Amy Collinson and Frances Nicholson - 1912

When I was younger, school took our year on a little walk around the area of Kimberworth (where my school was located) and they told us a little story.
The story of two young girls, Amy Collinson, aged 10 and her cousin Frances Nicholson, aged 7. These young girls lived around the area of Kimberworth.

Here's the story of these two children.

One winter evening, November 15th 1912, Amy and Frances had attended a rehersal at The Old Chapel, Kimberworth (known to us as the former Haven-Lea Day Nursery which has now saddly been knocked down).

Side note: My sister actually went there and from what I've been told, they didn't actually change the decor or anything since it was built so if you ever went in when it was there, you'd have seen the inside as Amy and Frances did.

Haven-Lea (Credit: Google)

They set out home at around 8pm with some friends who lived along the way. The last of their friends said goodbye outside what is now known as The Collin (public house). The girls then walked down the rear of the pub now known as Farm View Road to its meeting with what is now Grange View Road at the junction of Upper Wortley Road. From there they would cross onto the foootpath behind what is now Hungerhill Road, where it cuts through Barker's Park to Kimberworth Park Road in the Redscope School Area. Kimberworth Park Farm, which is locally known as Abdy Farm, was let to Amy's foster father. It stood where Redscope School now stands, it's land covered Barkers Park from as far as Oaks Lane.

The plan was that Frances' brothers were to meet them at the farm and walk Frances the rest of the way to Scholes.
When the girls didn't show up, the brothers went to look for them. After a while of searching around the area and walking along the way they usually walk home, they came to the conclusion that they probably went to stay with a friend for the night, it wasn't unknown of them to do that so they gave up the search and went home, organising to get up early the next morning to look again.

The next morning, the family got up and went to get ready to look for the girls, asking the local neighbours to help look with them. Mrs Collinson went out onto the grounds to a nearby junction where she found both of the girls, throats slit and dead under a hedge. Her screams sent the family running over to her. The police arrived shortly after they found the girls.

An imprint was found near the girls, looking like somebody had knelt down near the girls and a boot imprint was also found though not fully there due to boot protectors obviously being worn, it was still something to go on. A woollen glove was also recovered from near the scene.

The girls friends who attended the chapel were interviewed and one mentioned seeing Amy talking to a strange man a few days previous. While under medical examimation, Amy's body apeared to have been sexually abused days before there murder. Frances' brothers and father was questioned but released without charge.
Without further leads, there bodies were released to be laid to rest by there family.

The girls were burried at St Thomas' Church in Kimberworth. It was a big turn out with friends, family and locals attending, all horrified by what had happened to the young girls.

Christmas came and went and just as the crime seemed to be going unsolved, on Sunday 29th December 1912, a teenager, Vesey Haigh from Kilnhurst a few miles away happened to be chatting to a fairground labourer, Walter Sykes.
Haigh was supprised when without prompting, Sykes stated:
"Your bobby (policeman) is watching me for that Kimberworth murder and if he's watching me, he's watching the right one but he cannot catch me as he is watching a man who's a sight sharper than himself"
Sykes then made his way to Mexborough a few miles away, followed by Haigh who made a report to the police there.

Sykes was arrested and confessed to his role in the crime. His statement said:
"I might aswell tell you the truth, it is the first time I have mentioned it to anybody"
When asked what he meant he followed up by saying:
"That murder at Rotherham, I did it with a pocket knife. I was the worse for drunk at the time. I sold the knife. I am wearing the same clothes now, except the trousers, which were worn out, I slept out that night"

There were no traces of blood found on his clothing.

The pen knife which Sykes claimed to have used to kill the girls was later recovered but no traces of blood were found on the knife at all. The trousers which he claimed to have thrown away were also recovered. Though very worn and repaired alot, again no traces of blood were found. The boots and pretectors were claimed to have been thrown away also but they were never recovered.

Sykes' landlady had said he did not return to his room on the night of the murder. Sykes later stated he was in his room all night despite previously telling the police that he'd slept in his van. His boss couldn't account for his attendance at work on the days leading to the murder however did state that the day after he did turn in but very late. Further questioning of witnesses confirmed Sykes had been seen around Kimberworth on the night of the 15th as well as the following day after the bodies had been recovered. One of Amy's friends who stated she'd seen her speaking to a strange gentleman three days of the week before the murder had come forward to confirm if it was Sykes, she said it was.

Despite attempts to retract his previous confession, Sykes was remanded in Leeds Assizes where he was found guilty of the rape of Amy Collinson and the murders of both Amy and Frances.
On the 23rd April 1913, Sykes was hung by Thomas Peirrepoint, assisted by Albert Lumb (Lamb) at Wakefield. The prisoner showed no signs of distress prior to his exicution, his last words were "I'm sorry"

There was no physical evidence he was responsable for the murder. The sexual abuse  to Amy was never explored further despite it being apart of the proceedings and was never mentioned by Sykes.

Several people have claimed to have been confronted by the ghost of Amy on that lonely footpath, now used as a shortcut from the local pubs in Kimberworth to the housing estate that stands on the former Kimberworth Park which is where it takes it's name.

Walter William Sykes was 24 years old.
Amy Collinson was just 10 years old.
Frances Alice Nicholson was just 7 years old.

As of this November it will have been 105 years since these little girls lost there lives in a horrific way.

This bit of history has stuck with me since I was in Primary school when our teacher took us all out for a history lesson around Kimberworth. Maybe it's because of how young they were? Maybe even because it wasn't far from where my parents live now... All I know is this story has always been in my head since I heard about it and Google doesn't have much about it. The bits I did find, I shall credit at the end.

I wanted to write what I could about it and share something that means a lot to me.
I shall go up to the church soon (it's only up the road) and find the graves again. I've visited once with school, the same day when they took us out for the history lesson.
When I visit it, I shall post a picture so look out for that.

R.I.P Amy and Frances.

©Harley2017

Credit:
Trove
Naked History
Red1st
British Executions