Florence Maybrick
And the R.G. Brook Connection
I happened upon this piece of family history completely by accident whilst playing around on the internet looking at a site documenting (are you ready for this?) Jack the Ripper. I will say right now, that for some reason since being a child I was completely enthralled by the "Whitechapel Murders" in England (the name given to the Jack the Ripper rein of terror in the Whitechapel district of London). So it was unusual that after using "RG Brook" as a general search term, I was linked to the Jack the Ripper site, which for some strange reason listed a man by the name of R.G. Brook as being on the jury for a woman named Florence Maybrick who was on trial for murdering her husband James. She was accused of poising him with arsenic.
Take a breath! For the time being we're going to focus on the trial of Mrs. Maybrick and her husband James. I shall give you but a glimpse of what transpired so that you can enjoy discovering more details on your own - there's nothing worse than having someone spoil the whole story for another.
Florence Chandler was an American woman who fell in love with a Mr. James Maybrick from Liverpool, while on a ship trip travelling from the U.S. to England. James was a cotton merchant in the late 1800's and spent a great deal of time living and doing business in the United States. Florence was much younger than James, but their love seemed genuine, and they settled in Liverpool after their marriage and quickly had a family. It wasn't long however before James' infidelities became obvious, and Florence too found someone to share her affections with. Now James was a jealous man, and it was after an argument over Florence's flirting with another man at a horserace, that James' health began to rapidly deteriorate. It was no secret that James was known to be somewhat of a hypochondriac. Friends and business associates in America, ship captains, and those who knew him in Liverpool were well aware of his habit of self-administering arsenic and strychnine powders to remedy his ailments. With a marriage that was publicly in distress, and James' failing health, Florence's actions would be heavily scrutinized by James' brothers and the household staff.
James passed away at their home called "Battlecrease" in Liverpool on May 11, 1889 with what was determined by a medical examiner as being "Arsenical Poisoning". Attention immediately turned to Florence who had been seen discreetly putting powders into his meat juice after having her wifely duties reduced due to the suspicions of possibly trying to kill her husband. She had been seen soaking flypapers to extract the arsenic which they contained, and the amount of evidence that would be uncovered would result in her arrest for murder.
The trial remains today as one of England's most infamous trials ever. Florence's defence lawyers were unable to convince the jury of her innocence given the unsurmountable evidence presented against her. Witnesses were brought forth that spoke of Florence's affairs with another man, the flypapers, and the secrecy of adding a powder to the meat juice which was later found to contain arsenic. Cooking pans at James office contained arsenic as well, and the suspicion there lay with the meals prepared by Florence for James to reheat at work.
With what was presented, the Jury was apparently divided on her guilt, but in a final statement to the court, Florence's admission to adding a white powder to James' meat juice and the soaking of the flypapers to extract arsenic for personal cosmetic uses did more damage than good. The Jury did not deliberate for long, and returned with a verdict of Guilty. Florence was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her husband James.
Take a breath! For the time being we're going to focus on the trial of Mrs. Maybrick and her husband James. I shall give you but a glimpse of what transpired so that you can enjoy discovering more details on your own - there's nothing worse than having someone spoil the whole story for another.
Florence Chandler was an American woman who fell in love with a Mr. James Maybrick from Liverpool, while on a ship trip travelling from the U.S. to England. James was a cotton merchant in the late 1800's and spent a great deal of time living and doing business in the United States. Florence was much younger than James, but their love seemed genuine, and they settled in Liverpool after their marriage and quickly had a family. It wasn't long however before James' infidelities became obvious, and Florence too found someone to share her affections with. Now James was a jealous man, and it was after an argument over Florence's flirting with another man at a horserace, that James' health began to rapidly deteriorate. It was no secret that James was known to be somewhat of a hypochondriac. Friends and business associates in America, ship captains, and those who knew him in Liverpool were well aware of his habit of self-administering arsenic and strychnine powders to remedy his ailments. With a marriage that was publicly in distress, and James' failing health, Florence's actions would be heavily scrutinized by James' brothers and the household staff.
James passed away at their home called "Battlecrease" in Liverpool on May 11, 1889 with what was determined by a medical examiner as being "Arsenical Poisoning". Attention immediately turned to Florence who had been seen discreetly putting powders into his meat juice after having her wifely duties reduced due to the suspicions of possibly trying to kill her husband. She had been seen soaking flypapers to extract the arsenic which they contained, and the amount of evidence that would be uncovered would result in her arrest for murder.
The trial remains today as one of England's most infamous trials ever. Florence's defence lawyers were unable to convince the jury of her innocence given the unsurmountable evidence presented against her. Witnesses were brought forth that spoke of Florence's affairs with another man, the flypapers, and the secrecy of adding a powder to the meat juice which was later found to contain arsenic. Cooking pans at James office contained arsenic as well, and the suspicion there lay with the meals prepared by Florence for James to reheat at work.
