Skegness Magazine

The Wainfleet Sensation
Local Girl Charged With Murdering Her Child.

At Spilsby Police Court yesterday week, Annie Mable Motson, of Friskney, a single woman, aged 19, was charged on remand – before Col C A Swan, CMG, and Mr H Walker – with that she on 16th January, at Wainfleet All Saints, did kill and murder her female illegitimate child. The body of the infant was discovered by two schoolboys in the Havan at Wainfleet on Wednesday previous.

Maud Corbett, an assistant nurse at Spilsby Workhouse Infirmary, said that on the 26th December prisoner was delivered of a female child at that institution, and left on 16th January at 11.30am. The baby was dressed in the clothing produced, and was in good health. On 20th January she was shown the body of a female child at Wainfleet Police Station and identified it as the prisoner’s child.

Caroline Motson, of Friskney, prisoner’s mother said that on Tuesday, 16th January, her daughter came home at 6pm, and later told her that she had got the baby in a free home at Boston. She gave witness the clothes produced, and when witness asked if they did not want them at the home, her daughter said “No, they put them in other clothes at the Home.”
On Friday, 19th January, her daughter went away to Lincoln.

Pc Ireland, stationed at Spilsby deposed that on the previous Sunday, about 10 am, he was cleaning up outside the prisoner’s cell, when she said “Do you know where she is now?” He said, “Who do you mean?” Prisoner answered, “The baby.” Witness then cautioned her, but she said, “I mean to speak the truth. Shall I ever see her again? I should like to see her once more. Do you think they would let me? I felt I could not part with her. I went to Thorpe Station, and then could not stand the disgrace of going home with her. I only took her clothes with me.”

On this evidence prisoner was further remanded until the Thursday following.

After a subsequent remand prisoner was finally committed to take her trial at Lincolnshire Assizes on the Monday following.

Source: Skegness, Mablethorpe and Alford News 1917

The mother of the baby was the daughter of John William and Caroline Motson of Friskney.
The baby’s death was registered as :

March Quarter 1917 Unknown Female Age 0 Spilsby 7a 767