The Droitwich Deceivers (19 page)

Postscript

S
ir Charles Chilton was found guilty of the murder of Old John, and of the false incarceration of his brother Peter, and was hanged at Worcester Gaol.

Peter Chilton came into his inheritance once more and married his former betrothed. They had two children and lived for many years at Hill Court. The property was later sold and became a successful private school.

On 30th March, 1896, a bargeman on the River Thames at Reading recovered a brown paper parcel from the murky waters of the nearby canal. The parcel contained the body of an infant girl, and an examination of the deceased showed that she had been strangled with some layers of tape. Lettering on the outside of the brown paper parcel, however, revealed the name of a Mrs Thomas of Piggot’s Road, Lower Caversham.

Police enquiries later identified Mrs Thomas to be one Amelia Elizabeth Dyer. The river and canal were dragged for other bodies, and the decomposed corpses of two baby boys were recovered from the waters. Four other bodies of young children were found later.

Amelia Dyer stood trial for her crimes at the Old Bailey in
London, where a jury took just five minutes to find her guilty. She was hanged at Newgate prison on 10th June, 1896.

Although it is known that Amelia Dyer killed at least seven children, it is generally assumed that she had killed many more during her twenty years as a baby-farmer.

The Malvern Murders

The Worcester Whisperers

The Ledbury Lamplighters

The Tewkesbury Tomb