In 1853, Thomas Rolls attacked Charlotte Carter with a razor in Stratford after their relationship ended. This Old Bailey case reveals a brutal attempted murder, a desperate struggle for survival, and a narrow escape from death in Victorian London, where domestic violence turned suddenly and violently life-threatening.
Tag Archives: murder
This Day in History – 24 March 1839
A drunken quarrel in Deptford in 1839 led to a brutal knife injury and a courtroom drama revealing mutual violence and desperation. This Old Bailey case explores the blurred line between assault and self-defence in Victorian London, where candlelight, jealousy, and alcohol combined with devastating consequences.
This Day in History: 20 February 1771 — Richard Mortis and the Moonlight Ambush
On 20 February 1771, Richard Mortis was tried at the Old Bailey for shooting Thomas Parkinson in a moonlit field after a dispute over poaching. Found guilty of willful and malicious shooting, Mortis was sentenced to death and executed on 27 March 1771, reflecting the harsh capital laws of Georgian England.
This Day in History – 16 September 1812
16 September 1812 — Old Bailey Manslaughter: Thomas Oakley was tried for manslaughter at the Old Bailey after a death for which the court found him responsible but not guilty of murder.