Margaret Ann Jones-Morewood (1866-1894)

Margaret Ann Jones-Morewood was a popular 28 year old welsh soprano who had attended the Roayal Academy and had experience with the Turner Opera Company. She already had 2 sons with one more on the way. Mrs Jones-Morewood was described as a cheery little woman. Her husband was John Jones, a manager with Walker & Hall, a wholesale Silversmith located in St Mary Street Cardiff.

According to the maid, Anne Williams, Mrs Jones-Morwood had been drunk for about a fortnight as she liked her "sixpennyworth of whisky now and again". John Jones had been known to knock his wife about a bit, and his wife had recently attained a black eye. She had left on 3 previous occasions and was presently sueing for divorce. Mrs Jones had also been complaining about stomach pains just before her death. The question of whether poison had been involved was raised at Court.

Mrs Jones-Morewood died whilst her husband was away in London on business and the case was presented to Court. The autopsy confirmed the black eye, but she had seemed to die of natural causes. The unborn baby too had been lost. Her liver was enlarged probably due to alcohol abuse.

The Judge had no alternative to dismiss the case and let Mr Jones off. However he felt that Mr Jones was not entirely innocent in the manner of death and Mrs Jones-Morwood had suffered under the marriage.

Mr Jones and the 2 children left for a new life in the United States, where his present day relatives contacted us with details of this story.