# Jane Elizabeth Allen — 1902

Canonical: https://hessleroad.com/historical-case-jane-elizabeth-allen.html

The Campbell Street terrace case that led to William James Bolton being convicted of murder in 1902.

Place: 10 Andrew Marvel Terrace, Campbell Street

Date: 18 October 1902

Status: Murder conviction

## Jane and the Campbell Street address

Jane Elizabeth Allen was killed on 18 October 1902 at 10 Andrew Marvel Terrace, Campbell Street, Hull. The case summary identifies William James Bolton as a married man who had been in a relationship with her. The terrace address gives this story a precise connection to the side streets of the Hessle Road area. [Source](https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=95&termRef=William+James+Bolton)

## The reported circumstances

The surviving summary describes a disagreement over Bolton continuing to visit Jane, after his wife had become aware of their relationship. Jane was fatally stabbed. These are reported circumstances from the case account; they should not be read as a complete explanation of Jane's life or as justification for the killing. [Source](https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=95&termRef=William+James+Bolton)

## From charge to conviction

A contemporary Bournemouth Daily Echo report describes Bolton as a marine engineer and records his committal for trial. This is a stage in the prosecution, distinct from the eventual verdict. [Source](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1902-11-01/1902-11-07?basicsearch=murder&newspapertitle=bournemouth%2Bdaily%2Becho&retrievecountrycounts=false&somesearch=murder&sortorder=score)

Bolton was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The execution record dates his hanging at Hull to 23 December 1902. The case summary directs researchers to the Leeds Mercury of 21 October, Hull Daily Mail of 4 November and Bournemouth Daily Echo of 23 December 1902. [Source](https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=95&termRef=William+James+Bolton)

## Recovering more of Jane's story

The published summaries centre on the prosecution. To build a fuller local account, we still need records of Jane's family, work and household, alongside the original inquest and trial reports. The street name is retained as 'Andrew Marvel Terrace' because that is the form used in the cited case record; its spelling can be checked against a contemporary directory.

## Timeline

- 18 October 1902: Jane was killed at the Campbell Street address.
- November 1902: A contemporary report records committal for trial.
- 23 December 1902: The execution record dates Bolton's hanging at Hull.

## Research still needed

- Read the original inquest and trial reports, rather than relying only on summaries.
- Verify Jane's age, family, occupation and burial.
- Check the terrace name and house number against a historic map or directory.

## Sources

- [British Executions: William James Bolton; includes newspaper references](https://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=95&termRef=William+James+Bolton)
- [Bournemouth Daily Echo, November 1902: committal report, via British Newspaper Archive](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1902-11-01/1902-11-07?basicsearch=murder&newspapertitle=bournemouth%2Bdaily%2Becho&retrievecountrycounts=false&somesearch=murder&sortorder=score)

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