Chapter 10

Frances Stewart

1874

Forty-year-old Frances Stewart lived with her married daughter, Henrietta Scrivener, at 4 Lordship Place, Chelsea. There were two other people living in the house, Henrietta’s husband, Joseph, and their son, Henry Ernest, who was just over one year old. Unfortunately, neither Henrietta nor Joseph seemed to get on with Frances and there was, therefore, a great deal of tension in the household.

In mid-April 1874, Joseph had a major argument with his mother-in-law. This in turn led to some discussion between Joseph and Henrietta, who agreed that this state of affairs simply could not continue. Having decided on a course of action, both Joseph and his wife spoke to Frances on Monday, 27 April. Joseph told her that either, she must leave the house, or he and his family would. Henrietta told Frances a slightly different story, saying that she, Joseph and Henry were going away as soon as they could find fresh lodgings.

Frances thought about these discussions overnight and the next day, Tuesday, 28 April, she informed both her daughter and son-in-law that she would be ‘…away before night’. At last, it seemed that an amicable solution had been found to all the family friction.

Frances Stewart was as good as her word and she did walk out of 4 Lordship Place that same day. Unfortunately she took young Henry with her and left behind a note saying that they would both be in the water before long. A frantic Henrietta immediately contacted the police.

The next day, Wednesday, 29 April, Joseph Scrivener received a letter. Written in Frances’s hand it read:

I have just left Mrs Sparville. If you or your wife had done what I told you, you would have found your child. It is the only thing I can do to make your heart ache, as you have made mine for so long you bastards, and the dear boy will be no more. We are in the water at this moment.

Joseph knew that the woman referred to in the letter was Charlotte Sparville, an old family friend, who lived at 23 Spencer Road, Fulham. He dashed around to her house and she informed him that Frances had called there at around midnight on the Tuesday. Frances had had the baby with her and asked if she could stay that night, adding that there had been some unpleasantness back at Lordship Place. Permission was granted, Charlotte thinking that this was nothing more than a mild family disagreement, that would soon be sorted out.

At around noon the next day, Charlotte had asked Frances if she was going to return home to Lordship Place and Frances had said that she hadn’t made her mind up yet. At that, Charlotte suggested that she should, at the very least, take the boy back to his parents. No more was said and, not long afterwards, Frances and Henry left Charlotte’s house.

Joseph Scrivener took this information to the police and they, as part of their ongoing investigation, then warned all known friends and relatives of the missing woman to be on the look-out for her and report it immediately if they saw her. It was this action which led directly to Frances’s arrest.

Caroline Stewart was another of Frances’s daughters and she worked at Bacon’s Hotel, which was situated on Great Queen Street. On Friday, 1 May, at some time between 4.00pm and 5.00pm, Frances walked into the foyer of the hotel and asked to speak to her daughter. Caroline was fully aware of the police search for Frances and told the manager to call a constable, whilst she spoke to her mother. The police duly arrived, arrested Frances and allowed Caroline to walk with her mother, to the police station. On the way, Frances mentioned to her daughter that she had left a letter for her, at the hotel. Later, when Caroline collected that letter she read, to her horror, a full confession from Frances, admitting that she had thrown Henry into the Thames at Chelsea.

Henry Ernest Scrivener’s body was not found until the following day, Saturday, 2 May. The body was washed up near Millwall and positively identified, by his mother, Henrietta, the following Friday. Frances Stewart, meanwhile, was charged with the wilful murder of her grandson.

Frances Stewart faced her trial on 8 June, before Mr Justice Blackburn. Mr Poland appeared for the prosecution and Mr Straight represented the prisoner.

The first witness was Henrietta Scrivener who told the court of the troubles the family had had and their decision that either Frances must go, or they would. After detailing the search for their son, Henrietta also confirmed that, on Friday 8 May, she had been taken to the mortuary by Inspector Sherlock, where she identified the body of her son.

After Joseph Scrivener and Charlotte Sparville had given their testimony, Ann Ireland took the stand. She said that she lived at 20 Lawrence Street, Chelsea but, on Wednesday, 29 April, she had been in the Fulham Road when she saw Frances, with the baby. It was then 8.15pm and quite a cold night.

The two women fell into conversation and Ann remarked, ‘What a pity you have brought the baby out on such a cold night as this.’ At this point, Frances leaned forward and kissed Henry. They all walked on together and, as they approached Ann’s house, Frances asked if they might come in for a while.

Inside her home, Ann gave Frances some bread, cheese and ale. Ann had not had any beer in the house so went on to the nearest ale-house to get some. On the way she saw Henrietta Scrivener who told her that she was looking for her child, which Frances had taken without her permission. Thinking that this was nothing more than a domestic dispute, Ann did not tell Henrietta that Frances and the boy were at her house but, when she returned home, she told Frances what Henrietta had said to her and advised her to return home with the child, without delay. Frances replied, ‘The boy is all right, bless his heart. He loves his granny and his granny loves him.’ Frances left Lawrence Street some time after 9.00pm, having promised that she was on her way back to Lordship Place.

After Caroline Stewart had given her testimony, Constable Henry Dent told the court that he had gone to Bacon’s Hotel and arrested Frances. She was then taken to Bow Street police station but later, after the letter Frances had left for her daughter was handed over, Frances was moved to Chelsea police station, where she was charged with murder.

Inspector James Sherlock was the senior officer on duty at Chelsea. After reading the letter, he showed it to Frances who admitted that she had written it. Inspector Sherlock was also present at the magistrate’s hearing on 2 May. After the proceedings had concluded, Frances made a statement to him, which he wrote down in his notebook. In that statement she detailed her movements after leaving Lordship Place and ended by again admitting that she had thrown the baby into the Thames.

Edward King was the next witness. He testified that he had been near the Millwall Docks at around 12.30pm on 2 May, when he had seen something floating in the water. After some difficulty, Edward managed to snare the object and bring it to the bank. Only then did he see that it was the body of a child.

Dr William Giles had examined the body of the child at Poplar mortuary. Later he had performed the post-mortem and confirmed that death was due to drowning. There were no signs of external violence on the body.

In her defence, Frances withdrew her confessions to the murder and now claimed that Henry had fallen into the water accidentally. Under cross-examination, however, she could offer no explanation as to why she had not gone for help or reported the matter to the authorities.

The jury deliberated for just a few minutes before returning their guilty verdict but they did add a strong recommendation to mercy on account of Frances’s age and the mental excitement she was under at the time she committed the crime.

That recommendation had no effect. Having been sentenced to death, Frances was hanged, by William Marwood, at Newgate prison, on Monday, 29 June 1874.