Did you have a criminal in the family, an ancestor who was caught on the wrong side of the law? If you have ever had any suspicions about the illicit activities of your relatives, or are fascinated by the history of crime and punishment, this is the book for you.
Stephen Wade's useful introduction to this fascinating subject will help you discover and investigate the life stories of individuals who had a criminal past. The crimes they committed, the conditions in which they lived, the policing and justice system that dealt with them - all the aspects of criminal history are covered as are the many types of crime they were guilty of - murder, robbery, fraud, sexual offences, poaching, protest and public disorder.
Graphic case studies featuring each type of crime are included, dating from the Georgian period up until the present day. All of these cases are reconstructed using information gleaned from the many sources available to researchers - libraries, archives, books and the internet among them.
*Comprehensive introduction to researching criminal history
*Insight into types of crime over the centuries
*Explains the development of the justice system and policing
*Information on the national and local archives that family history researchers can use
Paperback published by Pen and Sword