Name Frances Kidder | ||
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Died 1868, Maidstone, United Kingdom | ||
Frances Kidder (c. 1843 – 2 April 1868) was the last woman to be publicly hanged in Britain.
Crime
Twenty-five-year-old Kidder was executed in front of Maidstone Gaol at 12 noon on 2 April 1868, following her conviction on 12 March for murder. It was alleged that she had drowned her 11-year-old stepdaughter, Louisa Kidder-Staples, in a ditch. The jury, directed by Mr Justice Byles, returned their verdict in only 12 minutes.
Around 2,000 people, including Kidder's husband, are reported to have witnessed the execution performed by hangman William Calcraft.
References
Frances Kidder Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA