Wife of Thomas Stafford Sidney, married at Holy Trinity Church, Eastbourne on October 14th 1884.
Mother of Grace, Thomas and Vera.
Grandmother of Margaret Kathleen, John Edmund, Grace Mary, Suzanne Violet, Alastair Michael, Cedric and Virginia.
Poetess.
Of 29 Birdhurst Rise.
In 1928-29 three people were murdered in the south London suburb of Croydon. The murderer used poison but he (or she) was never caught. In April 1928 a 59 year old Edmund Creighton Duff lived with his wife, Grace and his children in South Park Hill Road in Croydon. Edmund Duff had been a British colonial civil servant but was now retired. He augmented his pension by working as a clerk. However on the evening of 26 April 1928 after a meal he complained of stomach ache and cramps in his legs. His condition worsened overnight and he died the next day 27 April. Unfortunately the death was attributed to natural causes. In fact he had been poisoned.
After Edmund's death his widow Grace bought 59 Birdhurst Rise. Meanwhile nothing untoward happened for 10 months. Then on 14 February 1929 Edmund Duff's sister-in-law Vera Sidney fell ill. The cook, a woman named Kate Noakes fell ill too. So did the cat. However Violet, the cook and the cat recovered but Valerie Sydney died on 16 February 1929.
The last victim was Violet Sidney, Vera's mother. She fell ill and died on 5 March 1929.
Violet Sidney was buried but this time some people became suspicious and her body and that of her daughter Vera were exhumed on 22 March 1929. Both contained arsenic. The body of Edmund Duff was later exhumed and was also found to contain arsenic.
The police carried out a thorough investigation but nobody was ever charged with the murders. It was impossible to say who had administered the poison. The case remains a mystery.∼Died aged 69 years.
∼Poisoned victim
Unsolved case
Mother of Grace, Thomas and Vera.
Grandmother of Margaret Kathleen, John Edmund, Grace Mary, Suzanne Violet, Alastair Michael, Cedric and Virginia.
Poetess.
Of 29 Birdhurst Rise.
In 1928-29 three people were murdered in the south London suburb of Croydon. The murderer used poison but he (or she) was never caught. In April 1928 a 59 year old Edmund Creighton Duff lived with his wife, Grace and his children in South Park Hill Road in Croydon. Edmund Duff had been a British colonial civil servant but was now retired. He augmented his pension by working as a clerk. However on the evening of 26 April 1928 after a meal he complained of stomach ache and cramps in his legs. His condition worsened overnight and he died the next day 27 April. Unfortunately the death was attributed to natural causes. In fact he had been poisoned.
After Edmund's death his widow Grace bought 59 Birdhurst Rise. Meanwhile nothing untoward happened for 10 months. Then on 14 February 1929 Edmund Duff's sister-in-law Vera Sidney fell ill. The cook, a woman named Kate Noakes fell ill too. So did the cat. However Violet, the cook and the cat recovered but Valerie Sydney died on 16 February 1929.
The last victim was Violet Sidney, Vera's mother. She fell ill and died on 5 March 1929.
Violet Sidney was buried but this time some people became suspicious and her body and that of her daughter Vera were exhumed on 22 March 1929. Both contained arsenic. The body of Edmund Duff was later exhumed and was also found to contain arsenic.
The police carried out a thorough investigation but nobody was ever charged with the murders. It was impossible to say who had administered the poison. The case remains a mystery.∼Died aged 69 years.
∼Poisoned victim
Unsolved case
Wife of Thomas Stafford Sidney, married at Holy Trinity Church, Eastbourne on October 14th 1884.
Mother of Grace, Thomas and Vera.
Grandmother of Margaret Kathleen, John Edmund, Grace Mary, Suzanne Violet, Alastair Michael, Cedric and Virginia.
Poetess.
Of 29 Birdhurst Rise.
In 1928-29 three people were murdered in the south London suburb of Croydon. The murderer used poison but he (or she) was never caught. In April 1928 a 59 year old Edmund Creighton Duff lived with his wife, Grace and his children in South Park Hill Road in Croydon. Edmund Duff had been a British colonial civil servant but was now retired. He augmented his pension by working as a clerk. However on the evening of 26 April 1928 after a meal he complained of stomach ache and cramps in his legs. His condition worsened overnight and he died the next day 27 April. Unfortunately the death was attributed to natural causes. In fact he had been poisoned.
After Edmund's death his widow Grace bought 59 Birdhurst Rise. Meanwhile nothing untoward happened for 10 months. Then on 14 February 1929 Edmund Duff's sister-in-law Vera Sidney fell ill. The cook, a woman named Kate Noakes fell ill too. So did the cat. However Violet, the cook and the cat recovered but Valerie Sydney died on 16 February 1929.
The last victim was Violet Sidney, Vera's mother. She fell ill and died on 5 March 1929.
Violet Sidney was buried but this time some people became suspicious and her body and that of her daughter Vera were exhumed on 22 March 1929. Both contained arsenic. The body of Edmund Duff was later exhumed and was also found to contain arsenic.
The police carried out a thorough investigation but nobody was ever charged with the murders. It was impossible to say who had administered the poison. The case remains a mystery.∼Died aged 69 years.
∼Poisoned victim
Unsolved case
Mother of Grace, Thomas and Vera.
Grandmother of Margaret Kathleen, John Edmund, Grace Mary, Suzanne Violet, Alastair Michael, Cedric and Virginia.
Poetess.
Of 29 Birdhurst Rise.
In 1928-29 three people were murdered in the south London suburb of Croydon. The murderer used poison but he (or she) was never caught. In April 1928 a 59 year old Edmund Creighton Duff lived with his wife, Grace and his children in South Park Hill Road in Croydon. Edmund Duff had been a British colonial civil servant but was now retired. He augmented his pension by working as a clerk. However on the evening of 26 April 1928 after a meal he complained of stomach ache and cramps in his legs. His condition worsened overnight and he died the next day 27 April. Unfortunately the death was attributed to natural causes. In fact he had been poisoned.
After Edmund's death his widow Grace bought 59 Birdhurst Rise. Meanwhile nothing untoward happened for 10 months. Then on 14 February 1929 Edmund Duff's sister-in-law Vera Sidney fell ill. The cook, a woman named Kate Noakes fell ill too. So did the cat. However Violet, the cook and the cat recovered but Valerie Sydney died on 16 February 1929.
The last victim was Violet Sidney, Vera's mother. She fell ill and died on 5 March 1929.
Violet Sidney was buried but this time some people became suspicious and her body and that of her daughter Vera were exhumed on 22 March 1929. Both contained arsenic. The body of Edmund Duff was later exhumed and was also found to contain arsenic.
The police carried out a thorough investigation but nobody was ever charged with the murders. It was impossible to say who had administered the poison. The case remains a mystery.∼Died aged 69 years.
∼Poisoned victim
Unsolved case
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