Harold Oswald Merry - hanged at Winson Green prison in Birmingham.
40 year old Merry was married with five children ranging in age from one to 14. The family lived at 205 Hewell Road in Redditch, Worcestershire.
In July 1941 Merry started a relationship with 27 year old Joyce Dixon and passed himself off to her as single. In January of the following year Joyce took him to meet her mother, Kate Dixon in Birmingham. They told Kate that they wanted to get engaged and go to London to buy a ring. This they did on the 21st of March 1942, staying at the Museum Hotel until the 27th of March and according to the manageress were apparently very much in love.
During that time Kate had found out that Merry was married and confronted her daughter with this news on her return. Joyce, whilst upset, was not about to break off the relationship. On Saturday the 29th of March she left home in mid afternoon to meet Merry. When she had not returned by Sunday morning her brother, Oliver, went looking for her. He drove to Merry's home in Redditch and was talking to Merry's wife Florence when he heard strange noises from upstairs. He and Florence found Merry trying to strangle himself with a cord. They got it away from him and Oliver asked him what he had done with Joyce. Merry confessed that he had killed her and told him where the body was. Oliver took Merry in his car to Redditch police station, where he was searched and a pocket book found containing the joint suicide note. The police found the body where Merry had said - in a pool at Turves Green in the Northfield district of Birmingham. She had been partially strangled and then drowned.
Merry gave the police a full statement in which he said "All I can say is that I am guilty" and he was charged with her murder. The post mortem conducted by Professor James Webster revealed that Joyce wasn't pregnant so that motive could be ruled out.
He withdrew his confession on the 2nd of April and claimed that the couple had made a suicide pact and that after killing Joyce he had tried to strangle and then drown himself but had succeeded in neither. He was able to produce a suicide note that bore the genuine signatures of both parties.
Merry was tried at Birmingham on the 17th and 18th of July before Mr. Justice Croom-Johnson.
Joyce had a history of mental illness which was used by the defence. They asked the jury for a verdict of manslaughter or attempted murder, but the jury convicted Merry of willful murder.
His appeal was dismissed on the 26th of August 1942. A petition for mercy was got up in Redditch and was signed by over 2,000 people.
On Thursday the 10th of September 1942 walked his last few paces onto the gallows within Winson Green prison where he was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Harry Critchell.
Contributor: Mizzizzippy (48842038)
40 year old Merry was married with five children ranging in age from one to 14. The family lived at 205 Hewell Road in Redditch, Worcestershire.
In July 1941 Merry started a relationship with 27 year old Joyce Dixon and passed himself off to her as single. In January of the following year Joyce took him to meet her mother, Kate Dixon in Birmingham. They told Kate that they wanted to get engaged and go to London to buy a ring. This they did on the 21st of March 1942, staying at the Museum Hotel until the 27th of March and according to the manageress were apparently very much in love.
During that time Kate had found out that Merry was married and confronted her daughter with this news on her return. Joyce, whilst upset, was not about to break off the relationship. On Saturday the 29th of March she left home in mid afternoon to meet Merry. When she had not returned by Sunday morning her brother, Oliver, went looking for her. He drove to Merry's home in Redditch and was talking to Merry's wife Florence when he heard strange noises from upstairs. He and Florence found Merry trying to strangle himself with a cord. They got it away from him and Oliver asked him what he had done with Joyce. Merry confessed that he had killed her and told him where the body was. Oliver took Merry in his car to Redditch police station, where he was searched and a pocket book found containing the joint suicide note. The police found the body where Merry had said - in a pool at Turves Green in the Northfield district of Birmingham. She had been partially strangled and then drowned.
Merry gave the police a full statement in which he said "All I can say is that I am guilty" and he was charged with her murder. The post mortem conducted by Professor James Webster revealed that Joyce wasn't pregnant so that motive could be ruled out.
He withdrew his confession on the 2nd of April and claimed that the couple had made a suicide pact and that after killing Joyce he had tried to strangle and then drown himself but had succeeded in neither. He was able to produce a suicide note that bore the genuine signatures of both parties.
Merry was tried at Birmingham on the 17th and 18th of July before Mr. Justice Croom-Johnson.
Joyce had a history of mental illness which was used by the defence. They asked the jury for a verdict of manslaughter or attempted murder, but the jury convicted Merry of willful murder.
His appeal was dismissed on the 26th of August 1942. A petition for mercy was got up in Redditch and was signed by over 2,000 people.
On Thursday the 10th of September 1942 walked his last few paces onto the gallows within Winson Green prison where he was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Harry Critchell.
