Too much heat causes madness. Madness leads to Murder.
Philip Samuel Maister sat on the side of his bed, quietly looking down at the lifeless bodies of his two children. He had called them both into his bedroom and locked the door before taking out his pistol and shooting them. His servant, William Smith, hearing the noise and being unable to open the door, had then climbed up to the window to observe the awful scene. He said: “Oh master, what have you done?” to which Maister softly replied: “You see what I have done”.
In the courtroom at York Assizes in 1804, the distressing story of the infanticides was laid as bare as a tree in winter. Standing in the dock, Maister pleaded “Not guilty” to the charge of murder.
The story of Samuel Maister
The Maister family originally came from Kent but moved to Hull, where they established a thriving business centered around the port. Over many years, the family built a prestigious residence and represented the area in mayoral and parliamentary activities. The family house was burned to the ground in 1743, costing the lives of Mary Maister and her child. Henry Maister left a widower, determined that the house would be rebuilt and as proofed against fire as possible.
Comfortable and well-respected as the family seems to have been, Philip Samuel Maister who was born in 1757, was an illegitimate…
