Thomas Neill Cream “The Lambeth Poisoner”
About the Recipe
Thomas Neill Cream: A doctor with a taste for poison and power, Cream killed at least five victims across continents using strychnine before turning his crimes into blackmail schemes. Known as “The Lambeth Poisoner,” he was hanged in 1892, reportedly proclaiming he was “Jack the...” before the trapdoor fell.
Victim name and age: Multiple female victims, mostly sex workers in their 20s–30s (London murders 1891–1892)
Perpetrator name and age: Thomas Neill Cream (42 at time of execution)
Incident: A doctor who used his medical status to administer strychnine to vulnerable women under the guise of treatment or abortion. Operating in Lambeth and beyond, he killed for pleasure and profit, often sending blackmail letters afterward.
Outcome: Convicted at the Old Bailey in October 1892 for multiple murders and hanged at Newgate Prison on 15 November 1892.
Location/Date: Lambeth, London – murders 1891–1892 (execution 15 November 1892)
Background & Context
Thomas Neill Cream was born 27 May 1850 in Glasgow, Scotland and his family emigrated to Canada when he was young. He studied medicine (including at McGill University) and by the late 1870s was practising in North America. He later returned to the UK and eventually to London, taking lodgings in Lambeth, an area then marked by poverty, sex-work, overcrowding and limited policing. His criminal career blended medical practice (including illegal abortions), poisonings and black-mail. The case sits in the Victorian era when forensic science was rudimentary, so his use of strychnine and poison, and his willingness to exploit vulnerable women, made him especially dangerous.
The Perpetrators
Cream himself is the perpetrator there is no co-accused. He was medically qualified, charismatic in a cold way, and used his position of trust. His motifs include control, sadism, and financial gain (through blackmail letters) rather than purely impulse.
Incident / Key Events
After previous convictions for murder in Illinois (involving strychnine) he was released in July 1891 and arrived in London soon after.
In London (especially Lambeth) between 1891-1892 he used his medical cover to offer treatment (or abortion) to vulnerable women, which allowed him access.
He administered strychnine (or chloroform then poison) to his victims, sometimes sent blackmail letters to prominent persons or to the families of victims.
Investigation
The fact that his victims were women of lower social standing, often sex workers or in precarious situations, delayed the investigation.
A turning point: his own blackmail letters drew suspicion and detectives began to link the pattern (poisoning, medical connection, victim profile) across countries.
He was arrested in June 1892 for the murder of Matilda Clover and other linked crimes.
Outcome
Tried at the Old Bailey from 17-21 October 1892; convicted of multiple murders and extortion.
Executed by hanging at Newgate Prison on 15 November 1892.
Aftermath
His case became one of the most notorious of the era: a medically-qualified killer who used poison as his weapon and exploited trust.
Myths persist: for example the claim his last words were “I am Jack the…” (suggesting he was Jack the Ripper), though this is almost certainly false.
His crimes highlight early issues with forensic science, the vulnerability of marginalised women, and how a professional position can mask murderous intent.