Mad Alice haunts this snickelway. Beaten remorselessly by her husband, she finally attacked and killed him. The murder caused her to go insane, and she was hanged at York Castle in 1825. Her face can sometimes be spotted at one of the windows looking down over the lane.

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No One by the name “ALICE” was ever hanged at the York Gallows in 1825 or any year. Even in 1825 there was the troublesome problem of Hanging anyone if they where found to be “INSANE” they would by law be handed to the Insane Asylums. It could be that their was a “Mad” rebellious lady of the night or even a Wife with a bad (Mad) Temper, but nothing can be found in Court Records or Asylum records.

Looking at the comments I’ve seen regarding who Alice was and what factual evidence is available. Could it be that Alice was just a nickname and her real name has been forgotten in time?

That is very possible. I have been doing my genealogy for years and can vouch that MANY people went by their middle names. It is very aggravating to look for someone in legal documents by the name Alice Smith when their legal name is actually Mary Alice Smith.

The tourists don’t care … ,just here to be amused ..,: none of it is true btw , but if it something that fills the coffers ..who cares ?

Chances are it’s a nickname or maiden name and the real name has been lost to time and possibly the story is somewhat changed through word of mouth but there will be some fact behind the fiction.

The story I heard was that she was a 19th century prostitute who went mad after contracting syphilis

An addition to my post, There is a possibility it refers to an Alice Flokton and A John Smith married at St Michael Le Belfry August 24 1816. Their is no register of any “Smith” male or female being detained at either York Prison (Bishiophill at this time) or at the Castle Prison (That was a County Prison). It is almost impossible to search any institute for the “Insane” Asylum. So the Real Question !Who Named The Lane seems not the Council

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