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The Walnut Tree: Women, Violence and the Law – A Hidden History
A Waterstones Best History Book 2024'Compulsively readable' –
Times Literary Supplement
'An outstanding work' – Philippa Gregory
'A powerful narrative told with frankness and sensitivity' – Helen Fry, historian and author of Women In Intelligence
'A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more they are beaten, the better they’ll be.'So went the proverb quoted by a prominent MP in the Houses of Parliament in 1853. His words – intended ironically in a debate about a rise in attacks on women – summed up the prevailing attitude of the day, in which violence against women was waved away as a part and parcel of modern living – a chilling seam of misogyny that had polluted both parliament and the law. But were things about to change?
In this vivid and essential work of historical non-fiction, Kate Morgan explores the legal campaigns, test cases and individual injustices of the Victorian and Edwardian eras which fundamentally re-shaped the status of women under British law. These are seen through the untold stories of women whose cases became cornerstones of our modern legal system and shine a light on the historical inequalities of the law.
We hear of the uniquely abusive marriage which culminated in the dramatic story of the ‘Clitheroe wife abduction’; of the domestic tragedies which changed the law on domestic violence; the controversies surrounding the Contagious Diseases Act and the women who campaigned to abolish it; and the real courtroom stories behind notorious murder cases such as the ‘Camden Town Murder’.
Exploring the 19th- and early 20th Century legal history that influenced the modern-day stances on issues such as domestic abuse, sexual violence and divorce, The Walnut Treelifts the lid on the shocking history of women under British law – and what it means for women today.
'An outstanding work' – Philippa Gregory
'A powerful narrative told with frankness and sensitivity' – Helen Fry, historian and author of Women In Intelligence
'A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more they are beaten, the better they’ll be.'So went the proverb quoted by a prominent MP in the Houses of Parliament in 1853. His words – intended ironically in a debate about a rise in attacks on women – summed up the prevailing attitude of the day, in which violence against women was waved away as a part and parcel of modern living – a chilling seam of misogyny that had polluted both parliament and the law. But were things about to change?
In this vivid and essential work of historical non-fiction, Kate Morgan explores the legal campaigns, test cases and individual injustices of the Victorian and Edwardian eras which fundamentally re-shaped the status of women under British law. These are seen through the untold stories of women whose cases became cornerstones of our modern legal system and shine a light on the historical inequalities of the law.
We hear of the uniquely abusive marriage which culminated in the dramatic story of the ‘Clitheroe wife abduction’; of the domestic tragedies which changed the law on domestic violence; the controversies surrounding the Contagious Diseases Act and the women who campaigned to abolish it; and the real courtroom stories behind notorious murder cases such as the ‘Camden Town Murder’.
Exploring the 19th- and early 20th Century legal history that influenced the modern-day stances on issues such as domestic abuse, sexual violence and divorce, The Walnut Treelifts the lid on the shocking history of women under British law – and what it means for women today.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 29, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
September 22, 2024
Just really good. Forensic, whilst still being readable. Really brought it all to life, and so eye opening about how much of our culture is still rooted in the Victorian view of gender.
Only read if you want to be filled with rage
Only read if you want to be filled with rage
March 23, 2025
An interesting and important deep dive into some horrific cases that show the extreme mistreatment of women in the 19th century, and the injustices in the legal system. However, I found it quite repetitive at times and the pacing seemed inconsistent. It also seemed to jump around a bit from case to case and from one time period to another!
February 15, 2024
15.02.2024
Big thanks to Mudlark and Harper Collins for sending me a proof to read and review before release! I loved this!
This might just be the best piece of history writing I've ever read. Its fascinating and so brilliantly set out - with each chapter opening with a richly descriptive scene detailing an event, followed by a historic analysis of the time, laws, and people involved. It really helped to immerse me in the stories being told, humanising the women involved and painting them as victims of a system that actively worked against them. I felt so much more frustration at the laws and circumstances than I think I would've done if these descriptive passages weren't putting me right there in the history.
