Not Once, But Thrice

If you have access to the 1901 census, you will see living in Watling Street Road, Baddesley Ensor, Warwickshire, John Chetwynd, his wife Eliza and their son Joseph and daughter Eliza. (RG13, piece 2897, folio 69, page 30) Along the road is George Place, a Coal Hewer lodging with the Astons.

John died in the early part of 1902 and, as he worked as a coal hewer, it might well be that the cause was related to his job as he was only aged 57.

Meanwhile, George had been courting Eliza and, after John’s death, moved in with the Chetwynds and they started living as man and wife, although they had not married.

August 13th saw them become parents to a baby boy but Eliza was not 100% sure that George would care for them and so took out a bastardy order against him. George took exception to this, storming out of the house on 21st August. In the early hours of the morning of today 24th August back in 1902, he crept back into the house and shot Eliza, her mother and the yet unnamed baby.

He was caught and his defence was one of insanity, saying that the bastardy order had unhinged his mind. However, prison doctors refuted this and George was hanged at Warwick on Thursday 30th December that year.