**Decades On, the Mystery Endures: The Unsolved Murder of “Madame X” in Mumbles**
A murder that shook a quiet Welsh village in the late 1920s remains unsolved nearly a century later, shrouded in layers of intrigue and unanswered questions about the mysterious woman at its centre. Known variously as Kate Jackson, Mary Kathleen Douglas Hamilton, Madame le Grys, Holly Ingram, and the enigmatic “Madame X”, her true identity confounded both police and the public, overshadowing the brutal circumstances of her death.
Kate Jackson—often called Molly by her friends—had enjoyed a night at the cinema on 4 February 1929 with her neighbour, Olive Dimmick, in the seaside suburb of Mumbles, Swansea. The pair returned to their homes on Plunch Lane around 10pm, waving one another off as they settled in for the night. The tranquillity was shattered moments later when Dimmick heard desperate screams tearing through the darkness. Rushing outside, she discovered Kate, bleeding and barely conscious, collapsed by the back door of her bungalow, “Kenilworth”, with Thomas Jackson, her husband, crouched helplessly at her side.
The injured woman was brought inside, and while Mr Jackson dashed to summon a doctor, Olive Dimmick attempted to staunch the bleeding. When Dr Taylor arrived, his attempt to gather an account of the attack yielded only a cryptic response: Kate could utter just one word repeatedly — “Gorse”. While intriguing, the meaning behind her utterance has never been deciphered.
Despite the attentions of her neighbours, husband, and medical staff, Kate Jackson never regained the clarity needed to explain her final moments. She was moved by taxi to Swansea Hospital, lingering for nearly a week before succumbing to her injuries. Her murder soon attracted the attention of Scotland Yard, called down to assist local authorities.
The case grew even more complex as investigators attempted to piece together the deceased’s life. Press coverage from the time underscores the complexities involved in understanding who she truly was. Thomas Jackson, perhaps the person closest to her, was quick to recount their backstory, but his account only deepened the mystery. He claimed to have met his wife at the Lyons Corner House café in Piccadilly in 1919, marrying her soon after. He described her as a cosmopolitan woman, skilled in several languages and possibly raised in opulence, perhaps even of noble birth.
Adding to the puzzle, Mr Jackson noted his wife’s apparent penchant for assumed identities. At her insistence, he adopted the title “Captain Gordon Ingram” into their marriage, as she held herself out as Mrs Ingram. After a stint in the countryside—where she was rumoured to be the romantic novelist Ethel M Dell—they adopted a child named Betty during a second marital ceremony in Cardiff, this time under their “real” names. Strikingly, neither Jackson nor his wife seemed to have conventional employment, yet mysterious envelopes filled with cash arrived regularly, ceasing only after a certain Mr Harrison, known to Madame X, was convicted of union embezzlement.
Police investigations revealed further fabrications. They located a birth certificate for Kate Atkinson, daughter of a Lancashire labourer, though Thomas claimed his wife had purchased this identity. He described her persistent anxiety, fuelled by threatening letters accusing her of crimes and promising violent retribution. The correspondences included references to “Piccadilly Lilly” and sinister warnings, intensifying her fears and reinforcing suspicions that her past concealed dark secrets.
Following Harrison’s trial and subsequent downfall, the Jacksons sold their grand residence and moved to the more modest Kenilworth bungalow, their financial situation seemingly deteriorating as the cash deliveries dried up. It was there, in a setting far removed from Central London or Brussels, that tragedy befell the elusive Madame X. Forensic evidence at the scene yielded little — only some broken glass, likely the weapon, and testimonies to Kate’s mounting paranoia.
Meanwhile, Thomas Jackson quickly became the chief suspect in the eyes of law enforcement. His subsequent arrest and trial at the Glamorgan Assizes in Swansea drew widespread public fascination. The jury, however, deliberated for just thirty minutes before finding him not guilty, a decision which prompted applause and cheers in the courtroom gallery.
Although Thomas Jackson was exonerated, the case left the broader community and investigators deeply unsettled. The murder of Kate Jackson, woman of many names and identities, remains unpunished and its mysteries unresolved. With no further leads and the witnesses now long gone, the truth behind the infamous “Madame X” and her violent end continues to haunt Swansea’s collective memory—a cautionary tale illustrating how even the most sensational tragedies can slip beyond the reach of certainty or justice.