Child-murder in its sanitary and social bearings / by William Burke Ryan.

  • Ryan, William Burke.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Child-murder in its sanitary and social bearings / by William Burke Ryan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    The only case of a conviction for the murder of a child was at the Surrey Lent assizes, ] 852. The punishment is not spe- cified ; nor is it in another case at the same place, where a woman was convicted of manslaughter on an indictment charg- ing her with infanticide. In the Midland circuit, 1853, Mary Ann Parr had sentence of death passed upon her at Nottingham, but it was commuted to transportation for life. Ann Tommey was indicted for wilful murder at Warwick, 1853 ; found guilty of manslaughter. The sentence twelve months imprisonment with hard labour. At Lincoln, 1855, Elizabeth Lownd was indicted for wilful murder. She was transported for fifteen years. At Derby, Eliza Beastall was indicted for a similar offence, and was im- prisoned with hard labour for two years. Northern Circuit. Jane Gillie : sentence of death recorded; —punishment, transportation for life. Norfolk Circuit. One woman sentenced to death;—punish- ment, transportation for life. In Lancaster, one indictment; result not stated. Oxford Circuit. 1. Abel Ovens : child six weeks ; sentence, to be hanged;—punishment, transportation for life. 2. Eliza Dore : similar sentence, similar commutation. 3. Mary Eobins : ditto, ditto. 4. Sarah Baker: child two years; ditto, ditto. 5. Maria Tarrant: child three months ; ditto, ditto. Western Circuit—Cornwall. Bichard Jose, jointly with the mother and another person : verdict, manslaughter ;— punishment, transportation for life. South Wales. None. Chester and North Wales. 1852. Margaret Davies, county Denbigh : convicted of murder ; sentence, death ;—result not stated. County of Chester. 1. Indicted for murder; conviction, manslaughter ; sentence, seven years transportation. 2. In- dicted for murder; convicted of murder ; sentence, death ;— commuted to transportation for life. 3. Indictment for mur- der ; convicted of murder ; sentence, death ;—punishment, transportation for life. 4. Same indictment; same conviction ; same sentence ;—result, transportation. 5. William Jackson : murder of his two children, five and seven years of age ; same indictment; same conviction ; same sentence;—result, hanged. That the crime of infanticide, as well as that of criminal abortion, is wide spread and on the increase, is, I fear, but too certain. We have only to look to the daily or weekly papers to be painfully convinced of this fact, as well as that it will require a strong hand to put it down.