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What Happened to Frances Colpitt? The Tragic Case of a 9-Year-Old Girl
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Please remember to subscribe and hit the bell icon as well as leave a like and a comment for more videos every week!
Brief Case is a True Crime Channel focusing on old or lost cases that have been forgotten to history. If you have any recommendations for future cases that you would like to bring to light, feel free to reach out to me to: briefcaseuk@gmail.com
Music Credits
Music by Myuu
https://www.youtube.com/user/myuuji
Music by CO.AG Music
https://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic
“Cicada” by Kevin MacLeod
https://incompetech.com/ Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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NewsTranscript
00:07Today we are looking at a case from the first part of the 19th century, so sit back as we
00:14go to England.
00:17By the late 1820s Britain was a nation in the midst of profound change.
00:22The Industrial Revolution had transformed towns and cities across the country,
00:26creating new industries and new opportunities for trade.
00:29Yet for thousands of poor families, and especially for orphaned and abandoned children, life remained harsh.
00:36There was no national welfare system, no compulsory education and very few legal protections.
00:42Instead, responsibility for the poorest members of society rested largely with the local parish under the Poor Laws.
00:49One common solution was the apprenticeship system.
00:53Children who became a burden on the parish, often because they had lost one or both parents,
00:57or because their families could no longer support them, were sent to work as apprentices for local employers.
01:03The children would have to work for a set number of years, or they would learn a trade,
01:08and be given food, clothing, shelter and instruction.
01:11In theory, this was intended to give them skills needed to earn an honest living as adults,
01:16but in practice, much depended upon the character of the employer.
01:20While some apprentices were treated fairly, others found themselves trapped in extremely poor conditions.
01:26Among the trades that relied heavily on child labour was tambour embroidery,
01:31a delicate form of decorative needlework, in which patterns were created by using a small hooked needle
01:36to pull thread through fabric, stretched tightly over a round wooden frame.
01:41The technique allowed workers to produce detailed designs, which often featured flowers, borders,
01:47and intricate patterns, and was used on items of clothing, shawls, and household decorations.
01:53Although it was a skilled craft that required patience and precision,
01:57the work was repetitive and time consuming, making children attractive to employers,
02:02because they could be paid less while spending long hours completing the fine stitching.
02:06One of those engaged in the trade was Mrs. Esther Hibner, who lived at Platte Terrace,
02:12on the Pancras Road in London.
02:13She opened a tambour workshop from her home, and employed several parish apprentices,
02:18which were supplied to her by different London parishes.
02:22To those responsible for placing children into apprenticeships,
02:25her business appeared respectable enough.
02:27There was little reason to suspect that behind the doors of her house,
02:31the children entrusted to her care would endure any form of cruelty.
02:34Working alongside her were her adult daughter, also named Esther Hibner,
02:39and Anne Robinson, who assisted with the embroidery.
02:42The household was not only a workplace for the children, it was also their home,
02:46and the girls relied entirely upon the three women responsible for their training, supervision, and care.
02:53One of the children who worked there was Frances Colpitts,
02:57a nine-year-old girl who, like many parish apprentices of the period,
03:01had come from the workhouse.
03:03She had been under the care of St. Martin's in the Fields,
03:06one of London's largest and busiest parishes.
03:09On the 7th of April 1828, the parish officers sent her to the home of Mrs. Esther Hibner,
03:15where she was told she would learn the trade of tambour work.
03:17For Frances, the apprenticeship was meant to offer a future.
03:21She would learn a skill, receive food and shelter,
03:24and eventually be able to support herself.
03:26However, shortly after she arrived, the atmosphere within the household changed dramatically,
03:31and all of the apprentices began to be subjected to a regime of relentless labour and severe punishment.
03:37Their day often began long before sunrise.
03:40The girls were forced out of bed at three or four o'clock in the morning,
03:43and immediately set to work at the embroidery frames.
03:46They remained there throughout the day, and late into the evening,
03:49and sometimes did not finish until eleven o'clock at night.
03:52The work itself required complete concentration.
03:55Hour after hour, the children sat bent over frames,
03:58stitching delicate patterns, while their bodies became increasingly exhausted.
04:03Even when they were allowed to work normal hours,
04:06they had little opportunity to rest, and were rarely permitted to leave the house.