Its shameful and devastating to think that this is part of our history, and that it mirrors so many things in the news today. The blatant sexism and double standards, both in the law and society, the sick obsession of the media to interrogate and degrade victims more than criminals.
It was a fascinating read, but also made me feel angry, sad, and tired that the events of this book echo through to today.
Big thanks to Mudlark and Harper Collins for sending me a proof to read and review before release! I loved this!
This might just be the best piece of history writing I've ever read. Its fascinating and so brilliantly set out - with each chapter opening with a richly descriptive scene detailing an event, followed by a historic analysis of the time, laws, and people involved. It really helped to immerse me in the stories being told, humanising the women involved and painting them as victims of a system that actively worked against them. I felt so much more frustration at the laws and circumstances than I think I would've done if these descriptive passages weren't putting me right there in the history.
Its shameful and devastating to think that this is part of our history, and that it mirrors so many things in the news today. The blatant sexism and double standards, both in the law and society, the sick obsession of the media to interrogate and degrade victims more than criminals.
It was a fascinating read, but also made me feel angry, sad, and tired that the events of this book echo through to today.
March 14, 2024
“Now as then, the most dangerous place for a woman to be is at home with a partner”
This was in equal measures fascinating and infuriating but most importantly gave these women a voice they never had in life.
If you enjoyed this too I’d definitely recommend the Lady Killers podcast with Lucy Worsley which looks at Victorian and early 20th century murderesses but with the wider societal, legal and moral implications of being a woman at the time much like this book does.
This was in equal measures fascinating and infuriating but most importantly gave these women a voice they never had in life.
If you enjoyed this too I’d definitely recommend the Lady Killers podcast with Lucy Worsley which looks at Victorian and early 20th century murderesses but with the wider societal, legal and moral implications of being a woman at the time much like this book does.
October 28, 2025
I really wanted to love this, but i onky liked it. Very very wordy and little structure. But it did have a lot of angering stories that only relight my fire to fight for womens rights.
February 26, 2026
"A woman, a dog and a walnut tree,
The more they are beaten, the better they'll be."
This couplet was derived from one of Aesop's fables, concerning a walnut tree which bemoaned the fact that people would beat it to dislodge its fruits. This translated into a folk belief that hitting the tree encouraged it to produce more nuts; the extension of this logic to women and dogs was first recorded proverbially around the seventeenth century in England.
Kate Morgan's The Walnut Tree is informative, sad, moving and inspiring. We must never forget all those women who have suffered at the hands of men and those who led the way forward to a safer world but unfortunately not a safe world.
The standout moment for me was the shocking realisation that it was still legal for a man to rape his wife during my lifetime - the law only changed in 1991!
Outstanding narration by Kristin Atherton.
March 26, 2025
Found the Contagious Diseases Acts esp unsettling. Could have been a fraction of the length if you stripped out repetition of the same points.
February 22, 2025
This was a fantastic and informative book detailing the history of the law’s treatment of women subjected to violence. Not only did I learn but the stories were captivating and its relation to the law today is both eye opening and slightly upsetting. Recommend!
October 28, 2025
“We have long been more invested in the killer than those killed.”
Book Club #30 – October 2025
Book Club #30 – October 2025
April 10, 2025
"At the Manchester Assizes, on Monday, a man named Matthews was brought up for trial on a charge of wife-murder at Bacup. On the night of January 1, when the world was ushering in a 'happy new year' there were sounds of 'screaming and shrieking' and in the morning it was found that [Ruth Matthews] had bled to death from the kicks which her husband - the brute Matthews - had inflicted upon her. The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, whereupon [the judge] Mr Commissioner Williams sentenced him to two months' imprisonment!!"
"Is there no means by which the force of public opinion can be brought to bear upon the conduct of Mr Commissioner Williams, who esteems the crime of wife-murder as being on a level with that of stealing a purse and a considerably less heinous offence than that of 'shop-lifting'?"
