The Forgotten Voice of Mary-Jane.

By Mark Anthony, Nidd Films.

Mary-Jane Skaife, the young woman at the centre of our upcoming historical short Sweetheart: Angel of the Moor, was born on 11 September 1836 in Thruscross, Yorkshire, to Thomas and Mary Skaife (née Downs). She died tragically on 1 August 1858 in Menwith with Darley, Harrogate Borough - now North Yorkshire - then the the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Her story, buried beneath legal records and fading memory, is one of love, betrayal, and injustice. But it also carries national significance.Following her murder by James Atkinson, Mary-Jane's case became one of the earliest recorded uses of the insanity defence in Yorkshire. It exposed the cracks in a legal system grappling with mental health and accountability in the Victorian era.

In 2002, the Skaife Study Group published The Grave of the Murdered Girl, documenting Mary-Jane’s roots and the lasting impact of her death on local families. Generations later, the resonance of her name is still felt - not only in church records and gravestones but in folk memory, too. Remarkably, she shares a Moon and Skaife family ancestry link to Ilkley, bringing her story full circle with Yorkshire's most iconic folk song, "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'At". Whether coincidental or ancestral, the presence of her name in this cultural anthem feels hauntingly significant.

Moon over the Moor

Our film Sweetheart seeks to honour her truth. This is not just a murder story. It is a reclaiming. A revoicing. A reckoning.“Let’s go home, Jim. Let’s go home.” - her final plea.

We will be sharing more about Mary-Jane's life, the locations she knew, and the community who still remember her. We invite you to join us as we bring her story to light.Follow us @niddfilms or visit niddfilms.com to learn more.

Sweetheart: Angel of the Moor is currently in pre-production and supported by the MA in Producing for Film & TV at Teesside University.

For sponsorship, press, or collaboration enquiries, please contact mark@niddfilms.com.