CHRISTIE ETHEL: (1898-1952)

CHRISTIE ETHEL: (1898-1952) English wife of murderer John Reginald Halliday Christie, herself one of his victims who was later discovered strangled under the floorboards of their house at 10 Rillington Place. An extremely rare A.L.S., 'with love, Ethel', three pages, 8vo, 10 Rillington Place, St. Marks Road, London, 28th May & 1st June 1951, to her sister, Lil Bartle. Christie states that she would like to hear from her sister in order to know how she is, and continues to write with her own news regarding court cases involving tenants at 10 Rillington Place, 'On Saturday I won the case against the man & he was fined......Mr & Mrs Swan where (sic) witnesses. The other case for Possession of rooms comes up on the 31st......The possession case was not heard yesterday as there were so many cases & it was adjourned', further stating that she has received a letter from an aunt 'saying you were a lot better' and adding 'I am so glad. I thought you would be better with this lovely weather. It may have been the cold which made you so bad'. A couple of small, dark stains only slightly affect a few words of text and not the signature, otherwise VG

John Reginald Halliday Christie's victims included tenants of 10 Rillington Place, notably Beryl Evans and her baby daughter Geraldine. Beryl's husband, Timothy Evans, was famously wrongly convicted of the murders and sentenced to death in 1950. Christie himself was a major prosecution witness at the trial and it was not until his own crimes were discovered three years later that serious doubts were raised about the integrity of Evans' conviction. It would not be until 2004 that the High Court acknowledged that Evans did not murder either his wife or his child.