GRISLY TALES FROM FLORENCE STREET
1863
A noted local coroner, Mr Edwin Lankester often held his inquests at the Florence Tavern!
In one case in 1863, picked up by the national press, he was looking into the death of an eight year old girl whose remains were dug up in the garden of a local florist just off New North Road. A former employee of the florist, William Clarke was arrested and as was usual in those days, word got out and a large crowd turned up to follow him to Clerkenwell Police Station and subsequently to the inquest at the Florence Tavern.
Many more people surrounded the garden where the remains were found, as word had got around that the skull of a child had been found in the same garden the previous year. William Clarke also had a record having been charged with assaulting a six year old girl in 1861 and a similar attack on an eight year old girl the following year, but nether set of parents chose to press charges.
1921
In 1921 a procession of unemployed men, or as the Guardian described them – "unemployables" – wanted to see the Mayor at the Town Hall (the Vestry Hall), which was still on the Florence Street corner. When they were told that he was not available and that there was no such thing as a deputy mayor, they threatened to rush the building. The policeman in charge said "If you attempt that, I will stop you."
"I have five hundred men" said the leader of the unemployed. "Do you think that you could stop me?"
The police drew truncheons but the unemployed men found a variety of weapons including lead piping, iron bars and daggers. The police eventually succeeded in keeping them out and even arrested 19 of them who were subsequently charged and given minor sentences, apart from one chap who was given 6 weeks hard labour for hitting a policeman over the head with an iron bar.
"Murder charge against pretty girl"
1912
“Yesterday at Clerkenwell Police Court Daisy Williams (18) of 36 Florence Street, Islington was brought up and remanded for eight months on the charge of murdering another girl known as Dolly Steer and Annie Miller. The accused, a pretty little girl, gave herself up to the police on Tuesday saying that she stabbed the girl through jealousy. It is understood that both girls were in love with a young man [Theo Andrews].”
She was later tried at the Old Bailey where she was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. The prosecutor noted that: "This could not be regarded as a slight case of manslaughter. The victim of the unlawful killing, Dolly Steer, was a young woman, 18 years of age, who bore a good character, and who, so far as the man in question was concerned and so far as the prisoner was concerned, was absolutely blameless.
“Prisoner, at a comparatively early date before the crime, had bought a dagger and some corrosive fluid, the suggestion being that she intended to use them on the man who was the cause of her trouble at this particular time. [Dolly] Steer, a dressmaker, made the acquaintance of a man named Theo Andrews, a violinist at a theatre in Islington, in 1910. They, however, quarrelled. Prisoner and Andrews met at a house in the City Road; subsequently he was a frequent visitor at her residence, and it appeared that he accepted presents in money and to a small) extent in kind from her.
“Later, Andrew's friendship with Steer was renewed, and he told prisoner that his relations with her must cease. Thereupon prisoner seemed to have resorted to every means to cause a breach between Steer and Andrews. On the early morning of July 16 prisoner saw them together, and a quarrel ensued between her and Andrews, in the course of which Andrews struck prisoner, knocking her down. She and Steer passed the night together, and in the morning prisoner killed Steer with the dagger. Prisoner said she first of all threw corrosive fluid into her eyes and then stabbed her, but according to medical evidence that was not accurate, as blood was on the body before corrosive fluid was thrown. A few days before prisoner had said that if she could not have Theo herself no one else should have him."
In response, Daisy's barrister said:
"She had no ill-feeling or cause for anger against Steer. Daisy, a perfectly respectable girl, fell out of employment in September, and her father was also out of work. There were four younger children dependent upon her father. At 16 years of age she left home, and unfortunately became associated with a woman who took her to a room in the City Road. A man who was there wished to have relations with her, but she refused, whereupon she was laughed at and called a "Sunday school bread-and-butter Miss." She then consented. That man who seduced her afterwards borrowed money from her. There was also evidence of the ill-treatment of her during that time. Later on, in May, this man told the girl he would marry her if she became "straight." Extraordinary as it might seem, the prisoner loved the man, and gave up the life she was living and supported herself on her sayings. The man, however, eventually wrote her a letter in which he said: "Dear Daisy, I think it advisable not to resume our friendship again. I have been fortunate in winning the affections of a true, lovable girl."
He also dwelt upon the anguish of mind experienced by the prisoner, who on one occasion tried to suffocate herself by turning on the gas in her room. On the night of July 16 the man struck prisoner twice, knocking her down, and according to her statement he kicked her while she was on the ground. He concluded: "At the time she committed the manslaughter prisoner's mind was dethroned by anguish, and she could not form an intent to kill."
In summing up the judge said: "My view is that the prisoner, in a moment of anguish, committed this unlawful act against the girl, which was followed by consequences which she did not anticipate or realise. The conduct of the man, whose name has been mentioned, if the facts mentioned were correct, was so bad that one could not help expressing a wish that he should to some extent be made answerable for the consequences. Making all allowance for her youth and for the distressing circumstances, I could not do less than sentence prisoner to eighteen month's hard labour."