|
Name: |
Florence Maybrick |
|
AKA: |
Florence Chandler |
|
D.O.B. |
3
September 1862 |
|
Kill
Total: |
1 |
|
Kill
date: |
1889 |
|
Kill
Place: |
Liverpool |
|
Status: |
Married |
|
Occupation: |
|
|
Victim: |
James
Maybrick |
|
D.O.B. |
|
|
Court: |
Liverpool
Assizes |
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Judge: |
Mr Justice
Stephens |
|
Prosecution: |
|
|
Defence: |
Sir Charles
Russell
|
|
FACTFILE
1881,
At 19 years old while travelling to Britain with her
mother, after the death of her father, and her mother
re-marring a German army officer, She met wealthy cotton
broker James Maybrick on board the ship. Maybrick
was 23 years older, but a relationship developed.
27th July 1881, they married at St James's
Church, Piccadilly, in London. They settled in
Battlecrease House, Aigburth, a suburb of Liverpool.
The Maybricks were usually to be found at the most
important balls and functions in northern England, and
appeared to be a picture of a happiness.
But all was not as it seemed. Maybrick allegedly had a
drug habit and a number of mistresses, one of whom had
his five children. Florence, unhappy in her marriage,
entered into relationships of her own. One was with a
local businessman, Alfred Brierley, which her husband
found out about.. A violent row after Maybrick heard
about Florence's relations with Brierley, during which
Maybrick assaulted her and announced his intention of
seeking a divorce.
Saturday 11th May 1889, James Maybrick died. His
brothers, who were suspicious as to the cause of his
death, had his body examined. It was found to contain
traces of arsenic, but not enough to be considered
fatal. It is uncertain whether this was taken by
Maybrick himself or administered by another person.
Nevertheless, Florence Maybrick was charged with his
murder.
Arsenic was at the time, regarded by many men as an
aphrodisiac and tonic, and James Maybrick was known to
have taken it on a regular basis. A local chemist
confirmed that he had supplied Maybrick with quantities
of the poison; a search of the Maybricks' house later
turned up enough to kill at least fifty people
Wednesday 31st July 1889, Florence Maybrick
Appeared at Liverpool Assizes, at St. Georges Hall,
charged with, "having at Garston, on May 11th,
feloniously, wilfully and of her malice of aforethought,
killed and murdered her husband, James Maybrick..
7th August 1889, Florence Maybrick was found
guilty of murder and sentenced to death. She claimed
that the flypaper soaked in arsenic found in the house
was a beauty treatment, but she was not believed.
7th August 1889, Various meetings were held and
petitions were sent, four days prior to her execution,
Florence was reprieved by the Home Secretary and her
sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
25th January 1904, She had served fifteen years before
being released.
Florence
returned to America and died in squalor in Connecticut
on 23rd October 1941. Among her possessions, a piece of
paper explaining how to use flypaper soaked in arsenic
as a beauty treatment,.
James Maybrick is also known as being one of the many
Jack the Ripper
Suspects
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