Louisa Durrant nee Whitehouse 1835-1880: Filicide.
Louisa Whitehouse was born in 1835, and christened on the 7th of September 1835 at Birmingham in the County of Warwickshire. The daughter of Edmund 1797-1867, a brass-founder, who was christened 8th June 1797 at Birmingham the son of Joseph and Susanna.
Edmund married Sarah Dickenson, on the 26th of May 1822, at St. Mary's Church, Handsworth, in Warwickshire.
Children:
Louisa Whitehouse was 5ft 2inches tall with dark brown hair. She married Frederick Durrant, a coachman of 4 Gilbert Street, son of James a carrier, on the 14th of August 1863 at the Parish Church of St. George Hanover Square, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex.
Children:
In the summer of 1879 Martha Crayden nee Shillito, a widow gave birth to a son Albert Durant Crayden the father was Frederick Durrant, the husband of Louisa.
Mathra Shillitos was born in 1843 at Burton in the County of Lincolnshire, she married Frederick Charles Crayden 1839-1873 on the 27th June 1871 at Saint Luke Church, in Chelsea Middlesex. (Now part of London.) A daughter Beatrice was born in 1872 at Pimlico, in Middlesex. She married George James Morris, a butler, on the 29th of March 1903, at St. Luke's in South Kensington, London. Martha's husband Frederick Charles Crayden died in 1873 aged 34.
When Frederick Durrant started an affair with Martha, this is unknown, but it would have been in, or before 1878. More importantly was when Louisa found out, more than likely Frederick had decided to leave his family, for his new family, and told Louisa of his intention to leave.
So on Christmas Eve 1879, finding her world had been turned upside down, Louisa picked up a razor and cut her youngest son, George's throat. He was taken to St. George's Hospital, London, where he died in early January 1880.
The Illustrated Police News 3rd January 1880
ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A CHILD
On the 27th nlt., at the Hammersmith Police-court, Louisa Durrant, forty-three, who were a thick black veil over her face, was placed in the dock before Mr. Paget, charged with attempting to murder her child George Durrant, aged two years, by cutting his throat with a razor. Inspector White, of the T division, said that on Wednesday evening the prisoner came to the Kensington Station and stated that she had murdered her child. He said, “What is your name ?” She said, “Louisa Durrant.” He said, “Where do you live ?” “At 5, Cornwall-mews.” He said, “Is this true ?” She said, “Yes, by cutting its throat.” He then sent Sergeant Brand to the house to make inquiries. After a little while she said. “I am jealous of my husband ! Will God forgive me this awful sin ? I can hear him cry now. I am jealous of my husband, who has had a child by another woman. What will they do ? Will it be the gallows ?” The prisoner, on being asked if she had any questions to put to the witness, shook her head, and did not answer. Mr. Walter Tyrrell, a surgeon, of Cromwell-road, said the child was brought to his house by two little boys on Wednesday evening. He examined the child, and found that he had a clean-cut wound in the throat, penetrating the windpipe, causing the air to rush in and out. He at once sent four a constable. The throat was not bleeding, but there was a quantity of blood about the clothes. He ordered the child to be taken to St. George's Hospital. At present he could not tell what the result of the wound would be. The prisoner, who groaned, and held her hand up to her face, again shook her head on being asked by the magistrate whether she had any questions to put to the doctor. Sergeant Brand said, by direction of the inspector, he went to the address given by the prisoner, and found a child's shirt stained with blood on the side of the table; also a razor, which had blood upon it. There was blood on the floor. He did not see the child, as it had been taken to the doctor. Frederick Durrant, a little boy, the son of the prisoner, was next called. He said he returned home at half-past five on Wednesday evening, and saw his brother running about the room crying. His mother was not there at the time. He took him up and carried him to the nearest surgeon he could find. Witness saw blood on the floor and on his brother. Mr. Paget remanded the prisoner. (sic)
Found insane and unfit to plead, she was detained in strict custody at the Broadmoor Asylum, until Her Majesty's pleasure be made known. It would not take long to decide her fate, for on the 8th of October 1880, she died inside Broadmoor.
Reading Mercury, Oxford Gazette, Newbury Herald,
and Berks County Paper. Saturday 16th October 1880
INQUEST AT BROADMOOR ASYLUM.
