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Jolly Jane, The 19th Century Nurse Who Wanted To Kill More People Than Anyone Who Ever Lived
A vicious Victorian era serial killer became notorious for her desire to cuddle and toy with her victims as they died
Data shows that only about 10% of all serial killers are women. However, the ladies who do fall into this category are some of the most bloodthirsty murderers to ever walk the earth. This includes Jane “Jolly Jane” Toppan, a 19th century New England nurse, whose stated goal was to kill more helpless people than anyone else who ever lived.
Born Honora Kelley in 1854 in Boston, Massachusetts, Toppan’s life was difficult from the very beginning. Her mother died of tuberculosis when she was very young, leaving her in the care of her father, Peter Kelley, an abusive alcoholic tailor known for his eccentric behavior that earned him the nickname of “Kelley the Crack.” As an example of his reputation, it was claimed that in the later years of his life, he once sewed his own eyes shut.
In 1860, unable to care for his children, Kelley surrendered six-year-old Honora and her eight-year-old sister Delia to the Boston Female Asylum. Two years later, Honora was placed as an indentured servant with the Toppan family in Lowell, Massachusetts. Although she was…