04:10Food was something else that was scarce.
04:13Breakfast, when it was provided,
04:15consisted of little more than a slice of bread and a cup of milk,
04:18but sometimes even this was withheld,
04:20which meant that the children had to work for hours on empty stomachs.
04:24Later in the day, they might receive a few potatoes before doing more work,
04:27and they would not then have anything more to eat until the following morning.
04:31Mrs Hibner started rationing their food so severely
04:34that only nine pounds of potatoes were divided at a meal time
04:38to feed the entire household of twelve people.
04:40Meat was served only once a fortnight,
04:43and due to this, hunger became a constant companion,
04:46and the girls were driven to desperate measures.
04:48Some would eat scraps of fish and meat intended for the household cat and dog,
04:52and pick up pieces of food that had been collected for the pig.
04:55But living conditions were also very bad.
04:58Mrs Hibner and her daughter enjoyed proper beds,
05:00warm bedding and comfortable clothing,
05:02while the apprentices frequently slept on the floor,
05:05and during the coldest months of the year,
05:07they had little more than a single rug or blanket to cover themselves.
05:11Their work left them physically exhausted,
05:13yet they were given almost no opportunity to recover,
05:16before another punishing day began.
05:18Even on Sundays,
05:20when many working people found relief from their labours,
05:22the girls remained confined indoors.
05:25If Mrs Hibner went out,
05:27she was known to lock the girls inside the kitchen,
05:29with the windows closed.
05:31As the weeks passed,
05:32the effects of this treatment became increasingly visible.
05:35The children grew weak from hunger and overwork,
05:38and their health deteriorated,
05:40yet Mrs Hibner made no effort to reduce their workload,
05:43or to improve their diets.
05:45Instead, her punishments became harsher.
05:49By the beginning of 1829,
05:52one of the youngest girls' condition had become a matter of serious concern to those who saw her.
05:56Her name was Frances Coldpitts,
05:59and she had entered Mrs Hibner's household as a parish apprentice in 1828,
06:03but was by now weak, malnourished,
06:05and suffering from injuries that revealed the extent of the treatment she had endured.
06:09The young girl found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the demands placed upon her,
06:14but despite this,
06:15Mrs Hibner and her daughter made her continue working,
06:18although she was now physically unable to perform her duties.
06:21As she did not do the work as instructed,
06:24she was given even more punishment.
06:26On one occasion,
06:27the younger Hibner removed Frances from the work frame,
06:30and knocked her to the floor.
06:32She then lifted her up,
06:33and struck her down again.
06:35On another occasion,
06:36when Frances was lying on the floor in the room in a very bad way,
06:39the elder Mrs Hibner simply said,
06:41let her lie there,
06:42and refused to arrange for the child to see a doctor.
06:45By this stage,
06:46the young girl was so weak,
06:48that even ordinary household tasks had become almost impossible,
06:51yet she was still expected to work,
06:54and given more menial tasks to do,
06:56such as cleaning the stairs.
06:57She did her best to work,
06:59but eventually she collapsed from exhaustion.
07:01The young girl's grandmother,
07:03Mrs Frances Gibbery,
07:04had tried to visit her granddaughter on many occasions,
07:07but each time had been turned away by Mrs Hibner,
07:10who made various excuses as to why the girl could not be seen.
07:13Eventually, Mrs Gibbery informed the parish overseer,
07:16a man named Mr Blackman,
07:18who decided to visit Mrs Hibner's residence along with the surgeon.
07:21Mr Charles James writes,
07:23When they arrived,
07:25Mrs Hibner tried to deny them entry,
07:27but Mr Blackman reminded her,
07:29that she had no authority to stop him seeing the children.
07:32When the two men got inside,
07:34they discovered a scene of horror and absolute neglect.
07:36They found all the apprentices in a terrible state,
07:39recognizing the seriousness of Frances Colpit's condition.
07:43The doctor ordered the young girl to be immediately removed from the Hibner home,
07:47and transferred to the St Pancras Workhouse Infirmary for urgent care.
07:51The doctor and nurses there tried to look after her,
07:54but her injuries were too severe,
07:55and on the 15th of March, she died.
08:00The authorities launched a formal investigation into the home.
