Terrible tales of lust, revenge and murder from Manchester's Christmas past

Christmas in Manchester isn’t just all festive cheer. Historian Michala Hulme highlights some grim episodes from the city’s past during the holiday season. In 1855, Joseph Brewen killed his wife Ellen during a drunken row, leading to just four months in hard labour for manslaughter. A turbulent romance in 1871 saw Ellen Edwards assault James Wishart in Kendals after his false cheating allegations, resulting in a guilty verdict but sympathy from magistrates.

In 1888, Elizabeth Porter abandoned her newborn son, who tragically died in a workhouse, leading to an eight-month sentence for her and five years for the father, John Fenton. Christmas 1867 marked a brutal murder, with Timothy Faherty killing Mary Hanmer after a drunken confrontation; he was executed the following April. Lastly, Amy Parker faced a vicious acid attack from her former partner Alfred Walton in 1882, resulting in a scar and an 18-month sentence for him. These stories remind us that, while the season touts goodwill, darker truths lurk in history.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News