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Annie Lloyd

Age: 77

Sex: female

Date: 16 Apr 1908

Place: Flynnondeg, Sychtyh, Oswestry

Annie Lloyd was killed in a robbery. She had been strangled.

A man was tried but acquitted.

At first two Oswestry marine store dealers were arrested on suspicion of her murder and were kept in custody for nearly a week but then suspicion fell on the man that was tried. He was identified as having been seen near the house near the time and when they searched his house they found a stud in one of his trousers pockets that matched studs taken from a box in Annie Lloyd's sons bedroom and which tallied one which had been left behind.

They also found a handkerchief with money in it at the man's house which he denied any knowledge of. The police had gone to his house on 4 May 1908 but he wasn't there. In the presence of his daughter they searched the house and when a policeman found a hole under the stairs he rolled up his tunic and put his hand inside and felt a handkerchief. When he pulled it out and took it to the table and unrolled it he found it contained 9 sovereigns. When the man's daughter saw it she said, 'Oh dear', and when asked if she knew anything about it she said, 'Oh no I know nothing about it'.

Later that night the police met the man at 10pm on the road at Trefonen and told him that they wanted to speak to him privately and went to a room at the Efel Inn. They then told him that when searching his house they had found the handkerchief and showed it to him, however, when asked if he had ever seen it before he said, 'No, I have no recollection of ever having seen it'. He then went on to suggest that it might have belonged to his dead wife. He said, 'Now I come to think perhaps my wife may have put it there I believe she wanted to tell me something when about to die, as she seemed to want to point somewhere, she may have put it there'.

Another woman who had known his wife said that she remembered when she was ill, four months before she died, and said that she attended nearly every day until she died. She said that during that period the man's wife had frequently asked to borrow money to buy food and coal and said that she was nearly always short of food in the house and said she knew that she would very often go without it herself. She said that she never remembered her saying anything about having any money hidden and said that she seemed mostly concerned about her son. She also said that the day before she died she was gasping for breath and seemed exhausted and could not speak again. She said that she didn't believe that she had money hidden otherwise she would not have gone without food or borrowed money and said that when she died she owed her money. She said the man's wife died from dropsy and was ill in bed for about four months.

Several other people told similar stories about the man's wife being too ill to speak when she died and how she didn't have any money.

The daughter of Annie Lloyd said that she recognised the handkerchief. She said she recognised it as one she had seen at her mother's at Ffnnon Deg and said that it was one that her brother used to carry his food in and that when it became too ragged for that purpose her father had it in his pocket. She said that the stitching in it was her mother's, Annie Lloyd's, saying that she always used linen thread when stitching things and that the handkerchief was very familiar to her adding that she had no doubt.

A labourer from Treflach said that on Easter Sunday he went to the corner near the Coffee Road in Treflach where there were several men stood talking. He said he thought the man that was charged was there but he could not be certain, and that whilst talking between 11-12noon he saw a stud on the ground which he picked up. He said a man saw him pick it up and he said, 'This will just suit me' and he put it in his pocket and took it home. He said it was a pearl bottom stud with a gold or metal top which was engraved. When the stud was handed to the police and shown to Annie Lloyd's son he had said that it was similar to the one belonging to the set that was missing from his home.

A woman who lived at Bryncoch said that on 16 April 1908 she was in the field at the back of her house fetching water from the well at about 4.30pm when she saw a man get over a style just below Ffnnon Deg. She said that he looked like a young man and was carrying a coat and went across the field at the back of Tycoch house and over the style that led to Moylled Hill.

Another woman who lived at Schtyn near the Smithy said that a fortnight before the murder of Annie Lloyd she saw a young man pass down the road in front of her house three days in succession at about 11am. She said she saw him go over the style and go across Tycoch field and talk to a worker in the field that was spreading manure.

A farmers son said that on the afternoon of 16 April 1908 he saw two men with a scrap cart standing on the side of the road putting something into it. Between 3-3.30pm a woman said that a man called at her house and asked her if she had any old rags, bones or iron to sell. She said he was a rather short man with a full face. She said that after she saw him head off towards Trefonen and thought that he was with a cart as one appeared to be waiting for him.

Annie Lloyd was murdered between 4-7pm on 16 April 1908. It was believed that between £15-£20 was stolen along with a silver watch and some other items.

A man was seen in the vicinity of her house that day at about 3pm, aged between 20-25. He was of a medium height and build and had a slight fair moustache.

Annie Lloyd's daughter last saw her alive at about 6.30am before she left home for work. She returned home about 7pm. She said that Annie Lloyd was alone in the house while she was out. She added that the nearest house was about 150 yards away.

When she got back she went into the house and saw Annie Lloyd lying on the floor on her back. She said she felt her arm and cheek and said they were quite cold but that her neck felt a bit warm. She then put a cushion under her head and a cloak over her legs. She then went to the nearest house to get help.

The daughter said that her father had died about five weeks earlier and that Annie Lloyd kept money in the chest of drawers saying that it was the only place that was locked in the house and that she thought it contained about £15-£20. She also said that she noticed that the rifle that hung in the parlour had been turned upside down.

She said that their house was at the corner of four roads suitable for vehicular traffic but that it was in a very secluded position and that anyone going to the house could only be seen by someone close to the house and that the house opposite from which it was clearly visible was at that time un-tenanted.

The autopsy stated that her death was caused by asphyxia due to compression of the windpipe.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see discovery.nationalarchives.co.uk

see Cheltenham Chronicle - Saturday 09 May 1908

see Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Wednesday 08 July 1908

see Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Monday 04 May 1908

see National Archives - ASSI 6/43/6