Mr. W. Weedon held an inquest at Broadmoor Asylum on Monday, on the body of Louisa Durrant, an inmate Dr. Nicholson said the deceased, who was 43 years of age, was the wife of a coachman living in Kensington. She was admitted on the 23rd January last, having been tried at the Central Criminal Court on the charge of murdering one of her children, and acquitted on the ground of insanity. Her health was then indifferent, and she gradually got worse and died on the 8th inst, the cause of death being perforating ulcer of the stomach with disease of the kidneys and heart. Margaret Tait, an attendant, having been called, the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.(sic)
Afterwards:
Louisa's three youngest children, Alice 12, Emily 10, and 4 year old William, went to live with their Aunt, Mary Ann, Louisa's older sister who had married Thomas Winsper, at Birmingham. Frederick, who was 14 years old, who found his little brother crying and bleeding, had carried him to a doctor. He stayed in London and worked as a page for a very wealthy family; its believed he died at Whitechapel in East London in 1893.
Her husband Frederick Durrant went on to marry Martha Crayden in 1881, there lived at 132 Ifield Road in West Brompton, Chelsea London. By 1911 Frederick was a widower and staying at a workhouse in East London, he died there in 1914. Martha died in 1909.
Their illegitimate child, Albert married Annie Georgina Knowles at St. Mary's Bryanston Square Marylebone in London, on the 27th December 1904, Albert worked as an attendant for the British Museum, and moved to 76 Prince Georges Avenue, Merton.
Frederick and Martha had two more sons:
Montague Evelyn Raymond Durrant 1885-1917, married Kate Murton at Faversham in the County of Kent in 1910. They moved to Gloucester and had two children. During the Great War, he joined the 12th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. A Lance-corporal, who was killed in action on the 8th May 1917.
Percy Henry Durrant born in Ifield Road at West Brompton in London 1888, he never married and worked as a registrar, lived at 14 Bloomsbury Street London W.C.1., until 1932 when from 1932-1936 he lived at Spring Shaw Sevenoaks in the County of Kent, he died on the 10th of March 1936 at St. Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth South London.
Edmund married Sarah Dickenson, on the 26th of May 1822, at St. Mary's Church, Handsworth, in Warwickshire.
Children:
- Elizabeth born in 1823, she married Thomas Littley son of John on the 21st June 1847 at Birmingham. She died in 1886.
- Rebecca was christened 26th December 1826 at Birmingham. She worked as a domestic servant, but by 1871 she was an inmate at the Birmingham Workhouse, classed as an imbecile, she died in the workhouse in 1896.
- Jane, June 1825-Dec 1825, her burial took place on the 22nd December 1825, at St. Mary Cemetery Price Street, Birmingham.
- John was born in 1829 at Bath Street, christened on 2nd August 1830, at Birmingham. Died in infancy.
- Mary Ann was born 1832, and christened 18th June 1832 Birmingham. She married Thomas Winsper on the 19th September 1858, St. Phillips Church, Birmingham. Mary Ann took in Louisa's children after the tragedy. She died in 1917.
- Susanna was born 1838 and christened 5th November 1838 in Birmingham.
Louisa Whitehouse was 5ft 2inches tall with dark brown hair. She married Frederick Durrant, a coachman of 4 Gilbert Street, son of James a carrier, on the 14th of August 1863 at the Parish Church of St. George Hanover Square, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex.
Children:
- Louisa Durrant christened 19th June 1864 .
- Frederick Charles Durrant born in 1866 at Kensington, he died in 1893 at Whitechapel, in East London.
- Alice Durrant born 1868 she married Stephen Chant a policeman on the 15th February 1891 at Nuneaton Warwickshire. Alice and Stephen had eight children, but one died in infancy.
- Emily Durrant born in 1869, she married Clement Augustus Esch a German, on the 1st of November 1893 at Birmingham. Clement who went by the name of Francis, who was a waiter, by 1911, he was a hotel manager at Lahinch Town, Ennistymon in Co Clare Ireland. Emily's younger brother William also worked at the hotel.
- Annie Durrant born September 1870 at Kensington, died in infancy.
- William James Durrant born 24th April 1875 at Kensington.
- George Durrant 1877-1880, Killed by his mother.
In the summer of 1879 Martha Crayden nee Shillito, a widow gave birth to a son Albert Durant Crayden the father was Frederick Durrant, the husband of Louisa.
Mathra Shillitos was born in 1843 at Burton in the County of Lincolnshire, she married Frederick Charles Crayden 1839-1873 on the 27th June 1871 at Saint Luke Church, in Chelsea Middlesex. (Now part of London.) A daughter Beatrice was born in 1872 at Pimlico, in Middlesex. She married George James Morris, a butler, on the 29th of March 1903, at St. Luke's in South Kensington, London. Martha's husband Frederick Charles Crayden died in 1873 aged 34.
When Frederick Durrant started an affair with Martha, this is unknown, but it would have been in, or before 1878. More importantly was when Louisa found out, more than likely Frederick had decided to leave his family, for his new family, and told Louisa of his intention to leave.
