Bio

James Canham Read was born in 1855. He lived in London, England, specifically at 57 Jamaica Street in Stepney. Growing up, he eventually became a bookkeeper at the Royal Albert Docks. He married and had eight children. His job at the docks was important for his family, as he earned an annual salary of 140 pounds.

Despite being a family man, Read had a reputation for being charming and handsome. This attracted several women, and he became involved in multiple affairs. One of these relationships was with a woman named Bertha Ayriss. It was during his time with Bertha that he also met her younger sister, Florence Dennis, in 1892. Both sisters were unaware of his existing commitments.

As his relationships developed, conflicts arose. Bertha found out about Read's interest in Florence, leading to tensions between the sisters. Despite this, Read managed to maintain his affairs discreetly. Both women suspected something but did not have solid proof of his deceitful behavior.

In the spring of 1894, Florence confided in her mother that she was pregnant and revealed that James was the father. This news put Read in a difficult situation, as he had not disclosed his marital status to Florence. He communicated with her using secretive methods, believing that their relationship was still under wraps.

Florence eventually reached out to Read about her pregnancy. He was already stressed by the situation and began to plan a way to eliminate the problem. He arranged to meet her in Prittlewell, near Southend, where he could avoid attracting attention.

On June 24, 1894, Florence arrived for their meeting. Read had told her to keep their encounter a secret. When she arrived, he asked her questions to confirm her silence. After that, he fatally shot her. After the incident, he attempted to escape back to London on foot.

The day after the murder, Read returned to work at the docks, seemingly unfazed. He received a message inquiring about Florence’s whereabouts from Bertha. As suspicion grew, he panicked and decided to steal from his employer before going into hiding.

Murder Story

On June 24, 1894, James Canham Read met with his mistress, 18-year-old Florence Dennis, near the village of Prittlewell in England. They walked together through a wooded area. During their stroll, Read asked Florence if she had mentioned their meeting to anyone. When she replied that she had not, he shot her in the head with a revolver, killing her instantly.

After the murder, Read did not wait for a train to return home. Instead, he decided to walk the long distance back to his home in Stepney. He walked all night and asked several people for directions along the way. By morning, he returned home and reported to work as usual at the Royal Albert Docks.

However, his plans quickly unraveled. Florence’s body was discovered later that day, and it was confirmed that she was pregnant. Read’s nervousness grew when he received a message from another mistress, Bertha Ayriss, asking about Florence. In panic, Read robbed the safe at his workplace, taking a substantial amount of money, and fled.

He initially tried to hide out with another woman, Miss Kemper, under a false identity. Despite his efforts to evade capture, police followed the trail of evidence back to him. On June 29, detectives arrested Read at a cottage where he had been hiding.

Read stood trial for the murder of Florence Dennis in November 1894. The prosecution presented strong circumstantial evidence against him, including witness testimonies placing him with Florence before her death. The jury reached a verdict of guilty after only thirty minutes of deliberation.

James Canham Read was executed by hanging on December 4, 1894, at Springfield Prison in Chelmsford. He maintained his innocence up until the moment of his execution.