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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Yorkshire (East Riding & York) => Topic started by: rupiezucki on Friday 21 September 18 06:55 BST (UK)
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This has been a mystery for me for quite some time. The concrete information that we have is a birth registration Mar 1879 in Driffield for Mary Beackon H HOLLIDAY. She was born in Beeford. On the 1881 census she was a nurse child living with Ann DUKES in Beeford. The infant, Annie Holliday, also there, is probably a cousin. Mary's mother is Mary HOLLIDAY (b. 1858), her grandmother is Sarah Dumbleton HOLLIDAY (b. 1820). I have no idea yet where Mary is in 1881, but Sarah is a widowed washerwoman, living in Beeford.
What I am trying to find out is where Mary Holliday is on the censuses from 1871 on AND when and where the little girl's death was registered. Thanks in advance.
Now, here is the story, as it appeared on the Internet (split into 2 parts, due to space limitations)
My tie is to the Collier/Bradley family:
The following news articles are taken from the Driffield Times.
April 14, 1888
THE WANSFORD MYSTERY
A MOTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER
The mystery surrounding the finding of the body of a girl in the canal near Snakeholme Lock on Good Friday has assumed the phase of murder, and naturally the case has caused quite a sensation in the neighbourhood. The police are very reticent about furnishing the press with any information but the following gathered from various sources, may, we believe, be taken as correct.
It will be remembered that on Good Friday two brothers named SEDMAN, of Driffield, were fishing near Snakeholme Lock, when they noticed a body in the water near the byewash and that on getting it to land it was found to be the body of a young girl. It was removed to the Trout Inn at Wansford where an inquest was held on the following day. This resulted in an open verdict, there not being a tittle of evidence as to how the child got into the water or to whom she belonged. The police were instructed to preserve every shred of clothing and to make the occurrence as widely known as possible. PC SMITH, who is stationed at Frodingham had been unremitting in his efforts to clear up the mystery which hung over the affair and on Monday night he apprehended a woman named Mary HOLLIDAY on a charge of murdering the girl. The arrest was made at Foston where the woman had been living since Martinmas with a man named RUSSELL. The woman had a daughter about nine years of age, who lived with her grandmother, Sarah HOLLIDAY at Beeford, and it is stated that the man named RUSSELL had spoken to his housekeeper of marriage, but had raised some objections on account of the child. This rumour reached the ears of PC SMITH and coupling it with the findings of the body on the canal he instituted inquiries as to the antecendents of the woman. He found that some weeks ago one night, the prisoner went to the grandmother’s at Beeford and took the child away, stating that she was going to send her to a situation at Leeds. From that time she was never seen alive again. The grandmother was shown the clothing taken from the body found in the canal, and she at once declared them to be the clothes worn by her grandaughter. PC SMITH thereupon proceeded to Foston and took the woman into custody, and lodged her in the police station at Driffield.
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Here's part 2:
It got bruited about the town that the prisoner was to be brought up at the Police court on Wednesday afternoon and an anxious crowd hung about the station. Late in the afternoon, however, the following evidence was taken – Sarah HOLLIDAY, of Beeford, deposed, “I have had the care of her daughter, Mary Beacon HOLLIDAY. She was nine years old last January. I had her seven years. About five weeks ago her mother came and took her away; it was on a Tuesday after tea. She said something about taking her away and that she was going to Leeds to a situation, and they set off to walk. A week afterwards, I went to Foston where the prisoner was living, expecting to bring the child back. The mother said that they were going to take her and bring her up. She said she was not coming back, that she had taken her to Hull and that two Miss COOKS had taken her there. The clothes now shown to me were hers, also the boots and stockings which were my own hand knitting.” The prisoner was taken to Hull gaol on Thursday morning.
April 21, 1888
Mary HOLLIDAY of Foston, charged with the wilful murder of her daughter, Mary Beacon HOLLIDAY, aged 9 years, was brought up on remand at the Driffield Police Court on Wednesday. She is about 30 years of age, and manifested very little concern in the proceedings. She wore a fringe low down on her forehead and a black hat with black feathers and tight-fitting jacket, with black fur trimmings. Evidence was heard from a number of witnesses, among whom, the two men who found her body. T.C. SEDMAN: I am a grocer at Driffield. I remember Good Friday last. I went fishing on that day at Snakeholme Lock, Wansford. Shortly after I noticed something in the water. I called the attention of my brother to it. After a time we brought to view the boot of a child. Whilst we were trying to get it out a vessel came up and I borrowed a boat of the captain. A young man named WAITES got in with me. We tried to get the body with a boat-hook. I then came to Driffield and gave information to the police. The body was laid on its back. I did not recognise the features. Henry Coverdale SEDMAN: I am a bill-poster at Driffield. I was with my brother fishing. I noticed something in the water and afterwards saw it was the leg of a human being. The body was not in any way interfered with. I did not see any hat. Adjourned until Saturday morning next at ten o’clock.
