James and John : a true story of prejudice and murder /
by Bryant, Christopher.
Material type:
BookPublisher: London : Bloomsbury, 2024Description: 320 pages ; 24 cm.ISBN: 9781526644978 (hbk.) :; 1526644975 (hbk.) :.Classification number: 941.075 BRYSubject(s): Pratt, James, 1805-1835 -- Trials, litigation, etc | Smith, John, 1795-1835 -- Trials, litigation, etc | Gay men -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century | Homosexuality -- Law and legislation -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century | Hanging -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century | History | History | LGBTQ+ Interest | European history | History | Social & cultural history | Great Britain -- History -- William IV, 1830-1837 | Great Britain -- Moral conditions -- 19th centurySummary: They had nothing to expect from the mercy of the crown; their doom was sealed; no plea could be urged in extenuation of their crime, and they well knew that for them there was no hope in this world. When Charles Dickens wrote these tragic lines he was penning fact, not fiction. He had visited the condemned cells at the infamous prison at Newgate, where seventeen men who had been sentenced to death were awaiting news of their pleas for mercy. Two men were particularly striking: James Pratt and John Smith, who had been convicted of homosexuality. In this masterful work of history, Chris Bryant delves deep into the public archives, scouring poor law records, workhouse registers, prisoner calendars and private correspondence, meticulously recreates the lives of two men whose names are known to history - but whose story has been lost, until now.
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book - Adult Hardback | Southport Library | Adult Non-Fiction | 941.075 BRY (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 003120843X |
They had nothing to expect from the mercy of the crown; their doom was sealed; no plea could be urged in extenuation of their crime, and they well knew that for them there was no hope in this world. When Charles Dickens wrote these tragic lines he was penning fact, not fiction. He had visited the condemned cells at the infamous prison at Newgate, where seventeen men who had been sentenced to death were awaiting news of their pleas for mercy. Two men were particularly striking: James Pratt and John Smith, who had been convicted of homosexuality. In this masterful work of history, Chris Bryant delves deep into the public archives, scouring poor law records, workhouse registers, prisoner calendars and private correspondence, meticulously recreates the lives of two men whose names are known to history - but whose story has been lost, until now.
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