‘Highly respectable married couple wish to adopt a child; good country home; premium required, very small.’
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Amelia Dyer Serial Killer
Amelia Dyer placed the newspaper above the advertisement with the explicit intention of finding a newborn infant. However, the young woman lacked a spouse and a grand residence and was far from considered respectable. Indeed, she devised a plot to eliminate any youngster within her reach.
Dyer was a practitioner of the profession known as ‘baby farming,’ which was prevalent during the Victorian era when women faced social exclusion for giving birth to a child without being married. Dyer would advertise in local newspapers and meet new mothers at major train terminals. Each ‘customer’ remunerated the older woman £10, equivalent to approximately £650 in present-day currency, to entrust her with caring for their infant. Subsequently, Dyer, a former nurse, would embezzle the funds and commit a heinous act of infanticide.
True Crime museum
According to Joel Briggs, curator of the True Crime museum, Amelia Dyer had a 25-year-long profession dedicated to murdering children. The diverse museum in Hastings, East Sussex, contains Dyer’s bodice, which was acquired through auction by Joel’s father in the early 1960s.
Initially, she would offer her services for payment to terminate the life of an unborn child by strangling it before it was fully delivered. At that time, she was in her twenties. In 1879, Dyer was discovered when a doctor grew suspicious of the unusually high mortality rate among the infants in her care. As a result, she was convicted and forced to perform physically demanding work. However, she subsequently pretended to be mentally ill and was transported to a psychiatric institution instead of being incarcerated.
The Asylum
After her discharge from the asylum, she used multiple aliases and resided near the Thames, such as London, Gloucester, Bristol, and Oxford.
After being released, Dyer shifted her approach and started operating fraudulent “adoption services.” She would arrange a meeting with a new mother who responded to her newspaper advertisement and assure her that her child would be well cared for. However, it wasn’t sincere.
Joel explains that Amelia Dyer would bring the kid to her residence. ‘And care for it for two weeks, as a precautionary measure in case the mother alters her decision.’
After a sufficient amount of time had elapsed, she would get a ribbon and constrict it around the baby’s neck until they were deprived of oxygen, resulting in asphyxiation. Subsequently, she enveloped the destitute infant in either brown paper or wax paper and placed a block or stone on the child’s body. The individual would securely bind the entire entity and dispose of the deceased in either the Thames or Avon River, depending on proximity to their place of residence at the given moment.
Dyer successfully engaged in this evil behaviour for an extended period due to the lack of regulation in adoption agencies, which facilitated her ability to evade scrutiny. Occasionally, she would administer abundant doses of Godfrey’s Cordial, a medicinal concoction containing opiates, commonly referred to as ‘Mother’s Friend’, to terminate the baby’s life if strangulation was not feasible or if she had exhausted her supply of ribbons.
The Baby Farmers
The baby farmers provided care for unwanted children. Baby farming was a practice during the Victorian era that exploited women who were incapable of providing care for their children. Unwed mothers risked social ostracism in the event of giving birth. During that period, abortion was prohibited by law and children born out of wedlock were stigmatised in society.
In cases where a mother committed infanticide and was apprehended, she would usually be subject to capital punishment. Consequently, many ladies compensated ‘baby farmers’ for assistance. Occasionally, baby farmers would sincerely attend to the child’s well-being. However, in most instances, they would subject the newborn to mistreatment or disregard, ultimately resulting in its demise.
Rhoda Willis
Rhoda Willis, the final baby farmer to be executed in Britain, was hanged in Wales in 1907.
On March 30, 1896, the wicked actions of the woman were exposed when a bargeman discovered the lifeless body of infant Helena Fry in the Thames. Mary Fry, a domestic servant, entrusted Dyer with the responsibility of looking after her daughter by paying her.
According to Joel, the police uncovered the connection due to the killer’s overconfidence.
‘Dyer had become so indifferent that she used brown paper from a package she had received to wrap one infant.’ The deceased infant did not submerge and instead floated to the top. The bargeman retrieved the body of the youngster, which was secured to a block, and transported it to the Reading Borough Police. The cops observed the address written on the side of the paper and commenced their duties.
