On September 17, 1849, a man died in a hospital in Manhattan, New York.
John Doe was a male around 35-years-old.SOURCES:
Find a Grave
Showing posts with label 1840's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1840's. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Monday, July 31, 2023
UNIDENTIFIED: August 1845 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jane Doe
In August of 1845, a woman would die in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is little information in this case.
She was of African descent and was around 54-years-old.
SOURCES:
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Serial Killer: Rebecca Smith
In May 1831 26-year-old Rebecca Smith would may Philip Smith. He was known as a drunkard. After Rebecca's mother's death in 1846 the £100 she inherited they moved to Westbury, England, and their money was wasted away by Philip. During the marriage they would have their first child, Jane, in 1832 she would have 10 more none of them living very long after. This would cause Rebecca to work as a crop picker and vegetable grower. This caused the family to live in a visible state of poverty of health.
Their last child, Richard, would be born on May 16, 1849. He was seemingly healthy, but Rebecca would start to tell people the opposite. Even before Richard was born she was asking around for rat poison/ arsenic. She would ask a girl, Caroline Mackay, to buy some. Soon after he became sick on June 7th.
People suspected Rebecca to have killed him. The local registrar, George Shorland, had initially listed the cause of death as unknown, but rumors changed his mind. An inquest was done on the child's death and Richard's body was exhumed on June 22nd. It was found that he was poisoned with arsenic. July 18th two more of her children were exhumed and found to have been poisoned with arsenic.
On August 9, 1849, Rebecca was put on trial for only Richards's murder. It took 30 minutes to find her guilty, but they recommended mercy for her. The judge ignored it and sentenced her to death. Two petitions for mercy were sent to the Home Secretary to help save her, but she was still set to hang. Knowing that death awaits her a week after her sentence she would make a confession to the prison chaplain.
Out of her 11 children, the oldest one survived to adulthood. Two had died from natural causes.7 more of her children were poisoned and killed the same way Richard was. She had poisoned them all with arsenic.
Rebecca's execution was heavily favored by the general public even though infanticide wasn't viewed as bad as a standard murder. Women in these cases don't typically get capital punishment and there is usually some sympathy for the mothers. There were factors that weighed against Rebbecca. She wasn't some young scared and ignorant mother at the time she was 44. Poisoning the child compared to smothering or drowning was seen as especially cruel.
On August 23, 1849, Rebecca was to be hanged in New Prison in Devizes. Early in the morning the streets leading to the goal were filled with people to watch the hanging.
SOURCES:
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Suspicious Deaths: Edgar Allen Poe
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most known Authors of America. He was a poet, writer, critic, and editor that Many of his short stories and poems haunted the minds of the readers. He’s even credited with giving birth to the detective story. He’s even inspired many like Alfred Hitchcock. His poems and stories have even been adapted into a film and T.V. Poe even wrote a poem that the Baltimore Ravens were named after.
Born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, but was raised in Richmond Virginia. It’s not surprising that Poe’s young life was not shy from death at an early age. Before he was 3 years old both of his parents had died, his first love died when he was 15, and his foster mother when he was 20.
Poe did not know his parents and was separated from his brothers and sisters after their mother had died. He was sent to live with John and Frances Valentine Allan who were tobacco merchants. They never officially adopted Poe. He had gone to a good school and grew up in a good environment. But John and Poe did not get along, but Frances and he did. John did not like the fact that Poe wasn’t following in the family business and wanted to do literature.
When Poe was 6 he was sent for schooling in England. He returned to America when he was 11.
By the time Poe was 13, he was considered a prolific poet. Both his foster father and headmaster tried to discourage him. Neither could as he focused on his poetry. It was rumored that Poe even wrote poetry on the back of his foster father's paperwork.
By the time he was an adult, Poe did not mend his relationship with his father. Poe had gotten into the University of Virginia in 1826. Poe was a great student who excelled in his classes but did not get enough money from Allan to pay for everything. In order to help Poe turned to gamble, but it backfired causing him to go into debt. This was also the time that Poe started to drink excessively.
When he returned home he found that his fiance Sarah Elmira Royster was engaged to someone else. This made Poe decide to move to Boston and join the military. In 1827 Poe published his first poetry book called Tamerlane and Other Poems. In 1829 he published his second collection of poems called Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems.
In 1829 Poe was honorably discharged from the military. He had acquired the label regimental sergeant major. Poe’s father refused to give him the money to stay a cadet, and when Poe began to ignore his duties and violating regulations the military discharged him. Some think that he did it to spite his father.
He then went to New York City where he published his third poetry book Poems in 1831. Poe then moved to Baltimore to live with his Aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia. Poe was not rich and could not sustain himself on his own. Even after his father’s death in 1834, he wasn’t left with anything extravagant. In 1835 though Poe found a job at the Southern Literary Messenger as an editor in Richmond, Virginia. Poe brought with him his Aunt and his 12-year-old cousin. While being an editor he published many of his own poems and stories.
