Murders & Misdemeanours
2 total works
A look at the dark side of life, Victorian-style, when nothing was quite as it seemed and a public execution could be an entertaining family day out. Murderers, poachers, thieves, pickpockets and vagabonds all went about their business with impunity. Crime took place on the streets, on public transport, in homes, pubs, prisons, asylums, workhouses and brothels - it was all part of everyday life in Yarmouth in the late 1800s. Naturally the punishments awarded varied considerably, depending upon the crimes committed. Murderers and thieves - particularly horse thieves - could expect the rope, though others could hope for a reprieve. Such a remission would automatically add them to list of convicts to be deported to the penal colonies in Australia. Alternatively, convicts might expect to spend time in gaol or a House of Correction, with hard labour and floggings often thrown in for good measure. This collection of real life crimes vividly recreates the events surrounding them, offering an insight not only into criminal law but also into the social history attached to crime as society evolved and adapted to meet changing industries and class structures. A must have book for any arm chair detective and anyone interested in the social mores of the day.
In the Middle Ages, Norwich was the largest city in England apart from London. It maintained this position until the eighteenth-century, when it was overtaken by Bristol. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Norwich became known as a county town with a market and wide range of industries. This colourful history is one that inevitably embraces its share of murders and misdemeanours. The history of crime and punishment has played out here as much as in London or any other city. One aspect of criminality remained unchanged from the twelfth to the nineteenth century, the role of Norwich Castle as a prison; it was a place where criminals were kept while awaiting trial, not a place for locking them up afterwards. The major crimes were: theft, rape, murder and the occasional case of forgery or treason. If you committed a major crime, how long you waited in prison for your trial would depend on when the assize judges were next in town. All cases were heard before a jury of landowners, no women were allowed to serve as jurors. The consequences of this are explored several times in this book; the defence council might appeal to male prejudices by attempting to impugn the moral qualities of a female victim. Norwich Murders & Misdemeanours offers a fascinating insight into the darker side of Norwich.