Taylor Drafton Period: 4

1. Ellis Ruth
By : Taylor Drafton
Teacher : Ms. Chang
Date: 4 / 26 / 12

2. A RL IE R L IFE
October 9 , 1926
Born :
J 13 , 1955
uly
Died :
( 28 years old )
Welsh , Wales
Raised In :
S had 5 other sisters and
he
Siblings :
brothers.
Only a high school education
Education :

3. C areer Factory Worker
After High School :
●
● Modeling
● Clerical J ( Clerk )
ob
S became a prostitute, and had
he
When those didn't terminated about 4 children and went back
to work after each time.
work :
S became a waitress at a night club, met
he
Finally : a man named George Ellis , and married
him with 2 step childern.
1951 gave birth to daughter Georgina, but
While working : George ( Husband at the time ) refused to
acknowledge paternity and they separated
shortly afterwards. Ruth and her daughter
moved in with her parents and she went back to
waitress to make ends meet.

4. Ellis + Blakely & Ellis + C ussens
● Well- mannered former public school boy
David Blakely ( Victim ) : ● But also a hard- drinking racer.
Within weeks he moved into her flat
Elli + Blakely's Relationship :
●
● Despite being engaged to another woman, Mary
Dawson.
● Ellis pregnant for the 4th time but aborted the
child
Born1921 in Surrey
Desmond Cussens
●
● Was a RAF pilot, flying Lancaster bombers
in WWII
● Left RAF in 1946, when he took up
accountancy.
● He was appointed a director of the family
business Cussens & Co
When Ruth manager of the Carroll Club,
Ellis + Desmond Cussens
●
she moved in with Cussens at 20 Goodward
Relationship : Court, Devonshire Street, north of Oxford
Street, and became his mistress.

5. Pictures
David Blakley
Desmond Edward Cussen

6. The L ead U p
● The relationship with Blakely continued and became increasingly
Continuing violent and embittered as Ellis and Blakely continued to see other
people.
:
● In 1955. Blakely asked to marry her , she accepted.
● On Easter Sunday, Ellis took a taxi from Cussens's home to a
Suspicion second floor flat ( the home of Anthony and Carole Findlater )
● As she arrived, Blakely’s car drove off
● Ellis paid off the taxi and walked the quarter mile to The
: Magdala,( Public Home ) where she found David’s car parked
outside.
9:30 pm David Blakely and his friend Clive Gunnell exsited the house
Before the
●
● Blakely passed Ellis waiting on the pavement when she stepped out of
Henshaws Doorway
He ignored her when she said "Hello, David," then shouted "David!"
Murder :
●

7. Bang , you're d ead .
Weapon of choice : .38 calibre Smith & Wesson Victory model
revolver
● Blakely searched for the keys to his car
● S pulled the gun from her handbag and
he
fired five shots
● The first shot missed and he started to run
● pursued by Ellis round the car, where she
fired a second,
● This caused him to collapse onto the
How it pavement.
● S stood over him and fired three more
he
happened :
bullets.
● Ellis stood over the body and witnesses
reported the incident
● Sixth bullet ricocheted off the road and
injured Gladys Kensington Yule, 53, in the
base of her thumb. ( S was fine )
he

8. The O utcom e
Legally : Charged with 1 st
degree murder
Last words of Ellis : "I am guilty, I'm a
little confused.”
Ellis was the last woman to be
Interesting
●
hung in the United Kingdom.
● Doesn’t say what ever happened to
Fact : her daughter.

9. Websites U sed :
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Ellis