In 1836 when he was 26 he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia. The two were first cousins when Poe started to live with His Aunt Maria Clemm and Virginia he began doting on her. She eventually became the inspiration and a love interest. It was not uncommon at the time for first cousins to marry.
In the late 1830’s and 1840’s Poe’s works began to get more attention, but he didn’t make much profit from his works. He started editing for Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia and the Broadway Journal in New York City.
Sadly on January 30, 1847, Virginia died from a 5 year-long battle with tuberculosis. She was 24 years old. This affected Poe deeply. He was reported to not want to see his wife’s face dead and would have wanted to remember seeing her as alive. Not having a picture of her he hired a painter to paint her.
On October 3, 1849, Poe was found wandering the streets of Baltimore delirious. He was brought to Washington Medical Hospital. It was found out that he was not wearing his own clothes. It was said that Poe was never coherent enough to say what had happened to him.
On October 7, 1849, at the age 40-years-old, Poe met with death and like many of his poems and stories, it’s a mystery. At the time Newspapers claimed that it was congestion of the brain from his alcoholism. In reality, no one is sure how he had died. There are many theories on what had happened.
Born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, but was raised in Richmond Virginia. It’s not surprising that Poe’s young life was not shy from death at an early age. Before he was 3 years old both of his parents had died, his first love died when he was 15, and his foster mother when he was 20.
Poe did not know his parents and was separated from his brothers and sisters after their mother had died. He was sent to live with John and Frances Valentine Allan who were tobacco merchants. They never officially adopted Poe. He had gone to a good school and grew up in a good environment. But John and Poe did not get along, but Frances and he did. John did not like the fact that Poe wasn’t following in the family business and wanted to do literature.
When Poe was 6 he was sent for schooling in England. He returned to America when he was 11.
By the time Poe was 13, he was considered a prolific poet. Both his foster father and headmaster tried to discourage him. Neither could as he focused on his poetry. It was rumored that Poe even wrote poetry on the back of his foster father's paperwork.
By the time he was an adult, Poe did not mend his relationship with his father. Poe had gotten into the University of Virginia in 1826. Poe was a great student who excelled in his classes but did not get enough money from Allan to pay for everything. In order to help Poe turned to gamble, but it backfired causing him to go into debt. This was also the time that Poe started to drink excessively.
When he returned home he found that his fiance Sarah Elmira Royster was engaged to someone else. This made Poe decide to move to Boston and join the military. In 1827 Poe published his first poetry book called Tamerlane and Other Poems. In 1829 he published his second collection of poems called Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems.
In 1829 Poe was honorably discharged from the military. He had acquired the label regimental sergeant major. Poe’s father refused to give him the money to stay a cadet, and when Poe began to ignore his duties and violating regulations the military discharged him. Some think that he did it to spite his father.
He then went to New York City where he published his third poetry book Poems in 1831. Poe then moved to Baltimore to live with his Aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia. Poe was not rich and could not sustain himself on his own. Even after his father’s death in 1834, he wasn’t left with anything extravagant. In 1835 though Poe found a job at the Southern Literary Messenger as an editor in Richmond, Virginia. Poe brought with him his Aunt and his 12-year-old cousin. While being an editor he published many of his own poems and stories.
In 1836 when he was 26 he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia. The two were first cousins when Poe started to live with His Aunt Maria Clemm and Virginia he began doting on her. She eventually became the inspiration and a love interest. It was not uncommon at the time for first cousins to marry.
In the late 1830’s and 1840’s Poe’s works began to get more attention, but he didn’t make much profit from his works. He started editing for Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia and the Broadway Journal in New York City.
Sadly on January 30, 1847, Virginia died from a 5 year-long battle with tuberculosis. She was 24 years old. This affected Poe deeply. He was reported to not want to see his wife’s face dead and would have wanted to remember seeing her as alive. Not having a picture of her he hired a painter to paint her.
On October 3, 1849, Poe was found wandering the streets of Baltimore delirious. He was brought to Washington Medical Hospital. It was found out that he was not wearing his own clothes. It was said that Poe was never coherent enough to say what had happened to him.
On October 7, 1849, at the age 40-years-old, Poe met with death and like many of his poems and stories, it’s a mystery. At the time Newspapers claimed that it was congestion of the brain from his alcoholism. In reality, no one is sure how he had died. There are many theories on what had happened.
Some think it might have been caused by a beating, or epilepsy, or even Alcohol poisoning, and many more theories. Even one theory is that he was a victim of electoral fraud which citizens force people to vote repeatedly for a candidate. They make the person change their clothes and force them to vote for a certain candidate which would have accounted for him not wearing his own clothes. It can sometimes lead to violence and sometimes death.
And the man who wrote about mysteries death involved a large mystery.