Contributor: Mizzizzippy (48842038)
Harold Oswald Merry - hanged at Winson Green prison in Birmingham.
40 year old Merry was married with five children ranging in age from one to 14. The family lived at 205 Hewell Road in Redditch, Worcestershire.
In July 1941 Merry started a relationship with 27 year old Joyce Dixon and passed himself off to her as single. In January of the following year Joyce took him to meet her mother, Kate Dixon in Birmingham. They told Kate that they wanted to get engaged and go to London to buy a ring. This they did on the 21st of March 1942, staying at the Museum Hotel until the 27th of March and according to the manageress were apparently very much in love.
During that time Kate had found out that Merry was married and confronted her daughter with this news on her return. Joyce, whilst upset, was not about to break off the relationship. On Saturday the 29th of March she left home in mid afternoon to meet Merry. When she had not returned by Sunday morning her brother, Oliver, went looking for her. He drove to Merry's home in Redditch and was talking to Merry's wife Florence when he heard strange noises from upstairs. He and Florence found Merry trying to strangle himself with a cord. They got it away from him and Oliver asked him what he had done with Joyce. Merry confessed that he had killed her and told him where the body was. Oliver took Merry in his car to Redditch police station, where he was searched and a pocket book found containing the joint suicide note. The police found the body where Merry had said - in a pool at Turves Green in the Northfield district of Birmingham. She had been partially strangled and then drowned.
Merry gave the police a full statement in which he said "All I can say is that I am guilty" and he was charged with her murder. The post mortem conducted by Professor James Webster revealed that Joyce wasn't pregnant so that motive could be ruled out.
He withdrew his confession on the 2nd of April and claimed that the couple had made a suicide pact and that after killing Joyce he had tried to strangle and then drown himself but had succeeded in neither. He was able to produce a suicide note that bore the genuine signatures of both parties.
Merry was tried at Birmingham on the 17th and 18th of July before Mr. Justice Croom-Johnson.
Joyce had a history of mental illness which was used by the defence. They asked the jury for a verdict of manslaughter or attempted murder, but the jury convicted Merry of willful murder.
His appeal was dismissed on the 26th of August 1942. A petition for mercy was got up in Redditch and was signed by over 2,000 people.
On Thursday the 10th of September 1942 walked his last few paces onto the gallows within Winson Green prison where he was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Harry Critchell.
Contributor: Mizzizzippy (48842038)
40 year old Merry was married with five children ranging in age from one to 14. The family lived at 205 Hewell Road in Redditch, Worcestershire.
In July 1941 Merry started a relationship with 27 year old Joyce Dixon and passed himself off to her as single. In January of the following year Joyce took him to meet her mother, Kate Dixon in Birmingham. They told Kate that they wanted to get engaged and go to London to buy a ring. This they did on the 21st of March 1942, staying at the Museum Hotel until the 27th of March and according to the manageress were apparently very much in love.
During that time Kate had found out that Merry was married and confronted her daughter with this news on her return. Joyce, whilst upset, was not about to break off the relationship. On Saturday the 29th of March she left home in mid afternoon to meet Merry. When she had not returned by Sunday morning her brother, Oliver, went looking for her. He drove to Merry's home in Redditch and was talking to Merry's wife Florence when he heard strange noises from upstairs. He and Florence found Merry trying to strangle himself with a cord. They got it away from him and Oliver asked him what he had done with Joyce. Merry confessed that he had killed her and told him where the body was. Oliver took Merry in his car to Redditch police station, where he was searched and a pocket book found containing the joint suicide note. The police found the body where Merry had said - in a pool at Turves Green in the Northfield district of Birmingham. She had been partially strangled and then drowned.
Merry gave the police a full statement in which he said "All I can say is that I am guilty" and he was charged with her murder. The post mortem conducted by Professor James Webster revealed that Joyce wasn't pregnant so that motive could be ruled out.
He withdrew his confession on the 2nd of April and claimed that the couple had made a suicide pact and that after killing Joyce he had tried to strangle and then drown himself but had succeeded in neither. He was able to produce a suicide note that bore the genuine signatures of both parties.
Merry was tried at Birmingham on the 17th and 18th of July before Mr. Justice Croom-Johnson.
Joyce had a history of mental illness which was used by the defence. They asked the jury for a verdict of manslaughter or attempted murder, but the jury convicted Merry of willful murder.
His appeal was dismissed on the 26th of August 1942. A petition for mercy was got up in Redditch and was signed by over 2,000 people.
On Thursday the 10th of September 1942 walked his last few paces onto the gallows within Winson Green prison where he was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Harry Critchell.
Contributor: Mizzizzippy (48842038)
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