Elizabeth Jeffries was born in 1727 in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. At the age of five, she was adopted by her wealthy and childless uncle, Joseph Jeffries, a successful butcher in Central London. Despite providing her with a comfortable upbringing, Joseph allegedly subjected Elizabeth to sexual abuse when she was fifteen. He had initially willed his entire estate to her but frequently threatened to disinherit her, accusing her of immoral behavior. ​

In 1751, Elizabeth began an affair with her uncle's manservant, John Swan. Fearing that Joseph would follow through on his threats to disinherit her, Elizabeth and John conspired to murder him to secure her inheritance. They enlisted a man named Matthews to procure firearms for them. On the night of 3 July 1751, after obtaining the weapons, Elizabeth and John shot Joseph Jeffries in his home, attempting to stage the scene as a botched robbery. ​

Initially, Elizabeth was arrested but released due to insufficient evidence. However, authorities later apprehended Matthews, who revealed the details of the plot. This led to the subsequent arrests of both Elizabeth and John Swan. ​

Their trial commenced on 11 March 1752. Both were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. On 28 March 1752, Elizabeth was transported to the gallows seated on her own coffin, while John was dragged on a sledge. A crowd of approximately 7,000 people gathered to witness their executions. John died swiftly, but Elizabeth's execution was prolonged, taking over fifteen minutes before she was pronounced dead.