12 September 1869:  On this day Lucy Culley murdered her newborn illegitimate son.  Lucy was a cook in the service of Dr John Alexander of Marsh House, who was coroner for the area although he had been unable to fulfil this role on health grounds.  Lucy was taken ill in the morning, and retired to her bedroom.  Another servant went to check on her in the afternoon where (she) found the bedroom in disorder and a large amount of blood covering the floor.  Dr Finch, who also resided at the house, felt that a child had gone full term and had been born.  The body of a newborn baby was discovered in a bag in the bedroom with a four inch wound on his neck.  The wound, caused by a knife, had severed a vein and also damaged the spinal column.  The knife was not found for several days.  An inquest held later charged Lucy with wilful murder but since the child could not be shown to have had a separate and independent life, she was acquitted.  Instead she was convicted of concealing the birth and was sentenced to two months imprisonment.

Western Daily Press