James Greenacre was married to Hannah Brown. They lived in buildings on Edgware Road, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, not far from Hyde Park

Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...

. One day in 1837, the Police found a woman's head in Regent's Canal

Regent's Canal

Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal, just north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in east London....

. They identified Hannah's body and suspected her husband as a murderer because he had married her for her money only. They had quarrelled about a decision to emigrate to Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, and over the use to which the money was to be put. Greenacre was arrested, tried and found guilty at the Old Bailey

Old Bailey

The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...

. In the trial it was described how Greenacre had meticulously wrapped the head in a handkerchief, before disposing of it, and scattering the limbs elsewhere.

The case generated a huge public interest. Great crowds gathered at Newgate

Newgate

Newgate at the west end of Newgate Street was one of the historic seven gates of London Wall round the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. From it a Roman road led west to Silchester...

 to see the hanging. The spectacle was accompanied by sales of memorablia, such as mugs, and flags, and rented rooms. The executioner

Executioner

A judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:...

, a celebrated William Calcraft

William Calcraft

William Calcraft was the most famous English hangman of the 19th century. One of the most prolific British executioners of all time, it is estimated that he carried out 450 executions during his 45-year career...

, was notorious for a short drop on the rope, meaning his victims took a longer time to die.