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Alice Farndale
FAR00493
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Dates are in red.
Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.
Headlines are in brown.
References and citations are in turquoise.
Context and local history are in purple.
Geographical
context is in green.
1868
Alice Farndale, daughter of William
and Bessy (nee Langdale) Farndale (FAR00286) was born on 12
November 1868 (1939
Register) and baptised
on 9 February 1868 at Huttons Ambo (BR). Alice Farndale’s
birth was registered in Malton District in the third quarter of 1868 (GRO Vol 9d page 340).
There is clearly an
error somewhere in the records as the baptism date is before the birth date.
Given the registration date, I suspect the baptism date was actually
9 February 1869.
1871
1871 Census, Huttons Ambo:
William Farndale, 45,
licensed hawker (born Yearsley)
Betsy Farndale, William’s
wife, 44, licensed hawker
Elizabeth Farndale, 15,
servant out of situation (b1856)
Mary Farndale, 10 (b1861)
Ann Farndale, 9 (b1862)
Robert Farndale, 7 (b1864)
Jane Farndale, 6 (b1865)
Thomas Farndale, 5 (b1866)
Charles Farndale, 3 (b1868)
Alice Farndale, 2 (b1869)
1881
1881 Census, Huttons Ambo:
William Farndale, 56,
licensed hawker (born Yearsley)
Betsy Farndale, William’s
wife, 55, postmistress
James Farndale, 23,
gardener, born Appleton-le-Street
Charles Farndale, 13,
scholar, born Huttons Ambro
Alice Farndale, 12, scholar, born Huttons
Ambro
1886
In 1886 Alice and her father
William, were witnesses to a tragedy when a mother and her child were killed in
the local river:
Yorkshire Gazette, 20
March 1886: MURDER
AND SUICIDE NERAR MALTON. In case of what appears to be a deliberate murder and
suicide occurred at the village of Huttons Ambo, near Malton, on Thursday
morning, and has caused the greatest excitement in this usually quiet
neighbourhood. It seems that for about two years past there had lived in the
village a Mrs Harriet Stillborn, widow of the late Mr Charles Stillborn, whose
family were highly respectable farmers in the district. Mrs Stillborn, who was
40 years of age, was left with two children, a girl
and the boy, on the death of her husband about two years ago, and she has since
maintained the family by keeping a little grocery shop in Low Hutton. Of late,
it is stated, she has not acted very rationally. On Thursday morning, just
after half past eight o’clock, she was seen by Miss Alice Farndale, a young
lady resident in the village, to take her two children by the hands and go
across the fields in the direction of the River
Derwent, which flows very near her house. Miss Farndale states that the
children were screaming at the time, and seemed very reluctant to accompany their
mother. Fearing, therefore, that something was wrong, Miss Farndale ran to
tell her father, who immediately followed Mrs Stillborn, and was greatly
alarmed to see the children and Mrs Stillborn floating down the river.
Springing onto the overhanging branch of a tree, Mr Farndale succeeded in
getting hold of the youngest child, Arthur Ernest Stillborn, aged 4 ½ years,
whom he had once dragged out. Meanwhile two men, named Thomas Baker and Thomas
Dickinson, had seen the action of the unfortunate woman from the other side of
the river, and they ran down and tried to get the bodies of the mother and daughter
out of the water. The river, being somewhat rough and “wavy”, as well as
running rapidly, on account of the “fresh”, carried both bodies nearly a
quarter of a mile, down to a place called Laysike,
and both were got out before they sank. Of course the
greatest excitement prevailed for some time, but whilst Mr Farndale ran up
to his house with the body of the little boy, those on the bank did the
best they could to restore animation in the mother and daughter, who were laid
by the river side. Dr W T Colby, of Malton, was immediately telegraphed for,
and the bodies of Mrs Stillborn and the child who were carried to an empty
cottage near her own residence. The little lad meanwhile was seized with
convulsions, and had several fits, but his rescuers continued their efforts to
restore him, and in this they fortunately succeeded, as the poor little fellow
about two hours after he was taken out of the water had quite recovered
consciousness. Dr Cobly, with Sergeant Watson, of
Malton, arrived on the scene shortly before eleven o’clock, and at once set
about to resuscitate Mrs Stillborn and the other child, both of whose bodies
were warm, but the efforts of both himself and
assistants were entirely useless. Dr Colby was of the opinion
that Mrs Stillborn had died partly from the shock and partly from the
drowning. The child Annie Stillborn, who was thus deprived of life, was a fine,
bright, healthy girl of nine years of age, whilst the mother did not appear to
be of strong physique.
