Rhoda James: The 1907 Baby Farming Case That Ended With a Controversial Execution

New Delhi: More than a century after Rhoda James was hanged at Cardiff Prison, questions continue to surround the case that led to her execution. Historian research now suggests that James may have been convicted and executed for murder despite the evidence against her being far from conclusive.

On the evening of June 3, 1907, James returned to her lodgings but did not sleep in her own bed. Instead, she stayed in the room of fellow lodger Rose Smith.

The following day, James reportedly went out drinking and became heavily intoxicated. When Mrs Wilson attempted to help her into bed, she discovered a tightly wrapped parcel. Initially believing it contained a piece of meat, she soon realised that it was the body of a baby and alerted the police.

The discovery triggered an investigation that exposed James' troubled personal circumstances.

A Woman With a Complicated Past

Historian research suggests James was probably born in Sunderland around 1863, although she had claimed to have been educated at a London boarding school.

According to historian Jones, records indicate that James was highly literate and articulate, challenging the contemporary portrayal of women involved in "baby farming" as simply immoral or disreputable.

When arrested, she gave her name as Leslie James. However, earlier documents reportedly identified her by several names, including Rhoda Willis, Rhoda Dalzell and Rhoda Lascelles. Some records linked her to Ernest Dalzell, described as a jeweller, suggesting she may have come from a relatively comfortable background.

Her life reportedly changed after a bicycle accident. By 1907, she had become involved in a complicated relationship with Scottish-born brothers Stewart and McGregor McPherson and had given birth to two children.

The Death of Baby Treasure

By the time James sought accommodation on Portmanmoor Road, historians believe she was already experiencing significant personal difficulties.

The circumstances surrounding the death of the baby, identified as Treasure, became central to the case. While it was established that the child died while in James' care, questions remained over whether she had deliberately caused the death.

Jones argues that James' actions after the incident could suggest that she had not intended for the baby to die. Her decision to stay with Rose Smith and the circumstances in which the body was discovered have been cited as reasons to question whether the death was a premeditated murder.

Public Campaign to Save Her

James' conviction and death sentence sparked a major public campaign for clemency. Cardiff council, her solicitor Harry Lloyd and members of the public supported a petition containing around 50,000 signatures calling for her life to be spared.

On the day of her execution, a crowd of around 1,000 people gathered outside Cardiff Prison. Many were reportedly shocked when a notice announcing her death was placed on the prison gates.

However, Home Secretary Herbert Gladstone had decided that James should be executed, partly as an example amid concerns over the "baby farming" practices prevalent in South Wales at the time.

James was ultimately hanged at Cardiff Prison by executioner Henry Pierrepoint. Accounts of the execution focused heavily on her appearance and composure, with Pierrepoint reportedly commenting on her beauty.

Calls for Her Case to Be Reconsidered

Nearly 119 years after her death, historian Jones is seeking recognition that James may have been wrongly convicted of murder.

According to Jones, there is no clear evidence proving that James deliberately killed Baby Treasure. He argues that, at most, the available evidence could support a conviction for manslaughter rather than murder.

He also believes that the intense media focus on James' appearance and behaviour reflected the gender attitudes of the era and may have influenced the way her case was portrayed.

Today, the only physical indication of James' grave is reportedly an etched cross beside a potato patch within the walls of Cardiff Prison.

The case continues to raise questions about Britain's historic "baby farming" system, the treatment of vulnerable women and whether Rhoda James received a fair judgment for the death of Baby Treasure.