Frances Lydia Alice Knorr

Who was Frances Lydia Alice Knorr?

Frances Lydia Alice Knorr was known as the Baby Farming Murderess. She was found guilty of strangling two infants and hanged on Monday 15 January 1894.

Frances Knorr was born as Minnie Thwaites in London, England in 1868 and emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1887. Initially she worked as a domestic servant and married Randolph Knorr, a German immigrant. She later had an affair with one Edward Thompson and soon afterwards moved to Melbourne. The short lived affair was not successful and Minnie had to find a means to support herself and her daughter.