Full Breakdown
Headstone Marks Centenary of Ruth Ellis, the UK’s Last Woman Executed
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The New Memorial
A headstone has been placed at St Mary’s Cemetery in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, after a request from Ellis’s eldest grandson, Scott Walker. Walker said he wanted something “poignant and punchy” to mark what would have been his grandmother’s 100th birthday. The stone was installed in 2024 following a family committee discussion that included relatives in Dubai, Spain and Canada.
Historical Context of Ellis’s Case
Ruth Ellis was hanged at Holloway Prison on 13 July 1955, three months after fatally shooting her lover, racing driver David Blakely, outside a Hampstead pub. At 28, she became the last woman executed in the United Kingdom. Ellis was buried in an unmarked grave within the prison grounds, a customary practice for executed prisoners. After her body was reburied in Amersham in 1971, earlier memorials at the cemetery were repeatedly vandalised. Her trial sparked public outcry and preceded the 1957 introduction of diminished responsibility as a legal defence. In July 2026, a posthumous conditional pardon was granted following a family-led campaign.
Family Initiative and Local Support
He approached Amersham Town Council, which expressed pleasure in supporting a memorial that would “make people stop and think.” Deputy mayor Kelly Thornton affirmed that honoring Ellis’s memory aligns with broader efforts to support women’s rights and services for trauma survivors.
Official Reactions
Justice Secretary David Lammy described the conditional pardon as an “act of mercy,” emphasizing that it does not equate to a finding of innocence but replaces the death penalty with a life-sentence to acknowledge a profound injustice. The Amersham Museum cited the 2015 legislation on controlling or coercive behaviour as an important consideration in the pardon decision.
Verbatim Quote
- “Honouring [Ellis'] memory means supporting women's rights and public services that understand trauma, recognise coercive control, safeguard children and help survivors find safety.” — Kelly Thornton, the deputy mayor of Amersham
