Murderous Monday - Men Who Kill - George Henry Lamson - Dr. Death - The Wimbledon Poisoner

On 28th April 1882 George Henry Lamson met his maker at the end of William Marwood's rope at Wandsworth Prison for the murder of his disabled brother-in-law Percy Malcolm John.


George Lamson was born in New York city in the United States of America to William C Lamson, a clergyman and his wife Julia.  At some point before the 1870's George travelled with his parents and siblings to England.  He can be found aged 18 living with his family at Sydney Lodge on the 1871 Census, his occupations is described as a medical student.  After George graduated from medical school he volunteered as a surgeon in Eastern Europe before returning to England.

In 1878 Dr Lamson married Kate George John in the Isle of Wight.  On the 1881 Census Dr Lamson can be found listed as Henry G, physician surgeon, living in Cambridge Road in Christchurch, Bournemouth.  Kate is visiting her sister Margaret and brother-in-law William Greenhill Chapman, along with her baby daughter Agnes in 1881.

Percy John, who had a deformity of the spine which resulted in partial paralyse, was boarding at Blenheim House School, Wimbledon in 1881.

On his return to England Dr Lamson had become addicted to morphine, his addiction had eaten away at his assets.  Deep in debt Dr Lamson could see no way out other than murder.  Desperate to bring the finances of his wife's family under his control, George decided to murder his 18 year old brother-in-law Percy John.  On 3rd December 1881 Dr Lamson visited Percy at his school lodgings where together they had tea and Dundee cake.  Dr Lamson was then able to convince Percy to take some pills laced with aconite, a poison derived from the plant Monkshood.  That night Percy suffered serious stomach cramps and died shortly after.  Suspicion soon fell on Dr Lamson, who had suddenly departed to Paris.  Soon the newspapers had picked up on the story of poor Percy's death, which prompted Dr Lamson to return to England to protest his innocence.  Dr Lamson had been taught during his medical student days that aconite was undetectable, however forensic science had progressed since then.

An examination was made of Percy's vomit, stomach fluids and urine.  All were found to contain aconite, as were the pills Dr Lamson had given Percy, which were found in Percy's room after his death.  Dr Lamson was brought before magistrates at The Old Bailey in the February 1882.  It took the jury only 25 minutes to convict him of the wilful murder of Percy John, a sentence of death was passed.  When asked if he had anything to say, Dr Lamson simply stated, "merely to protest my innocence before God."

Dr Lamson's execution date was set for the 4th April 1882, but this was delayed due to the intervention of the US president and Dr Lamson's family and Friends in New York, who wished to provide evidence of insanity in Dr Lamson's family.  The New York Times reported -

"Dr Lamson's American Friends.

Efforts To Obtain A Reprieve On The Ground Of Hereditary Insanity.

The case of Dr, George Henry Lamson, who was convicted in London, England, on the 13th Inst (February 13th 1882), on the charge of causing the death of his brother-in-law, Percy Malcolm John, by giving him poison, has aroused a deep feeling of sympathy among Americans, not only in this city, but else-where.

Young Dr. Lamson was arrested in December last, on the specific charge of having wilfully poisoned his wife's brother by giving him aconitine pills at Blenheim House School, Wimbledon.  Percy John was only 19 years of age and suffered from a serious affection of the spine.  The friends of Dr. Lamson have been more or less-firm in the conviction that the prisoner is insane, and since the close of the trial evidence is accumulating rapidly to show that insanity hereditary in Lamson's family.

An investigation of the records of the Bloomingdale Asylum for the Insane, was made and it was found that the Rev. William Lamson's mother, maternal uncle and sister died in that institution."

The evidence of the supposed hereditary insanity was considered not to be strong enough to change the sentence passed and Dr Lamson was hung for his crime.

George Lamson's father William was to later write to the London newspapers stating that all of George's debts could have been cleared and medical attention given for his addictions, possibly preventing the murder of Percy, if George had only said the word.  I am sure that came as little comfort to Percy's family.

Murderous Monday - Women Who Kill - Florence Maybrick - The Flypaper Poisoner, Miscarriage of Justice?

Florence Maybrick was born Florance Chandler on 3rd September 1862 in Mobile County Alabama to John Chandler, a banking partner and Caroline Holbrook.

After her father's death and her mother's remarriage to Baron Adolph von Roques, Florence travelled with her family to Liverpool in England.  It was aboard ship that she met her future husband, James Maybrick, a cotton broker 24 years her senior.  They were soon married on 27 July 1881 at St James Church, Picidilly, London.

Unfortunately their marriage was an unhappy one.  James had several mistresses and was obsessed with his health, to the point of self administering arsenic and strychnine.  Florence had lovers of her own, one is believed to have been local businessman Alfred Brierley and even James's own brother, Edwin.  After a violent argument with James regarding her faithfulness, James threatened to divorce Florence.

Florence was in the habit of buying flypapers and soaking them in water to extract the arsenic as a beauty treatment.  Florence bought some flypaper from a local chemist in the April of 1889.  On 27th of that month James Maybrick was taken ill.  At first it was thought that James has accidentally self administered a double dose of strychnine, doctors treated him for a stomach complaint but James's condition deteriorated.  Florance wrote a compromising letter to Alfred, which was intercepted by the family nanny, Alice Yapp and passed onto James's brothers. 

