UXORICIDE4/7/2019 ALBERT ROBINSON
HANGED 28th February 1881 MURDER of his WIFE At the Derby Circuit, on Thursday the 10th February 1881, before Mr. Justice Denman, Albert Robinson, 20, was charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Jane Eliza Robinson, at Glossop in Derbyshire, on the 2nd of October 1880. Mr. Horace Smith prosecuted: Mr. Etherington Smith defended the prisoner. It appeared from the evidence of a woman named Campbell, who lodged at the prisoner's house, 62, Station Road, Glossop, that the prisoner's wife came home at about 4 p.m. on the day in question the worse for drink and was carried upstairs and laid on the bed. The prisoner, who is a weaver by trade, came home shortly after his wife and went upstairs to her. In about an hour they both came downstairs, and, at prisoner's request, his wife made tea. The family of the prisoner consisted of three children, one a baby in the cradle and two of the ages of seven and five respectively which were is wife's by a former marriage. While the family were at tea a neighbour, one Mrs. Kershaw, came in, bringing a bottle of milk for the baby. Mrs. Kershaw began to lecture prisoner about his behaviour to his wife, and this Seems to have irritated him, for, after some angry words between them, he told her to leave the house, which she did. When Mrs. Kershaw was gone prisoner bolted the front door of the house and said to his wife, “I suppose you have been to fetch that person in.” She replied that she had not been out at all. He said “Yes, you have been among the neighbours telling them about me.” on which she replied, “You are beginning again for nothing.” Some more angry words passed between them, he accusing her of being drunk, but nothing occurred to alarm the lodger, Ellen Campbell, who was present all the time, as well as the prisoner's stepson. Shortly after this, while Mrs. Robinson was leaning over the cradle, prisoner seized her by the shoulder with one hand and plunged a knife into her throat with the other. The wretched woman screamed “Murder,” and Campbell and the boy ran to fetch assistance. Mrs Robinson was found on the floor in a dying state, the jugular vein and outer carotid artery being severed. The prisoner had in the meantime escaped by the front door, but before going he cut his own throat with the same knife, which he then threw into the fireplace, where it was afterwards found. He was apprehended at his mother's house, where he was found lying on a couch insensible from loss of blood and with his windpipe severed. Eventually, however, he recovered. He was described as of a quiet and melancholy character, and there seemed no adequate motive for the crime, except that his wife was of very intemperate habits and constantly neglected her household duties. They also quarrelled about his wife telling the neighbours tales about him. Mr. Etherington Smith called a witness to prove that there was insanity in the prisoners family on the father's side, but the witness's evidence was not satisfactory as to this. Mr. Smith also urged upon the jury that they would be justified in acquitting the prisoner on the ground of insanity, but they returned a verdict of Guilty without leaving the box, and the learned Judge passed sentence of death in the usual form. Executed at 8 a.m., on Monday the 28th February 1881 at Derby Gaol, William Marwood the executioner arrived at the prison on Saturday afternoon and remained in the prison till Monday morning. While walking towards the gallows, Robinson was quite prepared to meet his fate, and said, “I hope God will pardon my sin, and I think he will. I do not fear this scaffold.” he ascended the steps, with no assistance from the warders. He took his position on the drop under the beam with very little assistance and moved his feet in a careful manner when Marwood sought to place him with exactness. The executioner then took from his pocket the white linen cap, and drew it down over the face of Robinson and at the same time adjusted the rope, which he had previously thrown over his head. He was given a drop of eight feet and death was said to be instantaneous. The Victim: Jane Eliza was born Jane Eliza Clayton in 1850 at Hyde in Cheshire, the daughter of Thomas Clayton an overlooker at Cotton works, the son of John who married Jane Harrison the daughter of Samuel on the 9th March 1840 at Oldham Parish Church, Lancashire.Jane a draper married James Middleton Sidebottom 1849-1877, a stone-mason in 1870 near Stockport in Cheshire, a daughter Annie Clayton Sidebottom was baptised on the 23rd April 1871 at Mottram-in-Longdendale, Cheshire. She died in 1875. James and Jane had two sons, Frank Middleton Sidebottom 1873-1936; was born in 1873 at Hollingworth in Cheshire, after the murder of his mother, he went to live with his grandmother Amelia Sidebottom and aunties at Market Street, Hollingworth. Frank a cotton-weaver married Mary Elizabeth Hazeldine in 1898. There had three children together. Frank died on the 2nd January 1936 at Hollingworth, Cheshire. William Pomfret Sidebottom was born on the 20th September 1875 at Broadbottom in Cheshire, he also went to live with his grandmother and aunties until his marriage to Mary Bowden in 1907. A cotton-worker and later a cake-maker. William and Mary had one daughter and two sons. He died on the 12th November 1953 at Llysfaen, Denbighshire in Wales.
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