Mary Wheeler was just 24 at time of death, executed on the gallows at London's Newgate Prison. Little is known of her childhood. Just 10 years prior, when she was only 14, her father, Thomas Wheeler, also was executed on the Gallows at St. Alban's Prison in Hertfordshire, England on November 20th, 1880. He had murdered a local farmer by the name of Edward Anstee. In his condemned cell, he wrote a letter to the farmers widow, apologising for what he had done and asking for her forgiveness and prayers, that his sins should not be visited upon his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be so.
In Mary's late teens, she had a brief relationship with a Charles Pearcey, a local carpenter by trade. They never married, but she took on his last name, even after the split, the name of Pearcey. To avoid the stigma of being related directly to her father, a condemned man. Mary associated with well-off men, so didn't need to work. Mary's only relatives were her aged mother and an older sister, nearby. Mary was known to have bouts of depression and drink heavily. Her last residence was in Kentish Town, in North London. She met a Frank Samuel Hogg who was a Furniture Remover. Frank was married and had a daughter, both named Phoebe, yet him and Mary still had a quiet affair. Mary invited Phoebe over for Tea, later that day her body was found, with a fractured skull and a cut throat so severe, it almost severed the head.
Mary was arrested after some evidence came to light, was tried at the Old Bailey Criminal Court in London. She pleaded "Not Guilty." The motive was simple, jealousy and passion. Mary gave no evidence at the trial and seemed rather passive. There were no appeals in those days, in England, not till 1907. Mary requested a visit from Frank Hogg while waiting execution. He never showed up. She wept uncontrollably when he wouldn't show up, but her last couple days were well composed. James Berry was her Hangman, 3 weeks after the trial, she was to be hung. When asked if she had any final words. She simply replied..."My sentence is a just one, but a good deal of the evidence against me is false." She never flinched, and tried maintaining her dignity to the end. She is buried in the Prison Cemetery, an unmarked, but numbered grave. ∼Murderess.
Born Mary Eleanor Wheeler c.1966, Pearcey took her new last name from the carpenter she lived with for a time.
Her relationship with Pearcey did not last and she moved in with Frank Hogg, a furniture removal man.
Hogg had another lover Phoebe Styles, and he decided to marry her when she became pregnant.
Pearcey was arrested for the murder of Phoebe Hogg and her infant daughter, also called Phoebe after their bodies were found dumped separately around London. Mrs Hogg had been battered to death and her daughter had been smothered. Pearcey had transported the bodies through the streets of London in the child's pram.
Pearcey was convicted of the murders and hung at Newgate Prison on the 23rd December 1890.
Her last wishes were that an advert was placed in a Madrid newspaper reading;
"MECP Last wish of MEW. Have not betrayed. MEW"
In Mary's late teens, she had a brief relationship with a Charles Pearcey, a local carpenter by trade. They never married, but she took on his last name, even after the split, the name of Pearcey. To avoid the stigma of being related directly to her father, a condemned man. Mary associated with well-off men, so didn't need to work. Mary's only relatives were her aged mother and an older sister, nearby. Mary was known to have bouts of depression and drink heavily. Her last residence was in Kentish Town, in North London. She met a Frank Samuel Hogg who was a Furniture Remover. Frank was married and had a daughter, both named Phoebe, yet him and Mary still had a quiet affair. Mary invited Phoebe over for Tea, later that day her body was found, with a fractured skull and a cut throat so severe, it almost severed the head.
Mary was arrested after some evidence came to light, was tried at the Old Bailey Criminal Court in London. She pleaded "Not Guilty." The motive was simple, jealousy and passion. Mary gave no evidence at the trial and seemed rather passive. There were no appeals in those days, in England, not till 1907. Mary requested a visit from Frank Hogg while waiting execution. He never showed up. She wept uncontrollably when he wouldn't show up, but her last couple days were well composed. James Berry was her Hangman, 3 weeks after the trial, she was to be hung. When asked if she had any final words. She simply replied..."My sentence is a just one, but a good deal of the evidence against me is false." She never flinched, and tried maintaining her dignity to the end. She is buried in the Prison Cemetery, an unmarked, but numbered grave. ∼Murderess.
Born Mary Eleanor Wheeler c.1966, Pearcey took her new last name from the carpenter she lived with for a time.
Her relationship with Pearcey did not last and she moved in with Frank Hogg, a furniture removal man.
Hogg had another lover Phoebe Styles, and he decided to marry her when she became pregnant.
Pearcey was arrested for the murder of Phoebe Hogg and her infant daughter, also called Phoebe after their bodies were found dumped separately around London. Mrs Hogg had been battered to death and her daughter had been smothered. Pearcey had transported the bodies through the streets of London in the child's pram.
Pearcey was convicted of the murders and hung at Newgate Prison on the 23rd December 1890.
