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Ethel Christie and the Sheffield connection to the 10 Rillington Place murders


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Ethel Christie.jpg

Ethel Christie was the wife of famous 10 Rillington Place murderer John Christie

Ethel Christie or Ethel Simpson as she may have been known to most Sheffield people lived at 10 Rillington Place with her husband during the times of the awful murders that he committed, but is known to have Sheffield connections.

During the film 10 Rillington Place it's mentioned that Ethel Christie had gone to visit her sister in Sheffield.

There's evidence to suggest that Ethel Christie's sister lived at 61 Hinde House Lane after rumours that she'd been living on Sheffield's Manor district

Does anyone have any other information that links Sheffield and Ethel Christie's Sheffield relations to the hideous crimes of 10 Rillington Place by her husband John Reginald Christie?

If so post below and let's see what we can find...

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No particular knowledge of a link between Sheffield and Ethel except that I remember as a child being terrified that Christie would come to Sheffield to murder me. Unbeknown to my parents I must have had sight of a newspaper reporting his crimes and his wife's connection to the city.

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I seem to recall a link via a lady relative who lived at Page Hall. I remember the lady (1960s) who wore a fur coat, kept herself to herself, possibly lived on Hinde House Lane, and it was after she died that letters linking her to Christie were found in a sideboard or something that Patnick's junk shop at Page Hall had obtained in a house clearance. Does anyone else recall this? Maybe she was cousin or something. 

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15 minutes ago, Cousin Kay said:

No particular knowledge of a link between Sheffield and Ethel except that I remember as a child being terrified that Christie would come to Sheffield to murder me. Unbeknown to my parents I must have had sight of a newspaper reporting his crimes and his wife's connection to the city.


Crikey - had no idea the impact of the murders were so scary and far reaching for people outside of London

Imagine being scared like that - must have been horrible

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From the Daily Mail (London); Jul 9, 1998; p. 32
PERSONAL letters written by the wife of serial killer John Reginald Christie have been auctioned for GBP 4,600.

Criminologists led the bidding for batches of the 62 letters, which reveal the growing anguish of Ethel Christie in the five years leading up to her death at her husband's hands in 1952.

Christie was found guilty of eight murders, seven women including his wife and a baby.

He buried his victims in his flat or garden at the notorious 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, West London, over 14 years.

After yesterday's auction in Nottingham, Tim Davidson, partner of T. Vennett-Smith auctioneers, said: 'There has been interest in this material because the hunt was the first real investigation of a serial killer in this country.' Police first arrested Timothy Evans, who was tried and hanged for the murder of his wife, Beryl Evans, and their baby daughter, Geraldine - both lived in the flat above Christie.

The letters were sent by Ethel to her sister in law Lily Bartle who lived in Hinde House Lane Sheffield. The letters were obtained during a house clearance by a couple in Rotherham if I remember correctly. A nice earner as they say

There is a strange irony in the fact that Ethel Christie's sister was named Lily Bartle. When Rillington Place was demolished, it was replaced by a road whose chosen name was evidently related to a nearby ironworks - the Bartle James Ironworks. Rillington Place became Bartle Road

 

 

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Thanks ceegee - I thought I was right as to the lady and yes I recall her name now. I can still see her very clearly in my mind as I am sure many who lived/worked/shopped in that area would if they had associated her with the later reports of the letters.  She had permed dark hair, very well made up with red lipstick, very smart & well dressed looking, handbag over her arm - unusual for that area at that time - 1950s style. Not your usual housewife with head scarf etc doing her shopping. I would guess the fur coat was real fur. 

Lyn

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I remember as a small child the Christy murders and the small shop on Hind House Lane and the owner called Mrs Bartle and the distress it caused her as a shop keeper. I remember the murders were the local gossip for ages. I lived at the top of Lloyd Street near Mrs Bartle's shop and frequented it regularly to by sweets with the ration book in hand.  

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2 hours ago, Bev B Foster said:

I remember as a small child the Christy murders and the small shop on Hind House Lane and the owner called Mrs Bartle and the distress it caused her as a shop keeper. I remember the murders were the local gossip for ages. I lived at the top of Lloyd Street near Mrs Bartle's shop and frequented it regularly to by sweets with the ration book in hand.  

Just had a look at 61 Hinde House Lane on Street view and it doesn't appear as if it was ever a shop. There's a few houses missing lower down (from number 53) which were on the corner of Bolsover Road and could have included a shop.

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3 hours ago, Bev B Foster said:

I remember as a small child the Christy murders and the small shop on Hind House Lane and the owner called Mrs Bartle and the distress it caused her as a shop keeper. I remember the murders were the local gossip for ages. I lived at the top of Lloyd Street near Mrs Bartle's shop and frequented it regularly to by sweets with the ration book in hand.  

 

Was the shop in the photo above?

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In the 60s that was simply a sort of waste ground area. A bit of a garage below on little Bolsover Rd and a wool shop. I wasn't aware of Lily Bartle having a shop but that doesn't mean she didn't. 

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The 1939 National Register has Lily Bartle living at 61Hinde House Lane . Born 14 July 1895 her occupation is given as grocer shopkeeper. An Edwin Bartle born 13 September 1923 a student is living at the same address.

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On 11/12/2016 at 12:03, Lyn 1 said:

I seem to recall a link via a lady relative who lived at Page Hall. I remember the lady (1960s) who wore a fur coat, kept herself to herself, possibly lived on Hinde House Lane, and it was after she died that letters linking her to Christie were found in a sideboard or something that Patnick's junk shop at Page Hall had obtained in a house clearance. Does anyone else recall this? Maybe she was cousin or something. 

I remember that. I think the Star did an article on it. 

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From Wikipedia (I know!).  "The couple moved to Sheffield, but separated after four years of marriage." This would have been in the 1920's but doesn't appear to be true?

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1 hour ago, Calvin72 said:

From Wikipedia (I know!).  "The couple moved to Sheffield, but separated after four years of marriage." This would have been in the 1920's but doesn't appear to be true?

I have found their Marriage in Halifax 1920.

 

Christie.JPG

Plus they are living at 10 Rillington Place in 1939.

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Yes I'm afraid the Wikipedia entry is only half true. Apart from a brief stint at Redmires Camp in World War 1 and the very occasional visit to Sheffield to see his in-laws, Christie spent no time in Sheffield. His wife Ethel moved to Sheffield from Bradford to Sheffield in 1928 after she was made redundant for her job as a typist with the English Electrical Co. She had seperated from Christie four years earlier on account of his petty criminality. She came to live with her older brother a local government clerk Henry Simpson (from 1938 Henry Simpson Waddington) at 63 Hinde House Lane. Her sister Lily Bartle (nee Simpson) and nephew Edwin lived next door at 61.

Ethel may have also lived on Earl Marshall Road in the 1930's but this is to confirmed. Ethel left Sheffield in 1934 for London for a reconcilliation with Christie, a decision that would ultimately result in her death 18 years later.

In those 18 years Ethel kept in close contact with her family in Sheffield by letter and visits. At Christie's trial in April 1953, Ethels brother Henry stated that he visited 10 Rillington Place about one a year, the last time being five months before her death.

Puts family visits into perspective:o  

 

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