08:03A parish officer, named Mr Doohan,
08:06visited the residence to secure the location,
08:08and protect the remaining children.
08:10He soon realized, however,
08:12that the girls were terrified,
08:13and deeply traumatized.
08:15So frightened were they of being flogged or punished for speaking out,
08:19that they initially tried to hide from him.
08:21Other parish officers were called to assist,
08:24along with the parish medical officer,
08:25whose initial examination revealed the full extent of the abuse.
08:29One girl was so weak,
08:30that she could scarcely be lifted from her bed,
08:33and the doctor concluded that the children's critical condition
08:36was entirely the result of prolonged starvation,
08:38and severe physical abuse.
08:40All the children were removed from the house,
08:43and the parish officers brought Mrs Hibner,
08:45her daughter,
08:46and Anne Robinson before the magistrates.
08:49By now, rumors had spread regarding the terrible conditions
08:51to which Mrs Hibner had subjected the girls,
08:54and the magistrates' court was filled with an outraged public.
08:57The anger grew worse,
08:59as the surviving girls described being forced to sleep on the floor,
09:02receiving only one meagre meal a day,
09:04and having to resort to stealing food meant for the house dog and cat,
09:08simply to stay alive.
09:10The hearing, however, took a darker turn.
09:13When the court questioned the girls about the abuse
09:15suffered by the child who had just died,
09:17they said that Francis had been singled out for even harsher treatments,
09:20and had to endure more beatings,
09:23and was given less food.
09:24When the defendants attempted to explain or excuse the child's treatment,
09:28the magistrate refused to hear them.
09:30He said that it was better that they remain silent,
09:33than try and justify such appalling cruelty.
09:36He ended by saying that the circumstances surrounding Francis' death
09:40demanded a full investigation,
09:42and as there are other rumors about private burials within the house,
09:45the magistrate said that all three women would be reminded in custody.
09:50The trial commenced on the 10th of April 1829,
09:54at the Old Bailey in London.
09:56Esther Hibner, her daughter,
09:58and Anne Robinson,
09:59all stood accused of the willful murder of Francis Coldpit,
10:02a nine-year-old parish apprentice.
10:05The case was opened by Mr. Bolland,
10:07who appeared for the prosecution.
10:09He told the jury that the evidence they are about to hear,
10:11would naturally fill them with horror,
10:13but added that he was thankful that such a case was rare in Britain.
10:17At the center of the trial,
10:18was the question of responsibility.
10:21Francis Coldpit had not died from a single act of violence.
10:24Instead, the prosecution claimed
10:26that her death had been caused by a prolonged course of neglect,
10:29starvation, and physical abuse,
10:32while she was under the care of Mrs. Esther Hibner.
10:35The evidence presented revealed that
10:36Francis was not the only child suffering inside the house.
10:39When giving their testimony,
10:41the other girls described a pattern of harsh treatment affecting all of them.
10:45They spoke of hunger,
10:46exhaustion,
10:47and repeated physical punishment.
10:49The jury heard how it came to be that
10:51Francis had been placed with Mrs. Hibner,
10:53by the parish of St. Martin's in the field,
10:56and how when she entered the household,
10:57she was a healthy young girl,
10:59but had gradually been reduced to a terrible physical condition.
11:02The court also heard evidence about Francis' final days.
11:06Witnesses described how she had become so weak,
11:08that she could barely move around the house,
11:10and despite this was expected to carry out her work.
11:14Francis Gibery, the child's grandmother,
11:16testified that she had attempted to visit her granddaughter on numerous occasions,
11:20but she was repeatedly turned away by Mrs. Hibner,
11:23who fabricated various excuses to keep the girl from being seen.
11:27John Blackman, the overseer,
11:29also testified,
11:30and described finding the children,
11:32and realizing that they were being starved.
11:35Susan Whitney,
11:36and Mary Hereford,
11:37who were both apprentices for Mrs. Hibner,
11:39told how they worked long hours and were given little food,
11:42and said that if their work was not up to the required standard,
11:45they were beaten,
11:46and food was then withheld.
11:47Medical witnesses gave evidence about the condition of Francis' body after her death.
11:52The doctors who examined the deceased child said that her condition was horrifying.
