# Florence Lily Freeman — 1909

Canonical: https://hessleroad.com/historical-case-florence-lily-freeman.html

A documented Porter Street murder with contemporary newspaper references and a surviving archive trail.

Place: 4 Kingston Place, Porter Street

Date: 28 August 1909

Status: Murder conviction

## The household at Kingston Place

Florence Lily Freeman was killed at 4 Kingston Place, Porter Street, on 28 August 1909. The case record identifies her as the wife of Robert Freeman and sister-in-law of John Freeman. John was convicted of her murder. [Source](https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=223&termRef=John+Freeman)

## The events reported that night

University of Hull research describes an argument between the brothers after an evening at the Myton Tavern. Florence was stabbed during the confrontation, left the house and died while being taken to the infirmary. The research cites the Hull Daily Mail of 30 August 1909, page 6, for the contemporary account. [Source](https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/OutputFile/4269959)

## The trial and its outcome

The same research identifies a Hull Daily Mail report of 19 November 1909, page 6, covering the death sentence. John Freeman was found guilty of murder. The execution record gives 7 December 1909 as the date of his hanging at Hull and identifies a Home Office file, HO 144/538/185889, as a further research source. [Source](https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/OutputFile/4269959)

The case summary also records an earlier threat against Florence in February 1908, following which a policeman took John to the station. That reported earlier incident belongs to the chronology, but the original police or court material should be checked before a longer account is written. [Source](https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=223&termRef=John+Freeman)

## Photographs and the archive trail

Hull History Centre's Health Department Photographs catalogue lists Kingston Place, Porter Street, under L THP/1374. It also lists two living-room interiors described as a murder scene, L THP/1370 and L THP/1371. The catalogue leaves them undated; their connection to this particular case has not yet been established. [Source](https://catalogue.hullhistorycentre.org.uk/files/l-thp.pdf)

The images used on this website are decorative artwork. The catalogue references are leads for obtaining authentic archive photographs, with their identification and reproduction permissions checked first.

## Timeline

- February 1908: An earlier threat is reported in the case summary.
- 28 August 1909: Florence was killed at Kingston Place.
- 30 August 1909: Hull Daily Mail report identified by the university research.
- 19 November 1909: Death-sentence report identified by the university research.
- 7 December 1909: John Freeman was hanged at Hull.

## Research still needed

- Consult Home Office file HO 144/538/185889 and the original newspaper pages.
- Verify Florence's family, work, burial and other biographical details.
- Identify the undated Kingston Place photographs before attributing them to this case.

## Sources

- [British Executions: John Freeman; identifies National Archives HO 144/538/185889](https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=223&termRef=John+Freeman)
- [University of Hull research: discussion of the Freeman trial and contemporary Hull Daily Mail reports](https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/OutputFile/4269959)
- [Hull History Centre: Health Department Photographs, L THP/1370, 1371 and 1374](https://catalogue.hullhistorycentre.org.uk/files/l-thp.pdf)

Decorative illustrations are not verified portraits or reconstructions. Collection cutoff: 1960.