The Bloody Code : British Crime and Punishment (Part One)

Fascinating People Fascinating Places

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Britons were subject to a penal system including up to 220 crimes punishable by death. These offences ranged from murder to theft, from arson to wearing blackface while poaching. Even young children, were subject to these draconian penalties. In this episode I explore the era of the so-called “bloody code” and explain how it developed, the level of enforcement, and the reasons for its demise.

In this documentary style episode I interview two experts on this era in British History.

Dr. Simon Devereaux Associate Professor (History) and Undergraduate Advisor at the University of Victoria

Creator of the website The Old Bailey Condemned, 1730-1837

The Visitations of Horace Cotton, Ordinary of Newgate, 1823-1838 (London Records Society, forthcoming)

Dr. John Walliss is senior lecturer in criminology in the School of Social Sciences, Liverpool Hope University, UK.

His works include: The Bloody Code in England and Wales, 1760–1830

https://lawcrimehistory.pubpub.org/pub/cb2hj558/release/1
https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/8937

Music and sound: Pixabay

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