Women's Gazette and Weekly News,
9 March 1889
----
The so-called 'marital rape exemption' traceable directly back to Hale's writings in the 1600s and tacitly endorsed by the Court of Crown Cases Reserved in the Clarence case would continue to arise in a string of cases over the next hundred years. It was not until 1991, in a decision from the House of Lords, that English judges gave an unequivocal ruling that rape could take place within marriage and waved away four hundred years of damaging legal myth.
----
The manager of upmarket department store Swan & Edgar, on the corner of Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street, testified that the store's female clientele were regularly subject to 'molestation by well-dressed men' propositioning them in the streets of the West End shopping quarter. When they had complained to the police, they had simply been told that the police had no power to deal with the men's behaviour and the risk of erroneously accusing a gentleman of such conduct was too great.
The commission was also in agreement with the police's stance, concluding that 'though of course the law might be amended to make the matter more clear, there is really ... no inequality created by the law itself. It is not the fault of the legislative or the fault of the Police that unchastity on the part of a woman, as compared with unchastity by a man, is looked on with much more gravity.'
This inequality in the law was not in fact corrected until the 1980s, when new offences targeting men soliciting for sex, including kerb-crawling, were created.
----
The press coverage of Elizabeth Fallon's death branded the case as vindication of the 'unwritten law' - the popular myth that a wife's infidelity excuses a husband of murder if he kills her upon discovery of it. There is no such law in England, written or unwritten. But it has long been assumed that sexual infidelity was the highest category of provocation, derived ultimately from the historical conception of wives as 'property' of a husband. Back in the eighteenth century, it was in fact ruled to be only manslaughter for a husband to kill his wife's lover, on the basis that such an affair was an invasion of his proprietorial rights over his spouse.
"Is there no means by which the force of public opinion can be brought to bear upon the conduct of Mr Commissioner Williams, who esteems the crime of wife-murder as being on a level with that of stealing a purse and a considerably less heinous offence than that of 'shop-lifting'?"
Women's Gazette and Weekly News,
9 March 1889
----
The so-called 'marital rape exemption' traceable directly back to Hale's writings in the 1600s and tacitly endorsed by the Court of Crown Cases Reserved in the Clarence case would continue to arise in a string of cases over the next hundred years. It was not until 1991, in a decision from the House of Lords, that English judges gave an unequivocal ruling that rape could take place within marriage and waved away four hundred years of damaging legal myth.
----
The manager of upmarket department store Swan & Edgar, on the corner of Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street, testified that the store's female clientele were regularly subject to 'molestation by well-dressed men' propositioning them in the streets of the West End shopping quarter. When they had complained to the police, they had simply been told that the police had no power to deal with the men's behaviour and the risk of erroneously accusing a gentleman of such conduct was too great.
The commission was also in agreement with the police's stance, concluding that 'though of course the law might be amended to make the matter more clear, there is really ... no inequality created by the law itself. It is not the fault of the legislative or the fault of the Police that unchastity on the part of a woman, as compared with unchastity by a man, is looked on with much more gravity.'
This inequality in the law was not in fact corrected until the 1980s, when new offences targeting men soliciting for sex, including kerb-crawling, were created.
----
The press coverage of Elizabeth Fallon's death branded the case as vindication of the 'unwritten law' - the popular myth that a wife's infidelity excuses a husband of murder if he kills her upon discovery of it. There is no such law in England, written or unwritten. But it has long been assumed that sexual infidelity was the highest category of provocation, derived ultimately from the historical conception of wives as 'property' of a husband. Back in the eighteenth century, it was in fact ruled to be only manslaughter for a husband to kill his wife's lover, on the basis that such an affair was an invasion of his proprietorial rights over his spouse.
December 4, 2024
This book begins with the following sentence: ”A woman, a dog, and a walnut tree – the more they are beaten, the better they’ll be”. I was shocked to read it, but then I was even more shocked to discover that it was actually an old English proverb quoted by a Member of Parliament in 1853.
This book takes us on a journey through the Victorian and Edwardian times and tells us a story of how women were treated by men and the surrounding society.
