Thomas Mellor

Thomas Mellor was convicted of the murder of his daughter, 6-year-old Ada Beecroft and sentenced to death.

He threw her, along with her 4-year-old sister Annie Beecroft, in to the canal at Glebe Road, Holbeck, Leeds on Saturday, 11 May 1900.

He was only convicted of the murder of Ada Beecroft as no evidence was offered with regards to the murder of Annie Beecroft.

Thomas Mellor was looking after the children on his own after their mother who had been sent to Menston Asylum died in November 1899.

After the girls mothers went into the asylum Thomas Mellor moved into lodgings with a woman in Fouth Court but was later evicted after which he took the children to his brothers but he said that they could not move in with him. He had also tried to admit the children to the workhouse but was not successful.

When his brother’s wife asked him what he would then do Thomas Mellor said, 'The water is big enough to hold them and me and all'.

When the woman at Fouth Court told him that he had to leave, he said that he would go to the bottom of the water with them.

On the night of 11 May 1900 Thomas Mellor took his children to the canal near Glebe Road, Holbeck, Leeds. He was seen walking with them around 11pm and later around 11.30pm was seen without them.

The children were found dead the next day in the canal.

Thomas Mellor confessed to putting them in the canal but said that he had only put them in a shallow part in the hope that someone would rescue them and take them into care.

Thomas Mellor was convicted but with a recommendation to mercy for his general kindness to his children and his condition as to want of a house.

Following his conviction the police report to the Home Secretary on the matter of interfering with the sentence noted that there had been several other similar cases where a father had killed their children through destitution and given capital sentences but reprieved. They were:

• Benjamin Bouch, threw his children into a canal after being refused accommodation.
• George Cooper, drowned his child after his wife, who was an ill-conducted and immoral woman, left him.
• William Booth, killed his child.
• William Pierpoint, killed his child after being turned out of his lodgings.

However, there was no reprieve and Thomas Mellor was executed at Leeds by James Billington on 16 August 1900.