| Despite some factual discrepancies, Maria is probably the subject of the following report from The Northwich Guardian of 13 January 1894: "ALLOSTOCK - NEGLECTING A CHILD - A WOMAN SENT TO GAOL. At the Middlewich Petty Sessions on Wednesday, before Colonel France-Hayhurst (in the chair), and Messrs. E.H. Moss and G. Garfit, Maria Chrimes, wife of William Chrimes, of Allostock, labourer, was summoned for wilfully neglecting a child named John Henry Hockenhall, aged ten months, between the 9th August and the 9th November, 1893..." Witnesses were called who knew Maria whilst at Ollerton, before she moved to Allostock. Concluding the report: "The Chairman remarked that the child had been wilfully neglected, and it was a mercy that the society [NSPCC] had stepped in. If the child had died very likely the defendant would have been standing her trial for murder, but luckily for her the child had recovered. She would be sent to Knutsford for one calendar month, with such hard labour as the doctor thought she could stand. She must consider herself lucky that she was not tried for murder. An order was made for the child to remain in the care of the society until a suitable hame had been found." |
