On the evening of Friday, November 25, 1864, at approximately 10:30 PM, a heinous act of murder occurred. Ann Shelton, a concerned grandmother, was startled awake by the cries of her youngest granddaughter, Emma, who was only eleven months old at the time. Emma slept in the adjacent room with her parents, and her screams of pain pierced through the stillness of the night. As she cautiously stepped into the dimly lit room, her heart pounding with unease, she was struck with absolute horror at the sight before her: her beloved daughter Jane, lying still and unmoving on the bed, cradling her infant in her arms, their bodies drenched in a pool of crimson blood. In the room stood Timothy, her son-in-law, with his clothes dishevelled and only partially dressed, clutching an open clasp knife in his hand, and making threatening gestures as if he intended to harm himself by cutting his own throat. Despite the chaos and commotion, Ann skilfully managed to grab the knife from his grasp, as Timothy frantically rushed down the stairs and grabbed a larger carving knife.

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The unfortunate victim, Jane Baum, had suffered a stabbing wound on her left side, as well as a deep incision measuring an inch and a half in length along her throat. In a single, swift motion, the pointed knife pierced through the carotid artery, causing severe injury to both the mother and child. This one attack was powerful enough to penetrate the skin and tissue, leaving a trail of damage as it passed from the mother to the child. Upon examination, it was discovered the infant had sustained a 3-inch laceration on the right side of her throat. The baby lived until about 2am. Despite the efforts of skilled surgeon John Robinson, who carefully stitched up her throat, the young girl still tragically passed away while lying next to her loving grandmother.

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According to Dr. John Robinson, the surgeon who examined Timothy Baum after the murder, Timothy had been diagnosed with a debilitating disease that caused excessive pressure on his brain and led to a diagnosis of meningeal inflammation. This condition had been impacting Tim for numerous years, and he had been receiving treatment from his apothecary, Mr. John Gill, during that time.

 

 

Timothy Baum was born in 1837 in Swithland, Leicestershire, to John and Pheobe Baum. He came from a large family of thirteen siblings, including five brothers and seven sisters.

Timothy married Jane Shelton in Syston on 26 December 1859. Based on various reports and observations, the family was content and lived a comfortable life. Timothy was a highly skilled wheelwright, a trade that not only allowed him to provide for his family of four, which included his wife Jane, their two children Elizabeth and Emma, but also his mother-in-law Ann Shelton. They all lived in a thatched cottage on The Green in the village of Syston. His apprentice James Toon, also lodged in the cottage.

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On the Friday before the tragic murder, Dr. Robinson, the surgeon of Brooke Street in Syston, was urgently summoned, as Tim, who had experienced a severe headache and low mood, had not been able to attend work. On the evening of the murder, it was noted that Tim was in a particularly low and depressed state of mind. After Tim's condition worsened, Dr. Robinson was urgently summoned again, and performed a thorough examination that evening, noting Tim's bright and glassy eyes, his inability to rest all day, and a quick pulse. The doctor sternly instructed him to immediately retire to his bed and consume his prescribed draught of opium.

 

The trial of Timothy Baum, who was accused of brutally murdering his wife and child, was held at the historic Leicester Castle Court on Tuesday, December 6th, 1864. After careful deliberation, the jury reached the decision to find him not guilty based on the grounds of insanity.

It was observed that there were no outward displays of emotions from those who had gathered at the courthouse, as it was widely known that Timothy Baum was believed to have been in an unstable mental state when he committed the crime. The verdict therefore created no surprise.

Jane and Emma Baum were buried after the initial inquest on 28 November 1864. They were laid to rest in St Peter and St Paul's Church in Syston. The two coffins bound together in one grave.

 

On 28th December 1864, the governor of the Leicester County Goal was given an official order from the secretary of state to transfer Timothy to the 'Lunatic Asylum' located in Broadmoor.

He was admitted on 30 December 1864. His superintendent was Dr. John Meyer – (Peppermint Billy's superintendent at the New Norfolk Asylum in Tasmania!)

According to the medical records obtained from Broadmoor, Timothy suffered from a weak mind, unsound mental state, and low mental health, with intermittent periods of recovery.

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                                                    Day Room for Male Prisoners in Broadmoor - Illustrated London News - Saturday 24 August 1867

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On the 5th October 1878, after a long and arduous battle with illness, Timothy finally made a full recovery and was granted his release from the confines of Broadmoor.

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After returning back to Syston, Timothy married his landlady, Mary Ann Christian, in the summer of 1881. Eventually, the couple made their home in Loughborough. Timothy and Mary Ann were blessed with two children, their first being Annie, who was born in Syston in December 1883. However, their joy was short-lived, as Annie tragically passed away at the young age of nine on 24 December 1892 in Loughborough. A second child, a son named Walter, was born in 1884.

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Following the tragic murders of 1864, Elizabeth, the only surviving daughter from Timothy's first marriage, was taken in by her paternal grandparents, John and Phobe Baum, and lived with them in the village of Swithland. At the time, Elizabeth's grandparents were already in their sixties, while she herself was just a young nine-year-old girl. However, by the time she turned nineteen, Elizabeth was employed as a servant at Rock House in Mells, Somerset. In 1883, Elizabeth married Charles Cornish, and the couple had two children.

 

 

 

                                           

 

 

                                           

 

                                            Timothy Baum died on 11 May 1909 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, at the age of seventy-two.

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