11:57They said that they found extensive injuries and signs of severe neglect.
12:01Looking at the judge,
12:03one doctor said that the child's death was not the result of natural causes,
12:06but was directly connected to the treatment she had received while under the care of Mrs. Hibner.
12:11The medical practitioners also said that the girl had severe injuries on her feet,
12:15with sores that had become so serious that parts of her toes were affected by mortification.
12:20The case attracted considerable attention,
12:23not only because it involved the death of a young child,
12:26but also the failure of a system that had been designed to protect poor children.
12:30In early 19th century London,
12:32stories of abused parish apprentices were not uncommon,
12:35but cases resulting in death caused particular outrage.
12:39These children had not been placed with strangers.
12:41They had been formally entrusted to employers by parish authorities.
12:45The question was therefore,
12:47not only what had happened to Francis' coal pits,
12:49but how such treatment had been allowed to continue.
12:52Mrs. Hibner offered no defence.
12:54While her daughter claimed that the apprentices had given false testimony,
12:58and insisted that the children had been treated kindly,
13:01she argued that there was no foundation for the accusations made against her and her mother.
13:05Anne Robinson,
13:06the other woman charged in connection with the case,
13:09also denied the allegations,
13:11stating that she had only assisted Mrs. Hibner with her business,
13:13and she never slept at the house.
13:16Instead, she left each evening.
13:18After hearing the evidence,
13:19the jury considered the case carefully,
13:21but eventually concluded that Mrs. Esther Hibner was guilty of murder.
13:26However, when the judge asked them how they found the younger Esther Hibner and Anne Robinson,
13:31the foreman replied that they found them both not guilty.
13:34The judge ordered that Mrs. Esther Hibner would be executed the following Monday,
13:38and that her body would be given up for dissection.
13:41A second indictment was also brought against her concerning the death of another apprentice,
13:45but because a capital conviction had already been secured,
13:48it was considered unnecessary to proceed further with that charge.
13:52During the trial,
13:53observers had noted that Mrs. Hibner had shown little outward emotion,
13:56and displayed no apparent remorse for the suffering of the children,
14:00or fear for the punishment that awaited her.
14:02After being removed from the courtroom,
14:04she was taken to Newgate Prison,
14:06where her behaviour continued to attract attention.
14:09She became increasingly agitated,
14:11and insisted that she would not be hanged.
14:13She also became angry when her requests were refused,
14:17including her demand for better food.
14:19She was visited by her daughter,
14:21but the meeting appeared to have little effect upon her hardened mind,
14:24and she showed no visible emotion as they parted.
14:27As the execution approached,
14:29the prison chaplain, Mr. Cotton,
14:31attempted to offer her religious guidance and support.
14:34However, Mrs. Hibner refused his assistance,
14:37stating that she understood the Bible herself,
14:39and required no interpreter.
14:41Although he continued speaking with her until a late hour,
14:44she remained unmoved,
14:45and did not seem to be paying him much attention.
14:48On the morning of the 13th of April 1829,
14:51Mrs. Esther Hibner was taken from the condemned cell.
14:54However, because she refused to walk,
14:56she had to be supported and carried by two men,
14:59as she was taken to the place of execution.
15:01Outside, a large crowd had gathered.
15:03Public executions in this period attracted thousands of spectators,
15:07and in this case,
15:08many people had come because of the widespread anger
15:11that had surrounded Francis Colpitt's death.
15:14Reports stated that loud cries,
15:16yells, and expressions of hostility came from the crowd,
15:19particularly from the women who had gathered to witness for punishment.
15:22At the scaffold, Mrs. Hibner said nothing.
15:26She looked straight ahead in silence,
15:27and made no final statement.
15:29Before the sentence was carried out,
15:32the same day that Mrs. Hibner was executed,
15:35her daughter and Anne Robinson
15:36faced a separate trial for the lesser offence
15:39of assaulting the apprentices placed in their care.
15:42This time, both women were found guilty.
15:45Ms. Esther Hibner the Younger received a year in prison,
15:47while Anne Robinson was sentenced to four months in a house of correction.
15:53Hello everyone, and thank you so much for listening.
15:57As usual, please leave any comments or feedback you may have,
16:01and I hope to see you all again in the next brief case.
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