We see a story of bravery, of women like Caroline Norton, who fought against the inequality. Caroline was a married woman herself and suffered extreme cruelty at the hands of her husband, and yet, she could not divorce him. Back in those days, it was almost impossible for a woman to divorce her husband.
A woman had to prove her husband’s infidelity and cruelty to the court, but as all judges were men, they usually stood on the husband’s side. A man only had to say that their wife was unfaithful, and that was enough to grant a divorce.
I was further amazed by the inequality that women had to face at that time. By law, they belonged to their husbands, and some took it literally: a wife was their possession and they could treat her as they pleased.
The book portrays a grim story of Emily Jackson, who was estranged from her husband, but he decided he had had enough, so he went to kidnap her and held her captive for a week, until her family came to her rescue.
When the Contagious Diseases Act was introduced, women were forced to test against the STIs, but not the men. Oh, the irony! If a woman was found to have a venereal disease, she was confined in a ‘lock hospital’ for treatment for up to one year.
I could go on and on about the injustices in this book, but I feel that every woman (and man) should read it. It is such an important part of our social history and cannot be missed.
I definitely recommend it.
This book takes us on a journey through the Victorian and Edwardian times and tells us a story of how women were treated by men and the surrounding society.
We see a story of bravery, of women like Caroline Norton, who fought against the inequality. Caroline was a married woman herself and suffered extreme cruelty at the hands of her husband, and yet, she could not divorce him. Back in those days, it was almost impossible for a woman to divorce her husband.
A woman had to prove her husband’s infidelity and cruelty to the court, but as all judges were men, they usually stood on the husband’s side. A man only had to say that their wife was unfaithful, and that was enough to grant a divorce.
I was further amazed by the inequality that women had to face at that time. By law, they belonged to their husbands, and some took it literally: a wife was their possession and they could treat her as they pleased.
The book portrays a grim story of Emily Jackson, who was estranged from her husband, but he decided he had had enough, so he went to kidnap her and held her captive for a week, until her family came to her rescue.
When the Contagious Diseases Act was introduced, women were forced to test against the STIs, but not the men. Oh, the irony! If a woman was found to have a venereal disease, she was confined in a ‘lock hospital’ for treatment for up to one year.
I could go on and on about the injustices in this book, but I feel that every woman (and man) should read it. It is such an important part of our social history and cannot be missed.
I definitely recommend it.
October 19, 2025
Women are just so strong, and I've never been more grateful to be living in the 21st century, even if we do still have so much work to do in regards to women's safety. There were some parts that I had to rewind the audiobook to check that I'd heard the dates right - half of the content I could not believe was happening ONLY 150 years ago, and the other half still felt all too familiar to the things that women still face today.
It was great that Morgan wrote this book in an almost story-like way; it kept me engaged and meant that there was no chance of getting lost in legal terminology. I really felt as though I lived every single story. The way that people were recorded cheering outside of the courthouse when a man was acquitted of murder or violence against women, things like that, made me feel sick. Or the way that those who were charged had to pay a £5 fine. I had to pause the audiobook to just process what I was hearing.
I think it also does a great job at explaining why there is such an issue surrounding violence against women today, because it exposes all of these historical precedents that just haven't been completely overturned. I particularly found the references towards the Met police interesting, considering that as I was reading, there was another scandal that had broken out within the Met. Also, the legal issues covering violence against women and the way this impacted marriage/divorce were so interesting.
Overall, I just feel as though this is an incredibly important book for anyone who wishes to see the historical influence on the misogyny that is still prevalent across Britain today.
It was great that Morgan wrote this book in an almost story-like way; it kept me engaged and meant that there was no chance of getting lost in legal terminology. I really felt as though I lived every single story. The way that people were recorded cheering outside of the courthouse when a man was acquitted of murder or violence against women, things like that, made me feel sick. Or the way that those who were charged had to pay a £5 fine. I had to pause the audiobook to just process what I was hearing.
