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Key Facts:

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• Born to Reverend Richardson and Mrs. Butterfield in Essex.

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• Lost her father at age 12, after which her mother remarried.

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• Inherited a substantial fortune of £5,000 (equivalent to around £500,000 today) from her great aunt.

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• Described as "simple-minded" by her mother, likely due to undiagnosed learning difficulties or potential complications at birth (e.g., oxygen deprivation).

 

• Speculated to have been on the autism spectrum or affected by mental health issues.

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• Known to have “rages” and “queer moods,” yet enjoyed socializing and shopping.

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• With her mother’s care, was able to navigate polite society despite her limitations.

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• Raised in relative comfort due to her inheritance and her mother's care.

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• A single child with a mother dedicated to protecting her from harm.

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• Became a target for her husband, Lewis Staunton, who manipulated and abused her to gain control of her wealth.

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• Isolated from family and society, making her easy prey for exploitation.

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• Harriet married Louis Staunton in June 1875, against her mother’s wishes.#

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• Shortly after the wedding, Louis banned Harriet’s mother from visiting, isolating her from her main source of support.

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• Harriet was moved between various locations, including homes in South London and Kent, to hide her from family and acquaintances.

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• Louis and his accomplices (his brother Patrick, Patrick’s wife Elizabeth, and Lewis’s lover Alice Rhodes) systematically isolated and abused Harriet.

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• Harriet was confined to small, unfurnished rooms with little to no access to hygiene or adequate food.

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• Witnesses reported that she became visibly emaciated, filthy, and lice-infested due to prolonged neglect.

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• Harriet gave birth to her son, Thomas Henry Staunton, in March 1876.

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• Despite being a mother, Harriet received no support, and her mental and physical state further deteriorated.

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• Thomas was subjected to the same neglect as his mother.

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• By early 1877, he was severely malnourished and physically abused.

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• On April 8, 1877, he was taken to Guy’s Hospital under a false name, where he died the same day due to malnutrition and neglect.

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• Harriet was moved to 34 Forbes Road, Penge, in an open wagonette on April 12, 1877.

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• Witnesses at Bromley Railway Station described her as skeletal, unable to stand, and groaning in distress.

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• She died on April 13, 1877, just one day after arriving in Penge.

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• At the time of her death, Harriet weighed only 5 stone 4 pounds (33.5 kg).

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• Postmortem revealed severe malnutrition, lice infestation, and long-term neglect.

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• Her internal organs were shrunken, and her stomach lining was damaged, indicating prolonged starvation.

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• Harriet’s death was initially recorded as due to cerebral disease or apoplexy (a sudden stroke-like event).

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• Suspicion was raised when her brother-in-law, Lewis Casabianca, overheard Harriet’s husband, Lewis, inquiring whether Penge was in Surrey or Kent for the purposes of registering her death.

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• Harriet’s emaciated state and the filthy conditions of her body pointed to deliberate neglect.

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• The cause of death was determined to be starvation, with no evidence of significant neurological or other diseases.

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• Louis Staunton, Patrick Staunton, Elizabeth Staunton, and Alice Rhodes were arrested and charged with Harriet’s murder.

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• The defendants were accused of systematically starving and neglecting Harriet, while siphoning off her wealth.

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• Witnesses testified about her skeletal appearance, poor living conditions, and physical abuse.

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• The defence claimed that Harriet’s death was self-inflicted, citing alleged alcoholism, refusal to eat, and mental instability.

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• On September 17, 1877, all four defendants were found guilty of Harriet’s murder.

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• Initially sentenced to death by hanging, the verdict drew significant public attention and outrage over the cruelty involved.

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• Public outcry and protests from 700 physicians, who claimed medical evidence was ignored, led to a review of the case.

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• The death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.

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• Alice Rhodes was later pardoned entirely, while Elizabeth Staunton was released in 1883.
   

• Louis Staunton served 20 years before being released in 1897 and emigrating to Australia, where he lived until his death in 1934.

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• Patrick Staunton died in prison shortly after his sentencing.

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• Harriet was buried in Beckenham cemetery.