Hanged at the Prison 4

 Of all the prisoners at St Albans County Gaol during its half-century existence, that of Mary Ansell arguably attracted the most publicity.  For the time, 1899, political, medical and social controversy ensured a widely covered debate over her fate.  

We are presented with the case of two sisters, one of whom used the life of the other for her own gain.  The brother of the sisters was also referred to by their father, but not of a further sister who also earlier died, leaving the parents with four children, all of whom pre-deceased them.  Mary had no connection with St Albans, but it is her incarceration at the prison which brought her name to our attention.

Teenaged Caroline Ansell had been committed to the London Asylum Board's mental asylum at Leavesden, though there is little information about her condition or illness.  At the time of the trial Caroline was 26 years old.

Her older sister, Mary, was in the employment of a wealthy Bloomsbury family in Great Coram Street.  She and her fiancé intended to marry but their financial circumstances prevented them from affording the cost of a licence.  Mary therefore devised a means of acquiring the required funds at the expense of Caroline.  The lever was Mary's purchase, on 6th September 1898, of an insurance policy, costing £22. 10s (£22.50) on the life of her sister at the rate of one penny per week.  She then purchased a quantity of rat poison, mixing some of it in cake mix, and send the resulting cake to Caroline as a gift at the asylum.

Leavesden Asylum

Caroline shared the cake with a few other inmates, although she ate more than her friends – by ensuring her slice was much larger!  The outcome was that, while her friends became ill, Caroline died.  At the time there had been a typhoid outbreak at the asylum, so the staff took minimal notice of such an unusual death until an autopsy had revealed a case of poisoning.

Within a short time the parcel wrapping in which the cake had arrived was recovered, as was the rat poison, and the insurance policy document.  The subsequent trial of Mary Ansell appeared to be straightforward, although a growing conversation in public ensured that for a time the outcome appeared uncertain.   Among the voices was a body of around a hundred members of Parliament who were uneasy at being responsible for the state death of a young woman having, they believed, an uncertain state of mind.  Petitions were also sent to the Home Secretary.

The Daily Mail, led a campaign in support of Mary and ran its own readers' petition.  This did not succeed in overturning the court decision, and it also failed on the law pertaining to mental instability. [see extract below].

Mary Anne Ansell

Even to the final moment Mary had firmly believed something would happen to save her from her fate, but her execution was carried out in St Albans, where about 2,000 members of the public gathered at the prison gates.  The execution of women was by no means uncommon, around half of them for murder by poisoning.  However, Mary was the youngest and the last to be hanged in the 19th century.

Mary's father is on record as stating "emphatically, there is no insanity in the family".  As to Caroline, he held the belief that "she was as right as you are until her brother was killed, and she then fretted so much that her mind gave way."

For the completeness of this article, some years later an unidentified man came forward to confess to the poisoning of Caroline, which, if correct, would have proved Mary innocent, resulting in a miscarriage of justice; it would also have given an opportunity for the Daily Mail to state the newspaper was right all along.  But this did not happen.

The Pall Mall Gazette (July 17th 1899) carried an extended editorial on the case:

Judge [Justice Mathew] expressed himself as absolutely convinced of the prisoner's guilt; on that point there cannot be two opinions.  Clearer evidence, a more connected sequence in the stages of a crime have seldom been produced by counsel for the prosecution in a criminal case.  The excuse now made for her, therefore, falls back on the argument that Mary Ansell is insane.  Now madness, in the accepted sense of the word, implies an inability to calculate the results of actions.  The poisoning of her imbecile sister was, on the contrary, one of the most deliberately contrived murders that are recorded in the annals of crime.  The sending of the phosphorus through the post and the forging of the letter from her mother protesting against the post mortum examination, stamp it as a masterpiece of perverted calculation.  Admitted to give evidence on her own behalf, she adopted the extremely devious line that she had insured her sister's life to give her a nice funeral, thereby appealing to what is a strong motive with the poorer classes, and the poorer they are the stronger it is.  So far then as a capacity for coherent thought goes, Mary Ansel must be pronounced entirely responsible for her own actions and their terrible consequences.