I think it also does a great job at explaining why there is such an issue surrounding violence against women today, because it exposes all of these historical precedents that just haven't been completely overturned. I particularly found the references towards the Met police interesting, considering that as I was reading, there was another scandal that had broken out within the Met. Also, the legal issues covering violence against women and the way this impacted marriage/divorce were so interesting.
Overall, I just feel as though this is an incredibly important book for anyone who wishes to see the historical influence on the misogyny that is still prevalent across Britain today.
May 18, 2025
"far from being a mindless beast, the ripper himself must have made a careful study of the press and the law reports before embarking on his spree of horror...for how else would he have been sufficiently emboldened to start killing women, other than reading how lightly he would be punished if he was ever caught?"
essential reading for anyone keen to understand the historical context of modern-day issues such as the misogyny of the met police, why the gender pay gap still exists, failures in tackling gender-based violence, how abusers turn the blame around onto their victims and how rape is effectively decriminalised in the UK today. a stark reminder also of how recently many of our rights were won and how essential it is that we continue to fight for them.
5 stars ⚖️📰💔🌳🪧
essential reading for anyone keen to understand the historical context of modern-day issues such as the misogyny of the met police, why the gender pay gap still exists, failures in tackling gender-based violence, how abusers turn the blame around onto their victims and how rape is effectively decriminalised in the UK today. a stark reminder also of how recently many of our rights were won and how essential it is that we continue to fight for them.
5 stars ⚖️📰💔🌳🪧
March 25, 2024
A fascinating look at how the law treated women and how it changed in Victorian/ Edwardian times.
June 11, 2024
Focuses mainly on the UK. Concise, but would have liked a bit more depth.
August 25, 2025
"A woman, a dog and a walnut tree,
The more they are beaten, the better they'll be"
Fascinating and infuriating in equal parts. We have lots to thank the Victorian age for, but it's treatment of women is far from one of them. The inequality of women through the ages is sickening. How lucky we are now that we can be officially be classed as a 'person'.
The more they are beaten, the better they'll be"
Fascinating and infuriating in equal parts. We have lots to thank the Victorian age for, but it's treatment of women is far from one of them. The inequality of women through the ages is sickening. How lucky we are now that we can be officially be classed as a 'person'.
February 11, 2025
seeing the reflections of how female victims are treated now and in the past is so painful. the history of violence against women never gets easier to read about.
(however the phrase “sex work being the oldest profession comment pissed me off enough that i cannot rate it more than 3 stars)
(however the phrase “sex work being the oldest profession comment pissed me off enough that i cannot rate it more than 3 stars)
March 19, 2024
Interesting history but the writing felt disjointed
May 13, 2024
4.5
Fascinating history and really well set out. Really enjoyed Kate's narrative voice also!
Fascinating history and really well set out. Really enjoyed Kate's narrative voice also!
June 24, 2026
i loved this book, i loved the specifications and the engaging storytelling while still being respectful of the women behind these cases, and the relation to the modern day, showing both how much, and how little has changed.
August 6, 2024
“Yet each man kills the thing he loves”
4.5 ⭐️
Oof, this book wasn’t kidding when it said in the opening disclosure that this is not an easy read. There were so many instances where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes in disbelief, and I can only apologise to my colleagues for my rants after reading this on my break!
This is such an important read, and it is truly so interesting to see which cases shaped (or at least kickstarted something leading to) our own modern laws, and yet it’s also so frustrating that some of these cases still feel so close to home! There’s a really interesting discussion throughout about the “one rule for she, another for he” attitude of the time, and how some laws about divorce or property rights were only changed when they began to affect men in a negative way.
We still see the double standards today, which is why this book hits in such an intense manner. It’s also a little bizarre for me as a Windsor based bookseller to be reading about a murder that happened on a road I use every single day and yet somehow have never heard of before.
I already knew about some of the crimes discussed, but there were some laws that had been passed (and mercifully since abolished!) which I was completely unaware of, and I really feel so grateful to the those who lead the modern fight for equal rights.
