A Child Killed by its Mother
"The Alleged Murder in Lambeth"
The Illustrated Police News, Issue 244 October 17, 1868, covers a story regarding the murder of seven year old John Buckney by his mother, Mrs. Susan Buckney. She was the mother of three children, two of which she claimed were fighting at the time of the incident. Mrs. Buckney claimed that as two of her sons were quarreling, she threw a knife at them "in a fit of passion," not meaning to truly harm them. However, the coroner believed that the knife, to have punctured the child and caused so much damage the way it had, "must have been in the hand at the time the wound was caused." John was wearing both a flannel shirt and a waistcoat so it seems improbable that the knife, with only the force of the throw, would have been able to puncture through the clothing to cause such an intense cut to his skin. The other son who was fighting with John, was nine and a half year old, Thomas Edward Buckney. At the trial he said that John patted him on the head and Thomas asked his mother to "make Johnny be quiet," from there, Mrs. Buckney took John into the other room. A little while later, Mrs. Buckney cried for Mr. Bliss the landlord, screaming that she threw a knife at Johnny and thinks she killed him. Thomas says he walked into the parlor where Mrs. Buckney took John and saw his mother, holding John with the knife on the floor near his mother.
Though she was accused of brutally murdering her child, Mrs. Buckney is still portrayed as a maternal figure. When she was arrested Mrs. Buckney said, "I am very sorry for what I have done. I did not intend to do it, I threw the knife and it struck him." The newspaper seems to highlight that her actions were caused not through violence, but emotion, seeming to avoid the prospect that a mother could act violently towards her child. It seems that as a mother, she is portrayed differently than women whose association with a crime does not focus on their motherhood, but rather their sex life. Compared to other articles within the newspaper regarding women who have committed crimes or have been at the center of a crime, there is no description of Mrs. Buckney's appearance or dress. Not much is mentioned about her mannerism during the trial, which could stem from the trial's inability to be sexualized as it did not involve a woman and a male sexual partner. Mrs. Buckney also appears to be desexualized because she is a mother, which is seen through how the article is not very sensationalized and more so focuses on the facts relevant to the case rather than Mrs. Buckney's personal life and physical attributes. At the end of the article, it states that she was found guilty of he murder and charged with manslaughter, however, the title claims that the crime 'allegedy' was committed by her. This seems to suggest that people are skeptical of this charge and unsure if she truly deserves this punishment. Mrs. Bliss, the landlady stated that she "had know [Mrs. Buckney] for 18 months and during that whole time she had been very kind to all her children." It seems even, the witnesses to the seven year olds' horrific murder wished to believe it was more so an accident, than an authentic act of violence. It seems Victorian society was frightened by the fact that mothers had the capability of being cruel and violent because it goes against their societal roles as nurturers and caretakers.
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