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I have found a case in 1846 where a man in his 40s poisoned to death many members of his own family but in separate incidents over 15 years. He was also suspected of killing many non family members who died mysteriously.
Was he Britain's first serial killer?
According to good old Wikipedia "A serial killer is typically defined as an individual who has killed three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time (a "cooling off period") between the murders..."
So, he is not disqualified from the label, even if all the people he killed were related to him.
I have uploaded some cuttings here. Glasgow Herald 26 Jun 1846. Apparently the report is copied from The Times.
The case of the Happisburgh Poisonings was felt to be so horrendous that it was eventually brought to the attention of the House of Lords. Upon later investigation a number of village neighbours and work-colleagues of Jonathan BALLS were added to his list of victims. No mention of suspicious death is to be found in the parish registers because at the time of burial for all these unfortunate victims, no-one was the wiser.
May 23 l846 Illustrated London News
=====================
"Country News"
The Poisoning of four children near Norwich
The discovery of the poisoning of four children at Happisburg, near Norwich, has created some sensation in that part of the country. Mr PILGRIM, one of the Norfolk Coroners, held an adjourned inquest on the bodies on Tuesday, at the Haresborough Hill House. The following are the particulars of the case:-
The village of Happisburgh is situated on a cliff overhanging the sea, thirty miles from Yarmouth and l5 miles south of Cromer, the population amounting to not more than 200 or 300. In the parish lived an old couple, named Jonathan and Ann Elizabeth BALLS - the former 77, and the latter 82. They were supported by parochial relief, the woman having for several years been bedridden. They had three daughters married, who had a number of children and it is the sudden and suspicious death of several of them that gave rise to the rumours of their being poisoned, and hence arose the Coroner's inquiry.
Three years ago, an infant, nine weeks old, named Ann Elizabeth PESTLE, a grandchild of BALLS, died, and was buried within a few hours. The next was a boy, Samuel, of the same parents, whose death took place under similar circumstances, in last September. Three months afterwards two more deaths in the family occurred viz. BALLS' wife, and another of the grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann PESTLE, and were buried on one day.
Although the sudden character of the deaths excited much sensation in the parish, yet nothing of a suspicious feeling seemed to exist. The death of BALLS, however, occurring on the 20th ultimo, after being attacked in a similar way as the other deceased members of the family, many rumours got afloat in the neighbourhood that his death was the result of poison; notwithstanding which, the corpse was buried; but communications having been sent to the Coroners, those gentlemen at length took the matter up and issued a summons to the authorities for the disinternment of Jonathan BALLS and Anne Elizabeth PESTLE, and the impanelling of a jury to inquire into the cause of their death.
William PESTLE, a labouring man, the son-in-law of Jonathan BALLS, identified the bodies of Elizabeth BALLS and of Ann Elizabeth and Samuel PESTLE, his children.
A surgeon who had examined the bodies deposed that traces of poison had been discovered in them. The daughters of BALLS - Mrs PESTLE, Mrs GREEN and Mrs PEGGS were then called in by the Coroner. They expressed every willingness to further the investigation.
After the witnesses had been heard, the Coroner said, he thought the facts did not fix upon any party so as to warrant them in sending the case to another tribunal, if any one was inculpated. The finger of suspicion most certainly pointed to the deceased Jonathan BALLS and he was now beyond the reach of the law. He recommended them to return such a verdict as would enable the officer to have the matter further inquired into, should such circumstances arise as required it.
The Jury then found, after half an hour's consultation "That the deceased, Jonathan BALLS, Elizabeth BALLS, Samuel PESTLE and Ann Elizabeth PESTLE died from the effects of poison, but how administered there was no evidence to show".
(Following on from he above extract, I have now found the results of the inquiry into the Jonathan BALLS poisonings of that time in the l3th June l846 edition.)
THE WHOLESALE POISONING IN NORFOLK
====================================
The inquiry respecting the appalling deaths, by poisoning, in the village and neighbourhood of Happisburgh was brought to a close on Thursday evening, and further murders have been detected.
The Jury found that the deceased, Maria LACEY and Maria GREEN died from the effect of arsenic, but by whom administered there was no evidence to show. With regard to the deceased, Martha GREEN, William GREEN and Hannah PEGG, the verdict was left open.
The supposed murderer, Jonathan BALLS lived all his life (82 years) in the neighbourhood of Happisburgh and had always borne a bad character. He had been guilty of many offences. During the last fifteen or twenty years he was principally dependent on his married daughters for subsistence and the supposition is, that he poisoned his 4 grandchildren (PESTLES) in order that their parents might be better able to support him. In addition to the many deaths charged to old BALLS, including that of his wife, it is now believed that he disposed of his two sons, who have been dead more than ten years and his father and mother.
