HISTORICALEIGH - LOSELEIGH CONNECTED TO CRIPPEN

July 13, 2015 by Carole Mulroney

LOSELEIGH CONNECTED TO CRIPPEN

Ann Partridge of Leigh married a Frenchman, Jean Pierre Ginnett in 1825 in Lambeth. The Ginnetts were one of the great circus families of the Victorian period. Anne's sister, Charlottee, also married into a great equestrian circus family, the Samwells.

The story of the Partridges, Samwells and Ginnetts is one for a later day, but Ann Ginnett (Partridge)’s granddaughter in law, Isabel, was the Chairwoman of the Ladies Music Hall Guild in the early 1900s, a Guild to which to which lady circus performers belonged. The Treasurer of the Guild was one Belle Elmore, the wife of Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.

It was Isabel Ginnett who raised concerns about Belle’s disappearance which led to the apprehension of Crippen following his transatlantic flight with Miss Ethel LeNeve.

Isabel, her husband and daughter went to New York in October 1909 aboard the Mauretania. In the following July Mrs Ginnett was in New York assisting the NYPD in meeting cruise liners and eventually identifying Crippen to them. She also identified jewellery which had belonged to Mrs Crippen which he was carrying.

Crippen was found guilty of the murder of Belle and duly executed.