ABSTRACT
On New Year's Day 1753 Elizabeth Canning, an eighteen-year-old servant, visited her aunt and uncle, Alice and Thomas Colley, at their home in Salt-Petre Bank in the East End of London. She arrived at about eleven o'clock in the morning after visiting her mother and younger siblings in Aldermanbury Postern. 2 Canning 'dined and supped' with the Colleys, and at nine o'clock that night it was time for her to return to her master's house. Her aunt and uncle accompanied her as far as Houndsditch where they left her at about half-past nine. They returned home and went to bed. Some time between eleven o'clock and midnight there was a knock at the door. It was Canning's mother's apprentice, James Lord. Elizabeth was missing! Her master, Mr Lyon, had gone to Mrs Canning's house at nine o'clock and again at ten o'clock, looking for his servant. Mrs Canning in turn sent her apprentice to the Coileys' house and they assured him that they had last seen the young woman at Houndsditch on her way home to Lyon's. The search for Canning continued throughout the night. The next morning, before dawn, the apprentice returned to the Colleys' house along with Mrs Canning. There was still no sign of Elizabeth. 3
