A Horrid Deed - Smith, Robert

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Résumé :
Joseph Hedley was found murdered behind a locked door in his modest cottage in 1826. The case attracted attention and notoriety for the brutality of the crime, preserving the name of this quiet man known to his neighbours for producing fine hand- stitched quilts, but it was never solved... Dr. Smith brings to life the craftspeople of Northern England, drawing on records and stories from the case, as well as a host of other sources to reveal how the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of Empire brought new challenges to the anonymous folk trying to survive in a time of change. He then focuses on the murder of this one man, examining the evidence and how the authorities failed to make an arrest. He concludes with his own determination of who must have been the culprit, solving this ages old mystery. Part true crime, part social history, this book will intrigue you and reveal the lives-and deaths-of the common people usually overlooked....

Biographie:
Rob Smith was once employed by a distribution company with a depot and offices in Southwell, Nottinghamshire. The site had enjoyed several past uses including a prison for the county. Occasionally, visitors arrived at the premises in search of information concerning their forebears thought once to have been wardens or prisoners. Usually, company staff members were unable to provide much help. This situation sparked Rob s interest which led to concerted research from 2011, exactly four hundred years after the first version of the prison, the Nottinghamshire House of Correction, had been established nearby. From a brief account in a book by local historian, Julie O Neill, The Life and Times of J T Becher, about a local clergyman and magistrate, it was learnt that the prison had been visited by two eminent self-appointed prison reformers, John Howard and James Neild, who had, along with Becher, been instrumental in improving the institution in terms of the health and rehabilitation of inmates. The research confirmed the importance of the Southwell regime for reforming prisoners and, in combination with a complementary Gloucester system, it was recommended for national adoption. Following visits to prison museums, national and county archives and libraries, including Gloucestershire, the research led to a small book, Nottinghamshire House of Correction, Southwell (1611 1880), A Model Institution, published by the Southwell Local History Society in 2015. Subsequently, Rob has been engaged in more studies with their basis in the history of the county, some of which have resulted in talks, magazine articles and chapters within books. Recently, he conducted an extensive study of another Becher project centred on Nottinghamshire s involvement in a national emigration scheme to southern Africa. The resulting substantial book entitled Nottinghamshire Settlers and Locations in the Eastern Cape of Good Hope was published in 2020 in South Africa to coincide with bicentennial commemorations of the story generally known as the British 1820 Settlers . For some time, Southwell resident, Mark Johnstone, has taken an interest in researching the local prison story and its importance in a national and international context. After a relevant academic career and with a background of experience within and around the criminal justice system for over 20 years, especially the probation and youth justice services, he agreed to join Rob as co-author in this new work, and his contribution has proved to be invaluable. Mark has previously published work on men, masculinity and offending within the probation context. He has worked in senior management positions across the criminal justice system for over 12 years and has implemented many new projects ranging from reoffending hubs , prison pathfinder programmes in London, and Through The Gate in West Yorkshire. Leading change and promoting new ways of working are key to making progress within the criminal justice system but this is often set against a backdrop of financial constraints and political inconsistencies. This text will highlight the continuous challenges facing those who want to improve the prison system as it looks back at key developments in progressive stage imprisonment since the 19th century. There are lessons to be learnt....