On 11th May 1889 James Maybrick died at his home in Liverpool.  His brothers were immediately suspicious and arranged for his body to be examined.  The post mortem found small traces of arsenic throughout James's body, but not in quantities sufficient to kill a person.  It was also unclear as to whether James had been poisoned or had administered the arsenic himself.  Yet Florence was arrested for her husband's murder.  The Liverpool Echo reported -

"Florence Maybrick has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband James Maybrick, her children are being cared for by their godmother, Mrs Jannion at Gateacre."

Florence stool trial at St George's Hall, Liverpool, were she was convicted of her husband's murder and sentenced to death.  A public outcry followed, the was then concluded that while Florence had administered the arsenic to her husband with the intent to murder, there was reasonable doubt as to whether the amount of arsenic was the cause of death.  Florence's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Florence was first held in the Female Convict Prison in Woking, Guildford, where she appears aged 27 on the 1891 Census.  Later Florence was transferred to the Female Convict Prison and House of Correction on Bierton Road in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Where she appears aged 37 on the 1901 Census.

Florence was finally released in 1904 after having spent 14 years in custody.  She returned to the United States where towards the end of her life she became a recluse.  Florence died at home in her three room cabin in Gaylordsville, Connecticut on 23rd October 1941.


It seems perhaps the courts where preoccupied with punishing Florence for her suspected adultery, rather than the actual death of her husband as the evidence against her was thin to say the least.  A doctor and chemist both testified to James having self administered and purchased arsenic for his personal use.  Many Victorian men believed arsenic to be a tonic and aphrodisiac.  Florence had very little to gain from James's death and would have been finanically better off if she had legally separated from James.  Maybe the thought of divorce and the resulting ruin in Victorian society drove her to desperate measures.  Found in Florence's possessions after her death was a tattered family bible, pressed between it's pages was a ageing piece of paper with instructions on how to soak flypaper to obtain arsenic for use as a beauty treatment.

Murderous Monday - Men Who Kill - John Hannah - The Armley Murder

On Saturday 27th December 1856 at York Castle, John Hannah a tailor from Manchester, met his maker at the end of Thomas Askern's rope for the wilful murder of his common law wife Jane Banham.

John Hannah was born sometime in 1836 in Ireland to William Hannah, a tailor and his wife Lelia.  John was one of nine children born to his parents.  On the 1851 Census, 15 year old John can be found living with his parents and siblings at 11 Warriners Buildings, Bishopsgate, Manchester.

At some time after March 1851 John started a relationship with Jane Banham, a married woman ten years his senior.  Jane Banham, a dancer in a travelling corps of performers, and her children had been abandoned by her husband William when he emigrated to America.  She began to live with together with John as husband and wife, baring him two children.  However things between them began to sour.

Two weeks before the Christmas of 1855 Jane and John separated.  Jane took the children to live with her father John Hope, a member of the same performing troupe.  In the June of 1856 the company were performing in Halifax.  John Hannah walked to Halifax from Manchester and pleaded with Jane's father to be able to speak with her.  At first John Hope refused but John Hannah persisted until a meeting was set up between them back in Armley at in the parlour room of the Malt Hill Inn on 11th September.

During this meeting John Hannah pleaded with Jane to return to him with the children, upon her refusal John asked Jane's father to speak to her on his behalf.  John Hope was reported to have said that he would, 'have nothing to do with the matter.'  John Hope left John Hannah and his daughter Jane still talking in the Malt Mill Inn.  Witnesses reported that at one point Jane left the Inn saying, 'I want nothing more to do with you!'  It was at this point that John Hannah pulled Jane back into the parlour room.  A little while later the scuffing of chairs was heard in the parlour, causing the landlady of the Inn and some patrons to investigate.  They found John Hannah kneeling upon Jane grasping her throat tightly with his hand.  One of the witnesses exclaimed, 'what do you mean, you rascal!'  To which John replied, 'I mean murder,' before slitting Jane's throat with a razor.  He then calmly got up and left the inn saying, 'I have done what I intended.'

Poor Jane staggered from the inn into the street, streaming blood from her neck.  She was taken to her lodgings and medical assistance was sort.  Sadly Jane passed away two hours later.  Doctors remarked that it was a miracle she lived so long.  John was soon found, arrested and brought to trial at York assizes on 13th December before Justice Erle.  John's defence relied heavily on the suggestion that this was a case of aggravated manslaughter rather than murder due to Jane's provocation of John.  Justice Erle stated that he could not find anything that was provocation by blows, and it was his opinion that Jane's refusal to live with John was not provocation at all.

The jury retired and a mere 15 minutes later found John guilty of the charge of wilful murder.  Upon hearing the death sentence John fainted and had to be helped from the court.

John Hannah's father, William Hannah sent a letter to Queen Victoria pleading for John's life to be spared.

"To Her Gracious Magesty,

Manchester, December 17th 1856.

