John Aspinall Simpson

Murder of girl; Manchester

John Aspinall Simpson for the murder of Ann Ratcliffe.

Also reference to him here.

Twenty three year old Simpson was an unemployed clerk from Preston, had been courting sixteen year old Annie Radcliffe for over eighteen months, although her parents didn't approve of the relationship. Later, when she became pregnant, her father, a Preston publican, forbade Simpson to see his daughter. Early in the morning of 3rd August, Simpson called to see Annie at the pub and while her father was upstairs, he cut her throat. He was tried and convicted and sentenced to be hung.  The sentence was carried out in Manchester on the 28th November 1881 when he was hanged by William Marwood.