Oxford County Archives: Beyond the Vault

The Only Woman Hanged in Oxford County: Lizzie Tilford

By Caryssa Whittingham, Community Contributor/Co-op Student

Lizzie Tilford died on December 17th, 1935, and is known as the first and only woman in Oxford County to be executed

Lizzie Tilford, full name Elizabeth Anne Tilford, was executed for the murder and poisoning of her husband, Tyrell Tilford, on the first of April in the year 1935. Tyrell Tilford was not her first husband, and many people speculate that he wasn’t the first one she murdered, but that is a different story.

Up until Lizzie Tilford died, she was screaming out to the world that she was innocent, that she didn’t kill her husband, and that her in-laws were framing her. However, very few, if any, believed her. When the trial began, 11 witnesses were called up, most of whom were members of the Tilford family. The family members said that Tyrell Tilford had made past comments saying that his wife, Lizzie, wanted him dead; he even said he expressed worry about being poisoned by her. During the trial, the prosecution tried to paint her as a cold-hearted, manipulative, gold-digging wife who murdered her husband, and they succeeded. Lizzie Tilford’s trial ended on the second of October when she was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.

Throughout the trial, the public agreed that Lizzie did murder her husband; however, that is where the agreement ended. The public was divided on her motive, how morally responsible she was, and whether she should be executed or not. Many women wrote letters to the Minister of Justice saying that executing her would bring a type of dishonour to Canada. Some said that her actions showed that she was sick or had a “mental abnormality”. There were some concerns about the type of social damage her execution would cause. Some said that capital punishment was barbaric and unfit for the time they lived in. However, their voices were ignored, and Lizzie Tilford was executed by hanging.

At the age of 50, Lizzie died a quick and painless death with a quick snap of her neck. She was buried in the Woodstock Baptist Cemetery next to her second husband, William Walker, the one who many people also believed had died by her hand.