Talk:Ruth Ellis

Grave contradictions

We have a picture caption referring to "Ellis's unmarked grave", and a statement that "Her headstone was inscribed..."

It is somewhat unusual to have an inscribed headstone on an unmarked grave; what should we be saying? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 21:13, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

Her original grave, at Holloway, would have been unmarked. What exists at the site of her second grave is less clear, as the source is marked as needing improvement. The detail at the upload page for the image, File:The unmarked grave of Ruth Ellis, St Mary's Cemetery, Amersham, July 2022 01.jpg contradicts the text source, which says that: "Her headstone was inscribed, "Ruth Hornby 1926–1955." I have adjusted the image caption, to reduce this contradiction, but the image details, and/or the source may be mistaken. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:16, 6 March 2025 (UTC)

When her remains were moved from Holloway Prison to St Mary's Church, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in the early 1970s, her headstone was inscribed "Ruth Hornby 1926–1955". In 1982, Ellis's son Andy, who had been ten years old at the time of her execution, vandalised her grave shortly before taking his own life. Although replacement markers have occasionally been installed, they are frequently stolen; at my last observation, only a few withered flowers remained at the site’s coordinates.BiscuitsBeforeBias (talk) 20:28, 28 June 2025 (UTC)

Yes, the article says:

"Ellis's son Andy, who was aged 10 at the time of his mother's execution, took his own life, in a bedsit in 1982, shortly after desecrating her grave"

The source says::

"He was taunted all his life about his mother, the last woman to be executed in Britain, to the point where he destroyed the marker on her grave at Amersham, St Mary’s Cemetery in Buckinghamshire, and it has never been replaced [Her remains, along with those of other executed women, were interred there following a re-building programme at the prison.

So perhaps that the article text could be made clearer. I wonder do you have any sources about the replacement markers? Do you think the image caption could be improved? Many thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 21:10, 28 June 2025 (UTC)

Have a go at any improvnmentt you feel like & as a suggestion watch Ruth Ellis - Buried but Not Forgotten - A New Headstone! BiscuitsBeforeBias (talk) 21:00, 30 June 2025 (UTC)

Deceased or executed?

Template:Infobox criminal seems to require this (emphasis added): "conviction_status: e.g., at-large, in prison, on parole, released, dead (specify if executed), etc."? Martinevans123 (talk) 10:59, 23 April 2025 (UTC)

Mother's maiden name

FreeBMD here gives her name as Goodall not Goethals. Martinevans123 (talk) 13:59, 29 September 2025 (UTC)

Masculicide?

I wonder if a man who killed his wife to "escape her domestic violence" would be as celebrated as Ruth Ellis and others (C. Sauvage in France). No, he wouldn't: it would be labeled femicide. ~2026-35152-8 (talk) 04:55, 17 January 2026 (UTC)