-Boat Base at Haslar Creek in Gosport, England. He would spot a suspicious brown paper parcel on the foreshore near the pontoon. It was a few feet above the tide line which was at the time dead low.

He would go and get the parcel and unwrap it. Inside was the body of a newborn baby girl. It was found that the child was born alive and had lived for at least a few minutes before dying from exposure and want of attention at birth. She had been dead for more than 3 days. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Murder of Evan Jones

Around 10 pm on March 13, 2002, 46-year-old Evan Jones would enjoy a drink at the Beaufort Pub in York Road Montpelier in Bristol, England. He would leave the pub likely going to get food to bring home to eat. 

An hour later he would be found unconscious in a pool of blood on Stokes Croft. He would be brought to the Bristol Royal Infirmary where he would die. It was found that he had been beaten with a chain and kicked viciously.  The murder weapon was believed to be a bike or large dog chain. Police believe that he was attacked by someone he knew. 

It's believed he made it back to his flat and injured his leg somehow. He had stopped on Drummond Street and while there he called an old girlfriend. At 10:55 he then was seen in front of Avonmead House flats speaking to a man there and a fight ensued.

Some people claimed to have witnessed the attack. There were conflicting statements about the attacker or attackers. It's not fully understood what had happened except he was found dying around 6 minutes later. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Bristol Live September 23, 2018

Bristol Live March 13, 2022