Frances Kidder - the last woman publicly hanged in England

Frances Kidder was hanged for murdering the daughter of a Hothfield resident

Courtesy James Nicholls

The book explores Frances' life as well as the trial

A crowd of 2000 gathered outside Maidstone Prison to see Frances hanged

The Hothfield connection with a historic woman

By Chris Rogers

Frances Kidder was the last woman publicly hanged in England and her story is told in a book that also relates to Hothfield.  Frances was convicted of murdering her own step-daughter Louisa (Kidder) Staples who was born in Hythe.  Louisa's birth mother was Eliza Staples who was born in Hothfield in 1837.  Eliza's father, Richard, was also born in Hothfield and is recorded in the Hothfield Church register of Baptisms as the illegitimate son of Sarah.

Frances was arrested at her parents' house in New Romney on 25th August 1867 - the very evening that she drowned Louisa.  The next day she was tried in New Romney and subsequently taken to Maidstone to be sentenced.  She was hanged outside what is still Maidstone prison at noon on 2nd April 1868.  Ironically her horse and carriage would have taken her past Hothfield en route to Maidstone, and close to where Louisa’s birth mother, Eliza Staples had lived and where some of the Staples family were still living.

It is said that there was a crowd of 2000 watching the execution which was undertaken by a bungling hangman, William Calcraft.  Frances had drowned her 11 year-old step-daughter in a ditch at New Romney.

The book by James Nicholls of Charing tells the story of Frances' life and was published in 2010 by Eric Dobby Publishing.  The author kindly donated a copy to History Society member Karen Brock in return for helping him with his research.  The inquest and trial, where Frances' own family gave evidence, are told in great detail.