Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Note on Currency Changes and Monetary Values

Chapter 1 George Caddell: Cad, Bounder, Doctor and Killer, 1700

Chapter 2 A Crime of Passion, 1797

Chapter 3 George Allen: Murdering his Children, 1807

Chapter 4 Richard Tomlinson: Murder Ran in the Family, 1833

Chapter 5 The Strangulation of Mary Malpas: a Tale of Obsessive Love, 1835

Chapter 6 Christina Collins and the Bloody Steps, 1839

Chapter 7 The Cost of Living, 1843

Chapter 8 Sarah Westwood and the Poisoned Porridge, 1843

Chapter 9 The Brough Brothers of Biddulph, 1845

Chapter 10 Arson and Murder at Ash Flats, 1852

Chapter 11 Palmer the Poisoner, 1856

Chapter 12 The Baby in the Newspaper, 1865

Chapter 13 William Collier: the Poacher they Hanged Twice, 1866

Chapter 14 The Deserter who Killed, 1866

Chapter 15 The Motiveless Murder of Mary Kidd, 1874

Chapter 16 Slaying Cain, 1874

Chapter 17 The Unkindest Cut of All, 1879

Chapter 18 Murder and Suicide at the Falcon Inn, 1891

Chapter 19 The Real Sherlock Holmes Investigates, 1903

Chapter 20 Thomas Gaskin and the Headless Woman, 1919

Bibliography

Index