What do you think?
Rate this book
The most remarkable woman in England: Poison, celebrity and the trials of Beatrice Pace
This book offers the first in-depth study of one of the most gripping trials of inter-war Britain, that of farmer’s wife Beatrice Pace for the arsenic murder of her husband. A riveting tale from the golden age of press sensationalism, the book offers insights into the era’s justice system, gender debates and celebrity culture. Based on extensive research, it locates the Pace saga in the vibrant world of 1920s press reporting and illuminates a forgotten chapter in the history of civil liberties by considering the debates the case raised about police powers and the legal system.
Spanning settings from the Paces’ lonely cottage in the Forest of Dean to the House of Commons and using sources ranging from meticulous detective reports to heartfelt admirers’ letters, The most remarkable woman in England combines serious scholarship with vivid storytelling to bring to life the extraordinary lives of ordinary people between the wars.
Spanning settings from the Paces’ lonely cottage in the Forest of Dean to the House of Commons and using sources ranging from meticulous detective reports to heartfelt admirers’ letters, The most remarkable woman in England combines serious scholarship with vivid storytelling to bring to life the extraordinary lives of ordinary people between the wars.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2012
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 24, 2012
In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that this book's author is my cousin. I can honestly say that John's work is brilliant. It has received several excellent reviews and he has been interviewed on BBC Radio so I'm hardly the book's only admirer.
John, a British historian, has painstakingly researched the case of Beatrice Pace, a poverty-stricken woman in rural England who was tried in 1928 for the murder of her abusive husband. She was alleged to have poisoned him with arsenic. John quotes from numerous newspaper articles, court filings, and letters sent to the accused and her attorneys. He examines police interviewing techniques of the day. He also discusses the views held at the time about domestic violence. He looks at the role of gossip and innuendo, especially concerning allegations of a wife's infidelity. He documents how Mrs. Pace's case was followed by people all over England and in many other countries. It's interesting to read that, as frequently happens today, her case became an entertainment spectacle.
John, a British historian, has painstakingly researched the case of Beatrice Pace, a poverty-stricken woman in rural England who was tried in 1928 for the murder of her abusive husband. She was alleged to have poisoned him with arsenic. John quotes from numerous newspaper articles, court filings, and letters sent to the accused and her attorneys. He examines police interviewing techniques of the day. He also discusses the views held at the time about domestic violence. He looks at the role of gossip and innuendo, especially concerning allegations of a wife's infidelity. He documents how Mrs. Pace's case was followed by people all over England and in many other countries. It's interesting to read that, as frequently happens today, her case became an entertainment spectacle.
December 6, 2013
Now, I mostly liked the sound of this book because it’s about a historical event (okay, a death that may or may not have been murder) in the Forest of Dean, but it’s about so much more than that, tapping into issues around celebrity, poverty, gender equality, domestic violence and depression.
The history being recounted here is that of Harry Pace, a quarryman and sheep farmer who died in 1928 slowly and painfully, aged just 36, and his wife Beatrice Pace who was accused of murdering her husband by poisoning him. The long-drawn-out inquest and subsequent trial were the sensational news story of their day, not just locally in the Forest of Dean but also nationally, with details both revealed and (amazingly) kept hidden about infidelities, domestic violence and other dark secrets.
See my full review at: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2013/12/...
The history being recounted here is that of Harry Pace, a quarryman and sheep farmer who died in 1928 slowly and painfully, aged just 36, and his wife Beatrice Pace who was accused of murdering her husband by poisoning him. The long-drawn-out inquest and subsequent trial were the sensational news story of their day, not just locally in the Forest of Dean but also nationally, with details both revealed and (amazingly) kept hidden about infidelities, domestic violence and other dark secrets.
See my full review at: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2013/12/...
January 15, 2015
Interesting study of this murder case from the 1920s. Maybe a touch dry and academic at times but it largely derives its fascination from the double enigma at its centre; just how DID Harry Pace die, and what was the true character of his quiet widow?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews