The case of a mother who strangled her 5 month old son
Ada Anne was born in 1866 in Lympne, Kent, England. to George Alfred Fordred, a Coachman and Groom from Hythe, Kent and Mary Anne Stedman from Cheriton, Kent.
In 1891, at age 25 she had moved to Kennington, Kent, and lived with a Wheelwright and his wife, where she worked as an assistant teacher.
In November 1892 her mother died at the age of 57.
In West Malling on July 3, 1898, at the age of 32, she married Frederick Stone, aged 34, a Grocer Assistant from Saltwood near Hythe, son of William Stone, a Farm Laborer from Newenden near Cranbrook, and Catherine Kitty Godden from Saltwood.
in 1901 they were living at 27 Grosvenor Rd Tunbridge Wells.
Frederick had got a job as a brewer's agent at the Culverden Brewery, which was next door to the old Kelsey Arms in St. John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
In April 1903, at the age of 37, life seemed to be going well for them, Fred had become brewery manager and she gave birth to their first child, whom they named Wilfred Wyndham.
on Tuesday, July 13. It was said, that she had always had the desire to have her own but sadly this would be her downfall.
On Tues 13th July 1903, Her sister Emma Sarah visited her and found her in a weak state of mind. She persuaded her to return with her and Wilfred to their father and siblings at 14 North Road in Hythe, which is now Napier Barracks.
During her stay, her sister said Annie had been distressed and as her sister thought she was behaving strangely, Emma called Dr. Clifford Hackney on Friday, July 16, who diagnosed her with postpartum psychosis after childbirth. He suggested she stay away from her husband and child for a while.
Emma informed Fred and after making some childcare arrangements, he collected Wilfred on Sunday, July 18, and returned to Tunbridge Wells.
She complied with the doctor's advice, but during the month she spent in Hythe but her strange behavior continued, constantly talking about Wilfred and claiming the child was in poor health but this was confirmed to be untrue.
On 14th Aug after a month away, she returned to Tunbridge Wells alone.
Her husband Fred believed she loved the child, but she felt she was not good enough to be a mother and care for the child as she should, and this worried her greatly. She had never acted maliciously or threateningly towards Wilfred. he stated that for the first 3 months, the child was very demanding, restless, and constantly demanding attention and she did not get more than a couple of hours sleep at night. They had the help of a nurse for the first 2 - 3 months but this did not help with breastfeeding Annie so the nurse was eventually dismissed.
he left the house at his usual time of 10 am
On Thursday, August 27, Bertram Charles Standing was an employee at Philips Brewers, at Culverden Brewery, where her husband worked. He stated that Ann entered the office and said, 'Tell Daisy when she comes that I am not going to have the baby taken out after all'', no explanation was given and she left.
Around 1:30 p.m., Ann reappeared and said, 'Tell Mrs. Poile I want her''. He thought she was in pain as she was holding her hand to her face. She did not have her son.
Mrs. Poile who worked at the brewery and lived at 45 Grosvenor Rd, which was located on the corner, adjacent to the Rose and Crown Pub. they had been friends for about 3 years and visited frequently and she immediately went to her, after hearing the message.
She found Ann in the hallway, looking very ill, she called Mrs. Poile, and said, 'I killed my baby and I want you to call a policeman' ' She noticed her face was swollen and she asked what she had done to herself, she replied she was in a dreadful state.
Florence Hallet, from 31 Grosvenor Rd, where Creams restaurant now stands, had seen her and asked where her son was, but she did not answer, but said she was very unwell.
At this time Fred came home at about 1:45 p.m. and stopped at the local store. A young man had told me that Mrs. Stone was very ill.
