BOOK DESCRIPTION
Murder, conspiracy, radicalism, poverty, riot, violence, capitalism, technology: everything is up for grabs in the early part of Victoria’s reign.
Radical politicians, constitutional activists and trade unionists are being professionally assassinated. When Josiah Ainscough of the Stockport Police thwarts an attempt on the life of the Chartist leader, Feargus O’Connor, he receives public praise, but earns the enmity of the assassin, who vows to kill him.
‘Circles of Deceit’, the second of Paul CW Beatty’s Constable Josiah Ainscough’s historical murder mysteries, gives a superb and electric picture of what it was to live in 1840s England. The novel is set in one of the most turbulent political periods in British history, 1842-1843, when liberties and constitutional change were at the top of the political agenda, pursued using methods fair or foul.
The events of the 1842 General Strike ended with a trial at Lancaster Court, known to the Chartists as the Great Indictment, since it had 59 Chartists accused, including their leader Feargus O’Connor. The charges were of sedition of various forms. At the beginning of the trial Phillip Burrell is singled out by the prosecutor, Attorney General, Mr Pollock QC...
‘If it may it please your Lordship and the Gentlemen of the Jury, let me from the outset of this trial make it clear to you all that the offence imputed to the defendants is that of endeavouring, by large assemblies of persons, accompanied by force, violence, menaces and intimidation, to produce such a degree of alarm and terror throughout the country, as to produce a change to fundamental points of the Constitution.’
The court was quiet and attentive. People sat on the edges of their seats. The jurymen leant forward, eager to hear Mr Pollock’s next words.
‘I shall not stop here to inquire, nor shall I detain you a moment to discuss, the merits and demerits of the charge, nor to praise the constitution; I am here for the single purpose of indicating the law. This trial is not an appropriate proceeding to consider the validity of arguments for or against change of any sort to the Constitution of our country. Gentlemen of the Jury, you have a simpler question before you. If you are satisfied by evidence that the respective defendants have taken part in activities which had the objective of changing the Constitution by force, it will be your painful duty to find them guilty.’
Josiah saw many heads nod or whisper approval to their neighbours.
[The Judge] Justice Baron Rolfe interjected. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please restrain your personal comments. Proceed Mr Pollock.’
‘Thank you, your Lordship. I will in general allow the evidence you will hear to speak for itself, but I will at this point give you one example of the sort of events you will be called upon to consider. It concerns the one of the defendants, Mr Phillip Burrell, who addressed the crowd in Stockport after the town’s Union Workhouse had been ransacked and robbed by a group of turn-outs, led by the Burrell’s daughter.
‘In his speech to the turn-outs, before they marched down into Stockport’s market square, you will hear evidence that Burrell made it clear to those at that meeting that the turn-outs would and should continue until the Charter was enacted and the Constitution of this country changed to comply to the Charter’s principles. Everyone in this court knows that the confrontation in Stockport between the turn-outs with the civil and military authorities, after the Riot Act had been legally read, led to the death of several people by gunfire.’
Mr Pollock sat down on this rhetorical flourish and there followed a babble of voices and even some cries of shame from parts of the public benches, as well as some people pointing at Dianne [Burrell] and shouting, she’s here, she’s here. The judge had to bang his gavel several times to restore order.
AUTHOR BIO
Paul CW Beatty is an unusual combination of a novelist and a research scientist. Having worked for many years in medical research in the UK NHS and Universities, a few years ago he took an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University emerging with a distinction.
His latest novel, Children of Fire, is a Victorian murder mystery set in 1841 at the height of the industrial revolution. It won the Writing Magazine’s Best Novel Award in November 2017 and is published by The Book Guild Ltd.
Paul lives near Manchester in the northwest of England. Children of Fire is set against the hills of the Peak District as well as the canals and other industrial infrastructure of the Cottonopolis know as the City of Manchester.
Social Media Links
Twitter @cw_beatty
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circles-Deceit-casebook-Josiah-Ainscough ebook/dp/B08LLCPSYR
https://www.amazon.com/Circles-Deceit-casebook-Josiah-Ainscough-ebook/dp/B08LLCPSYR
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