| Description |
209 pages ; 24 cm |
| Contents |
Murder and the law -- Writing about murder : from the late medieval period to the reign of Elizabeth I -- The Bildeston mystery -- The murder of Thomas Ardern -- Lord Stourton and the Hartgills -- A female conspiracy : the murder of George Saunders |
| Summary |
"In 1573, George Saunders, a respected merchant tailor, was killed by his wife's lover. The conspiracy involved Saunders' wife, her best friend, and a servant. All were found guilty and hanged, but not before a suspended clergyman fell in love with Mrs. Saunders and sought to have her pardoned. It was in cases such as these, cases over which today's tabloid editors would salivate, that murder as a literary form was born." "Murder, Bellamy reveals, was relatively rare in Tudor times. When it did occur, especially if it involved a female perpetrator and a love affair, it generated widespread interest as a matter of spiritual concern - and entertainment. A 16th-century murder inquiry was in many ways a community affair, with the members of the inquest often collecting evidence and statements. Detection, investigation, the laying of charges, the trial, verdict, sentence - all of these familiar elements of our own criminal justice system were established in the 16th century." |
|
"Strange, Inhuman Deaths describes in vivid and exciting detail the Saunders murder and three other well-documented cases that occurred between 1538 and 1573. These violent stories are powerful and lively, and the motivations and personalities revealed speak to us directly across the centuries. Murder most foul, murder most English - be there as the tradition begins."--BOOK JACKET |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Subject |
Murder -- England -- History -- 16th century.
|
| LC no. |
2006024492 |
| ISBN |
0275992934 alkaline paper |
|
