Southampton Tragedy
Southampton Tragedy
Abraham Baker, a native of the Isle of Wight, had fallen hopelessly in love with Naomi Kingswell when they were both on the Island. They had travelled together to Southampton where he became footman and she a house servant to the Rev. William Poynder of Moira Place.
Extensive reports of the case in the local newspapers do not satisfactorily explain what brought about the confrontation between Baker and the girl "on whom he had promised marriage". At lunchtime on Sunday October 14th, 1855, Abraham Baker went into the kitchen where Naomi and cook Charlotte Lacey were preparing lunch. Without warning, he drew from beneath his coat a foot-long duelling type pistol and shot Naomi through the head.
Graphic descriptions of the ensuing gore in the kitchen are not for the faint-hearted! Suffice to say that when the doctor arrived soon after, he found pieces of skull around the kitchen and "a small portion of brain on the deceased's dress".
His execution at Winchester Prison was watched by 2000 people "mostly of the working classes", and this broadside ballad subsequently appeared.
Southampton In Song
The Songs