May 5, 1888
At Leeds, Mary HOLLIDAY, of Foston, was found Guilty with a recommendation to mercy on account of insanity in the family. The prisoner was then sentenced to death. The date of execution being set for Tuesday, the 22nd inst.
Feb 9, 1889
Mary HOLLIDAY, apprehended April 21st 1888 for the murder of her illegitimate male child, has had her death sentence commuted to life imprisonment. At the time of her arrest, she had been living as housekeeper to Richard Collier BRADLEY, joiner of Foston, whilst the child had been in the care of its’ grandmother. Many hundreds had signed a petition praying the Home Secretary for a respite. An infant child was born to her whilst in prison, named Rosetta Collier Bradley HOLLIDAY, and it has now been removed to the Driffield workhouse.
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It’s hard to think of anything to do with a child murder as a “game” as per your thread title.
Anyway - I can’t easily see Mary’s death registration either.
Here’s her burial:
Nafferton, 1 April 1888, by common warrant.
A girl unknown, found in Wansford Canal, Wansford. [Later addition in a different pen: 9 yrs].
Annotation in the register: “Later found to be Mary Beacon Holliday, the illegitimate daughter of Mary Holliday of Foston on the Wolds - tried and condemned at the Leeds Assize as the cause of her daughter’s death, but recommended to mercy.”
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It’s hard to think of anything to do with a child murder as a “game” as per your thread title. Anyway -
That was my first reaction too AVM.... :'(
However I googled the little girl's name and there is an article in The Leeds Mercury, April 23, 1888. Page 3. (Sadly I don't have a sub.)
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Could this be a possibility as Driffield mentioned in the article?
June quarter of 1888
UNKNOWN Female aged 12 registered in Driffield district Volume 9d Page 193 (Page 195 also given)
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Mary Beackon H Holliday JFM 1879 Driffield
This tallies with a statement by her Grandmother April 1888 that her granddaughter was 9 years old last January.
Cathy
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The age may be out at 12 years old but it's the correct quarter - Good Friday 1888 March 30th. Death would be registered April - June 1888.
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The age may be out at 12 years old
Good find redtonyt. Age would probably have been a guess by the informant/registrar.
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A tragic story (with a most unfortunate subject heading ... I think I would be amending that ... :( ).
As the name of the second child born in prison gives a huge clue who the father is, I wonder if the same happened with the first child? Do you know what the second middle name "H" stands for?
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Do you know what the second middle name "H" stands for?
From GRO Online: Mary Beackon Holliday HOLLIDAY, no mmn.
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Do you know what the second middle name "H" stands for?
From GRO Online: Mary Beackon Holliday HOLLIDAY, no mmn.
Thanks avm. That's unusual. :-\
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Possibly just an error at registration in including the surname in column 2, rather than leaving it to be inferred from the parental surname?
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Mary Holliday born Beeford 1858 is in prison in Woking, Surrey in 1891 RG12/556/140 Pg9 - I haven't found her after that date. There is a possible for her in Sculcoates in 1881, a Mary E Holliday 21 General Servant born Beeford in household of Philip T Crook 36 Master Tailor and family RG11/4761/10 Pg14.
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Mary Holliday born Beeford 1858 is in prison in Woking, Surrey in 1891 RG12/556/140 Pg9 - I haven't found her after that date. There is a possible for her in Sculcoates in 1881, a Mary E Holliday 21 General Servant born Beeford in household of Philip T Crook 36 Master Tailor and family RG11/4761/10 Pg14.
Once Mary was in the prison system she could have been moved around. There are several possible deaths on FreeBMD for Mary (no middle initial) HOLLIDAY, my feeling is that Dec 1919 York age 61, or Dec 1921 Leeds age 62 would be the most probable.
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You are all right, and I apologize. How incredibly crass of me. That's what I get for working too late. I was trying to find a short way of conveying enough information to pique people's interest.
Thanks for calling me on it. It NEEDED changing.
And thanks to everyone for your help.
H
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You are all right, and I apologize. How incredibly crass of me. That's what I get for working too late. I was trying to find a short way of conveying enough information to pique people's interest.
Thanks for calling me on it. It NEEDED changing.
And thanks to everyone for your help.
H
That it did. ;D
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You are all right, and I apologize. How incredibly crass of me. That's what I get for working too late. I was trying to find a short way of conveying enough information to pique people's interest.
Thanks for calling me on it. It NEEDED changing.
And thanks to everyone for your help.
H
That it did. ;D
And it was done graciously. Well done.
Philip