Mad or Bad: Crime and Insanity in Victorian Britain

(Paperback)

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In a violent 19th century, desperate attempts by the alienists - a new wave of 'mad-doctor' - brought the insanity plea into Victorian courts. Defining psychological conditions in an attempt at acquittal, they faced ridicule, obstruction - even professional ruin - as they strived for acceptance and struggled for change. It left 'mad people' hanged for offences they could not remember, and 'bad' people freed on unscrupulous pleas. Written in accessible language, this book - unlike any before it - retells twenty-five cases, from the renowned to obscure, including an attempt to murder a bemused Queen Victoria; the poisoner Dove and the much-feared magician; the king's former wet-nurse who slaughtered six children; the worst serial killer in Britainand more. AUTHOR: David J. Vaughan, former Assistant County Archaeologist in heritage-rich Wiltshire, is now a full-time author, historian, speaker and radio and TV presenter; writing fact, fiction and screenplays, mostly based in the past. His blog, Mad, Bad or Desperate has inspired this volume, gaining thousands of hits from all over the world. Though rarely not writing, he indulges his passions: house restoration and the famed Merseyside club who play their football in blue! More at: www.davidjvaughan.co.uk SELLING POINTS: . A unique collection of real-life cases - from the internationally famous to the bizarrely obscure. Many rediscovered in Victorian annals, never featured before in a popular work. . Includes the attempted assassination of an unpopular monarch; the Prince of Wales' nurse who slaughtered six children; the woman who murdered some "400" babies; Dove and the Wizard; and many besides. . Exhaustively researched, using contemporary sources, all fully referenced, with where to read more. . An eye-opening insight into Victorian morals - revealing features that capture 19th century life: prisons, the courts, rare habits and customs - such as why did the hangman pass the doomed a white hankie, and what was it like to be hanged in a chair! 32 illustrations

Reviews

"Programmes like Who Do You Think You Are have famliiarised us with conditions in the late Victorian era, when the workhouses were introduced to subject the very poorest in society to the shame of living off the state - David Vaughan goes one step further with amazing research into the people who were judged to be insane in the eyes of the law, and housed in institutions that were still around in the 1950s. This unbelievable catalogue of characters and their crimes and misdemeanours, together with their "illnesses", makes for a fascinating read!"-- "Books Monthly"

Author Bio

David J. Vaughan, former Assistant County Archaeologist in heritage-rich Wiltshire, is now a full-time author, historian, speaker and radio & tv presenter; writing fact, fiction and screenplays, mostly based in the past. His blog, Mad, Bad or Desperate has inspired this volume, gaining thousands of hits from all over the world. Though rarely not writing, he indulges his passions: house restoration and the famed Merseyside club who play their football in blue! More at: www.davidjvaughan.co.uk