Madness, Murder And Mayhem
CRIMINAL INSANITY IN VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN BRITAIN
Improvements to our understanding of mental health issues throughout the 19th century had a significant impact on the treatment and care of those deemed ‘criminally insane’, as well as leading to changes in the law and the criminal justice system. This new title explores this fascinating subject, predominantly through case histories.
Drawing on wellresearched cases from England, Wales and Scotland, Madness, Murder and Mayhem recounts the life stories and experiences of individuals convicted of crime while suffering from mental health conditions, including the first patients of the criminal lunatic asylums at Broadmoor and Perth. In this concise and readable account, each chapter focuses on a relevant theme encompassing the provision in asylums, types of crime and social conditions, all underpinned with an exploration of factors leading to criminal acts, such as poverty, illegitimacy, illness and domestic abuse.
The book covers a very wide range of topics, and serves as an overview rather than an indepth analysis. It is an interesting read and, although there is no specific advice for family historians, it provides a good introduction to many of the issues relating to mental health and criminality in the Victorian era.