The full editorial can be retrieved and viewed on the British Newspaper Archive.

A reporter from the Herts Advertiser was present outside the prison and noted attempts by individuals to gain a view of the scaffold from the railway embankment, but were removed by police officers.  The bell of St Peter's Church rang, and the significant crowd remained subdued.

Thus completes the series of four accounts of three men and one woman whose lives were taken by the state at St Albans for the crimes they had committed.  As indicated at beginning of the series their bodies were buried within the prison grounds directly after the hanging, but their remains were transferred to a common grave plot at Hatfield Road Cemetery in 1931.

The final resting place, to the left of the tree, of Charles Coleman, Thomas Wheeler, George
Anderson and Mary Ansell.

Hanged at the Prison 1

 For the first half of the 19th century the county's prisoners remained held at the Abbey Gateway, but in the 1860s it was considered the accommodation in this building was too restricted and basic, so a field was acquired next to the planned railway station, which today happens to be the western limit of what we, on this site, have come to know as St Albans' Own East End; in today's Grimston Road.  No sooner had the prisoners made the move, pupils from the Royal Grammar School at the Abbey were moved from the Lady Chapel  into the Gateway accommodation in preparation for rebuilding the Abbey.  Children, it appears, were provided with less consideration than prisoners!

The Abbey Gateway.  Prior to the 1860s this building housed prisoners, before they were given

a new prison building in Grimston Road.  Boys from the Royal Grammar School were

subsequently housed in the Gateway.

The new prison offered less than fifty years of service, having closed in 1913, but was immediately taken over for military purposes during the First World War.  Plans had been made for the reburial at Hatfield Road Cemetery, of capital prisoners, of whom there were four.  But presumably, because of the complications of transfer to the military, the reinterments did not take place.  After the war the prison remained empty until 1930, when St Albans City Council purchased the premises for the purpose of converting it into the Highways Department's headquarters, although to ensure sufficient space, the internal cell  block and other buildings were demolished. 

One of the few images of the prison in use, here flying a black flag thought to signify a day

when an execution was due to take place.

COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

Modern photo of the same section of the remaining part of the prison. The tall tower, which
may have been a water tower, being part of the core structure, was demolished c1930.

During these works someone obviously realised that the re-burials had not taken place as intended, in 1913.  Rather belatedly the operation took place in March 1931.  The event was a straightforward one, with no ceremony and no minister of religion present.  The grave plot was provided by the council, located on a corner near the eastern pathway, and in the tradition of all common graves no headstone or other marker was provided.

The space to the left of the tree, right foreground, contains the remains of the four prisoners
re-buried from the grounds of the former prison.

During the period of operation four prisoners, three male and one female, were handed capital sentences.  That much is known, although not so much detail of the individual prisoners and the nature of their trials.  Fortunately, research carried out by Nicholas Connell and Ruth Stratton has been published under the title Hertfordshire Murders.

Let's reveal the story of Charles Coleman and discover how he met his end at the young age of 36.

Coleman was a Rickmansworth man, having been born and brought up in the town.  We know where he was in 1911, because the prison governor listed him as one of his inmates in that year's census.  By midsummer he had been released, having served a sentence of six months for "mutilating a dog".

A classic image of old Mill End
COURTESY RICKMANSWORTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

As with many released prisoners he joined the pool of casual labourers at Mill End, Rickmansworth, and we assume work to have been various but intermittent  We know from the published court records that he met a former acquaintance, Rose Gurney, where they spent some time in a local public house. Witnesses reported seeing the pair later that evening, and Coleman was observed having his hands around Gurney's neck.  They then came across two other male acquaintances of hers; she left Coleman and accompanied them. Coleman stated he did not appear to be concerned about the parting although he was observed to have shown some irritation at the time.  No other event of that evening was reported to the trial.

Two female witnesses reported walking through Rickmansworth Park the following morning and came across the body of a woman who was subsequently identified as Rose Gurney, with neck bruises and a number of knife stabs on her chest.  Coleman was found later that day at a public house in nearby Sarratt village.  The arresting police officer found fresh blood on his clothing, and in the trial Coleman was quoted as saying "I'm not afraid to die", inviting the officer to hang him for what he had done.

