Charles Higginson

Charles Higginson murdered his son William Higginson 5 on 2 april 1843 in the parish of Eccleshall.

Charles Higginson was a widower and paid 1s and 6d a week to have his child looked after by a woman in Tipley Heath. On 1 April the payment for the childs lodging and board were 4 weeks in arrear and the woman told  Charles Higginson that he would have to take his son away.

The next day Charles Higginson got up at 5am and borrowed a spade from someone saying he had something to do for a man in Knightley. He then took the road through Bishops Wood which did not lead to Knightley. He returned around 9am without the spade  and then left with his son saying he was taking him to his brothers house 8 miles away. About 1pm he went to his sister-in-laws house in Knightley and she asked how his son was and he told her that he was dead and that he had died on the Tuesday and he buried him on the Thursday.

Suspision was raised and people began to search for the child who was found buried in a freshly turned bit of soil near a gate. William Higginson was found 10 inches below the surface. He had a hankerchief over his eyes and another tied over his mouth. Charles Higginson said that he had buried the child alive.

see Yorkshire Gazette - Saturday 12 August 1843