Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and Around Durham spans four centuries, with over fifty terrible tales of man's inhumanity to man, which are related in the pages of this book. In the early centuries superstition and ignorance were often the means by which justice was meted out. If it was believed that a crime had taken place, a person could be tried, condemned and hanged by the side of the road on nothing more than the statement of a neighbor. The nineteenth century saw the development of the coal industry. This brought thousands of impoverished men looking for work. Sadly , the wages were often spent on alcohol and women were often nothing more than punching bags for the drunken abusive husbands as is the case of Dorothy Wilthew who was murdered at Jarrow by her husband after years of abuse. Other cases include; Joseph Hutchinson who murdered his brother and father at Sedgefield later he was found to be insane, a child was kidnapped and later murdered by Isabella Thompson at Bishop Auckland and Maria Fitzmmons was found stabbed to death in Sunderland in 1869 it was to be 13 years before her killer, Thomas Fury, was convicted of the crime . Take a journey into the darker and unknown side of your area as you read Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and Around Durham.

Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and Around Durham spans four centuries, with over fifty terrible tales of man's inhumanity to man, which are related in the pages of this book. In the early centuries superstition and ignorance were often the means by which justice was meted out. If it was believed that a crime had taken place, a person could be tried, condemned and hanged by the side of the road on nothing more than the statement of a neighbor. The nineteenth century saw the development of the coal industry. This brought thousands of impoverished men looking for work. Sadly , the wages were often spent on alcohol and women were often nothing more than punching bags for the drunken abusive husbands as is the case of Dorothy Wilthew who was murdered at Jarrow by her husband after years of abuse. Other cases include; Joseph Hutchinson who murdered his brother and father at Sedgefield later he was found to be insane, a child was kidnapped and later murdered by Isabella Thompson at Bishop Auckland and Maria Fitzmmons was found stabbed to death in Sunderland in 1869 it was to be 13 years before her killer, Thomas Fury, was convicted of the crime . Take a journey into the darker and unknown side of your area as you read Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and Around Durham. Key Selling Points * This is the first Foul Deeds book, in the series, to include the Durham area. * This new established series, by Wharncliffe Books, has been very successful in other local towns and cities. * Readers always have a thirst for grisly tales of past misdemeanors in their local area. Author Maureen Anderson was born in Scotland, as a child she was taken to Australia, and finally returned back to Britain in the early 1970s. Maureen now lives in the village of Seaton, where she carries out her research on ancient history. Maureen's parents were keen members of the National Trust, which gave Maureen the love of historical buildings and all things Victorian. Maureen has had previous publications with Wharncliffe Books, including being the editor of Aspects of Teesside and the author of Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and Around the Tees.

This famous resort town attracts millions of visitors each year—but it’s history of true crime proves that murder and mayhem never take a holiday. On the shores of Sussex, England, the famed town of Brighton has long been a favorite for those who want to enjoy its beaches, music, art, and culture. Unfortunately, some people in Brighton’s past pursued much more sinister diversions . . . This gripping volume covers two centuries of murderous doings in Brighton portrayed in fifteen vivid case histories that span the criminal code from trunk murders, poisonings, child murders, killings over nothing, deaths suffered on journeys, infidelity, and lust. Surprisingly, no single volume devoted to murders in Brighton has ever appeared before—especially considering the town has been dubbed the ‘Queen of Slaughtering Places’. Also featured are many rare historical images of Brighton at the time many of the crimes took place—helping bring readers into the dark past of this sunny seaside city.

This cathedral and university city in southern Wales hides a long and violent history—from Roman gladiators to current crimes of passion. This book contains twenty-one separate stories all based in the Newport and district area. Anyone fascinated by the mindset of a murderer will enjoy this book. Whether you are a budding Miss Marple or an aspiring Inspector Morse, here is a look inside the criminal mind, the unmasking of means and motives, and the struggles and successes of detective work. From the Roman citizens who used Newport’s countryside as their dumping ground to a sword-fencing duel in the 1650s, from a mass murder in Westgate Square to a man found shot dead in his office, author Terry Underwood tackles the centuries-old criminal history of this city on the River Usk. “The man known for his books about Newport . . . has turned his hand to chronicling the city’s notorious murders.” —South Wales Argus

Martin Baggoley was born in Eccles . He spent several years working in London and Salford as a civil servant, before qualifying as a probation officer in 1976. Since then, he has worked in the Greater Manchester area, and during this period gained a masters degree in criminology. He has written for a number of UK and American professional journals on criminal justice issues. His main interest is the history of crime and punishment and for this book, he has combind his professional experience and academic expertise with his interest in local history.