A postcard view of Rickmansworth Park probably taken near the time when the murder of Rose
Gurney took place.

We don't have a detailed account of the trial and are left with the impression that witness statements and other evidence were fairly brief.  The jury was evenly split, causing a judge to re-hear the case later in Hertford, where Coleman was found guilty.  His previous convictions also came to light at this point: indecent behaviour in a church, larceny, wilful damage, game trespass, assault, drunk and disorderly behaviour, and the above mentioned mutilation of a dog.

Coleman was returned to St Albans Prison and executed on 21st December 1911, the final capital punishment before the prison closed.

The case was covered in detail by the Watford Observer and in one or two national newspapers, but not at all by the Herts Advertiser, possibly on the grounds that the prisoner had no connection with St Albans other than the place of his incarceration, in spite of the newspaper's considerable circulation area, covering at least half of the county at the time, including Watford and Rickmansworth.

The Orchid King

It is possible that you have joined one of the groups attending Hatfield Road Cemetery on one of the popular Laid to Rest story walks, organised by the local history group Fleetville Diaries.  If so you will have seen, because we have told the story of the families Sander and Moon, a rather forlorn and overgrown family plot.  Brambles and Buddleia are not really representative of one of the country's foremost orchid hybridisers of the 19th century!

Henry G Moon, artist

If you now take a walk in the cemetery you will discover an impressive plot; the offending brambles and other invasive plants have been coaxed out of the ground, the granite stonework has been cleaned, restored and re-set, fresh topsoil and weed inhibiting matting laid – and there is now fresh green grass growing inside the kerbing.  The grave is along a curved path from the main avenue opposite the chapel, leading towards the Cemetery Manager's office.

Orchid Laelia Goldiana

The work was undertaken by a team from Fleetville Diaries, having become temporary guardians under the Adopt-a-Grave process, and of course with the full blessing of today's members of the Sander and Moon families.  J J Burgess carried out much of the stonework.

Frederick Sander, informally known as the Orchid King, had his nurseries in Camp Road from the 1880s, and in-law and artist Henry Moon produced slightly under two hundred stunning paintings of orchids.  So, there are members of both families buried in the plot.  The full story of the Orchid King can be found on the Frederick Sander & Henry Moon Tribute section of www.fleetvillediaries.org   During the course of the project it was discovered that Moon had also undertaken similar paintings for Peter Barr, a daffodil hybridiser in Streatham.  Peter, rather appropriately, had been known as the Daffodil King.  So representatives of Barr's Streatham research group also joined the Tribute Day.

Before the restoration project began

On a very hot day this week Fleetville Diaries invited some eighty guests, including the current generations of the Sander and Moon families to a special Tribute Day, firstly around the grave in Hatfield Road Cemetery, and then to refreshments and an exhibition at St Paul's Church.  This was an occasion for some members of these two impressive families to meet each other for the very first time, and it is clear that they were overwhelmed by the recognition bestowed on them by the occasion.

The project on completion

It's In the Archive

We hear the word Archive without fully understanding that it might have different meanings for different people or organisations.  To one it might refer to their shoebox of photos in the wardrobe; to another memories in their head just waiting to be talked about; and to a third an attempt at storing and labelling a range of images or documents on a particular topic.


Visit the Community Archives & Heritage Group website (www.communityarchive.org.uk) and there are links to community archives all over the UK.  Some of the most endearing are those which contain the memories and stories of individual residents of a particular location, as memories of past times are released.

In the Fleetville district we have also recorded a number of memories, and part of the mission of Fleetville Diaries, the local history group, is to make these more accessible over time.

During the past few years the same group has also collected a range of stories with the theme Laid to Rest.  Right in the heart of Fleetville is a large attractive, and very well-managed, cemetery.  It contains the graves of several thousand men, women and children who have been laid there since the 1880s.  Of course, every one of them had a story to tell us, if only we knew what it was.  While it  was always going to be unlikely we would uncover the lives of the majority, we have nevertheless collected the stories of nearly fifty; well, it's a start!

