Isabella Mueller (crime writer)
In 1839, a gruesome murder shook the tranquil canal region of Staffordshire in England. Christina Collins, a 37-year-old seamstress, fell victim to a brutal crime that is still regarded today as one of the most notorious murder cases in British canal history. The story begins in Liverpool, where Christina Collins lived, whilst her husband Robert, an unemployed stable boy, had travelled to London to find work. Having successfully secured a job, he sent his wife money for the journey to London. Christina chose to travel on a canal boat operated by Pickford & Co. as the most economical option. On Saturday, 15 June 1839, her fateful journey began. The plan was for her to change to another boat called ‘The Staffordshire Knot’ at Preston Brook to continue her journey to London. The crew consisted of 39-year-old Captain James Owen, George Thomas (alias Dobell), William Ellis and the ship’s boy Isaac Musson. As early as Sunday evening at around 8 pm, when the boat reached the English town of Stone in the county of Staffordshire, Christina complained to the local Pickford representative about the crew’s excessive drinking and her growing fear of continuing the journey. This was because Christina had been sexually harassed by the drunken men. Tragically, her fears were ignored. Events took a gruesome turn during the night. Around midnight, screams were heard by the lock keeper, James Mills, and his wife, Ann, at Hoo Mill Lock. The crew attempted to cover up the situation by claiming that the screams were coming from a married couple on board who were arguing. This was a brazen lie, as Christina’s husband was in London at the time. In the early hours of Monday morning, Christina’s body was thrown into the canal between Colwich Lock and Brindley’s Bank. When the boat reached Fazeley at 6 am, Owen spread the story that a female passenger had jumped overboard and drowned. The authorities in Fazeley immediately became suspicious. During a search of the boat, they found women’s clothing and a bonnet. In the subsequent search of the canal, Christina’s body was found on 17 June 1839 at around 5 am at Brindley Bank near Rugeley, weighted down with an iron chain. Locals carried her body up the steps at Brindley Bank – now known as the ‘Bloody Steps’ – to the Talbot Inn, where two doctors established that she had been raped on multiple occasions. The adult crew members were arrested and initially charged with rape. The ship’s boy, Isaac Musson, was not charged, as he had been asleep in his bunk at the time of the offence. At the Staffordshire trial in 1839, the jury could not reach a verdict on the rape charge, so a charge of murder was then brought, which was heard by a different jury in Stafford on 16 March 1840. Before Mr Baron Gurney, the defendants continued to defend themselves by claiming that Christina had jumped or fallen overboard. However, a fellow prisoner named Orgill testified that Owen had confessed the murder to him on 21 July 1839. This was sufficient for the jury to return a guilty verdict. The boatmen were sentenced to death by hanging. On appeal, however, William Ellis was granted a last-minute pardon and sentenced to life-long deportation to Australia. The executioner, William Calcraft, travelled from London to carry out the execution. Around 10,000 people gathered on 11 April 1840 to witness the public execution of James Owen and George Thomas. Shortly before 1.00 pm, the prison bell rang, and the two condemned men walked to the gallows. After their deaths, their bodies were displayed for an hour and then buried on the prison grounds. Christina Collins was buried in the churchyard of St Augustine’s Church in Rugeley. Her gravestone bears the inscription: ‘In memory of Christina Collins, wife of Robert Collins, London, who, after barbarous treatment, was found dead in the canal of this parish on 17 June 1839, aged 37.’ Today, several memorials commemorate this tragic event. The ‘Bloody Steps’ are a well-known local landmark, and a statue stands in her memory at Yard Lock in Stone. The Christina Collins case highlights the dangers faced by women travelling alone in Victorian England and remains a cautionary tale of one of the darkest chapters in the history of the English canals. The story also has an interesting side plot: The prisoner George Smith, who volunteered to be the executioner’s assistant and was granted early release in return, later became an executioner himself – a macabre twist in this already grim tale. The case of Christina Collins has become deeply ingrained in the region’s collective memory and is still recounted today as a cautionary tale of the darker side of Victorian society. The various memorials along the canal commemorate her fate and serve as a reminder to remain vigilant against violence and injustice. The case also formed the basis for the eighth novel in the well-known Inspector Morse series, entitled ‘The Wench is Dead’.