He went to his house and found 2 of his neighbors, Elizabeth Green, also at 45 Grosvenor and Mrs. Poile's sister, was with Miss Hallet, who said she was very ill but did not have the baby with her. Fred went into the office where his wife was sitting, she looked dreadful and he asked her what was the matter. what he could understand was that she said she had done something to the baby, he then rushed upstairs and found his baby, its face swollen and discoloured and he assumed she had given the child something. it was covered with some sort of cloth, but in his haste, he did not realize what it was. He reached for his son and feeling that he was still warm, ran back downstairs and handed him to Miss Green to take him to the nearest doctor. She thought he was dead and immediately ran to the hospital where he was picked up by Dr. Thurlow, the house surgeon who reported that the baby had a handkerchief tied around his neck and had been dead for about 15 minutes and that unfortunately, they could not bring him back. Wilfred had died aged just 5 month old.
Fred looked after his wife. At first, he thought she had some sort of rash as her face was swollen, then he thought she had poisoned herself too, she had taken Clorodyne for neuralgia. He then took her to the General Hospital to see Dr. Thurlow, where he learned the fate of his son.
Annie Stone was under Dr. Thurlow's observation for 4 days, she was in a dazed state and he could get nothing out of her.
Dr. Thurlow performed the autopsy along with Dr. Fielding Clarke and there were no signs of violence other than the neck injury. The child had been well nourished and the cause of death was given as asphyxiation by strangulation
Inspector Green from Tunbridge wells police station was next to give evidence.
He said he had visited the house on Grosvenor Rd that evening and found an empty bottle of Chlorodyne in the bedroom.
When he charged the prisoner on suspicion of murder, she made no reply.
On Monday, August 31, the inquest took place, at which Annie was not present.
All the witnesses gave evidence, as I have already reported, and in her absence, the jury found her guilty of the willful murder of her son, and she was remanded in custody.
Annie's relatives who live in Hythe had the body of little Wilfred was conveyed and interred after the inquest
She was tried at the Kent Winter Assizes on the 4th of December 1903
She appeared at the Tunbridge Wells Bench of Justices for the magisterial investigation.
She was brought over from Maidstone prison where she had been living since Monday 7th September,
She asked Inspector Green where she was going and he replied ''before the bench of magistrates to answer the charge of murdering your child'' to which she replied ''yes''
She was accommodated a seat in the dock. it was evident according to reports that she was in a dazed condition and unaware of the proceedings going on around her.
Most of the witnesses gave the same testimonies as they had done during the inquest of the death but two new witnesses called, that being her sister Emma Sarah and Dr Clifford Hackney, who saw her in Hythe
Mr Croft, instructed by Mr Frayling, who was the Crown prosecutor for the treasury, who stated in his brief opening statement that the facts surrounding this case were very distressing. Mr. Hohler was working for Annie's defense
Dr Hoar, the Maidstone prison surgeon who had Annie Stone under observation since 5th sept said she was insane when committed to prison, her symptoms were puerperal mania and she was unfit to return to her home but her mental condition had improved and she was able to plead.
The jury was directed to find her guilty but she was insane at the time of her act. therefore hanging was not an option.
His lordship was reluctant to send her to the criminal asylum and ordered her detention in the prison infirmary til representation could be made to the proper authorities for a more appropriate place of incarceration
She spent some time in an Oakwood mental institution in Maidstone and Fred faithfully stuck by her.
In 1911, things seemed to be behind them. They had moved to 1 Wingate Terrace, Canterbury Road, Folkestone, possibly to be nearer her family who was still at the same address and Fred had become a Grocer, she was working as his assistant. they had no further children
She still suffered from bouts of depression, no doubt guilt of what she had done, but still in the back of her mind.
Sadly on Tuesday afternoon 20th Mar 1917, the body of Mrs. Ada Annie Stone was found drowned in the Royal Military Canal at Hythe
On Wednesday afternoon, 21 March, at the Town Hall, the Hythe Borough Coroner (Mr. U. C. Drake), conducted an inquiry into the tragedy, Mr. Charles Major being the Foreman of the Jury.
Frederick Stone, left his shop at 164, Canterbury-road, Folkestone, to identified the body that his wife, who was fifty years of age.
he said for some considerable time she had been ailing, she was somewhat depressed but was always able to get about at times
Tuesday morning she had one of her customary attacks of depression and appeared to be very nervous, while sitting breakfast, she was in a more nervous condition than usual. She seemed to have become quite stiff and screamed.
