Tim Hitchcock

From everyday customs to violent transgression, 'Tales from the Hanging Court' paints a vivid picture of what it was like to live in London 200 years ago, from the dark alleys to the glittering thoroughfares.

London in the 18th century was the greatest city in the world. It was a magnet that drew men and women from the rest of England in huge numbers. For a few the streets were paved with gold, but for the majority it was a harsh world with little guarantee of money or food. For the poor and destitute, London's streets offered little more than the barest living. Yet men, women and children found a great variety of ways to eke out their existence, sweeping roads, selling matches, singing ballads and performing all sorts of menial labor. Many of these activities, apart from the direct begging of the disabled, depended on an appeal to charity, but one often mixed with threats and promises. Down and Out in Eighteenth-Century London provides a remarkable insight into the lives of Londoners, for all of whom the demands of charity and begging were part of their everyday world

Fully searchable texts detailing accounts of over 100,000 criminal trials held at London's Central Criminal Court. The crimes tried were mostly felonies (predominantly theft), but also include some of the most serious misdemeanours, providing historical insight into the daily lives of those who participated in the proceedings.

LEGACY OF FIRE As a child, Karen Conway had seen her mother fall in love with a man who could never be hers. Now Karen herself was in love with that same man's son Riccordo Tomese. Rik's father had left Karen an inferest in the family company, and Rik was furious when she insisted on the voting rights she was entitled to. Though they were passionate adversaries, Karen learned to love Rik, but she was convinged that he wanted her only for the stock that would be her bride price.

The initiative for reform and regulation in English society in the years following the Glorious Revolution of 1688 lay with powerful forces outside the state - with local government, interest groups and voluntary societies. In putting forward this challenging new argument, the authors of this book throw fresh light on to the social and economic processes that influenced a critical period in English history and introduce the radical concept of the 'reactive state'. An extensive introduction surveys the social, political and economic context of the period, reviews the historiography and outlines the contributors' new approach. In the sequence of seven case-studies that follows the authors analyse the impact of reform on industry, crime, poverty and immorality. The coverage is detailed and wide-ranging, from legislation in the gin and textile industries to the reformation of manners in London and measures to curb the rise in crime. The strong central theme and the distinctive contributions of a group of scholars who are experts in their field will make the book essential reading for historians and for serious students of England in the eighteenth century.