The illegible lettering on the package indicated the address as ’26 Piggott’s Road, Caversham.’ Investigators conducted a visit to the specified location on Kensington Road in Reading, where they were informed that Dyer, who was in her fifties at that time, had relocated. Subsequently, law enforcement dispatched a young woman to Dyer’s residence to solicit her ‘services’.
Old Bailey
The evidence unequivocally connected the murderer to the illicit practice of baby farming, resulting in an arrest. Due to the overwhelming evidence against her, Dyer had minimal opportunity to deny the crimes during her trial at the Old Bailey, which commenced on May 22, 1896. Baby Helena Fry, who the bargeman discovered, was handed up to Dyer at Bristol Temple Meads station on March 5.
Joel remembers a distressing aspect of the case that occurred soon after her arrest, demonstrating that Dyer was not the only child murderer involved.
He further states: ‘Dyer provided the police with information regarding the specific location in the Thames where she committed the murders and disposed of the infants.’ In addition, she clarified that it would be feasible to distinguish the ones that belonged to her by observing the ribbon encircling their necks. Regrettably, the authorities arrived at the scene and recovered a total of 10 deceased infants, with only six of them belonging to Dyer. This demonstrates that infanticide was a prevalent offence during this era.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution provided information on the killer’s formative years, which were marked by a challenging upbringing in the community of Pyle Marsh, located near Bristol. Amelia Dyer, at a young age, had an aptitude for literature and the arts. However, she was restricted to her residence to attend to her mentally ill mother, who suffered from typhus and experienced episodes of violent behaviour.
Move to Bristol
In 1861, at 24, Dyer relocated to Bristol, where she encountered and wedded George Thomas, who was 59 years old and passed away in 1869. She discovered the practice of baby farming while working as a nurse. In addition, Dyer had three biological children: Ellen, Mary Ann, and William. Joel feels that Mary Ann and her partner Arthur were involved in the killings, as they resided with Dyer, and Mary Ann occasionally had meetings with new mothers.
However, Dyer, adorned in a blue robe and a feather boa during the legal procedures, asserted exclusive accountability when her case was brought before the court. To avoid punishment, she also asserted a plea of insanity. Nevertheless, the jurors quickly recognised the deception and, after a brief period of discussion, convicted 57-year-old Dyer of murder, dismissing her claim of insanity.
Dyer was condemned to capital punishment and executed by hanging at Newgate jail on 10 June 1896 at 9 am. When asked for any final remarks, the killer replied with ‘I have nothing to say’.
Media Coverage
The case received extensive media coverage, and Dyer was labelled the ‘Ogress of Reading.’ The obscure realm of infant farming was exposed and, significantly, brought to the attention of Parliament. The Infant Life Protection Act (1897) and the Children’s Act (1908) were enacted to enhance the safeguarding of newborns. Implementing more stringent restrictions in adoption and fostering services led to the eradication of baby farming.
Today, specific individuals visiting Joel’s True Crime Museum in Hastings have conveyed compassion towards Dyer. Many believe that the Victorian killer was compelled to commit heinous acts as a result of the illegality of abortion. Joel does not entirely absolve Dyer of her crimes, but he does recognise the ambiguous circumstances surrounding her lethal actions.
Forgiveness?
“I believe it is impossible to forgive Dyer’s actions,” the curator states.
However, the more I learn about the Victorian era, the more my contempt for it becomes. Examining the case necessitates considering the prevailing societal circumstances of that period. The presence of double standards, hypocrisy, rank and hierarchy, and the appalling mistreatment of the poor and women is particularly noticeable. If one could feign godliness and righteousness, it would suffice for specific individuals in society.
During her trial, Dyer confessed to the courts that she was systematically murdering three children every week at the peak of her killing spree. Joel and his team at the True Crime Museum have analysed the data and determined that if she had been engaged in this activity for 25 years, it would have led to 3,900 victims and a profit of £39,000. The equivalent value in today’s currency is £5 million.
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