The Melancholy of Alice Ann Farrar (1894)

Accrington during the mid-to-late 1800’s had managed to find itself immune from murder whilst all around them in places such as Haslingden, Blackburn and Burnley had for some strange reason found themselves to be hotbeds for crimes that many seemed beyond comprehension.

And whilst a serious crime that had resulted in the murder of a little girl named Henrietta Leaver had occurred in 1881, Accrington had been a relatively quiet town in terms of murder.

But this would come to a shuddering halt when, on Tuesday the 18th September 1894, a tragedy would rock the town and especially the residents living along Hyndburn Road.

Elizabeth Greenwood, sister-in-law of Mrs. Alice Hannah Farrar of number 43 Hyndburn Road, after having passed by Mrs. Farrar’s house at around 8.30am, had noticed that the blinds in the windows were still down, and knowing that the children’s school was some distance away, it was out of character for the house to seem dormant at that time of morning. Elizabeth, curious as to why the house seemed so silent made her way to the front door but despite knocking several times, she got no answer.

Having no joy, she made her way to a neighbours house, and upon acquiring a key from a lady by the name of Mary Elizabeth Jackson, she opened the front door and along with Mary, they made their way in. After looking and finding no-one around, both women then made their way upstairs and to the dreadful scenes from within the front bedroom.

Shocked by what they had found, Elizabeth and Mary ran down the stairs and out into the street, with Elizabeth shouting, “She has killed her children!”

James Fell, a labourer from number 47, alarmed by the loud screaming that was coming from outside, left his house and made his way down towards number 43.

Nearby, a corporation workman who was making his way along the thoroughfare also heard the agonizing screams, and without having to enter the house, he had a horrible feeling something was seriously wrong. He quickly made his way towards Blackburn Road where he met police sergeant, Robert Bale.

Bale hastily made his way to Hyndburn Road and to number 43 which was by this time surrounded by a large number of people. Upon entering the house and rushing up to the bedrooms, he was confronted with an unspeakably horrific sight.

Lying on a bed, and at the nearest side to the bedroom door was eight year old, Esther Hannah Farrar. Her throat had been cut and it was obvious she was dead. Next to her lay two other girls, Elizabeth and Isabella, aged six and four respectively, also with their throats cut and with an open razor covered in blood lying next to Isabella. Luckily, both Elizabeth and Isabella, had survived the attack on them – just!

At the foot of the bed, Alice Ann Farrar, mother to the girls, was found to be laying down. Her clothes covered in blood and she seemed to have a rope tied tightly around her neck.