South Wales Echo, 20 March
1886: A MOTHER
DROWING HERSELF AND CHILD. A sad affair occurred at Huttons Ambo, near Malton,
on Thursday morning, when Mrs Harriet Stillborn, widow of Mr Charles Stillborn,
grocer etc, of Hutton, threw two of her children and then jumped herself into
the river Derwent, which flows near her house. Miss Farndale, a lady
resident in the village, saw Mrs Stillborn hurrying to the water side,
taking her two children with her. The children were screaming, and Miss
Farndale ran to her father, fearing something was wrong. When Mr
Farndale reached the river the mother and two children were floating on the
water. By great exertions he managed to reach the little boy, child stillborn,
age 4 ½ years, and drag him out. The bodies of Mrs Stillborn, who is 40
years of age, and Annie Stillborn, age nine years, floated down the river for a
quarter of a mile before they were rescued. Dr Colley, of Malton, was sent for,
and tried every means of resuscitation, but without success in the case of the
mother and daughter; But the little boy is recovering. It is stated that the
poor woman, who belonged to a very respectable family, had lately acted and
very strange manner.
Preston Herald, 20 March
1886: MURDER
AND SUICIDE. At Hutton Hambo (sic), East Yorkshire, on Thursday morning,
a widow, named Harriet Stillburn, went to the river
Derwent, which runs near to her house, taking her two children, Charles and Annie, aged 5 and 10 respectively, with her. She
threw the children into the water, and then jumped into the river herself. A
Mr Farndale, living near the spot, saw all three floating down the stream. He
rescued the boy, but was unable to reach the mother and daughter, both of whom
were drowned. It is stated that the mother belonged to a respectable family.
Shields Daily News, 19
March 1886: A
MOTHER DROWNING HERSELF AND TWO CHILDREN. EXCITING SCENE. MALTON, Thursday. A
sad affair occurred at Huttons Ambo, near Malton, this morning, when Mrs
Harriet Stillborn, widow of Mr Charles Stillborn, grocer etc, of Hutton, threw
two of her children and then herself into the river Derwent, which flows near
her house. About 8:30 this morning Miss Farndale, a lady resident in the
village, saw Mrs Stillborn hurrying to the water side with her two children.
The children were screaming, and Miss Farndale ran to tell her father, fearing
something was wrong. When Mr Farndale reached the river the mother and two
children were floating on the water. By great exertions he managed to reach the
little boy, Charles Stillborn, aged 4 ½ years, and brought him out. The body of
Mrs Stillborn, who is 40 years of age, and Annie Stillborn, aged nine years,
floated a quarter of a mile further before they were recovered. Dr Colby of
Malton was sent for directly and tried every means of resuscitation, but
without success in the case of the mother and daughter, but the little boy,
being first rescued, is fortunately recovering. It is stated that the poor
lady, who was belongs to a very respectable family, had lately noted
irrationality in her manner.
Leeds Mercury, 20 March
1886:
THE DROWNING OF A MOTHER AND
DAUGHTER BNEAR MAKLTON. INQUEST AND VERDICT.
Yesterday afternoon Mr Henry
Wood, Coroner for the York district, held an inquest at Mr. Wm Stillborn’s, farmer, of Hutton, on the bodies of Harriet
Stillborn, widow, aged 39 years, and Annie Stillborn, her daughter, aged nine
years, who were drowned in the river Derwent, near Malton, under the sad
circumstances reported by us yesterday.
The first witness called was
Elizabeth Ann Best, wife of Mr Best, cotton manufacturer, who identified the
deceased, and said that Mrs Stillborn sat up with witness’s mother-in-law, upon
whom she was waiting, on Wednesday night. They all lived together; but witness
did not see Mrs Stillborn after six o’clock, when she left the bedroom, until
she saw her leaving the house with her little boy, Arthur Ernest Stillborn in
her arms. Witness thought that was a little before nine o’clock. Deceased went
towards the village. The little girl, Annie, followed her mother across the
grass plat. Deceased had previously told witness that she could not sleep; “A
mind diseased required no sleep.” Had noticed her put her hands on her head
very often, but she made no remark. She said nothing about the children. There
was a third child in the family, a little girl called Evelyn, seven years of
age, and when the deceased had gone out she went up to
witness and said “Mamma’s gone away.” Before she went out
she kissed Annie and I, and said, “Goodbye darlings; Arthur and I are going to
a better land.” Witness then told a cousin of hers to go after the deceased at
once, and she followed her. Witness only came to Hutton the night before, and
noticed nothing peculiar about deceased, who talked all right during the night.
She seemed in good spirits. There had occurred nothing to excite her during the
night. She was very much attached to the children, especially the little boy.
