City of Lincoln Waites

The Wife Murder at Boston, Lincolnshire

1871/1872

William Frederick Horry (Fred) was born in Boston in December 1843. Whilst he was visiting Burslem in Staffordshire, Fred Horry became friendly with Jane, the barmaid of the George Hotel. Fred and Jane's friendship developed and in time, Fred planned to marry Jane and to buy the George.

In 1866 Fred and Jane were married and they took over the George Hotel. Fred was a born innkeeper and his hospitality attracted customers from far and wide. Fred and Jane had three children within their first five years of marriage, but by September 1871 William had started drinking heavily. His drinking stemmed from jealousy of his wife talking to male customers in the bar. The alcohol fed Fred's jealousy, provoking arguments and anger which he failed to contain. His drunken accusations destroyed their marriage, and in September 1871 Jane left him and took the children to Boston in Lincolnshire - to the home of her father-in-law.

Fred visited Boston a few times, to see his wife and children, but eventually his own father barred him from the house because of his aggressive behaviour. As Fred could not manage the Hotel on his own, he sold it and moved to Nottingham. Fred bought a gun in Nottingham and travelled to Boston, intent to kill Jane, if he could not have her then no one else would. He went again to Jane and begged her to come home with him, but when she refused he shot her dead.

At the trial he pleaded insanity but the prosecution proved that he had purchased the gun in Nottingham on his way to Boston, showing that the crime was pre-meditated. Fred was 28 years old when he was found guilty of murder. The Judge instructed that William Fredrick Horry was to be hanged in Lincoln Castle the following Monday. Immediately the verdict was announced his friends, in Burslem and in Boston, launched appeals for a reprieve, but Fred was disinterested.

He was hanged at Lincoln Castle on the 1st April 1872 by William Marwood who was officiating at his first execution. Marwood's fame as an efficient executioner spread after he reformed hanging by inventing the 'Long Drop'.

On the day of the execution there were astonishing scenes in Burslem. More than three thousand people lined the streets, from the George Hotel to St John's Churchyard, to where an empty coffin was carried by his friends from the George. The Rector gave a sermon, saying that Horry, was "a martyr, more sinned against than sinning". Later, as a permanent memorial to Fred Horry, a granite obelisk was paid for by his friends, who erected it above his empty grave.

It is true that by the time that this particular song was being sold, by peddlers of Broadside Ballads, there were no longer any Waits in Lincoln. None the less, this does serve as an example of the sort of news content that Lincoln's Waites may have seen in Broadsheets until Selby Dickinson's death in 1857. Execution Broadsides were often sold among the crowd and gave details of the crime. These were like the tabloid newspapers of their day. Ordinary newspapers were very few in number at this time and relatively very expensive so were only read by the wealthy. This one is included here because of it's Lincolnshire connections.

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You feeling Christians pay attention,
And for one moment list to me
While unto you I'm going to mention,
A sad and dreadful tragedy,
At Boston, in the county of Lincoln,
As no doubt you must have heard,
Of the sad case I now mention,
Which in January has occurred.
O list to the Boston crime with sorrow,
And your pity I now crave,
For the sake of poor Jane Horry,
Who now lies in her lonely grave.
A young man, William Frederick Horry
With jealous feeling in his breast,
His darling wife he cruelly murdered,
O let us hope she is now at rest
He went to his father's house on Mondy
And at three o'clock in the afternoon
With a revolver he shot his wife dead,
As she was entering the dining room.
Hearing the report of a pistol
In haste to the spot his mother run,
And saw the lifeless body of poor Jane Horry,
And at her feet there stood her son.
When with the murder of his wife they charged him,
The shocking crime he did not deny,
O let us hope she is now in heaven,
Dwelling with her God on high.
Now three darling little children,
Motherless now are left behind,
Let's hope no one will e'er upbraid them
Or ever speak of their father's crime.
May Providence watch o'er the children
And all their troubles help them through,
For we know that poor dear children,
Cannot help the crimes their parents do.
Now all you who give way to jealous passion,
And the crimes which it entails,
I hope that you will learn a lesson,
From my sad and mournful tale.
Their married life has ended early,
For his wife he says his temper tried
But for them now it is all ended,
For her faults she bled and died.
How sad must be his wretched feelings
Fallen from his high estate,
Dreams of future o'er him stealing,
Visions of an awful fate.
O what must be the parents feelings,
Justice now for him does crave,
While he awaits his trial for murder,
She lies in a lonely grave.

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