Hanging of Mary Ansell, 1899.

[not our collections]

FROM MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY - ref. 10027003. We have the licese until November 2012. The hanging of Mary Ansell, at St Albans prison on Grimston Road. Wood engraving illustration from 'Le petit Parisien', 1899. 22 year old Mary Ansell was convicted of poisoning her sister Caroline, who was resident at Leavesden Lunatic Asylum. She had taken out insurance on her sister's life shortly before and stood to gain eleven pounds and five shillings on her death - nearly a year's wages for Mary as a domestic servant. She was found guilty and sentenced to death. At this time there was growing public distaste for the death penalty, especially for women. A vigorous campaign in the Daily Mail newspaper sought to prove that Mary was insane and should therefore have her sentence reduced. This failed to move the Home Secretary, and Mary Ansell became the last woman to be hanged at Grimston Road Prison, St Albans, on July 19th 1899.

1899

10027003maryansell.tif