Worcester’s history goes back to a Roman settlement beside the River Severn later occupied by the Anglo-Saxons and murders and other serious crimes have been committed in the city since its beginnings although the types and methods of these crimes varied through time, from highway robbery to poisoning. Punishment of these crimes was very different in past centuries and even in the last two hundred years police procedures and legal sentences have changed markedly. Reporting of the crimes over this rapid growth of population and overcrowding in the Industrial Revolution evolved too and through delving into archives, parish registers and censuses the author is able to tell the story of the victims’ and criminals’ lives involved in often shocking criminal events.This collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Worcester in the past. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime as well as those who want to know more about the history of Worcester.
