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Informationen zum Autor John Carter Wood is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute of European History in Mainz, Germany and a Visiting Research Fellow at The Open University Klappentext The most remarkable woman in England examines an extraordinary legal sensation of the inter-war years, the 1928 trial of Beatrice Pace for the arsenic murder of her husband. It recounts the case and analyses its place in 1920s Britain with regard to justice, celebrity culture and civil liberties. Illuminating the workings of Britain's criminal justice system in the early twentieth century, this book traces the investigations by Scotland Yard detectives into the mysterious death of Harry Pace and the lengthy coroner's inquest and astonishing trial proceedings that followed. It also considers the dramatic reporting and emotional public reactions it generated. A poor woman from an isolated village, Beatrice was transformed into a household name when, although accused of a crime that might lead her to the gallows, she was also idealised as a wife and mother in newspaper stories that give insight into the gender debates of the 1920s. The public's response was startling, and letters sent by Beatrice's admirers provide a rare glimpse of the reading public in the past. But the case was more than a Fleet Street curiosity, it led to debates in Parliament about 'third-degree' police interrogations, overbearing coroners and the plight of poor defendants, allowing this book to bring to life a forgotten chapter in the history of British civil liberties. Combining serious scholarship with vivid storytelling, The most remarkable woman in England will fascinate all those interested in the histories of criminal justice, celebrity culture and British society between the wars. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of key figures involved in the Pace caseIntroduction1 The 'Fetter Hill mystery': the strange death of Harry Pace2 'Where there are so many cruel tongues': investigations and accusations3 'I cannot tell you, sir - I cannot tell you': mysteries and circumstances4 'Easing the burden of the tragic widow': the making of 'Mrs Pace'5 'Every wife in the country has opportunity': the 'tragic widow' on trial6 'The matter is dead': a new life and some old shadows7 '18 years of hell': gender, marriage and violence8 'Unimaginable agonies and degradations and cruelties': justice, politics and poverty9 'Those who have had trouble can sympathise with you': Mrs Pace and her publicConclusionPostscriptBibliographyIndex...
