In 1877, Sophia Martha Todd, a respectable-looking young woman of 30, stood trial for the wilful murder of an unidentified infant child in Liverpool on July 25, 1875. Sophia was the third daughter of John Douglas Wilson, a civil engineer, and his wife Ann, who was the daughter of a planter in the West Indies. Sophia was born on the island of Bermuda in 1850 and later moved with her family from Bermuda to Edinburgh. In 1851, Sophia's oldest sister, Atalanta, died from Scarlet Fever. The rest of the family then moved from Edinburgh and settled on the Isle of Wight. While living on the Isle, Sophia's mother, Ann, died in 1860, followed by her blind father two years later. Between 1861 and her marriage to widower farmer, Thomas Jackson, in 1872, Sophia worked as a governess for a Polish nobleman's family, residing in different parts of Russia and gaining proficiency in the Russian and Polish languages. She later returned to England and lived with her sister and her family. Her brother-in-law was the headmaster of a large school in Yorkshire. With this family, she moved to Bowness, where she found employment as a governess due to her language skills and musical abilities. Sophia worked as a governess for the family of Lady Decies in Bowness for some time before leaving and settling in Lancaster, where she taught languages to earn a living. While in Lancaster, Sophia married Thomas Jackson after a brief courtship. Although her social standing had declined, she accepted her new role as a farmer and market gardener's wife. Unfortunately, her husband faced financial difficulties and had to give up his farm, finding employment on the railway in Ulverstone. Sophia then moved to Liverpool and worked as a barmaid at the Victoria Hotel, using her maiden name, Miss Wilson. It was during this time that she became involved in baby-farming. When she lived on Prescot Street, a child was brought to her from Whitehaven for "farming." She deliberately abandoned the child, a little boy between the ages of 2 and 3, on the street, and he was later found wandering and taken to the workhouse. While residing on Prescot Street, Sophia placed an advertisement in the newspaper seeking a child to adopt. She received a response to the ad and corresponded with the sender, revealing her true name and address. In April 1875, Sophia became a lodger at the Jolliffe family's residence on Prospect Street in Liverpool. During that time, a tall, fair-haired man claiming to be sent by the father of an unborn child visited Sophia. He asked if she could adopt the child and offered immediate payment and future support. The man identified himself as Lund or Lord, an officer acting on behalf of a friend. They agreed on a sum, and approximately five weeks later, the man returned with an elderly woman carrying a child. After some financial transactions and instructions, the man left, promising to return the next morning with an address for future communication. However, he never returned as promised. On the night the child arrived, Sophia stayed up with the baby, but in the early morning hours, the child suddenly passed away while she was undressing it. She laid the child on the sofa, wrapped it in a blanket around 6, and placed it in her box. Later, she transported the box containing the child's body from Prospect Street to Springfield, where she left it. Sophia didn't lock the box for two days out of fear. She told Miss Jolliffe, who she lived with, that the child's parents had come and taken it away and had given her a shawl as a gift. Sophia remained with the Jolliffes until October 31, leaving her belongings behind. She sent a cabman to retrieve her belongings, including the box, a day or two later. She then moved to Mrs. Oldman's residence on Springfield under the name Jackson, where she stayed for two weeks before leaving without notice or paying rent, leaving the box and other items behind. In January 1876, Sophia sent a letter to Mrs. Oldman, stating that she would visit soon to settle her debts, but she never showed up. In July 1876, Mrs. Oldman opened the box and discovered the lifeless body of a baby. She immediately alerted the police, who arranged for a post-mortem examination conducted by Dr. Cormack and Dr. John Bligh. The body was later examined by Dr. Campbell Brown, the public analyst for Liverpool. The medical professionals determined that the deceased child was a well-developed female infant who had unquestionably lived. There were no visible signs of infantile debility that could have led to its death. Stains on the clothing were identified as blood corpuscles upon analysis. The police searched for Sophia and eventually arrested her in March 1877 at Old Trafford, Manchester. She was accompanied by Mr. Todd, an agent for Fawcett's Circus, who claimed to be her husband. She was charged with suspicion of causing the death of a child found in a box at Mr. Oldham's house in Springfield. It was also discovered that five other children had been sent to her at different times, and she claimed they had all died of natural causes. In March 1877, Dr. John Claude Cormack conducted an examination of a box at 15 Devon Street and found the body of a female infant wrapped in a white flannel napkin. Additional layers covering the body exhibited stains of a dark reddish-yellow color. The doctors determined that the body belonged to a fully developed female infant who was only five days old. Despite Dr. Cormack's statement that the body did not contradict death from infantile convulsions, the jury delivered a verdict of "Guilty." When asked if she had any final words before the death sentence was pronounced, Sophia simply replied, "No." The Judge acknowledged that the law mandated the penalty of death for the crime of murder. With solemnity, he proceeded to pass the sentence, concluding with the words, "And may the Lord have mercy upon your soul." Sophia stood at the front of the dock, supported by a turnkey and a female warder, and despite the gravity of the moment, she appeared composed as she walked away from the dock. While awaiting her execution, Sophia's defense lawyer, Dr. Commins, prepared a petition in her favor, which received numerous signatures. Two days before her scheduled execution, her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Sophia spent six years in prison, leading a quiet life and maintaining constant correspondence with her sister, Sarah Elizabeth Heap. During her imprisonment, she had contact with Reverend James Davidson of St. Paul's Vicarage in Portland Square, Bristol, and upon her release on parole in the summer of 1883, she was escorted to him. Unfortunately, there are no further records of Sophia Martha Todd after her release from prison. It is likely that her early release was due to failing health, and she probably passed away shortly after being released.
Photograph of Sophia Martha Todd © The National Archives TNA PCOM 4/51/18
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