So on Christmas Eve 1879, finding her world had been turned upside down, Louisa picked up a razor and cut her youngest son, George's throat. He was taken to St. George's Hospital, London, where he died in early January 1880.
The Illustrated Police News 3rd January 1880
ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A CHILD
On the 27th nlt., at the Hammersmith Police-court, Louisa Durrant, forty-three, who were a thick black veil over her face, was placed in the dock before Mr. Paget, charged with attempting to murder her child George Durrant, aged two years, by cutting his throat with a razor. Inspector White, of the T division, said that on Wednesday evening the prisoner came to the Kensington Station and stated that she had murdered her child. He said, “What is your name ?” She said, “Louisa Durrant.” He said, “Where do you live ?” “At 5, Cornwall-mews.” He said, “Is this true ?” She said, “Yes, by cutting its throat.” He then sent Sergeant Brand to the house to make inquiries. After a little while she said. “I am jealous of my husband ! Will God forgive me this awful sin ? I can hear him cry now. I am jealous of my husband, who has had a child by another woman. What will they do ? Will it be the gallows ?” The prisoner, on being asked if she had any questions to put to the witness, shook her head, and did not answer. Mr. Walter Tyrrell, a surgeon, of Cromwell-road, said the child was brought to his house by two little boys on Wednesday evening. He examined the child, and found that he had a clean-cut wound in the throat, penetrating the windpipe, causing the air to rush in and out. He at once sent four a constable. The throat was not bleeding, but there was a quantity of blood about the clothes. He ordered the child to be taken to St. George's Hospital. At present he could not tell what the result of the wound would be. The prisoner, who groaned, and held her hand up to her face, again shook her head on being asked by the magistrate whether she had any questions to put to the doctor. Sergeant Brand said, by direction of the inspector, he went to the address given by the prisoner, and found a child's shirt stained with blood on the side of the table; also a razor, which had blood upon it. There was blood on the floor. He did not see the child, as it had been taken to the doctor. Frederick Durrant, a little boy, the son of the prisoner, was next called. He said he returned home at half-past five on Wednesday evening, and saw his brother running about the room crying. His mother was not there at the time. He took him up and carried him to the nearest surgeon he could find. Witness saw blood on the floor and on his brother. Mr. Paget remanded the prisoner. (sic)
Found insane and unfit to plead, she was detained in strict custody at the Broadmoor Asylum, until Her Majesty's pleasure be made known. It would not take long to decide her fate, for on the 8th of October 1880, she died inside Broadmoor.
Reading Mercury, Oxford Gazette, Newbury Herald,
and Berks County Paper. Saturday 16th October 1880
INQUEST AT BROADMOOR ASYLUM.
Mr. W. Weedon held an inquest at Broadmoor Asylum on Monday, on the body of Louisa Durrant, an inmate Dr. Nicholson said the deceased, who was 43 years of age, was the wife of a coachman living in Kensington. She was admitted on the 23rd January last, having been tried at the Central Criminal Court on the charge of murdering one of her children, and acquitted on the ground of insanity. Her health was then indifferent, and she gradually got worse and died on the 8th inst, the cause of death being perforating ulcer of the stomach with disease of the kidneys and heart. Margaret Tait, an attendant, having been called, the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.(sic)
Afterwards:
Louisa's three youngest children, Alice 12, Emily 10, and 4 year old William, went to live with their Aunt, Mary Ann, Louisa's older sister who had married Thomas Winsper, at Birmingham. Frederick, who was 14 years old, who found his little brother crying and bleeding, had carried him to a doctor. He stayed in London and worked as a page for a very wealthy family; its believed he died at Whitechapel in East London in 1893.
Her husband Frederick Durrant went on to marry Martha Crayden in 1881, there lived at 132 Ifield Road in West Brompton, Chelsea London. By 1911 Frederick was a widower and staying at a workhouse in East London, he died there in 1914. Martha died in 1909.
Their illegitimate child, Albert married Annie Georgina Knowles at St. Mary's Bryanston Square Marylebone in London, on the 27th December 1904, Albert worked as an attendant for the British Museum, and moved to 76 Prince Georges Avenue, Merton.
Frederick and Martha had two more sons:
Montague Evelyn Raymond Durrant 1885-1917, married Kate Murton at Faversham in the County of Kent in 1910. They moved to Gloucester and had two children. During the Great War, he joined the 12th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. A Lance-corporal, who was killed in action on the 8th May 1917.
Percy Henry Durrant born in Ifield Road at West Brompton in London 1888, he never married and worked as a registrar, lived at 14 Bloomsbury Street London W.C.1., until 1932 when from 1932-1936 he lived at Spring Shaw Sevenoaks in the County of Kent, he died on the 10th of March 1936 at St. Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth South London.