If ever there was a list of the top ten scumbags, Edward Hill would be amongst them, born at Portsmouth in the County of Hampshire in the year of 1871, the first-born to James and his wife of two years Sarah Holloway.

 James and Sarah had thirteen children in all, only seven of which survived to adulthood and only one went bad.

 A year after Edward's birth, his father James, who was employed by the Railway, relocated the family to Southwark in the County of Surrey, now part of London, to assume his position as a railway porter.

 Edward began accumulating convictions as early as 1891, while his mother remained supportive despite his ongoing troubles with alcohol, fighting, theft from family and friends, mugging, and even arson. Sarah stayed by his side until the very end, witnessing her son’s execution for the murder of his wife.

 Hill's first conviction took place on the 7^th of August 1891 at Southwark Police Court; he received 6 Months for stealing clothes. Next was on the 12^th of April 1892, at the South London Sessions, he got 12 months inside Wandsworth Prison, for stealing a pair of boots and other articles, value £3, the goods of Ernest Hill, (his brother,) he was found Guilty of Larceny after a previous conviction of a felony.

 On the 16^th of May 1893, he was again at the South London Sessions, this time sent down to 5 months inside Wandsworth Prison, for stealing a watch, the goods of his father's James Hill, he pleaded guilty of larceny after a previous conviction of a felony.

 5^th February 1894, at the North London Sessions, he got 14 Months inside Wormwood Scrubs and 1 Year Police Supervision for stealing a purse and the sum of £1 0s. 10d., and 1 key the goods and monies of Albert De Vere, from the person of Ella De Vere. Also receiving said property, well knowing the same to be stolen, he pleaded Guilty of Larceny from the person and receiving after a previous conviction of a felony.

 On the 11^th of November 1896, at the South London Sessions, he received 4 Months' and 9 Months' consecutive for stealing a watch and wounding.

 3^rd October 1898, at the Southwark Police Court, 3 Months for loitering. 13^th September 1899, the South London Sessions,12 Months with hard labour back in Wandsworth Prison, for Wilfully damaging 3 plate glass windows, value £40, the property of Sidney Andrews and assaulting Charles Welby, a Metropolitan Police Constable in the execution of his duty, he pleaded guilty of malicious damage to an amount exceeding £5.

 13^th February 1901, at the South London Sessions, he was sent down to 3 Years Penal Servitude inside H.M. Prison Chelmsford in the County of Essex, for stealing money.

 In the early hours of Thursday the 4^th June 1903, Hill had slung a lamp under his bed setting it on fire, at 11 Tower Street, Southwark the house where he and his mother and sisters lodged, he told a sister, he had watched the house burn from the end of the street, he told the police that a couple of the residents, had treated him badly at a funeral the day before, and he wanted to pay them back.

 Tried at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) on the 22^nd of June 1903 he pleaded Guilty to feloniously setting fire to the dwelling-house of Mary Ann Wallis, she and eighteen other persons being therein. Justice Darling sentenced Hill to 10 Years Penal Servitude, inside H.M. Prison Dartmoor in the County of Devon.

 He also had over the years eleven other convictions for drunkenness, assault on police, and failing to report.

 Hill was released between April and June 1911, and went straight back to his mother's, at 33 Elliotts Row, near the Elephant and Castle in Southwark.

 On the 16^th of July 1911, Edward married a hard-drinking widow named Mary Jane Harris aged 45, the daughter of Matthew Williams a Blacksmith, at St. Jude Church in Southwark. On the 20^th of July, they took a room for 4s. a week, at 22 Caledonia Street, in Islington, North London.

 Edward strangled his new bride with some white linen tied tightly around her neck; he then started a fire by putting a lamp under the bed. During an argument over money in the morning of the 25^th of July, just 9 days after the wedding, in their room at 22 Caledonia Street, when arrested later the same day, he became violent, putting the blame on his brother, declaring his innocence.

 Tried at the Old Bailey before Mr Justice Avory on the 11^th and 12^th of September, Hill was found guilty of wilful-murder and sentenced to death. Hill was executed alongside Francisco Godhino, on the 17^th of October 1911, at Pentonville Prison, in North London, by John Ellis who was assisted by William Conduit.