Life stories of killer doctor's victims revealed

The exhibition focuses on the women and not the horrific crime they suffered

The lives of two women who were killed in one of the most notorious crimes of the 1930s are the focus of a new exhibition.

In 1935, Lancaster medic Dr Buck Ruxton murdered his wife Isabella and killed their maid, Mary Rogerson.

The exhibition "Belle & Mary" at Lancaster City Museum looks at the lives of the two women, instead of focusing on their deaths or on Ruxton.

Some remains of Isabella and Mary were only recently interred, having been discovered in a storeroom in Scotland, where the two women's bodies were found.

After the discovery in Moffatt, Dumfries and Galloway, Ruxton was arrested.

A charge of murdering Mary was dropped before Ruxton was tried, but he was convicted of murdering his wife on 13 March 1936 and executed on 12 May.

Last year, an appeal to find relatives of the women was launched and their remains - including their skulls and some bones - were buried earlier this month.

The organisers of the exhibition said it offered a human perspective on the women behind the tragic story of jealousy, panic and murder.

Mary Ann Rogerson, from Morecambe, was a nurse maid for the Ruxtons and was just shy of her 20th birthday when she was killed after witnessing Ruxton strangling his wife Bella.

The exhibition features personal items from Mary's life, including a heartfelt letter to a friend describing her joyful summer holiday and how she expected to find going back to work difficult after such a holiday.

A postcard photograph showing her smiling in her housemaid's uniform is also one of the artefacts on display.

Ruxton and his wife lived at 2 Dalton Square, Lancaster

Isabella Ruxton, born Isabella Proudfoot Kerr, was a vivacious mother-of-three who lived in a common-law relationship with Ruxton - an unusual arrangement for the time.

She was 34-years-old when she was killed, and the exhibition explores her life before the tragedy, highlighting her love of dancing, people, and family.

Curators have drawn from Lancaster City Museum's collection to present objects that tell the story, including Ruxton's 1934 personal diary, a letter requesting credit at a bookmaker, medical scalpels, and cufflinks.

Ruxton murdered the women on 15 September 1935

Lancaster City Council's cabinet member with responsibility for museums, Councillor Sam Riches, said that following the recent internments of Belle and Mary it felt fitting to host an exhibition focusing on their lives.

"Too often, stories like these centre on the perpetrator. We wanted to give voices to the victims and show they were real women with real lives.

"Recent visits from Mary's relatives have added new layers of understanding and emotion, reinforcing the museum's role in preserving local stories and keeping community stories alive."

Belle and Mary – The Two Dalton Square Murders will run until the end of December.