I’ve read another of Kate Morgan’s books before and think I said in an earlier review that her style of writing is very engaging and accessible, and I maintain that here! She clearly does her research and cares about her topics!
All that being said, I’m going to continue to recommend this book but I’m also going to take my own advice and read something a little more cheery now!
Thank you so much to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
4.5 ⭐️
Oof, this book wasn’t kidding when it said in the opening disclosure that this is not an easy read. There were so many instances where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes in disbelief, and I can only apologise to my colleagues for my rants after reading this on my break!
This is such an important read, and it is truly so interesting to see which cases shaped (or at least kickstarted something leading to) our own modern laws, and yet it’s also so frustrating that some of these cases still feel so close to home! There’s a really interesting discussion throughout about the “one rule for she, another for he” attitude of the time, and how some laws about divorce or property rights were only changed when they began to affect men in a negative way.
We still see the double standards today, which is why this book hits in such an intense manner. It’s also a little bizarre for me as a Windsor based bookseller to be reading about a murder that happened on a road I use every single day and yet somehow have never heard of before.
I already knew about some of the crimes discussed, but there were some laws that had been passed (and mercifully since abolished!) which I was completely unaware of, and I really feel so grateful to the those who lead the modern fight for equal rights.
I’ve read another of Kate Morgan’s books before and think I said in an earlier review that her style of writing is very engaging and accessible, and I maintain that here! She clearly does her research and cares about her topics!
All that being said, I’m going to continue to recommend this book but I’m also going to take my own advice and read something a little more cheery now!
Thank you so much to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review!
April 2, 2025
A must read
June 1, 2025
For some women, the home itself was a place of mortal danger’. A fascinating, incredibly well researched insight into the court cases of women experiencing violence in England within the Victorian Era (18th and early 19th century). The book starts intensely with “a woman, a dog and a walnut tree. The more they are beaten the better they will be” a quote by an English MP in 1853.
I liked that the book is fairly self aware and takes note of how class would impact your ability to attempt to divorce or bring forward a case of violence in the courts at the time. I find the 18th century interesting, and the book did justice in being able to provide an immersive picture of women’s lives in a time of such extreme vitriol against their existence (though It feels like there has been a huge resurgence of misogyny recently, so slightly haunting to read). The book also pays attention to how statuary laws impacted sex workers at the time, for instance forced medical examinations under the contagious disease act, which I thought was important to shed light on.
One issue was I often found it difficult to retain information about the date because the book jumped between different years at times. Sometimes parts of the book feel slightly repetitive too, though I think this is due to the style of the writing.
The largest problem was that there was 0 narrative on the topic of race and women of colour’s experiences under the same laws in England during the Victorian era. This is a failing of the book as I believe it is crucial to note that the suffragette movement not only excluded women of colour, but actively used violence against women of colour often mirroring the violence they were experiencing from white men. It is disappointing that there was a lack of acknowledgement of missing a lot of narrative
Overall though, this is an important piece of history that should not go unnoticed, I found the book to get more compelling the more I read. Highly recommend, especially to those interested in history, law and the story of women’s rights. This book informs us of the landmarks of laws that took hundreds of years to come into place.
I liked that the book is fairly self aware and takes note of how class would impact your ability to attempt to divorce or bring forward a case of violence in the courts at the time. I find the 18th century interesting, and the book did justice in being able to provide an immersive picture of women’s lives in a time of such extreme vitriol against their existence (though It feels like there has been a huge resurgence of misogyny recently, so slightly haunting to read). The book also pays attention to how statuary laws impacted sex workers at the time, for instance forced medical examinations under the contagious disease act, which I thought was important to shed light on.
One issue was I often found it difficult to retain information about the date because the book jumped between different years at times. Sometimes parts of the book feel slightly repetitive too, though I think this is due to the style of the writing.
