This post explores the most notorious serial killers in British history, arranged in chronological order. From grave robbers and baby farmers to necrophiles and medical professionals, these individuals committed crimes that shocked the nation. Each profile includes a summary of their crimes, known biography, and inferred motivations.

16th Century

Sawney Bean (Legendary, 16th century, Ayrshire)

According to legend, Alexander ‘Sawney’ Bean led a 48-member incestuous clan in 16th-century Scotland that murdered and cannibalised hundreds. No concrete evidence supports this tale, and many believe it to be anti-Scottish folklore.

1820s

Burke & Hare (1828, Edinburgh)

Irish immigrants William Burke and William Hare murdered at least 16 people to sell their bodies to medical schools in Edinburgh. Hare was a lodging-house keeper, while Burke was a cobbler. Their crimes were financially motivated.

1850s–1870s

Mary Ann Cotton (1852–1873, North East England)

Considered Britain’s first convicted female serial killer, Cotton poisoned up to 21 people, including family members, using arsenic. A nurse and housekeeper, she was motivated by insurance payouts and the removal of burdens.

1860s–1890s

Amelia Dyer (1869–1896, Reading)

Baby farmer and former nurse, Dyer is believed to have murdered hundreds of infants entrusted to her care. She preyed on unwed mothers and was motivated by money.

Jack the Ripper (1888, London)

Infamous unidentified killer of at least five women in Whitechapel. Theories suggest he may have had medical or anatomical training. His motives are believed to stem from misogyny and sexual sadism.

Thames Torso Killer (1887–89, London)

Unidentified murderer who dismembered victims and dumped body parts into the Thames. Possibly unrelated to the Ripper, and motives remain unknown.

1940s

Gordon Cummins (1942, London)

‘Blackout Ripper’, an RAF officer who murdered four women during wartime blackouts. He was charming, violent, and sexually deviant.

John Haigh (1944–49, London)

‘Acid Bath Murderer’ who killed at least six victims for financial gain. Dissolved bodies in acid, mistakenly believing he could not be prosecuted without a body.

Neville Heath (1946, London)

Ex-RAF officer who murdered two women with sadistic brutality. Diagnosed as a psychopath, he was charming but extremely dangerous.

John Christie (1943–53, London)

Ex-policeman who murdered at least eight women, hiding their bodies at 10 Rillington Place. He used gas and claimed to be helping women with abortions. Likely driven by sexual sadism.

1960s

Raymond Morris (1965–67, Cannock Chase)

Known as the Cannock Chase murderer, Morris abducted, assaulted, and killed three young girls. A local engineer, he was eventually caught via forensic evidence. He denied the crimes to his death.

Ian Brady & Myra Hindley (1963–65, Manchester)

Partners who murdered five children, burying them on Saddleworth Moor. Brady was obsessed with Nazi ideology; Hindley was under his influence.

1970s

Peter Sutcliffe (1975–81, Yorkshire)

The ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ killed 13 women and attacked several others. A lorry driver who claimed to be driven by divine voices, later diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Fred & Rose West (1970s–80s, Gloucester)

Couple responsible for at least 12 murders involving rape, torture, and dismemberment. Their victims included their daughter and other young women.

Robert Maudsley (1974–78, Liverpool and prisons)

Convicted of four murders, including fellow inmates. Nicknamed ‘Hannibal the Cannibal’ by tabloids, he claimed to target child abusers and has spent decades in solitary confinement.

Peter Dinsdale (1973–80, Hull)

Teen arsonist who confessed to dozens of fatal fires. Claimed he was ridding the world of vice. Possibly delusional and seeking attention.

Harold Shipman (1975–98, Hyde/Manchester)

GP who murdered over 200 patients. Used morphine injections, targeting elderly women. Possibly motivated by control or a God complex.

1980s

Kenneth Erskine (1986, London)

Dubbed the ‘Stockwell Strangler’, Erskine broke into homes and strangled elderly people. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, he was a homeless drifter at the time of his crimes.

1990s

Stephen Grieveson (1990–94, Sunderland)

The ‘Sunderland Strangler’ murdered four teenage boys. Grieveson was a closeted homosexual who may have killed to silence or cover up his identity.

Beverley Allitt (1991, Lincolnshire)

Nurse who killed four children and harmed nine more via insulin and air injections. Diagnosed with Munchausen by proxy, she craved attention.

Peter Tobin (1991–2006, England & Scotland)

Murdered at least three women. Convictions linked by cold case reviews. Suspected in many more crimes. A violent misogynist with a long criminal record.

Peter Moore (1995, North Wales)

Cinema manager who murdered four men. Claimed to be controlled by an alter ego. Crimes were sexually motivated and brutal.

2000s

Mark Martin (2004–05, Nottingham)

Homeless killer who murdered three other homeless women. Desired fame as a serial killer. Displayed signs of narcissism and detachment.

Stephen Griffiths (2009–10, Bradford)

‘Crossbow Cannibal’, PhD student in criminology who murdered three women. Claimed to have eaten parts of victims. Obsessed with serial killer culture.

2010s

Joanna Dennehy (2013, Cambridgeshire)

Murdered three men and attempted two more killings. Psychopathic and manipulative, said she killed for fun. One of few women with a whole-life sentence.

Andrew Dawson (2010, Chesterfield)

Stabbed two elderly men to death and left symbolic gestures at the scene. Motivated by notoriety and personal delusion.

Lucy Letby (2015–16, Chester)

Nurse who murdered seven babies and attempted to kill others. Motive unclear. One of Britain’s most notorious modern serial killers.

*Note: There is a noticeable gap in recorded serial killings between the late 19th century and the 1940s. This is likely due to limited forensic technology, fragmented policing, lack of media attention, and the inability to recognise patterns of serial behaviour at the time. Murders during this era may have gone undetected, misattributed to natural causes, or prosecuted individually without connecting them as serial offences.