The Tragic Case of Ellen Dowdle (1899)

Domestic abuse or “wife beating” was a prominent occurrence in Victorian England with many victims having to put up with abuse on a daily basis. It was socially acceptable for that period and was seen by many as nothing more than a lower class issue.

It’s been written in many publications that during the Victorian era, religion played a big part in culture and that for a woman to be virtuous and to serve god, they must follow the lead of her husband. This of course seemingly gave the nod for husbands to control and do whatever they deemed appropriate to their wives, which, in many instances, meant physical violence.

With that said, let’s get into today’s story and we are travelling way back to the early morning of Saturday, 19th August, 1899 and to the small town of Whitworth which resides between Bacup and Rochdale in the parish of Rossendale, England.

Ellen Dowdle, a 35 year weaver and mother to five children had spent a couple of hours working at the Whitworth Co-Op Mill, covering for another worker who was off sick. She had agreed to work three days a week, taking on four looms in doing so and with the promise of more work to follow.

By mid-morning, she was working alongside another mill employee when she spoke about being worried about going home, saying; “A fear there’s bound to be trouble for me” to which the other employee replied; “Oh don’t think that Mrs Dowdle; it’ll be dinner time soon an’ then the work’ll be done.“

Finishing work at around noon, Ellen made her way to Grove Terrace where she had been living for the past week with Mr and Mrs O’Brien after having left her marital home at 20 Copeland Street the week before, following a huge row with her husband, Michael.

She would stay there for much of the afternoon until around 3.00pm – when it was reported that after her husband called at the house, and after a short discussion between the pair, she was persuaded by Michael to return back home with him.

This would be the last time the O’Brien’s would ever see their friend, Ellen, alive ever again.