From http://www.genealogy.doun.org/transc...ument_id=25929
Helena
Was he Britain's first serial killer?
According to good old Wikipedia "A serial killer is typically defined as an individual who has killed three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time (a "cooling off period") between the murders..."
So, he is not disqualified from the label, even if all the people he killed were related to him.
I have uploaded some cuttings here. Glasgow Herald 26 Jun 1846. Apparently the report is copied from The Times.
The case of the Happisburgh Poisonings was felt to be so horrendous that it was eventually brought to the attention of the House of Lords. Upon later investigation a number of village neighbours and work-colleagues of Jonathan BALLS were added to his list of victims. No mention of suspicious death is to be found in the parish registers because at the time of burial for all these unfortunate victims, no-one was the wiser.
May 23 l846 Illustrated London News
=====================
"Country News"
The Poisoning of four children near Norwich
The discovery of the poisoning of four children at Happisburg, near Norwich, has created some sensation in that part of the country. Mr PILGRIM, one of the Norfolk Coroners, held an adjourned inquest on the bodies on Tuesday, at the Haresborough Hill House. The following are the particulars of the case:-
The village of Happisburgh is situated on a cliff overhanging the sea, thirty miles from Yarmouth and l5 miles south of Cromer, the population amounting to not more than 200 or 300. In the parish lived an old couple, named Jonathan and Ann Elizabeth BALLS - the former 77, and the latter 82. They were supported by parochial relief, the woman having for several years been bedridden. They had three daughters married, who had a number of children and it is the sudden and suspicious death of several of them that gave rise to the rumours of their being poisoned, and hence arose the Coroner's inquiry.
Three years ago, an infant, nine weeks old, named Ann Elizabeth PESTLE, a grandchild of BALLS, died, and was buried within a few hours. The next was a boy, Samuel, of the same parents, whose death took place under similar circumstances, in last September. Three months afterwards two more deaths in the family occurred viz. BALLS' wife, and another of the grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann PESTLE, and were buried on one day.
Although the sudden character of the deaths excited much sensation in the parish, yet nothing of a suspicious feeling seemed to exist. The death of BALLS, however, occurring on the 20th ultimo, after being attacked in a similar way as the other deceased members of the family, many rumours got afloat in the neighbourhood that his death was the result of poison; notwithstanding which, the corpse was buried; but communications having been sent to the Coroners, those gentlemen at length took the matter up and issued a summons to the authorities for the disinternment of Jonathan BALLS and Anne Elizabeth PESTLE, and the impanelling of a jury to inquire into the cause of their death.
William PESTLE, a labouring man, the son-in-law of Jonathan BALLS, identified the bodies of Elizabeth BALLS and of Ann Elizabeth and Samuel PESTLE, his children.
A surgeon who had examined the bodies deposed that traces of poison had been discovered in them. The daughters of BALLS - Mrs PESTLE, Mrs GREEN and Mrs PEGGS were then called in by the Coroner. They expressed every willingness to further the investigation.
After the witnesses had been heard, the Coroner said, he thought the facts did not fix upon any party so as to warrant them in sending the case to another tribunal, if any one was inculpated. The finger of suspicion most certainly pointed to the deceased Jonathan BALLS and he was now beyond the reach of the law. He recommended them to return such a verdict as would enable the officer to have the matter further inquired into, should such circumstances arise as required it.
The Jury then found, after half an hour's consultation "That the deceased, Jonathan BALLS, Elizabeth BALLS, Samuel PESTLE and Ann Elizabeth PESTLE died from the effects of poison, but how administered there was no evidence to show".
(Following on from he above extract, I have now found the results of the inquiry into the Jonathan BALLS poisonings of that time in the l3th June l846 edition.)
THE WHOLESALE POISONING IN NORFOLK
====================================
The inquiry respecting the appalling deaths, by poisoning, in the village and neighbourhood of Happisburgh was brought to a close on Thursday evening, and further murders have been detected.
The Jury found that the deceased, Maria LACEY and Maria GREEN died from the effect of arsenic, but by whom administered there was no evidence to show. With regard to the deceased, Martha GREEN, William GREEN and Hannah PEGG, the verdict was left open.
The supposed murderer, Jonathan BALLS lived all his life (82 years) in the neighbourhood of Happisburgh and had always borne a bad character. He had been guilty of many offences. During the last fifteen or twenty years he was principally dependent on his married daughters for subsistence and the supposition is, that he poisoned his 4 grandchildren (PESTLES) in order that their parents might be better able to support him. In addition to the many deaths charged to old BALLS, including that of his wife, it is now believed that he disposed of his two sons, who have been dead more than ten years and his father and mother.
From http://www.genealogy.doun.org/transc...ument_id=25929
Helena
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