George Allen

Hanged at Stafford Gaol in 1807 for the murder of three of his children, though he was subject to epileptic fits and would, today, be found insane.

At eight o'clock on the evening of 12th January 1807 George Allen retired to bed and was followed, an hour later, by his wife. She found him, as was his custom, sitting in bed smoking his pipe. When his wife got into bed, with their baby, he asked her what other man she had in the house. She protested her innocence while he continued to accuse her. He suddenly got out of bed and went downstairs. She followed him and met him on the stairs, asking him what he was doing in such a hurry. He told her to get back upstairs.

He went to where their three other children were asleep in the same bed and turned back the bedclothes. His wife tried to hold him and he immediately tried to cut her throat. She wore a scarf around her neck and head and this prevented the wound from being fatal. She managed to escape and fell down the stairs, still holding on to the infant. Before she could get up, the body of their six-year-old daughter fell at her feet, with its head almost severed.

She opened the front door and screamed to the neighbours that her husband was murdering their children. A neighbor soon arrived and George was found standing with a razor in his hand. When asked what he was doing he replied,

'Nothing yet, I have only killed three of them.' Upstairs, two of his sons were found mutilated with the head almost torn off one boy and the stomachs of both of them slashed with their bowels torn out completely.