With what was presented, the Jury was apparently divided on her guilt, but in a final statement to the court, Florence's admission to adding a white powder to James' meat juice and the soaking of the flypapers to extract arsenic for personal cosmetic uses did more damage than good. The Jury did not deliberate for long, and returned with a verdict of Guilty. Florence was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of her husband James.
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The two pictures above are from the courtroom in St. George's Hall in Liverpool, England where the trial of Florence Maybrick was held. The picture on the left show steps in the lower left corner which come up from the holding cell where Florence would have been kept for a short period of time before each appearance. The small bench you see behind the open "half height" door is where Florence sat each day for the duration of her trial. When she was allowed to speak on her behalf (something she never should have been allowed to do), she would have stood in the middle of the courtroom behind the row of lawyers desks you see at the bottom of the picture on the right. The photo on the right shows the actual Jury booth where our ancestor sat each day during the trial. This courtroom is quite large since it handled many cases on a daily basis stemming from a vast area of England. There were two jury booths - one on either side of the Judge's bench. As one case was finishing, the other case was being led into the court, and attention was drawn to the opposite side so that that trial could commence. The rotation from side to side would be the order of the day to keep the cases running smoothly and as quickly as possible. Of course, this murder trial commanded the entire courtroom for its duration. Photos by R.G. Brook
Take a look at the man third from the right in the front row. This is RG Brook.
Florence testifying her innocence to the court.
Mr. R.G. Brook from St. Helens, who was listed as an "Ironmonger", was on the jury for the trial of Florence Maybrick. His popularity does not end there as he was targeted by the press after the trial and was quoted offering his opinions on the verdict and the actions of the jury during the trial. Public reaction during the trial was very much in favour of Florence, so there was much debate over the verdict. Witnesses against Florence and those involved in her prosecution were either secretly allowed to enter and exit the trial or under police guard during the process. Huge and angry crowds gathered outside the St. George's Hall courtroom building as the trial unfolded, many mistakenly lashing out at others whom they thought were aiding the crown prosecutors.
The selected jury was comprised almost entirely of skilled craftsmen from a variety of Lancashire towns - none were from Liverpool. Florence Maybrick wrote that: 'The jury belonged to a class of men who were not competent to weigh technical evidence, and no doubt attached a great weight to the opinions of the local physicians, one of whom was somewhat of a celebrity.' Some believed that the jury lacked the technical training to cope with the complexities of the medical and legal testimony that they would hear. At the end of the trial, a reporter from The Garston and Woolton Reporter argued that although the verdict had surprised 'the vast majority of people', Florence's trial was 'fair and favourable'. That same reporter interviewed Mr. R.G. Brook who described the Jury as 'men of as good average intelligence as you could find. Now they are calling us "duffers" because we have found her guilty.' Brook added 'We could have come to no other conclusion. We would have been glad to acquit her; but the statement did away with that. The Jury followed the case with utmost care, some of the jurymen taking 13 or 14 folios of notes in one day.' R.G. Brook further described for the press a fascinating glimpse of the jury challenging rumours about their actions outside the courtroom, and giving an in depth look into their lives during the trial.
So, was Florence guilty of Murder? Almost certainly not, but to answer that question, one must first answer two questions asked of the Jury so many years ago: Could it be conclusively proved that James Maybrick died from arsenical poison? The answer is "no". There was conflicting medical testimony regarding the amount of arsenic in his body at the time of death, and whether or not the amount of arsenic in James' body was even comparable to other deaths where arsenical poisoning was the cause. The second question was: If it was a case of arsenical poisoning, then was the poison administered by Florence? Again, and for a variety of reasons, the accusations against Florence were more circumstantial than anything. Further information became available after the trial, but the complexities of this entire death and trial are far too numerous to describe here.
I will however recommend that you all to obtain a copy of this wonderful book where much of this information was provided:
The Maybrick A to Z by Christopher Jones
This has to be one of the most intriguing books I have ever read, partially of course because of the family connection, but more so because of the fact that it provides a fascinating and extremely detailed version of this incredibly famous murder trial. The story of the Maybrick's is in depth beyond my expectations, and the book has been written much like a documentary of the events prior to, during, and after the trial.
I would urge you to obtain a copy of this book for yourselves to read. I guarantee you will be engrossed!
I ordered my copy through a local bookshop, but I have found copies for sale online following a quick search of the title. You may find is less expensive to order through a bookshop than from England yourself since there will be currency exchanges and shipping costs to deal with.
Click here for information on the publisher.
I would urge you to obtain a copy of this book for yourselves to read. I guarantee you will be engrossed!
I ordered my copy through a local bookshop, but I have found copies for sale online following a quick search of the title. You may find is less expensive to order through a bookshop than from England yourself since there will be currency exchanges and shipping costs to deal with.
Click here for information on the publisher.
