Catherine Foster

Arsenic dumplings!

In 1846, Catherine Foster of High Street, Acton murdered her husband of 3 weeks, who she married in Acton Church, by giving him dumplings poisoned with arsenic.

Dr Jones of Long Melford assumed the death to be 'English Cholera' but at the inquest a post-mortem was ordered. Tests on the fluid taken from the stomach soon revealed arsenic, and the body which had been buried was exhumed on 27th November 1846 and examined in the Churchyard.

At the trial the murdered man's 8 year old brother remembered having seen Catherine put a black powder in the dumpling mixture.

Catherine had given the remains of the meal to their hens, who had also died; they also had a strong trace of arsenic in their bodies.

Catherine was tried at Bury St Edmunds and after retiring for only 15 minutes, the Jury brought in a guilty verdict. She was hanged at Bury before 10,000 onlookers — the first criminal to be buried at the Gaol and the last woman to be hanged at Bury St Edmunds.

The motive, if such it can be called or even discerned, was almost touching in its childish inadequacy. She had no real affection for her husband although he was kind to her; she had married to please her mother but found that she had been happier in service and would have liked to return — so she got rid of her husband. She was aged just 17.