Amelia Dyer

Amelia Dyer (1829 – June 10, 1896) became notorious as the "baby-farm" murderer of Victorian England. She was hanged for one murder but was responsible for many more.

History

In 1895, Dyer moved from South Wales to Caversham, Berkshire, accompanied by her associate Jane Smith and her daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Arthur Palmer. She then moved again to Kensington Road, Reading, Berkshire later that year.

Unmarried mothers in Victorian England faced a life of struggle caring for their children while earning enough to survive, in a society where single parenthood and illegitimacy were stigmatised. One result was the lucrative practice in which "baby farmers" acted as adoption or fostering agents for an up-front fee from the babies’ mothers. The practice was often exploitative, and it was difficult to trace what had happened to the children involved.

Dyer’s preferred practice was to advertise to adopt or nurse a baby in return for a payment up front and adequate clothing for the child. In her advertisements and meetings with clients, she assured them that she was respectable, married (Dyer and her husband had actually separated), and would provide a safe and loving home for the child.

Doris Marmon

When Evelina Marmon gave birth to an illegitimate daughter Doris, she scanned the papers for offers of adoption. One attractively worded advert caught her eye and she answered it. A few days later she received a reply. The writer seemed a kind, motherly person and she would take Doris for £10. A short while later Amelia Dyer travelled to the Midlands to meet the young mother and child.

Discovery of corpses

On 30 March 1896, a package hooked from the Thames by a bargeman was found to contain the body of a baby girl, later identified as Helena Fry. Detective Constable Anderson of Reading Borough Police discovered a faintly written name and address on the bag and this evidence eventually led the detective to Dyer's home. She was arrested and charged with murder, and her son-in-law Arthur Palmer was charged as an accessory. During April the Thames was dragged, and six more bodies were discovered. Doris Marmon was among them, sharing a bag with a baby boy. Each baby had been strangled with white tape, which as she later told the police "was how you could tell it was one of mine".

Confession

Transcription of Amelia Dyer’s confession,
H. M. Prison, Reading, 16 April 1896.
“To the Chief Superintendent of Police
(Original spelling and punctuation used)
Sir will you kindly grant me the favour of presenting this to the magistrates on Satturday the 18th instant I have made this statement out, for I may not have the opportunity then I must relieve my mind I do know and I feel my days are numbered on this earth but I do feel it is an awful thing drawing innocent people into trouble I do know I shal have to answer before my Maker in Heaven for the awful crimes I have committed but as God Almighty is my judge in Heaven as on Hearth neither my daughter Mary Ann Palmer nor her husband Alfred Ernest Palmer I do most solemnly declare neither of them had any thing at all to do with it, they never knew I contemplated doing such a wicked thing until it was to late I am speaking the truth and nothing but the truth as I hope to be forgiven, I myself and I alone must stand before my Maker in Heaven to give a answer for it all witnes my hand Amelia Dyer.

Inquest and Trial

At the inquest into the deaths in early May, no evidence was found that Mary or Arthur Palmer had acted as Dyer’s accomplices. Arthur Palmer was discharged as the result of the confession written by Amelia Dyer a few days earlier.

On May 22 1896 Amelia Dyer appeared at the Old Bailey and pleaded guilty to the murder of Doris Marmon. The only defence she could offer was insanity but this was rejected. It took the jury six minutes to decide her guilt. She was hanged by James Billington at Newgate Prison on Wednesday, 10 June, 1896.

Later suspicions

No one knows how many more children Amelia Dyer murdered but inquiries from mothers, witnesses and evidence found in Dyer’s homes, including letters and mountains of baby clothes, pointed to many more. Harry Simmons, a young orphan who lived with Dyer said that it was his carpet bag dragged from the Thames. He said that since Christmas there had been about 25 children in the Dyer house but he didn't know where any of them were now.

References

* [http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/news_info/info/museum/dyer2.htm Thames Valley Police Archives]
* [http://www.parmaq.com/truecrime/HowTo.htm How to Get Away With Murder]
* Allison Vale & Alison Rattle "Amelia Dyer: Angel Maker" Andre Deutsch (October 1, 2007)
* Mike James (editor) "Bedside Book of Murder" Forum Press / True Crime Library (November 3, 1994) ISBN 1874358079