You might be thinking how terrible it is that a member of our family actually played a role in the hanging of a woman who was convicted of a crime she didn't commit. Let me help you with that as I finish the Maybrick story (or at least this part of it). After Florence's trial, the natives grew restless. Witnesses that should have been there to speak on Florence's behalf were out of the country. A recipe for extracting arsenic from flypapers to use as a cosmetic wipe was found in a bible owned by Florence. Public anger with the verdict and the conduct of the case led to a tremendous outcry forcing the Home Secretary, Henry Matthews, to advise Her Majest Queen Victoria to commute the sentence to Life in Prison. The outcry also resulted in this being the last trial to be presided over by Judge James Fitzjames Stephens. He was forced to retire from the bench two years following Florence's trial, and shortly thereafter entered an asylum for the insane. He died there in 1894.
Florence spent 15 long years in custody. She returned to the United States to live out the rest of her life. She wrote a book called "My Fifteen Lost Years", the complete text of which can be found by clicking here. In this autobiography she states 'Who shall give back the years I have spent within the prison walls; the friends by whom I am forgotten, the children to whom I am dead; the sunshine; the winds of heaven; my woman's life, and all I have lost by this terrible injustice?'
Florence spent the final years of her life in South Kent, Connecticut, living in a very simple home nestled in the woods that she had built. She was very much a recluse and would not venture away from her property, not even to visit a doctor when she was not well. She became reliant on neighbours and boys from South Kent school (a private institution where Florence assisted the nurse on occasion), to help her with firewood and groceries. On October 23, 1941 one of these neighbours called on her but got no answer. He entered the house only to find a very old Florence dead on her sofa. She was surrounded by cats. The mattress on her bed was crawling with bugs. A few days later the Humane Society visited and destroyed up to 20 cats. She was buried in a cemetery on the grounds of the South Kent School. in 1956 the cemetery was officially consecrated, and in 1998 the cemetery was rededicated and received a much needed facelift. The cross on Florence's grave (below) was replaced with a simple stone monument bearing the same inscription that was on her cross "FECM".
Florence spent 15 long years in custody. She returned to the United States to live out the rest of her life. She wrote a book called "My Fifteen Lost Years", the complete text of which can be found by clicking here. In this autobiography she states 'Who shall give back the years I have spent within the prison walls; the friends by whom I am forgotten, the children to whom I am dead; the sunshine; the winds of heaven; my woman's life, and all I have lost by this terrible injustice?'
Florence spent the final years of her life in South Kent, Connecticut, living in a very simple home nestled in the woods that she had built. She was very much a recluse and would not venture away from her property, not even to visit a doctor when she was not well. She became reliant on neighbours and boys from South Kent school (a private institution where Florence assisted the nurse on occasion), to help her with firewood and groceries. On October 23, 1941 one of these neighbours called on her but got no answer. He entered the house only to find a very old Florence dead on her sofa. She was surrounded by cats. The mattress on her bed was crawling with bugs. A few days later the Humane Society visited and destroyed up to 20 cats. She was buried in a cemetery on the grounds of the South Kent School. in 1956 the cemetery was officially consecrated, and in 1998 the cemetery was rededicated and received a much needed facelift. The cross on Florence's grave (below) was replaced with a simple stone monument bearing the same inscription that was on her cross "FECM".
'F.E.C.M. 1862-1941'
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This picture (above left) is of yours truly. It was taken in July of 2012 as I laid flowers on Florence Maybrick's grave at the South Kent School. For me, this was a somewhat solemn occasion. It is likely that I will visit her grave again in my lifetime, as I feel it is owed, as an ancestor of one of the Jurors who found her guilty, to respect this woman with a visit or two and some flowers so that others will remember her story, and that her struggles will not be forgotten. The picture (above right) shows the marker at Florence's grave today. Simple, but hiding a history that few, even those being educated or teaching at South Kent School, are even fully aware of.
It is unlikely that we'll ever know if our ancestor R.G. Brook was one of the petitioners to the Home Secretary or to Queen Victoria for the release of Florence after further information surfaced to support her innocence. I believe that his interest in the case would not have waned due to the amount of press coverage that was evident as a result of this new information, but his convictions on the matter were his and his alone. I like to hope that he would have supported the cause for her release, but a part of me believes that his convictions were final, and that his conscience was clear on the entire matter.
It is unlikely that we'll ever know if our ancestor R.G. Brook was one of the petitioners to the Home Secretary or to Queen Victoria for the release of Florence after further information surfaced to support her innocence. I believe that his interest in the case would not have waned due to the amount of press coverage that was evident as a result of this new information, but his convictions on the matter were his and his alone. I like to hope that he would have supported the cause for her release, but a part of me believes that his convictions were final, and that his conscience was clear on the entire matter.
I bet this story made you forget all about Jack The Ripper didn't it? Click here to continue to that part of the story...
