Ada Chard-Williams - a Victorian “Baby farmer”

24 year old Ada Chard-Williams (photo) was convicted of battering and strangling to death 19 month old Ellen Selina Jones at 2 Grove Villas in Grove Road, Barnes in London on the 22nd of September 1899.

Florence Jones, a young unmarried mother, had read an advert in the local paper which offered to find adoptive homes for unwanted children. The advert read “Young married couple would adopt healthy baby. Very small premium. Write first to Mrs. M. Hewetson, 4, Bradmore Lane, Hammersmith.” She agreed to pay £5 to a Mrs. Hewetson (Ada Chard Williams) but could only give her £3 on the day. Being an honest woman she went back later with the balance and found that Mrs. Hewetson and Ellen had vanished. Florence reported the matter to the police who discovered Mrs. Hewetson’s real identity. However they had no body to prove there had been a murder, at least not until little Ellen's corpse was washed up on the bank of the Thames at Battersea on the 27th of September 1899, trussed up in a blind-cord. Ellen’s skull had been fractures and she bore the marks of strangulation.

Chard-Williams and her husband 41, year old William, were arrested and charged with the murder in December 1899. She stated that she had “sub-farmed” Ellen to a “Mrs. Smith” of Croydon, but no trace of Mrs. Smith could be found.

Like Amelia Dyer, Chard -Williams had her own "signature" way of wrapping up bodies she wished to dispose, using a knot known as a “fisherman’s bend”. This was a crucial piece of evidence at her trial at the February Sessions of the Old Bailey on the 16th and 17th of February 1900, before Mr. Justice Ridley, who as a keen fisherman, was also an expert on this type of knot, samples of which had been discovered in the Chard-Williams’ home. The jury returned a guilty verdict against Ada and a verdict of being an accessory against Charles. After discussion with counsel he was acquitted at the direction of the judge. Before sentencing Ada, Mr. Justice Ridley “recommended her to seek the repentance of Almighty God, Who alone could abundantly pardon.” She replied “Thank you, my lord.”

On Monday the 6th of March she was moved from the female condemned cell to the male one as it was nearer to the execution shed in the yard of Newgate prison. Ada rose early on the morning of Wednesday the 8th March 1900. She managed a light breakfast and submitted to pinioning when James and William Billington came to the condemned cell at three minutes before 9.00 a.m. She was able to walk without assistance the short distance to the execution shed. Billington quickly completed the preparations and operated the trapdoors. She weighed 123 lbs. and was given a drop of 6’ 2”.

A small crowd had assembled to see the black flag hoisted.
She was the last woman to be hanged at Newgate and was suspected of killing other children although no further allegations were proceeded with, as was normal where a capital conviction had been obtained.

An inquest was subsequently held in the Sessions House of Old Bailey, before Mr. Langham, Coroner for the City. Newgate’s governor, Colonel Milman, gave evidence, stating that the execution was carried out satisfactorily and that death was instantaneous. It was reported that “her features presented a most placid appearance and there were no external indications that the woman had died a violent death”. The governor told the inquest jury that she had made no confession. Her body was buried within Newgate later that day. This was the second execution carried out in 1900, the first being that of Louisa Masset in January.

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