Great and Horrible News: Murder and Mayhem in Early Modern Britain

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That does sound very similar in style, though covering a later period – I may have to fit that one in sometime! I was particularly interested in reading about an early example of attempts at forensic scientist in a case that wasn't exactly how it seemed, as well as the way that a community came together to protect a family who were at risk of losing everything because one of their family members may have taken his own life- a crime that would see their entire estate forfeited to the crown, leaving them potentially destitute- offer insights to how normal people viewed the harsh laws set upon them from those who had no idea what ordinary life entailed. Above all, these stories provide insight into the social mores of the time, but also things like the first use of forensic evidence, the societal role of midwives, and church-sanctioned torture.

I’m really interested in the period, mainly the theatre, but knowing about the wider society helps me understand the plays 😀 Definitely on the wishlist!

The author uses inquests records for coroner's courts, parish archives, letters, diaries etc to put together the circumstances surrounding the nine crimes discussed in the book. She shows how the street names in the surrounding area originated from the various markets held there – Milk Street, Bread Street, etc.

My favourites were probably the ones where we have records to show the families of the deceased making every effort to prove their child's innocence or bring their murderer to justice. The one example you cite about the housemaid being repeatedly raped by her employer reminded me of the Madame Restell book I read about abortion in the 1800s – sadly not much had changed between the time period of this book, and the one I read. I’m sorry, I didn’t take a note of the specific years in my notes, but all of them are between 1500 and 1700.She explains the need for him to be “converted” to satisfy the prevailing religious agenda, and how this was achieved.