Harold Apted

Harold Apted was convicted of the murder of Frances O'Rourke 7 and sentenced to death.

Frances O'Rourke had been sent on an errand to pick up a parcel by her parents at 2pm. She arrived at the shop about an hour later and collected the parcel after waiting for some time and set off to return home at 3.50pm.

Frances O'Rourke was later seen getting into a four wheel horse drawn van at 4.30pm just down from the Cross Keys Inn and was later seen by witnesses sat in it next to the driver as it went along. Then at 5.30pm the van was seen to be being driven fast from the direction of Vauxhall Pond towards Tonbridge.

When Frances O'Rourke failed to return home a search was made but she wasn't found until the next day when she was seen by a labourer as he was walking to working in Vauxhall Pond.