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Murder in Victorian Scotland The Trial of Madeleine Smith
(Click to Enlarge)
Douglas MacGowan
Book Code: C6431
ISBN: 0-275-96431-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-96431-3
192 pages, figures, maps
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 9/30/1999
List Price: $72.95 (UK Sterling Price: £41.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Also Available: Ebook
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • Not only does he present a delectable mystery, Murder in Victorian Scotland also stands well as a critque of the limitations of Scottish criminal law.
    —U.S. Scotts The Magazine of the Scottish-American Community
  • This interesting read exposes much about Victorian society and Scottish law.
    —Crime & Justice International
  • Endorsement From Barbara Owens
    Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award winner
    The Cloud Beneath the Eaves:     Provides a clear look at the results of Scotland's criminal law limitations in the Victorian era, a time when well-bred young ladies were not usually tried for murder. Extensively researched, documented with Madeleine Smith's effusive letters to her lover, Douglas MacGowan has produced a must-read account, including the mystery of Madeleine that still lingers today.
Description: A new look at the life and 1857 trial of Madeleine Smith, the young Scottish woman accused of poisoning an undesired suitor, this book uses analyses of Smith's correspondence with the victim and her trial testimony to reveal much about Victorian society, Scottish law, and the woman who received the nebulous verdict of "not proven." The verdict "not proven" is unique to Scotland: while allowing a defendant to go free, the verdict often carries a stigma, as it not only indicates that the prosecution failed to prove its case, but also states that the defense failed to convince the jury of the defendant's innocence. Emile L'Angelier, the son of a working-class family from the Channel Islands, and Madeleine Smith, the daughter of a wealthy Glasgow family, were never properly introduced; however, they carried on an illicit affair that would end in tragedy. The absence of a clear verdict in this murder trial rocked Victorian Scotland and England. The story of the young girl who (presumably) poisoned her secret lover so that she could go forward with a family-arranged marriage would live on in print, on stage, and on the screen throughout the following century and a half. By analyzing the correspondence between Madeleine and Emile, the criminal trial testimony, and the pathology reports on Emile's body, Murder in Victorian Scotland gives the most complete picture to date of the events surrounding this infamous crime. This book shows Madeleine's rise from an anonymous defendant into one of the leading social celebrities of the day. An in-depth look at the writings of Madeleine's biographers details the variety of ways in which Madeleine and Emile were depicted, various theories regarding the facts of the alleged crime, and the folklore mystique of the notorious case. Murder in Victorian Scotland provides valuable insight into the limited world of Victorian women and the great divide between social classes that doomed the daring relationship even before it had begun.
Table of Contents:
  • Introduction
  • March 23, 1857
  • Prelude
  • The 1855 Correspondence
  • The 1856 Correspondence
  • The 1857 Correspondence
  • The Trial of the Century
  • The Aftertime
  • What the Writers Said
  • A Brief and Final Puzzle
  • Bibliography
  • Index
LC Card Number: 99-13792
LCC Class: HV6535
Dewey Class: 364
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