The Grisly Murder of Sweet Fanny Adams
by A detailed account of the 19th century murder of eight year-old Fanny Adams. The murder that shocked and appalled a nation, still remains the most vicious and barbaric crime ever perpetrated against a child in British history. Includes the origin of the sayings "Sweet FA" and "Sweet Fanny Adams".
With a basic description of the man, Mrs. Gardiner rushed to tell Mrs. Adams of the children’s encounter, whereupon the two anxious women wasted no time in setting off along Tan House Lane in the hope of finding Fanny.
It was not too long however, as the women made their way along the sunlit lane, that they met a man coming towards them. Dressed in a black frock coat, waistcoat and light-coloured trousers, his attire matched exactly the description that Minnie and Lizzie had provided.
‘Where is Fanny?’ one of them asked. “What have you done with her?”
In a calm response to their questions the man admitted that he had seen the three girls and that he had indeed offered them money to buy sweets; something he said, he often did with children. He denied that he had assaulted them in any way and that all three girls had walked away together. He further explained that he was indeed a respectable man, employed as a clerk at a local firm of solicitors in Alton owned by a Mr. William Clement.
Reluctantly giving him to benefit of the doubt, owing to his plausibility and his air of respectability, the women continued their journey.
By 7 o’clock that evening Fanny had still not returned home and the women’s search had proved utterly fruitless.
Word of Fanny’s disappearance had by this time spread throughout the close-knit community, and a search party had formed to look for the little girl, setting off in the direction of Flood Meadow.
They were soon to discover the awful fate that had befallen Fanny Adams.
Coming to a local hop-field, the party of neighbours and friends spread out and began scouring the area in the hope of finding any clue to the disappearance of the little girl. What they did in fact find, was a scene of such carnage that it put the murderous exploits of the notorious “Jack the Ripper” in the shade!
In the middle of the hop-field, impaled on the top of two wooden posts was Fanny’s head. A wide gash extended from her mouth to her ear. The opposite ear had been sliced off completely and both of her eyes were missing.
Nearby lay an amputated leg.
Over several more days, further grisly discoveries were made.
The girl’s torso was found dismembered. Her pelvis and chest had been torn out completely and scattered on the ground. But perhaps the most horrifying discovery of all was made in the local river. Both of Fanny’s eyes lay on the riverbed.
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