Tales from the Hanging Court [Paperback]

Tales from the Hanging Courtdraws on published accounts of Old Bailey trials from 1674-1834, a rich seam of social, political and legal history. Through these compelling true stories of theft, murder, rape and blackmail, Hitchcock and Shoemaker capture the early history of the judicial system and the colorful, vibrant and sometimes scandalous world of pre-industrial London.

In its heyday the court was a soap opera of intrigue, sensation and murky goings on where authors such as Dickens and Defoe would go for inspiration. Thieves and murderers were often caught by members of the public and prosecutions brought by victims. Hitchcock and Shoemaker chart an increasingly sophisticated society taking crime and punishment away from the anarchy of the London mob to put it into a court where a judge and jury meted out justice.

The authors paint a vivid picture of a flourishing city where market capitalism and Enlightenment thinking battled to impose order on the chaotic crime that accompanied Britain's economic miracle.

Robert Shoemaker and Tim Hitchcock are the Editors of the online proceedings of the Old Bailey archives.

Tales from the Hanging Courtdraws on published accounts of Old Bailey trials from 1674-1834, a rich seam of social, political and legal history. Through these compelling true stories of theft, murder, rape and blackmail, Hitchcock and Shoemaker capture the early history of the judicial system and the colorful, vibrant and sometimes scandalous world of pre-industrial London.

Anybody who has struggled with historic legal records knows they can be a complex subject, but the authors offer a clear introduction to court procedure and, more importantly, to the 18th century criminal system.... The book is largely about the men and women who appeared before the court, as well as the witnesses and victims. Their accounts offer a unique and fascinating glimpse into ordinary life in the 18th century, from the clothes worlŸ