Hull is best known for its thriving port. The industrial revolution which profited Hull so well, came a a higher cost than most would expect. In only 100 years the population rose from 22000 to 239000. Houses were built quickly and close together, public health suffered dramatically and disease was rife.The vast population meant a very high level of crime. With almost one murder every other week, assaults, suicides and other acts of violence were so frequent that newspapers only reported the most vile of crimes. Victorian Hull was a very dangerous place to live indeed!David Goodman has put together a number of murders suicides and unsolved murders from 1873 through to 1924. Stories include: 'Murder on the Farm 1903'—Annie Marshall a 15 year old farm worker was shot twice in the face and dumped into the river by a fellow worker. 'Horrific Child Murder 1873'—Sarah Alice, only 4 months old was beheaded by her own mother after she failed to 'bond' with the child, she was found not guilty on the grounds of insanity and detained at her majesty's pleasure.

Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Folkestone takes the reader on a sinister journey through the annals of crime in Folkestone, Hythe and the surrounding area. Along the way we meet villains, murderers and victims of many kinds, including cut-throat soldiers, a 'baby farmer', a Jack the Ripper imposter, two inexplicable suicides and five individuals who died violent deaths in the 'House of Horror'. There is no shortage of harrowing and revealing incidents of evil to recount, many of which will be unfamiliar to the reader. Infant murders were once so rife in Folkestone it was termed the 'infanticide capital of Kent'. This fascinating book recalls many such grisly events, as well as sad or unsavoury individuals who have darkened this otherwise pleasant corner of the Garden of England.

We are all drawn to understand the circumstances that lead others to commit unforgivable acts of violence - the moment that turns a caring human being into a killer, the series of events that drive ordinary people to murderous acts of inhumanity, or the slow, premeditated steps of the callous criminal. And the circumstances - and the twisted motivation - behind such violent acts are the subject of Caroline Maxton's fascinating investigation of individuals whose misdeeds have tarnished the history of the Croydon area. She investigates a wide range of murders and unexplained deaths, some of which are truly stranger than fiction. The events cover a span of several centuries, and the locations will be chillingly familiar to the inhabitants of Croydon. Local crimes that hit the national headlines, like the Bentley case of 1952, are covered in fresh detail, but the author concentrates on less well-known but equally intriguing, and shocking, episodes - the bizarre 'mustard and cress' murder of 1870, the brutal murder of Eliza Osborne in 1877, the Kenley Stud Farm mystery of 1921, the Birdhurst Rise poisoning of the late 1920s, the notorious unsolved murder of 11-year-old Miles Vallint of 1959.

A local historian reveals the centuries of murder and mayhem lurking in the shadows of this charming English city. Just beneath its gentile façade, the city of York hides a dark past. Once England's second city, it is built on a thousand years of bloodshed. From brutal war to noble rebellion, and from petty crime to notorious killers, death has tracked the city's long history. Keith Henson begins with York’s early history of punishment and close with the city's only unsolved murder. From 1800–1946, the city slid from its Georgian splendor to a seething slum surrounded by medieval walls, then began to reemerge after World War Two. Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in York tells the story of some of the city's darkest moments: from Hanging Bishops to Sweet Toothed Poisoners; Insane Arsonists to Murder Most Foul.

Murder and more in the Midlands—true stories of historical crimes in this British city from the 1850s to the 1950s. Includes photos. Within the pages of this book are some of the most notorious and often baffling cases in Leicestershire’s history—from the appalling double murder at Melton Mowbray in 1856, known locally as the Peppermint Billy murders, to the 1953 murderer Joseph Reynolds, who killed because he wanted to know how it felt. This book explores the cases that dominated the headlines, not only across the city and surrounding county but also nationwide. These are the stories from a time when murder was a capital offense and guilt or innocence was proven without the benefit of modern forensic technique or DNA profiling. Included also are some of those mysterious cases that will remain forever unsolved, as in the now famous case of Bella Wright. Known across the whole country as the Green Bicycle Murder, it commanded public attention in 1919 because of the complex and puzzling nature of the crime—and has continued to do so ever since.