Sexual slander in nineteenth-century England : defamation in the ecclesiastical courts, 1815-1855 / S.M. Waddams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Waddams, S. M., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Libel and slander--Great Britain--History.

Libel and slander.

Ecclesiastical courts--Great Britain--History.

Ecclesiastical courts.

Adultery--Great Britain--History.

Adultery.

Fornication--Great Britain--History.

Fornication.

England.

Genre:

Livres numeriques.

History.

e-books.

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (344 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Toronto, [Ontario] ; Buffalo, [New York] ; London, [England] : University of Toronto Press, 2000.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Until 1855, slanderous language was punishable in Britain's ecclesiastical courts. Waddams shows how the law worked not only in theory but in practice. The evidence of the witnesses supplies fascinating details of day-to-day events.

Contents:

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PREFACE

ABBREVIATIONS

Introduction: 'Grievous and oppressive to the subjects of this realm'

Part I: The Law

1 The Common Law

2 The Ecclesiastical Law

Part II: The Courts

3 The Courts and Their Officers

4 Patterns of Litigation

5 Evidence

6 Costs

7 Penance

Part III: The Cases

8 The Parties

9 The Injury

10 Motives

11 Consequences

Postscript: 'A barbarous state of our law'

TABLES

1 Ecclesiastical court business, 1827-30

2 Defamation cases by diocese, 1815-55, with diocesan populations in 1835.

3 Defamation cases by five-year periods, 1815-55

4 Defamation cases by sex and marital status of parties (Norwich and York)

5 Populations of places of plaintiffs' residence (Norwich)

6 Disposition of causes at various stages of litigation (Norwich)

7 Sex and literacy of witnesses (Norwich and York)

APPENDICES

A: Illustrative Cause Papers

B: Occupations of Parties and Parties' Husbands (Norwich and York) and of Male Plaintiffs (England and Wales)

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TABLE OF CASES

INDEX

A

B

C

D

E

F

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q.

R

S

T

V

W

Illustrations.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4426-7985-9

OCLC:

244769161