The largest problem was that there was 0 narrative on the topic of race and women of colour’s experiences under the same laws in England during the Victorian era. This is a failing of the book as I believe it is crucial to note that the suffragette movement not only excluded women of colour, but actively used violence against women of colour often mirroring the violence they were experiencing from white men. It is disappointing that there was a lack of acknowledgement of missing a lot of narrative
Overall though, this is an important piece of history that should not go unnoticed, I found the book to get more compelling the more I read. Highly recommend, especially to those interested in history, law and the story of women’s rights. This book informs us of the landmarks of laws that took hundreds of years to come into place.
April 23, 2026
i wish i'd read this at a different time. coming off of two bad picks and reading this alongside carl sagan (enriching but a lot of work) didn't make me the most enthusiastic about reading in general but despite that i could clearly see the value of this work. it's not instructive in galvanising readers to campaign for women's rights but it didn't need an overt call to action to succeed because it was sharp, educational and eye opening all the same.
in my time in the public sector i was privy to how policy positions must first be established by a team independent of the legislative team, following which the law is then formed to meet policy intent. policy objectives are determined either preemptively with the aim of influencing certain behaviours or to achieve specific outcomes, or in response to societal developments which explains why the law is reactive in some instances and so slow to catch up on real world happenings. this book illustrates this very interconnectedness in the case of violence against women: the role the law plays in shaping societal attitudes, and equally, how societal changes are reflected in the law. it made me think of how excited i was as a kid about the world and all the good i assumed ahead of us which we didn't yet know. perhaps it was just naivety and innocence but i remember the feeling of genuine belief that things would only get better. yet here we are today and the world to me has undoubtedly regressed with the proliferation of violence and hatred against women and children and all of humanity. it makes me scared and sad and i wish progress was linear and clear but all i can think about is the reversal of roe v wade and the ongoing wars and that progress is instead fragile.
violence against women, and the response of the law and society to it, is a concern that is both shockingly contemporary and depressingly historic.
in my time in the public sector i was privy to how policy positions must first be established by a team independent of the legislative team, following which the law is then formed to meet policy intent. policy objectives are determined either preemptively with the aim of influencing certain behaviours or to achieve specific outcomes, or in response to societal developments which explains why the law is reactive in some instances and so slow to catch up on real world happenings. this book illustrates this very interconnectedness in the case of violence against women: the role the law plays in shaping societal attitudes, and equally, how societal changes are reflected in the law. it made me think of how excited i was as a kid about the world and all the good i assumed ahead of us which we didn't yet know. perhaps it was just naivety and innocence but i remember the feeling of genuine belief that things would only get better. yet here we are today and the world to me has undoubtedly regressed with the proliferation of violence and hatred against women and children and all of humanity. it makes me scared and sad and i wish progress was linear and clear but all i can think about is the reversal of roe v wade and the ongoing wars and that progress is instead fragile.
violence against women, and the response of the law and society to it, is a concern that is both shockingly contemporary and depressingly historic.
July 4, 2026
Kate Morgan, The Walnut Tree, Mudlark, 2024.
The eponymous "Walnut tree" comes from a nineteenth century 'proverb' "A woman, a dog, and a walnut tree / The more they are beaten, the better they'll be." A horrendous saying to be sure, but one Kate Morgan shows aptly describes much of the law's treatment of women, and particularly working class women from in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and through to the twentieth.
This is not a history focussed non on the law per se but on the effect of the law on the numerous case studies that fill its pages.
I came to this book by accident but it turned out I had previously read another book by the author (Murder: The biography). That was a good book but I think this second work is a significant improvement in terms of the writing.
This is a well written and engrossing book and one that also frequently evokes fury at the systemic injustice of the law's application in matters of finance, divorce, sexual assault, and threats to life itself.
Very much recommended.
The eponymous "Walnut tree" comes from a nineteenth century 'proverb' "A woman, a dog, and a walnut tree / The more they are beaten, the better they'll be." A horrendous saying to be sure, but one Kate Morgan shows aptly describes much of the law's treatment of women, and particularly working class women from in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and through to the twentieth.
This is not a history focussed non on the law per se but on the effect of the law on the numerous case studies that fill its pages.
