Elizabeth Richardson

Elizabeth Richardson was convicted of the murder of William Pimlot and sentenced to death. She stabbed him in Chancery Lane on 14 November 1768. William Pimlot had been an attorney-at-law with chambers in Symond's Inn Coffee House and had previously taken Elizabeth Richardson into keeping. However, it was heard that she had become jealous and thought that he had been seeing other women and often went to his chambers in the expectation of finding him engaged with some other woman. On Sunday 13 November 1768, William Pimlot had spent the evening at a gentleman's house in Fleet Street with friends, after which he went to his chambers at about midnight. He was described as having been perfectly cool and sober at the time. However, soon after he went to bed, Elizabeth Richardson called at his home and insisted upon being admitted, stating that she would not leave until she saw him. However, he didn't come out and she broke a pane in one of the windows and then went back out into Chancery Lane. However, William Pimlot came out and as she turned back to Symond's Inn she met him. William Pimlot had been partially dressed and upon leaving his chambers he found no watchman at the inn or at the gate, nor any lighted lamp and so he had run out into Chancery Lane and called for the watch. However, Elizabeth Richardson then instantly stabbed him in the breast. When the watchman came over, William Pimlot pulled the knife from his breast and gave it to the watchman, telling him that Elizabeth Richardson had murdered him and that she had done it with the knife. he said: xxxqxxx Here, watchman, take this knife, she has stabbed me. xxxqxxx William Pimlot was then taken to the watchman's hut about 100 yards away where he died about two minutes later without saying any more. When Elizabeth Richardson saw the blood she clasped her hands and said: xxxqxxx What have I done! Oh, Mr Wilson, it was I that did this shocking deed, instantly send for a surgeon, send for a surgeon! I have murdered my dear Pimlot. xxxqxxx Elizabeth Richardson was then arrested and taken to Newgate Prison and charged with murder. She was tried at the Old Bailey on Saturday 7 December 1768 and sentenced to death and executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 28 December 1768. Elizabeth Richardson was noted for having gone by a number of different names, including Martha Wallis and Miss Forrester. She was described as being very plain with a brown complexion and much pockfretten. She was said to have been seduced from the precepts of virtue and honour at an early period of life after which she had subsisted on the wages of casual prostitution, but had later been taken into keeping by William Pimlot. However, she later became jealous of him and would visit him to see if he had another woman with him, although it was not clear whether she had cause for her jealousy. Prior to her execution it was noted that there had been a delay after it was expected that she would also confess to the murder of a man in Bath who was found in the River Avon five years earlier. She had been ordered to be executed on the Monday following her conviction. Symond's Inn was later demolished in 1873 but had been where 22 Chancery Lane is today. ELIZABETH RICHARDSON Executed at Tyburn, 21st of December, 1768, for murdering an Attorney-at-Law, in Symond's Inn, Chancery Lane THIS unhappy woman was seduced from the precepts of virtue and honour at an early period of life, and, after subsisting some years on the wages of casual prostitution, was taken into keeping by Mr Pimlot, an attorney-at-law, who had chambers in Symond's Inn. Whether she had cause for jealousy is uncertain, but she was inflamed with that passion to a degree of violence, and frequently went to his chambers in the expectation of finding him engaged with some other woman. One Sunday evening Mr Pimlot was engaged with some friends at a house in Fleet Street; and Richardson, going to his chambers and finding him not there, determined to wait till his return. About twelve o'clock Mr Pimlot entered his chambers, without being perceived by the woman, and went to bed. About half-an-hour afterwards she in a most riotous manner insisted upon being admitted, declaring, with horrid imprecations, that she would not depart till she had seen Mr Pimlot, who for some time made no answer. This exasperating her to still greater outrage, she gave vent to her passion in the most profane language, and, after breaking one of the panes of the window, went towards the passage leading to Chancery Lane, but turning back, she was met by Mr Pimlot, who gave her into custody of the watch. She was no sooner taken into custody than, with a sharp-pointed penknife, with a blade about two inches long, she struck Mr Pimlot under the left breast. The watchman said: "You break the peace, madam, and I must take you to the watch-house." Immediately after this Mr Pimlot, taking the knife from the wound, said, in a faint and tremulous voice: "Here, watchman, take this knife; she has stabbed me." Mr Pimlot proceeded to the watch-house, being followed by the constable and his prisoner. He sat down in the constable's chair, and on opening his waistcoat the blood was seen issuing from his wound, Leaning down his head, he presently expired, without speaking. The knife was examined, and blood appeared upon the blade. When she perceived the blood issuing from Mr Pimlot's wound she clasped her hands and exclaimed: "What have I done! Oh, Mr Wilson, it was I that did this shocking deed: instantly send for a surgeon, send for a surgeon! I have murdered my dear Pimlot." She was immediately sent to New Prison; and her tears and other passionate expressions of sorrow proved her to be deeply penetrated by affliction for the crime she had committed. A watchman was sent for Mr Minors, a surgeon, in Chancery Lane; but he being in bed, two of his pupils accompanied the watchman. Upon their arrival they found the gentleman dead. On the following day the body was opened by Mr Minors, who found that the heart was penetrated, and that the wound exactly corresponded with the figure of the knife. The coroner's jury being summoned, a verdict of wilful murder was found against the prisoner, who was brought to trial at the next sessions at the Old Bailey; and being found guilty, she was sentenced to be executed on the following Monday. After her body had hung the usual time, it was carried to Surgeons' Hall for dissection.