Flood Meadow, Alton

[Vampyresam]

Flood Meadow, Alton - The Murder of "sweet" Fanny Adams

Back in the later part of the 1970's my family lived opposite a large meadow called Flood Meadow. I remember hearing the story of the murder of Fanny Adams many times and to be honest never really thought that much about it. My brother and I would spend many happy hours playing in the meadow and by the stream that was at the bottom it. The thought that it may be haunted never really bothered me. For some reason memories of Fanny's story came back to me the other day and so I decided to have a look for information on Flood Meadow in the hope of it being another possible haunted location. Now bearing in mind I haven't been to Alton in quite a few years and especially to the meadow itself I don't know if the site is in the same or close to the condition that it was when I used to go there back in the day. I have a vague memory of a playground with swings, roundabouts etc being built there. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has any information on Flood Meadow or may have actually visted there recently.

This infamous case concerned the murder, at Alton, of 'sweet' Fanny Adams, aged 8 years. This took place at Flood Meadow, on Saturday, 24th August 1867. The victim had been decapitated and brutally mutilated. Body parts were spread over a wide area. Even by Victorian standards this was a horrific murder.
The murderer, Frederick Baker 29, was arrested within hours with bloodstained clothing, d**ning evidence was an entry in his diary, "killed a young girl."
Involved in the arrest were, Superintendent Cheyney and PC George Watkins.
Baker was tried at Winchester Assizes in December that year. The defence introduced evidence of a history of violent mental illnesses in Baker's family but he was found guilty. The jury took 15 minutes to reach a verdict. Baker was publicly hanged on Christmas Eve the same month outside the county prison at Winchester and was watched by 5,000 spectators (mainly women). Swift justice indeed!
This was to be the last public hanging at Winchester although hanging continued into the 1960's.
The grave of "Sweet Fanny Adams" is in the churchyard at Alton cemetery, Old Odiham

There seems to be a bit of a question Fanny's age at the time of her murder in some of the versions of the story I've read. It appears she was somewhere between 7 to 9 years old.
I've included an excellent link of the murder of Fanny Adams and its origin to the phrase "Sweet Fanny Adams"

www.hants.gov.uk/museum/curtis/fannyadams/index.html

Here's a link that also mention sightings of Fanny Adams ghost

www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t11618.html

This last link is a poem about Fanny Adams and shows her gravestone in Alton cemetery

www.johnowensmith.co.uk/fanny.htm

[The_Phantom_Monk]

I posted the story of Sweet Fanny Adams on PF a while ago, heres the link

groups.msn.com/ParanormalFarnham/myfavourites.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=20&LastModified=4675447583216071180

Alton is where I was born but don't remember much about it as I moved to Farnham when I was 5. I'd love to go take a look sometime see if we can pick up anything.

Simon.

[Vampyresam]

I knew that you would be the man who'd know about Flood Meadow ;D. Thanks for putting your link on here. I hadn't spotted it on your lovely website ;D.
My family lived in Alton in the later end of the 70's. Our house actually faced directly onto Flood Meadow. My brother and I used to spend our evenings and weekends playing football and riding our bikes on the meadow.
I was talking to my Mum about it at the weekend and she asked if I remembered the cold spot that was always down by the river at the bottom of the meadow. I had actually forgotten about that. She said that every time she walked by this certain spot she would get a cold shiver.
I'm hoping to be able to pop down there soon too and maybe be can arrange a suitable date that a few us can get down there to see if we can pick up on Sweet Fanny Adams.