Rogues, Rakes and Robbers: A True Crime History of Georgian Britain by Angela Muir

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

On October 20th, 1799, at Pensieri in the Isle of Anglesey, a fire breaks out, destroying cart house, corn, haystacks, and timber. A young woman is seen running from the scene―but what secrets drove her to set the fire? 

Exploring detailed accounts of historical crime is one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of a society and its culture decades and even centuries later. Of course, stories of crime and deviance are intriguing in their own right, but by understanding the context in which they were committed and how communities and officials responded to them, we can gain incredible insight into life at that time and place.

Rogues, Rakes and Robbers uncovers the tales of real-life murders, manslaughters, assaults, and arson in Georgian Wales and its borders that together give us a window into life for ordinary, common people whose lives would otherwise be lost from the historical record. From courtship rituals to the value of horses and Georgian attitudes on sex work and insanity, each chapter uses documents from Wales’s Court of Great Sessions to illuminate the past.

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About the Author

Angela Muir  is a social and cultural historian of Britain in the long 18th century (roughly 1680 to 1830) with a focus on gender, crime, deviance, sex and the body in Wales and England. She has worked at the University of Leicester since 2018, and in 2024 became an Associate Professor. Prior to Leicester Angela held a one-year lectureship and fellowship at Cardiff University after completing her PhD at the University of Exeter. Find out more at https://angelajmuir.wordpress.com/ and find Angela on Instagram and Twitter @muirdershewrote