Annie Ratcliffe was killed by the man who was meant to become her husband
Annie Ratcliffe was just 16 when she stepped out of her home at the Blue Bell inn on Church Street to meet 21-year-old John Aspinall Simpson. The young lovers had been courting for around 18 months, but her parents did not approve.
On August 4, Annie got dressed in bridal attire and prepared for her wedding, which was to take place at St Paul's church that day. The couple met up at the Sir Walter Scott pub, North Road, a local hostelry which stood on the site now occupied by Preston Bus Station. A policeman, who was passing, went to help and was met by the sight of Annie lying in a pool of blood. On the table next to Simpson was an open razor, similar to that used by barbers. The groom was staunch in his composure and made no attempt to leave.
Thomas Taylor Jackson, a baker with a shop in a ginnel off Grimshaw Street, said he had seen the young lovers together on many occasions. About six weeks before Annie's death, he had seem them talking animatedly, and heard Simpson ask Annie if she had any money for him. Annie replied: "No. Do you think I can always be robbing my father for you and getting money for you?"
Edith described Simpson as "rather wild" and said he "drank some" but said: "From what I saw, he was reforming and trying to get better." The defence, Mr Ford, however, set out to disprove the prosecution case. Why, he asked, would Simpson meet with Annie and take her to a public house to kill her, remaining at the scene until he was apprehended by a constable? Surely, if he did not want to go through with the wedding, he could have excused himself for a short period and fled to Liverpool, jumping on a boat to leave the country?
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