At once Fred called for her doctor, who came almost immediately. Dr. B. Richardson Billings stated that he had arrived at the house where the deceased resided at about 9.15 am, that morning. Before he saw his patient, he had a conversation with Fred.
When he saw Annie, she appeared to be suffering from a mild hysterical attack. Whilst sitting on a chair she suddenly became stiff, and though not unconscious she was responsive at the time He saw her shortly afterward, and she appeared to have recovered. He put several questions to her which she answered quite rationally. She said she felt depressed, and that feelings came over her as though she must do something desperate. He examined her chest and heart, which, were quite normal, and came to the conclusion she was suffering from an anxiety attack and prescribed some medication for her. She told him she was going to a spectacle shop, and asked whether she should. He advised her to go out in the sunshine, not walk both ways, but take a ride to return home
Tuesday she had left home at about 2 p.m., with the intention of seeing about some spectacles via Mr. Walton Hall Opticians at 10 Guildford Street in Folkestone,
A 20 min walk from her house, and to get a prescription the doctor had given her made-up by the local pharmacy. She made no mention of going to Hythe but had friends and family there, and frequently visited them having grown up there, the area was well known to her.
At six 'o'clock that evening when she had not returned home, her husband communicated with the police about her being missing.
Private Henry Garner, C.E.F., who was stationed at Sandling said he was in Hythe on that Tuesday afternoon at about 3 o’clock. When on Military-road near the School of Musketry Gates, (which no longer exists and is now a retirement housing complex called Halliday Court)
A "woman walking'’ very hurriedly passed him and went down to the Canal bank.
Some time afterward he went along the South side of the Canal, and when got to what was known as the Engineer’s Bridge, the iron bridge, near the sound mirror, almost opposite the Prince of Wales' Inn, a woman called for his attention to something in the water and asked him whether it was a body.
he saw that it was indeed the body of a woman lying face downwards. It was twelve or fourteen feet from the bank on the North side of the Canal. With assistance, he got the body to the bank.
He understood first aid.” but found that it was no use applying artificial respiration.
Dr. Davis came along, around an hour later and he pronounced her life to be extinct.
This was later discovered to be the body of Annie, she had traveled over 2 1/2 hours away from her home
The Coroner briefly summed up the evidence and expressed sympathy with Mr. Stone and the relatives of the deceased.
The Jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased drowned herself by throwing herself in the canal on the 20th, whilst temporarily insane.
Fred remarried in July 1918 to 39-year-old Eliza Lydia Davis, who was a boarding housekeeper in Folkstone and he carried on as a grocer in Folkstone until retirement, then they lived together until his death on 29 Jan 1943 at Homelea Maidstone Road Horsmonden Kent.
Sources
1. Kent & Sussex Courier (1903) ‘ Kent Autumn Assizes’, 04 December, pp. 3 – 3
2. Kent & Sussex Courier (1903) ‘ The Tunbridge Wells Child Murder’, 27 November, pp. 6 – 6
3. Kent & Sussex Courier (1903) ‘ The Charge of Child Murder ’, 11 September , pp. 9– 9
4. Kent & Sussex Courier (1903) ‘ The Strangulation of a child ’, 04 September, pp. 8 – 8
5. Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald (1917) ‘ Depression and Suicide ’, 24 March , pp. 3 – 3
6. Folkestone Express, Sandgate, Shorncliffe & Hythe Advertiser (1917) ‘ Folkstone Woman's Suicide ’, 24 March , pp. 7 – 7
7. Bring your backstory to lifeTM (no date) Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records. Available at: http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ (Accessed: 09 February 2024).
8. Archive, T.B.N. (no date) History’s colourful stories in black and white, Home | Search the archive | British Newspaper Archive. Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ (Accessed: 11 February 2024).
9. Pictures and historical info from Wikipedia https://www.wikipedia.org/
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