Amy Douglas: Child Care Provider & Serial Killer - 1899

FULL TEXT (Article 1 of 2): London, Sep. 19 – Mrs. Amy Douglas was sentenced to five years at the Old Bailey on a charge of baby farming at Chingford. The medical evidence showed that three infants left in prisoner’s care died from starvation. The bodies bore traces of fearful neglect.

[“Starving Infants to Death,” syndicated (Press Association), The Grey River Argus (Greymouth, N.Z.), Sep. 20, 1899, p. 4]

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FULL TEXT (Article 2 of 2): At the Old Bailey yesterday, Amy Louisa M’Neil Douglas, aged 23, who kept a baby farm at Chingford, was sentenced by Justice Phillimore to five years’ penal servitude for the manslaughter against the prisoner in respect of deaths of infants entrusted to her care were not proceeded with. The body of a fourth child, who had died, was put in a bag by Douglas and left in the street.

[“Sentence On A Baby Farmer.” The Glasgow Herald (Scotland), Sep. 19, 1899, p. 7]

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~ “Central Criminal Court, Sept. 18. (Before Mr. Justice Phillimore.) ~

FULL TEXT: Amy Louisa McNeil Douglas, 28, who was found guilty on Saturday of the manslaughter of Evelyn Constance Hodgson, an infant which she had had m her care, was brought up for judgment.

Mr. A. Hutton and Mr. Clarke Hall prosecuted on behalf of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

The prisoner, who had resided at Walthamstow, but who subsequently went to live at Chingford, bad taken children into her care, being paid a sum of money for each child. When she resided at Walthamstow, and afterward when she lived at Chingford. two of the inspectors appointed under' the Infant Life Protection Act inspected her house. One of the inspectors who called at her house at Walthamstow pointed out to her that the bedding was insufficient and must be improved. The prisoner explained that her furniture had not yet arrived and that when it did the bedding would be better. There were six children at her house at Chingford, and an inspector who went there in August saw two of the children on of them the child Evelyn Constance Hodgson lying dead, while a third child was so ill that it had to be removed to the workhouse where it shortly afterwards died .The deceased child Hodgson was very emaciated, and a post mortem examination showed that it had died from having had had proper or insufficient food. Its weight was 51b. 4os., where the normal weight of a child of its age would be 101b. or 12lb. There was an entire absence of fat on the body. The other two deceased children were also emaciated. There was a great deal of; vermin in the room in which the three children were found. An inquest was held, and this prosecution for manslaughter was then instituted against the prisoner.

In the course of the case Mr. Justice Phillimore said he did not at present say that there was any fault in either inspector, because upon this trial it was not possible to inquire but either one of them or one of the two boards of guardians or the Act itself was very much at fault if this, sort of thing could go on. He hoped the matter would be inquired into elsewhere.

There were other indictments charging the prisoner with the manslaughter of the two other children, but the prosecution did not proceed upon them as all the facts had come out in evidence. Mr. Hutton stated on Saturday that it had been impossible to discover what had become of a child which the prisoner had had in her care, and Mr. Justice Phillimore told the prisoner that it would be well if she gave information as to what had become of the child.

Mr. Hutton now said that an inspector of police had since seen the prisoner, who made a full statement to him with reference to the missing child. It appeared that the prisoner agreed to take care of the child, which was three weeks old, for £5. Some little time afterwards she went out leaving the child with the teat in its mouth. When she returned she found it dead, and being frightened she put it into a pillow - case and into a bag and left it in the street near a stable. The body of a child was found in a pillow - case and bag in the street near the stable, and an inquest was held, but the cause of death was unascertainable. There were no marks of violence on the child. The. prisoner was, a widow and bore a good character.

It was stated that a copy of the Infant Life Protection Act was found in the prisoner's room. The prisoner admitted that she had been cautioned by a coroner in reference to the death of another child.

The prisoner said she was very inexperienced and she had no idea that the children were so ill or she would have had a doctor. They had been delicate children all the time she had had them, and they were delicate when she first took them into her care.

Mr. Justice Phillimore said there were point in the prisoner's ease which, looked as if she were, or might be, he was sorry to say, not far short of a murderess. She having no means or her own, took the children for a small lamp sum. One of them died, and she concealed the death, and then the child whose death they had been inquiring into died. All the children the prisoner had had were either dead or dying when found except her own and a boy four year of age. If he took that view of the prisoner's case he should have to give a very, very long term of penal servitude, but it might be that she was not as bad a that, and he should take a merciful view, and it might to a right view. He should not treat the prisoner as being in that category, but he should treat her as a woman indifferent to child life. He sentenced the prisoner to five years' penal servitude.

[“Central Criminal Court, Sept. 18. (Before Mr. Justice Phillimore.) The Times (London, England), Sep. 19, 1899, p. 9]

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For more cases of “Baby Farmers,” professional child care providers who murdered children see The Forgotten Serial Killers.

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