In Prison for murder

[Gigi]

Hi All,

I have discovered that a relative (Dorothy Mabel Adderley) was found guilty of murdering her illegitimate son (Joseph Geoffrey Hunt). They lived in Gentleshaw, Staffordshire. She was sentenced 1st July 1941 and sent to HMP Bronzefield near Ashford.

Can anyone advise me as to how I can find out if she was released. She would have been 19 years old when sentenced. I did find a death (Ancestry probate) death 16th Feb 1994 Redcar, but not sure if that is her.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Gigi

[arthurk]

For the probate you found, the GRO death index gives the date of birth as 17 Jan 1921, which, if this is her, would have made her 20 when sentenced. However, people who register deaths sometimes don't have completely accurate information, so if, for example, you have her date of birth as 17 Jan 1922 there's a good chance that this is the right one.

Note that this is from the version of the GRO index that you can see at Ancestry - the GRO's own site (which can be used to order a certificate) only gives the year of birth.

[CaroleW]

It's highly likely she was released from prison otherwise she would have been in over 50yrs.  Whether  she was released into the community is anybody's guess.    Possible she may have been sent to a mental hospital but it's an unknown.

Her death cert will tell you where she actually died

[barryd]

It does not say much more than already known but here is a website.

http://www.blackkalendar.nl/c/36101/Dorothy%20Mabel%20Adderley

[CaroleW]

She was married

Dorothy M Hunt married Joseph Adderley Dec qtr 1938 Staffs

Daughter Josephine M b 1939 died 1940

Joseph G Hunt aged 2 died Sept qtr 1941 Lichfield so born 1938/39

No birth for a Joseph G Hunt with mmn Hunt but suspect he could be the Geoffrey Hunt b June qtr 1938 Lichfield

In view of the guilty but insane verdict shown in the link above - she may have been committed to an asylum

[Gallicrow]

The British Phone Book site has a "D M Adderley" at the same address as in the 1994 probate record, together with a phone number. Could this be the same person, some 26 years after their death? Perhaps it is a relative with the same initials.

[rosie99]

Hi All,

I have discovered that a relative (Dorothy Mabel Adderley) was found guilty of murdering her illegitimate son (Joseph Geoffrey Hunt). They lived in Gentleshaw, Staffordshire. She was sentenced 1st July 1941 and sent to HMP Bronzefield near Ashford.

Where did you find that she went to Ashford

[Annie65115]

There are newspaper reports available online regarding this tragedy. The verdict was that “she should be kept in custody as a criminal lunatic until His Majesty’s pleasure was known”. The court report doesn’t say where that custody place was. She had fully confessed to killing her son, but pleaded not guilty to murder. She told the prison doctor that she had intended to kill herself, not him. Remember, she could have been hanged if found guilty of murder at the time ——

Dorothy was barely 16 when she had her little boy, “Gerry”. She had a second child when she married but that one died young. The court reports give her age as 19 at the time of the offence. What a sad, sad tale.

[rosie99]

It does not say much more than already known but here is a website.

http://www.blackkalendar.nl/c/36101/Dorothy%20Mabel%20Adderley

That website does not say where she was though, that record will come up under different prison headings.

It was not 'Bronzefield' as it did not open until 2004
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Prison_Bronzefield