I have found an old newspaper report in an Australian newspaper about a young woman from Rock Ferry who on the 17th August 1925 when after being caught stealing was granted bail and released, she then went to the banks of the Mersey and then proceeded to throw her 6 children one by one into the river and then jumped in after them. Three of the children survived and three passed away, I believe that it nearly caused a riot in Birkenhead as a large group of about 1000 woman tried to attack the dead womans husband at the childrens autopsy. I've found the woman's name was Elizabeth O'connell and she was born in RockFerry to a John O'connell, she married her husband a William Arthur Vaughan who was a railway man in 1913 in birkenhead his father was a william Vaughan, I was wondering if someone has access to the old newspaper archives and could find out a bit more for me, I've never heard this story before so would like to no what happened to the husband and surviving children, I hope they never ended up in the workhouse, such a tragic story.
It's unlikely there's any newspaper reports as a follow up on the remaining family. The newspapers tended to concentrate on the main story, the inquest and funeral. I understand she was stealing to provide food for her children, hence the angry mob blaming the husband I suspect for not providing. I also suspect her depression and for a mother to carry out such an act, postnatal depression played its part, I think unrecognised then.
The marriage had 7 children, Maisie, Vera, Arthur J, Elizabeth, Elsie, Nellie(Ellen), Bessie All born between 1914-1925, Vera was born 1915 and died 1916.
The children who drowned, Births, Elsie, 1922, Nellie, 1924, Bessie, 1925.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
Never heard this story before and I born and bred in Rockferry. It's tragic , there has been a few cases in the news lately about parents killing own children. I don't understand it but guess they must be in a very dark place to do such a thing.
Thanks Bert for your help, I wonder what happened to the father did he move away or did he stay local, I can't seem to find his death cert maybe he changed his name?
Name: William A Vaughan Birth Date: abt 1891 Date of Registration: Jun 1950 Age at Death: 59 Registration district: Wirral Inferred County: Cheshire Volume: 10a Page: 656
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
Here's a few things I've discovered about this case. The three youngest children drowned and the three oldest survived. Her name was Elizabeth Vaughan (nee O'Connell). She also drowned. It appeared she threw the children into the Mersey at high tide from the promenade at Rock Park, Rock Ferry and then jumped in herself.
The children are buried in Bebington Cemetery. The husband was heckled at the funeral by what was described by the Leicester Evening Mail on Friday 21 August 1925 as a 'Hostile demonstration by exited women' - numbering around 1000, who blamed him for not ponying up enough money to keep the family.
He apparently gave Elizabeth 38 shillings of the 54 shillings a week that he earned as a railway man, but admitted that he should have given more but spent too much 'on the drink'. The scenes at Bebington Cemetery were described as 'disorderly'. Apparently she was on bail for stealing clothes - not food. This was the day before the tragedy - so 16th August 1925.
Another interesting snippet of info. The dead mother left a suicide note - obviously addressed to the husband William.
It read:-
"You are the cause of all this. If you were a man and turned up your money, this would not have happened. I am all that is bad in your estimation, but I have been a good wife to you.
You will not get the chance of getting me time, (presume she means a prison sentence) as you then said, we would then be all out on the road.
It is you who is the rotter on your 54 shillings a week".
The husband had admitted that things were 'not at all comfortable at home'.
I've just noticed that 1925 is the same year that a 'Nellie Clarke' (11) was murdered in an alleyway off Spenser Avenue, Rock Ferry. Well Lane police station must have had a busy year in 1925.
