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The Murder of Mary Ashford: The Crime that Changed English Legal History
In the small hours of 27 May 1817, Mary Ashford, a young servant girl from the village of Erdington near Birmingham, left a party in the company of Abraham Thornton. A few hours later she was found drowned in a pool; an inquest established that she had been raped. Despite a seemingly solid alibi, Thornton, an uncouth young man with a bad reputation, was soon on trial for his life, but to the widespread consternation of everyone from the local gentry to the humblest labourer, he was acquitted at the direction of the judge. Public opinion across the country was outraged, convinced that a murderer had evaded the gallows. Then, in a last-ditch effort to find justice, Mary's brother used an archaic legal process to prosecute Thornton again, only find himself confronted with an extraordinary challenge. In court, Thornton threw down a gauntlet and demanded his legal right to trial by combat... The outcome altered the course of English legal history. In this many-layered account, Naomi Clifford looks at the key issue of whether Thornton was guilty but also explores themes including the birth of forensic investigation, the meaning of sexual consent and the struggle of a modern state to emerge from its medieval legal heritage.
224 pages, Paperback
Published May 31, 2018
33 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Naomi Clifford
10 books14 followers13 Park Lane is Naomi’s debut historical crime novel and is based on a real-life case from 1872 in which Marguerite Diblanc, a young Belgian cook, murdered her mistress, a mysterious French widow.
Naomi Clifford grew up in London. After reading history at Bristol University, she spent two years in Nashville, Tennessee, and following her return worked for a variety of magazines and websites.
She has published several non-fiction history books focusing primarily on women and crime.
Naomi Clifford grew up in London. After reading history at Bristol University, she spent two years in Nashville, Tennessee, and following her return worked for a variety of magazines and websites.
She has published several non-fiction history books focusing primarily on women and crime.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 17, 2024
This case has interested me since reading a short account of it about 40 years ago. I've been wanting to read precisely this kind of book on it, looking at witness testimony and court records. Clifford has hunted it all down, including coverage over subsequent generations and cultural expressions such as stage plays the case inspired.
While I'm thankful Clifford has done this research, I do have a nitpick: I find the presentation a little bare bones. For example, transitions to talking about other relevant cases are jarring, like this is a rough assembly and the text is waiting for a polish. It's a small thing but some style together with substance makes the difference between good and great.
When this case does come up today, it's usually talked about with the eerily similar murder of Barbara Forrest in same place in 1974. This is not mentioned in this book but what you learn reading the book is that eerily similar murders to Mary Ashford's took place there at the time as well. You don't need to wait 157 years to find a twin. Barbara Forrest's murder is not a mind-blowing cosmic mirror of Mary Ashford's, it's yet another murder, sadly.
While I'm thankful Clifford has done this research, I do have a nitpick: I find the presentation a little bare bones. For example, transitions to talking about other relevant cases are jarring, like this is a rough assembly and the text is waiting for a polish. It's a small thing but some style together with substance makes the difference between good and great.
When this case does come up today, it's usually talked about with the eerily similar murder of Barbara Forrest in same place in 1974. This is not mentioned in this book but what you learn reading the book is that eerily similar murders to Mary Ashford's took place there at the time as well. You don't need to wait 157 years to find a twin. Barbara Forrest's murder is not a mind-blowing cosmic mirror of Mary Ashford's, it's yet another murder, sadly.
July 18, 2018
The Murder of Mary Ashford is another incredibly well researched book by Naomi Clifford, which I very much enjoyed reading. I love historical true crime because of the social history details and there are plenty in this book. Naomi has given very credible reasons for her conclusions on what really happened to Mary, who I confess I had not heard of before this book. I feel that she has now given Mary the justice that she deserved and didn't receive in 1817.
January 26, 2023
A very interesting review of a very old murder case, including describing the socila conditions and the law of the times.
March 7, 2024
This is the case that got Trial by Combat taken off the law books.
April 5, 2020
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
I really enjoyed this book.
The Murder of Mary Ashford is a very well researched book by Naomi Clifford that covers a murder that took place in the small hours of 27 May 1817. Mary Ashford was the victim; she was a young servant girl from the village of Erdington near Birmingham at that time (it is now a suburb of the city itself).
I love historical non-fiction and true crime books and I also liked that it was a location not too far from where I live and have visited so it was good to try and imagine what it might have looked like back at that time. The book is also a great record of social history regarding what it would have been like in the area at the time.
The author has clearly done quite a lot of research and argued her views as to why Mary should get the justice she deserves, this was justice that was denied at the time in 1817. It is a tragic case and it is just one of many that occurred over the years and reading it showed how much we have developed in terms of forensic science over the years too.
It is 4 stars from me for this one, it was a well-researched book and a great addition to my true crime collection – highly recommended!
I really enjoyed this book.
The Murder of Mary Ashford is a very well researched book by Naomi Clifford that covers a murder that took place in the small hours of 27 May 1817. Mary Ashford was the victim; she was a young servant girl from the village of Erdington near Birmingham at that time (it is now a suburb of the city itself).
I love historical non-fiction and true crime books and I also liked that it was a location not too far from where I live and have visited so it was good to try and imagine what it might have looked like back at that time. The book is also a great record of social history regarding what it would have been like in the area at the time.
The author has clearly done quite a lot of research and argued her views as to why Mary should get the justice she deserves, this was justice that was denied at the time in 1817. It is a tragic case and it is just one of many that occurred over the years and reading it showed how much we have developed in terms of forensic science over the years too.
It is 4 stars from me for this one, it was a well-researched book and a great addition to my true crime collection – highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews