Women and the Gallows, 1797–1837: Unfortunate Wretches

This true crime history of Georgian England reveals the scandalous lives—and unceremonious deaths—of more than 100 women who faced execution. In the last four decades of the Georgian era, 131 women were sent to the gallows. Unlike most convicted felons, none of them were spared by an official reprieve. Historian Naomi Clifford examines the crimes these women committed and asks why their grim sentences were carried out. Women and the Gallows, 1797–1837 reveals the harsh and unequal treatment women could expect from the criminal justice system of the time. It also brings new insight into the lives and the events that led these women to their deaths. Clifford explores cases of infanticide among domestic servants, counterfeiting, husband poisoning, as well as the infamous Eliza Fenning case. This volume also includes a complete chronology of the executed women and their crimes. Read more