Bio

John Selby Watson was born in 1804. He was raised in a family that valued education. His uncle educated him, and he later attended Trinity College in Dublin. Watson graduated from college in 1838. After that, he was ordained as a Deacon by the Bishop of Ely in 1839.

In 1844, Watson moved to London. He became the headmaster of Stockwell Grammar School the following year. The school was successful at first. However, by the year 1870, the number of students began to decline. This change worried the governors of the school. They decided to let Watson go, which was a difficult moment for him at the age of 66.

In January 1845, Watson married Anne Armstrong at St. Marks in Dublin. They had been engaged for several years before they could finally marry. Due to financial difficulties, they needed time to save enough money. Watson was a noted scholar and translator. Although he wrote many books, including translations of classical works, he did not earn much money from them.

Throughout his career, he faced financial struggles. When he lost his job, he was not given a pension. Despite these challenges, Watson remained dedicated to his work. He continued to write and translate works throughout his life. He published translations for Bohm's Classical Library, which became part of the popular Everyman's Library series.

Watson's early life included significant academic achievements but was marked by personal hardships as well.

Murder Story

On October 8, 1871, John Selby Watson called his servant, Ellen Pyne, to inform her that his wife, Anne Armstrong, had "gone out of town." He instructed her to call a doctor if she found anything wrong with him the next morning. Later, Ellen found Watson unconscious and called for the doctor. It was discovered that Watson had attempted to commit suicide by taking prussic acid.

When he recovered, two notes were found. One note was addressed to Ellen, which included her wages. The other note was addressed to the doctor, in which Watson confessed to killing his wife in a fit of rage. Anne Watson's body was found later, revealing that she had been battered to death with the butt of a pistol.

Watson was arrested and tried at the Old Bailey in January 1872. During the trial, he pleaded insanity. However, the jury found him guilty of murder. Although the court recommended mercy due to his age and previous character, he was initially sentenced to death. After the trial, further medical affidavits indicated his possible insanity at the time of the murder. This led the Home Office to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.

Watson spent his time in Parkhurst prison, where he died from falling out of his hammock on July 6, 1884. He was 80 years old at the time of his death. His case is noted for its use of the insanity defense during the trial.