Alice Farndale, daughter of
Mr Farndale, postmaster of Hutton, deposed to seeing Mrs Stillborn, the
deceased, the girl Annie Stillborn, and the little boy Arthur going across Mr
Avison’s field towards the river. The little girl was looking round when witness
saw them, and thinking there was something wrong, she followed down the lane
towards the river, and heard the girl and he crying
and saying, “Mama don't! Mama don't!” Witness then ran back to tell her father.
The girl was by the side of her mother, but witness did not hear the latter
speak. Mrs Stillborn had the little boy in her arms at the time, and she was 40
yards from the river.
Elisa Stillbeck
said she lived at Laysike, on the opposite side of
the river. About nine on Thursday morning she saw the
deceased approach the river on the Hutton side. The little girl was crying very
much. Witness saw Mrs Stillborn jump into the river with the little boy in her
arms, and she then
turned round and pulled the girl in. The little girl then said, “There's a
woman” twice (alluding to witness). Witness gave an alarm immediately, and a
man and a woman ran to the spot. The deceased Mrs Stillborn did not speak at
all. She did not struggle to get out at all.
William Farndale, postmaster, of Hutton,
corroborated the evidence of his daughter, a previous witness, as to his
attention being called to the deceased taking her children in the direction of
the river. His daughter told him that “Harriet Stillborn was murdering the
children.” When he got to the river side, a man and woman at the other side
shouted, and told him to make for some overhanging trees. He did so, and there
saw the little boy floating under the tree. He got on the branch of a tree and
caught the boy as he was floating past. The child seemed to be in a fit. With
some difficulty he past the boy on to the last witness, and when he got out of
the tree he took the child to his own house. Did not
see the mother, but he saw the little girl floating down the river on her back.
Elizabeth Lazenby, of Hanley,
Staffordshire, having given evidence,
Tom Dickinson, labourer, of Hutton,
deposed to pulling the bodies of Mrs Stillborn and the little girl out of the
Derwent. He heard Mrs Stillbeck scream,
and saw the woman and child floating down. When he got them out he thought both were quite dead. The mother had floated
about a quarter of a mile and the child about half a mile.
W Taylor Colby, MD, of Malton, deposed
that he received information of the affair soon after nine on Thursday morning.
He came away at once, and found the little boy in a
state of partial collapse, but he soon recovered. Saw the bodies of the mother
and daughter, both of which presented all the external symptoms of death by
drowning. He then he had them stripped and put into blankets, and tried to
restore them, but without avail. He believed they had been dead when taken out
of the water. There were no marks of violence on the bodies. Witness knew Mrs Stillborn, but had not seen her lately. From the
evidence he had heard he had not the least doubt in his own mind that Mrs
Stillborn was temporarily insane.
The CORONER having summed up,
The jury found “that Mrs Stillborn
caused the death of her child and committed suicide while suffering from
temporary derangement of mind.”
1889
Elizabeth Farndale (FAR00632), daughter, was born
at Norton (Malton?) in 1889.
1890
Alice Farndale, 21, married John McLean, 21, a
labourer, at St Peter’s, Norton, Juxta, Malton on 2 June 1890 (MR).
It is not clear why, after
she married John McLean, her first fur children were nevertheless Farndales.
They are specifically recorded in the census records as sons and daughters of
John and Alice.
1891
For some reason Elizabeth’s
children took the Farndale name:
Census 1891 – Barnby Yard,
St Leonards, Malton
John McLean, 22,
agricultural labourer
Alice McLean, 22
Elizabeth Farndale,
daughter, 2, born Norton in 1889
1894
John William Farndale (FAR00663) was born at Malton
in 1894.
1897
Henry Farndale (FAR00681A) was born in Malton in
1897.
1899
Edward Farndale (FAR00696A) was born in Malton in
1899.
1901
Census 1901 – 2 Spittle Street, Malton
John McLean, 33,
agricultural labourer
Alice McLean, 33
Elizabeth Farndale, 12,
daughter, born Norton in 1889
John William Farndale, son,
8, born Malton 1893
Henry Farndale, 4, son, born
Malton 1897
Edward Farndale, son, 2 born
Malton 1899
Alfred McLean was born on 13
August 1901.
1906
Alice McLean was born on 15
April 1906.
1921
Census 1921 – Malton
Now available but not yet checked
1939
1939 Register – 24 Highfield Road, Malton
Alice McLean, widowed, born
12 November 1868, unpaid domestic duties
Alfred McLean, born 13
August 1901, fish shop assistant
Alice McLean, born 15 April
1906, unpaid domestic duties
1949
Alice Maclean died at
Ryedale in the first quarter of 1949 aged 80.