But how best to share those stories. I am sure we will develop a more permanent archive, but, for now we have realised that the most engaging means of communication is to be present as part of a group at a person's graveside.  Not only are we able to be close to the subject's final resting place, but we can chat with others about each account, experience the landscape and peace of Hatfield Road Cemetery – whatever the weather – and as a result appreciate further what community might mean for each of us.

We have created four Laid to Rest walks, each with ten or twelve life stories or experiences.  The Baker's Dozen, Pioneers, Private Lives and Friends & Family.  Each begins with a brief account of how the Cemetery began and the story of the chapel.

If you have not previously joined one of our Laid to Rest walks do come along to Laid to Rest: Family & Friends on Saturday afternoon 28th July at 2pm.  The event lasts for about 2 hours.  There is no need to book, just turn up.  We meet at the shelter near the chapel.

Year's Worth of Delight

Well, that's another year wrapped up, and as far as this blog is concerned we have all been able to share 34 posts on a variety of topics, all related in some way to the eastern districts of St Albans, now known informally as St Albans' Own East End, after the two books of the same name.  The blog on the current platform has been thriving since 2012 (two years before that on the old platform, still accessible on the website's Archive pages): 284 posts in total.  

Throughout 2017 I have enjoyed – and found necessary – consulting the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall.  Consulting is probably making it sound too serious an operation.  The essential bits, of course are the dates, which act as reminders and scribble points.  Most calendars – and the main reason why they are often given as Christmas presents – contain an image for each month.  A calendar is still a calendar without them, but it is the pictures which engage us.

COURTESY HANNAH SESSIONS DESIGNS

Mine for last year was titled simply St Albans 2017, with image designs by a local business: Hannah Sessions Design   (hannahsessionsdesign.com)  The drawings are delightful impressions of their subjects; not, perhaps, everyone's cup of tea, but I consider them to be joyful works of art, and if you want a day to begin well, a few seconds fixed on the current month's picture while you wait for the kettle to boil, is enough to start the morning on a buoyant note!

Here were the twelve subjects for 2017: Abbey Gateway, NSBC Bank, Town Hall, Clock Tower, Ottaways, Lloyds Bank, the Cathedral (two images plus another on the cover),  the Bat and Ball, Town Hall Chambers, War Memorial, and Jones Shoes, St Peter's Street.  

Quite a range of locations in the centre of St Albans.  Now ask twenty residents to suggest 12 (or thirteen) buildings in St Albans (note: not in the centre of St Albans), most lists would specifically include six or seven of the above, and more if it is specified that each picture must show a different building.  And overwhelmingly the inclusions would be constrained by our idea of the centre of the city – with the possible exceptions of the Fighting Cocks and Sopwell Hotel.  Of course, in St Albans we are spoiled for choice, and could have included the Peahen, Waxworks, St Peter's Cottages, Ivy House, Holywell House ... and so on.  Then we should ask whether modern buildings which contribute to the streetscape could be included.

Opposite the cemetery gates is St Paul's Parish Church

Now we could also ask the question, what would be your list if the theme is St Albans' Own East End; in other words, 12 (or 13) photographs of buildings eastwards of the City Station.  Here is a baker's dozen to begin with:  Three Horseshoes, Fleetville Institute, St Paul's Church, Nicholson's Coat Factory, Beech Tree Cafe, Cricket Pavilion, Victoria Square, Beaumont School, Queen's Court, Cemetery lodge, Hill End surviving ward block,  Nashes Farm, Hall Heath Cottages.  

We've passed it hundreds of times: Three Horseshoes
at Smallford.

Without even including street scenes or smaller scale domestic buildings the above full dozen is by no means exclusive.

One feature of Hannah Sessions' drawings is that they are engaging; they encourage you to think about the subject (well, that's two features, but never mind) comparing what you see with what you know.  But Hannah's subjects are already well known.  When we engage with images in the East End collection many residents, even some who have lived here for decades, might have little idea of some of the locations.  So in this collection we are encouraged to engage in a different way: by exploring.

So, what would your list for a future calendar include?