The Wiggins family were always drunk it was a supreme irony, therefore, that they were tenants of No. 1, Temperance Cottages, Limehouse, in Londons East End. Living there with John Wiggins, 34, were his girl friend Anne Oakes, 22, and his father and mother.
Just after midday on July 24th, 1867, Wiggins, who was already drunk, discovered that Anne had taken out a loan on a watch he had already pawned, and, furthermore, she had forgotten to fetch his beer. He began to beat her up, which was routine enough among the drunks in Temperance Cottages, but this time neighbours heard female screams of Murder! When they investigated, Anne was already dead with her throat cut.
Wiggins, who had superficially injured himself, claimed he woke up to find that Anne was trying to cut his throat, but the evidence told a different story. He was hanged on Tuesday, October 15th, 1867, outside Newgate Prison by William Calcraft who, two hours later, crossed the Thames to hang Louis Bordier