Crime, Courts and Community in Mid-Victorian Montgomeryshire

Abstract

This study uses extant court records to investigate the relationships among crime, courts and the larger community during the 1870s. Class, gender experience and control are themes that run through the work, and conclusions are made about how these were represented and reinforced by the criminal justice system. Montgomeryshire was chosen for its dual agricultural and industrial character, as well as its long border with England which had an impact on its cultural characteristics. The structure of the thesis mirrors the way in which a criminal case could journey through the justice system – from first appearance before the magistrates to the higher court of Quarter Sessions or to the Assizes. The input of the community is highlighted, and the county police force – one of the earliest to be established in the country – is studied throughout, with an investigation of its impact on the general public, and on crime figures. The current increasing focus on women‘s experience of crime and the legal system is reflected in this work, as well as historical geography, and newer studies on the effect of the environment. The thesis answers a call for a study of history 'from below interacting with history from above', and shows how the criminal justice system, status and identity were interlinked.

Date of Award	28 May 2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aberystwyth University
Supervisor	Richard Ireland (Supervisor) & Engobo Emeseh (Supervisor)