This catalogue of human weakness and at times downright atrocity has been brought together by Camden Pelham, a barrister-at-law of the Inner Temple during the second half of the 19th century. It is given in chronological order, the first case listed is from 1700, and the final case in Volume 1 being in 1816. Some of the most famous cases of the age are listed, from Dick Turpin and Captain Kidd, to the assassination of Spencer Perceval MP, and the Luddites. Some cases will shock with descriptions of horrific murders, whilst others will amuse with the idiocy of the perpetrators. These 275 cases give a fascinating insight into life during 18th and 19th century Britain. (Summary by Kevin Green)