Her last wishes were that an advert was placed in a Madrid newspaper reading;
"MECP Last wish of MEW. Have not betrayed. MEW"
Mary Wheeler was just 24 at time of death, executed on the gallows at London's Newgate Prison. Little is known of her childhood. Just 10 years prior, when she was only 14, her father, Thomas Wheeler, also was executed on the Gallows at St. Alban's Prison in Hertfordshire, England on November 20th, 1880. He had murdered a local farmer by the name of Edward Anstee. In his condemned cell, he wrote a letter to the farmers widow, apologising for what he had done and asking for her forgiveness and prayers, that his sins should not be visited upon his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be so.
In Mary's late teens, she had a brief relationship with a Charles Pearcey, a local carpenter by trade. They never married, but she took on his last name, even after the split, the name of Pearcey. To avoid the stigma of being related directly to her father, a condemned man. Mary associated with well-off men, so didn't need to work. Mary's only relatives were her aged mother and an older sister, nearby. Mary was known to have bouts of depression and drink heavily. Her last residence was in Kentish Town, in North London. She met a Frank Samuel Hogg who was a Furniture Remover. Frank was married and had a daughter, both named Phoebe, yet him and Mary still had a quiet affair. Mary invited Phoebe over for Tea, later that day her body was found, with a fractured skull and a cut throat so severe, it almost severed the head.
Mary was arrested after some evidence came to light, was tried at the Old Bailey Criminal Court in London. She pleaded "Not Guilty." The motive was simple, jealousy and passion. Mary gave no evidence at the trial and seemed rather passive. There were no appeals in those days, in England, not till 1907. Mary requested a visit from Frank Hogg while waiting execution. He never showed up. She wept uncontrollably when he wouldn't show up, but her last couple days were well composed. James Berry was her Hangman, 3 weeks after the trial, she was to be hung. When asked if she had any final words. She simply replied..."My sentence is a just one, but a good deal of the evidence against me is false." She never flinched, and tried maintaining her dignity to the end. She is buried in the Prison Cemetery, an unmarked, but numbered grave. ∼Murderess.
Born Mary Eleanor Wheeler c.1966, Pearcey took her new last name from the carpenter she lived with for a time.
Her relationship with Pearcey did not last and she moved in with Frank Hogg, a furniture removal man.
Hogg had another lover Phoebe Styles, and he decided to marry her when she became pregnant.
Pearcey was arrested for the murder of Phoebe Hogg and her infant daughter, also called Phoebe after their bodies were found dumped separately around London. Mrs Hogg had been battered to death and her daughter had been smothered. Pearcey had transported the bodies through the streets of London in the child's pram.
Pearcey was convicted of the murders and hung at Newgate Prison on the 23rd December 1890.
Her last wishes were that an advert was placed in a Madrid newspaper reading;
"MECP Last wish of MEW. Have not betrayed. MEW"
In Mary's late teens, she had a brief relationship with a Charles Pearcey, a local carpenter by trade. They never married, but she took on his last name, even after the split, the name of Pearcey. To avoid the stigma of being related directly to her father, a condemned man. Mary associated with well-off men, so didn't need to work. Mary's only relatives were her aged mother and an older sister, nearby. Mary was known to have bouts of depression and drink heavily. Her last residence was in Kentish Town, in North London. She met a Frank Samuel Hogg who was a Furniture Remover. Frank was married and had a daughter, both named Phoebe, yet him and Mary still had a quiet affair. Mary invited Phoebe over for Tea, later that day her body was found, with a fractured skull and a cut throat so severe, it almost severed the head.
Mary was arrested after some evidence came to light, was tried at the Old Bailey Criminal Court in London. She pleaded "Not Guilty." The motive was simple, jealousy and passion. Mary gave no evidence at the trial and seemed rather passive. There were no appeals in those days, in England, not till 1907. Mary requested a visit from Frank Hogg while waiting execution. He never showed up. She wept uncontrollably when he wouldn't show up, but her last couple days were well composed. James Berry was her Hangman, 3 weeks after the trial, she was to be hung. When asked if she had any final words. She simply replied..."My sentence is a just one, but a good deal of the evidence against me is false." She never flinched, and tried maintaining her dignity to the end. She is buried in the Prison Cemetery, an unmarked, but numbered grave. ∼Murderess.
Born Mary Eleanor Wheeler c.1966, Pearcey took her new last name from the carpenter she lived with for a time.
Her relationship with Pearcey did not last and she moved in with Frank Hogg, a furniture removal man.
Hogg had another lover Phoebe Styles, and he decided to marry her when she became pregnant.
Pearcey was arrested for the murder of Phoebe Hogg and her infant daughter, also called Phoebe after their bodies were found dumped separately around London. Mrs Hogg had been battered to death and her daughter had been smothered. Pearcey had transported the bodies through the streets of London in the child's pram.
Pearcey was convicted of the murders and hung at Newgate Prison on the 23rd December 1890.
Her last wishes were that an advert was placed in a Madrid newspaper reading;
"MECP Last wish of MEW. Have not betrayed. MEW"
