The Case of Ruth Ellis, 1955

Who was Ruth Ellis?

Ruth Ellis was hanged for the murder of her violent and abusive boyfriend who had caused her to miscarry. She is famous because she was the last female to be executed in Britain.

When was Ruth Ellis executed?

Ruth Ellis was hanged in 1955.

Why was Ruth Ellis executed?

Ruth Ellis was hanged for murdering her boyfriend whom she shot.

Why were people against Ruth Ellis execution?

There were 3 main reasons why some people opposed her execution:

• ❖ The circumstances of the case. Ruth Ellis had suffered from physical abuse.
• ❖ She was also the mother of a young child who would be orphaned by her mother's execution.
• ❖ Some people were sympathetic and 50,000 people signed a petition against her death, but it was ignored.