I just wanted to share a curious piece of family history involving one of the 20th Century’s newsmaking events.

Back in 1932, infant Charles Lindbergh Jr, son of the world-famous aviator, was kidnapped from his parental home in New Jersey. One of those who came under suspicion initially was the toddler’s nurse-maid, Betty Gow. Despite a ransom note, the boy was found dead two months later. The investigation moved away from Betty as a suspect, but all the media attention etc and the tragedy of the murdered baby had its effect on her and she went back to Scotland to live. She later returned to the USA, however, after being located by British police/CID via transatlantic link, to testify at Hauptmann’s trial.

Meanwhile, my aunt Betty (Gow), daughter of William Younger Gow M.C., a regular British officer, was a 10 year-old pupil at St Hilary’s girls’ boarding school in Edinburgh. One typical day for the school was turned upside down, however, when St Hilary’s headmistress sought out young Betty on a very urgent matter. The police wanted to talk to her ! What on earth had happened ? As Betty entered the headmistress’s study, she told the police, “This is Betty Gow”. The police took one look at this mere slip of a girl in her school uniform and decided she wasn’t the nurse-maid from the Lindbergh case they were searching for !

They did eventually find their Betty Gow though and organised her trip to the USA to testify.



Betty Gow (the grown-up one) in 1935.