A Most Horrible Murder, Committed by John Holloway Upon the Body of...
Murder and Mutilation in Brighton [Broadside]. [Murder]. Holloway, John [d.1831]. A Most Horrible Murder, Committed by John Holloway Upon the Body of His Wife, by Cutting Off Her Head, Legs, and Arms. [London]: J. Catnach, [1831]. 15" x 10" broadside hinged (with two small circular stickers at top-edge) onto 24" x 17" board. Text in three columns below headline and large woodcut vignette, Holloway's confession and five stanzas of verse in third column. Moderate toning, two negligible horizontal fold lines, light soiling in places, creasing at lower left corner, very small hole to text block at head of third column, no loss to legibility. Rare. $3,000. * Holloway and his wife Celia had been separated for a number of years, with Holloway required to pay her two shillings per week as maintenance. This proved difficult, and he was forced to rely on his mistress, Ann Kennett (sometimes given as Kennard) for the money. Tired of this arrangement, he lured Celia out of the house, strangled her and dismembered the corpse for burial. According to some accounts, she was pregnant at the time of the murder. Holloway confessed (contradicting himself several times on the point of whether Kennett was involved) and was convicted and hanged on December 16, 1831. Kennett was cleared of wrongdoing. This broadside appears to be unrecorded. No copies found on OCLC or Library Hub.
Price: $3,000.00
Book number 73853