"Murder and Morality in Victorian Britain (2009) is not considered a true-crime book. The authors make no attempt to solve the mystery of whether Madeleine was guilty of the murder. Instead, through her own hand, we are provided with a uniquely intriguing opportunity to see into her world, explore the evidence of her life, understand how it was used against her at the trial, and perhaps wonder whether her letters indeed provided a possible motive for murder." - Joanne Pearman, Research Student, University of Kent, 2010.
Paperback: This book explores the life of Madeleine Smith, who in 1857 was tried for poisoning her secret lover.
As well as charting the course of this illicit relationship and Madeleine's subsequent trial, the authors draw on a wide range of sources to pursue themes such as the nature of gender relations and the extent of women's social and commercial activities and to bring vividly to life the world of the mid-Victorian middle class.
In particular, Madeleine's letters, full of gossip and passion as well as the details of her daily life, offer unique insights not only into her relationship with her lover, L'Angelier, but also into the life of her social circle, filled with partying, flirting and shopping.
Her trial and the press response to it reveal much about contemporary views on sexual morality, parenting and the essence of 'Britishness'.
The authors analyse the ways in which the case has been written about by subsequent authors and demonstrate how the concerns of the present shape the telling of the past.
New discoveries are revealed about Madeleine's long and colourful life after the trial which confirm the view that it is only in fiction that the bad end unhappily.
About the authors: Eleanor Gordon is Research Professor of Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow.
Gwyneth Nair is Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of the West of Scotland.
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