This is the humble pettion of William Hannah to Your Gracious Magesty, praying that you will spare the life of my unfortunate son, John Hannah, that is now lying in York Castle under the sentence of deth, for the murder of Jane Banham, at Amrley, on 11th September.  Your humble pettioner served in the Royal Artilrey for twenty years, and was at the taking of the Flushing, in 1809 and shortly after joined Lord Wellingtons Armay, whare i was engaged in the prinsebel ingagmanets in that contary; and for my service your most Gracious Magesty granted me a shilling a day and a medal with six clasps; i also lost a son in the Canidian war, fighting against the rebels.

My unhappy son's twin brother as lastly been discharged from the 7th Royal Fusiliers at Chatham, with a pension of 8d. per day.  He landed in the Crimea with the expedton, and fought with his reghment at the Alma, and at the Battel of Inkerman, and was severely wounded in the assult of the  Grait Redan, and was presented with a medal and three clasps from your most Gracious Magesty.  i also have a nother son that is following in the steps of his father and two brothers; he is serving in the 5th Royal Lancashire Militia.  Your humbel pettioner hopes that your most Gracious Magesty will take it into your consideration the service that this familey has doen for thare Queen and contary, and spare the life of my unfortunate son, for my sake and that of his poor mother, that was with me through the Peninsular War.  This is the humble and sincere wish of your humble and faithful servant, and father of my unfortunate son, William Hannah.'

Sadly the Hannah family's military service was not enough to save John from his appointment with Thomas Askern.

The execution took place at noon, some 5000 spectators turned out to watch the hanging.  The bolt was drawn, John dropped and after a few struggles, fell still.  John's body was left hanging until 1 o'clock when it was cut down and taken for burial in the castle grounds.

Murderous Monday - Men Who Kill - William Henry Bury (Berry) - Ripper Suspect

On 28th April 1889, William Henry Bury (Berry) met his maker at the end of James Berry's rope for the murder of his wife Ellen Bury (Berry) in Dundee, Scotland.

William Henry Bury was born on 25th May 1859 in Stourbridge Worcestershire to Henry Bury, an employee of a local fishmonger, and his wife Mary Jane Henley.  Tragically William was orphaned at an early age.  His father Henry was killed in a horse and cart accident on 10th April 1860, when he fell under the wheels of his own cart as his horse bolted.

Mary Jane, already suffering with depression after the birth of her fourth child, William, and the death of her eldest child, seven year old Elizabeth Ann from a fit that same year, was committed to the Worcester Pauper and Lunatic Asylum on 7th May 1860.  There she remained until her death at the age 33 on 30th March 1864.

William Henry Bury

On the 1861 Census, one year old William can be found being cared for by Mary Jane's younger brother, Edward Henley and his wife Ann.  By 1871 William, then aged 12, is a boarding pupil at Stourbridge's Blue Coate Charitable School.  At the age of 16 William found work as a Factor's Clerk in Wolverhampton, where he remained until the early part of the 1880s when he left after being unable to repay a loan.  He found work with a lock manufacturer in Lord Street, Wolverhampton, until he was sacked for a theft in 1884.  After that William lead an unsettled life as a street hawker.

Sometime in the October of 1887, William moved to London where he found work as a sawdust seller.  It was in London that he met and later married Ellen Elliot on 2nd April 1888.  William and Ellen left London and travelled to Dundee to escape William's debt, arriving in the Scottish city on 20th January 1889.  On the 4th of February, William bought a length of rope from a provisions store.

The evening of 10th February 1889 William walked into the Dundee Central Police Station in Bell Street and reported the supposed suicide of his wife Ellen.  William was reported to say that he had been drinking the night before and woke in the morning to discover his wife's body with a rope around her neck.  He also made several rambling references to being mistaken for and arrested as Jack the Ripper.  Officers were immediately dispatched to search William's home address, 113 Princess Street, where they made the gruesome discovery of a woman's mutilated body stuffed into a wooden packing crate.

Ellen had been strangled to death with the rope William has purchased earlier, her body stabbed several times with a penknife and her abdomen had been cut open from the pubis bone upwards, exposing 12 inches of intestines.  To fit the body into the small packing crate her head had been bent to rest on her on shoulder, her left leg was broken in two places and twisted so that the foot rested on her left shoulder and her right leg had been smashed.  It soon became apparent that William had lived with the box for several days, even using it as a table, before going to the police.

William was arrested and sent to trail for the murder of his wife, either by strangulation or stabbing. The hearing lasted only 13 hours before the jury convicted William of the wilful murder of Ellen and he was sentenced to hang for his crime.  William Henry Bury was executed on the morning of 28th April 1889.


Due to the similarities between Ellen's death and that of Jack the Ripper's victims, detectives investigating the Ripper murders were sent to Dundee to interview William  They however, were unconvinced that William was the Whitchapel murderer.  James Berry the executioner remained convinced that he had hung the infamous Jack the Ripper and supposedly recounted an exchange he had with one of the detectives from London -

 'I think it is him right enough.'

-James Berry 

'And we agree with you.  We know all about his movements in the past, and we are quite satisfied that you have hanged Jack the Ripper, there will be no more Whitechapel crimes.'

- London Detective.