I came to this book by accident but it turned out I had previously read another book by the author (Murder: The biography). That was a good book but I think this second work is a significant improvement in terms of the writing.
This is a well written and engrossing book and one that also frequently evokes fury at the systemic injustice of the law's application in matters of finance, divorce, sexual assault, and threats to life itself.
Very much recommended.
March 30, 2025
I picked this book up from the library on a whim. Overall, I enjoyed it. It was fascinating and the cases selected really bring to life what could otherwise have been quite a dry book. However, it was very repetitive at points, for example, on page 125 it says “The first act was passed in 1864, with little fanfare or even debate” and on page 128 it says “The first, in 1864, was brought in with little fanfare - and even less debate.” This is commented on again on at least one more occasion. Where this happened with larger chunks of text, I found myself skipping through it as it had already been said. As another review has mentioned, it does also jump around quite a bit and whilst in some places the author is drawing parallels with previously discussed cases, it doesn’t flow quite as well as it could.
All in all, it is a fascinating and interesting book that could have been written (or edited) better.
All in all, it is a fascinating and interesting book that could have been written (or edited) better.
January 13, 2025
'A woman, a dog and a walnut tree. The more they are beaten, the better they will be'. This is a quote made by one MP in a parliamentary debate back in 1853, sets the tone for this powerful book. It delves into the hidden history of women's relationship with the law and the tireless efforts of suffragists and women who fought to revolutionize women's rights. The book also examines the reconciliation of Ecclesiastical law with evolving societal norms, highlighting the struggles and triumphs that shaped women's legal standing.
From the moment I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. So many compelling and eye-opening read that sheds light on an often-overlooked, under-represented aspect of the history. This book is not just a historical account but also a tribute to the resilience and courage of women who dared to challenge the status quo.
From the moment I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. So many compelling and eye-opening read that sheds light on an often-overlooked, under-represented aspect of the history. This book is not just a historical account but also a tribute to the resilience and courage of women who dared to challenge the status quo.
March 2, 2024
An interesting piece of history, but I felt it missed much in terms of how such laws and practices evolved and came to be in the first place. There was also some lesser known cases that would have evidenced those historical laws and practices which were missing. I've read lots on the subject and what I've read could have filled another two books and would have evidenced lots of the authors research and claims. I just felt that it could have been broader and I also wasn't sure what the theme holding it together was. It seemed to be some cases of domestic abuse in the UK but failed to mention all the laws between those mentioned that have passed and been updated. It's a good, but brief look at the subject for people not savvy on it, however.
August 12, 2025
structurally and in terms of central message, not as revolutionary in shifting my perspective as Murder: A Biography. You're not exactly torn between sides and you know going in that the misogyny is rife and horrible, but Morgan's commitment to telling the stories of the women whose suffering helped change the law does make their struggles feel less in vain.
It does explain as to why women suffered: the juries of "middle aged, middle class, middle minded men" letting off wife killers, for instance. It was also horrifying to learn about laws around contagious diseases and prostitution that gave police officers the ability to lock up women without proving guilt, state endorsed harassment basically.
It does explain as to why women suffered: the juries of "middle aged, middle class, middle minded men" letting off wife killers, for instance. It was also horrifying to learn about laws around contagious diseases and prostitution that gave police officers the ability to lock up women without proving guilt, state endorsed harassment basically.
March 30, 2024
Beautifully crafted, the use of anecdotes to foreground the legal/social facts was done brilliantly. Her storytelling is genuinely breathtaking at times, very vivid. Particularly amazing were the passages on the Contagious Diseases Act; obviously I'm always gonna love the prostitute content, but the scope of the arguments relating to North/South divide, housing crises and the presumption of prostituting really broaden the coverage from just gender politics and makes it feel a lot more urgent and personal.
Only gripe was the lack of in text citations, sources are listed at the end but not throughout the text itself (this could be my proof copy though).
Only gripe was the lack of in text citations, sources are listed at the end but not throughout the text itself (this could be my proof copy though).
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