 |
Edward William PritchardEnglish doctor publicly executed for murdering his wife and mother-in-law
Date of Birth: 06.12.1825
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of Edward William Pritchard
- Medical Career and Masonic Affiliations
- Controversial Events and Execution
Biography of Edward William Pritchard
Early Life and EducationDr. Edward William Pritchard was born on December 6, 1825, in Southsea, Hampshire. His father, John White Pritchard, was a captain. Edward claimed to have studied at King's College Hospital in London and graduated in 1846. He then served in the Royal Fleet as an assistant surgeon on the 104-gun ship 'Victory', known for its role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. After four years on various ships around the world, Pritchard returned to the 'Hecate' in Portsmouth. It was there that he met his future wife, Mary Jane Taylor, the daughter of a retired successful textile supplier from Edinburgh. Pritchard and Taylor married in 1851 and had five children together.
Medical Career and Masonic Affiliations
After a period of separation due to Pritchard's duties, he left the Navy and worked as a general practitioner in Yorkshire, living in Hunmanby with his wife. He became a prominent Freemason, initiated into a lodge in Scarborough, where he obtained the degree of Master of the Royal Lodge in 1857. Pritchard authored several books on his travels and hydrotherapy in Hunmanby and wrote articles for the medical journal 'The Lancet'. However, in 1859, he found himself in severe financial difficulties and moved to Glasgow.
Controversial Events and Execution
In 1863, a fire broke out in the Pritchard's house in Glasgow, resulting in the death of a young servant girl. The fire started in her room, but she made no attempt to escape. It was speculated that the girl was either unconscious, in a drug-induced stupor, or already dead. The financial prosecutor handling the Pritchard case did not bring any charges against him. In 1865, Pritchard poisoned his 70-year-old mother-in-law, Jane Taylor, who passed away on February 28. His 38-year-old wife, whose health he personally attended to with the assistance of Dr. Paterson, followed her mother a month later on March 18. Dr. Paterson had suspicions about the causes of death for the two women and even refused to sign their death certificates. However, he chose to remain silent about his suspicions, not contacting authorities or other medical professionals.
Pritchard was apprehended after authorities received an anonymous letter. When the bodies of his wife and mother-in-law were exhumed, traces of antimony were found in their systems. During the subsequent trial, Pritchard's motives, including his affair with another maid in the house, drew attention. However, as part of his defense, Pritchard insisted that she was the one trying to poison him. The refusal of Dr. Paterson to disclose his suspicions was also seen as highly peculiar. After a five-day trial in Edinburgh in July 1865, presided over by Lord Glencorse, Edward William Pritchard was found guilty. He was publicly hanged at 8 a.m. on July 28 in Glasgow Green Park, before a crowd of thousands.