SOURCES:
Saturday, September 17, 2022
UNIDENTIFIED: September 17, 1849 Manhattan, New York, Unknown Man
On September 17, 1849, an Unknown Man around 35-years-old died in a Manhattan, New York Hospital. It is unstated his cause of death, but he was buried at a potters field on forty-fifth street in Manhattan.
SOURCES:
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Bog Bodies: The Frær Mose Woman
The Frær Mose Woman was found four feet beneath a Denmark bog in 1842. Only her foot, a well-preserved wool garment, and a shoe were found. It's not stated whether or not this was a recent death or historical at the time of discovery. There is no time window stated for when she lived and died.
SOURCES:
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
CURSES: The Old Chained Oak
Near to the village of Alton, England, there is an old oak tree wrapped in chains on a footpath to the left of the Chained Oak B&B. The tree is known as The Old Oak and according to legend, it holds a deadly legend for a family.
One autumn day in the 1800s the Earl of Shrewsbury was on his way to the Alton Towers in a horse and coach. Suddenly there was an old woman who showed up in front of them. The coach would stop to find out why the woman was there. The woman would then ask them for a coin. The Earl would ignore and cruelly dismiss the poor woman. She would then tell the Earl that she had cursed him and each time a branch fell off of the old oak tree one of his family members would die. The Earl refused to listen to her silly curse and continued on his way.
That same night a violent storm would happen. It would cause a single branch from the cursed tree to fall. A member of the Earl's family would die mysteriously that night. The Earl now believing in the curse would order servants to chain every branch together to prevent branches from falling and the premature death of a family member.
There are some variants from retelling the tale. Sometimes it's an old man, sometimes the branch falls on the Earl's son with the old woman watching, and in some tellings, the Earl takes the branch and does experiments on it to find a way to end premature deaths. But did it happen?
The legend may have been around since 1821 which would make it the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, Charles Talbot. But other sources say that the legend has been around since the 1840s which would make it the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, John Talbot.
Now if it was John Talbot this legend does not match what he was known as. He was remembered as "Good Earl John", he had a very good reputation of being charitable. He supported and helped communities build in the Midlands. He was known to have supported schools and churches, and even helped build new Catholic chapels in the Midlands. He was also known to help build almshouses for the poor and elderly in Alton.
He did have 4 deaths of family members after the 1840s, but none of them was sudden or mysterious. His youngest daughter Lady Gwendoline Catherine Talbot died in 1840 at 22 in Rome by Scarlet Fever and 3 of her children died shortly after from measles. Making it unlikely that the man was him if some of the legends were true.
On April 9, 2007, one of the main branches from the tree fell off and no one from the Talbot family mysteriously died.
The tree may have been chained in an attempt to preserve it. The 15th and 16th Earls extended Alton Towers and planted many new trees. The old trees like the chained oak were greatly prized and since it was in a highly visible place it was chained to keep it from collapsing under its own weight.
Monday, October 19, 2020
Murder of John Byrd
In 1842 John Byrd was lead by his son 16-year-old Amos into the woods. Amos told John that they were going to help with deer hunting with some neighbors in a wooded area in Jackson, Missouri. They mounted on horseback and went into the woods. They did not return that night and it worried the family. They searched and found Amos
They late found John underneath some brush. He had been shot in the back of the neck and the bullet exited under his mouth. He also had his throat slit. He was found within a few hundred yards of their house.
His son originally claimed that they met a foul stranger in the woods. He said that the stranger made threats against him if he did not leave him and the father alone. He stated he thought his father was shot because he heard the gun go off. The boy went to a house and stayed the night with a man. The man claimed to have also heard a gunshot.
Police did not trust Amos as his story changed several times. He then was brought in front of the Justices and then he admitted he had killed his father. He had stolen the gun from a neighbor and hid it in the woods. The motive for his murder was because his son was not allowed to use the gun. Articles talked about how the son did not have the mental capabilities to understand what he did. He may have had some sort of learning disability as he was described as "not a boy of ordinarily good sense" and a "simpleton".
(I believe the name of the son is Amos due to how one of the articles was clipped)
SOURCES:
The Radical
Boon's Lick Time
They late found John underneath some brush. He had been shot in the back of the neck and the bullet exited under his mouth. He also had his throat slit. He was found within a few hundred yards of their house.
His son originally claimed that they met a foul stranger in the woods. He said that the stranger made threats against him if he did not leave him and the father alone. He stated he thought his father was shot because he heard the gun go off. The boy went to a house and stayed the night with a man. The man claimed to have also heard a gunshot.
Police did not trust Amos as his story changed several times. He then was brought in front of the Justices and then he admitted he had killed his father. He had stolen the gun from a neighbor and hid it in the woods. The motive for his murder was because his son was not allowed to use the gun. Articles talked about how the son did not have the mental capabilities to understand what he did. He may have had some sort of learning disability as he was described as "not a boy of ordinarily good sense" and a "simpleton".
(I believe the name of the son is Amos due to how one of the articles was clipped)
SOURCES:
The Radical
Boon's Lick Time
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