Philobiblon

I’ve been reading about crime and punishment in 13th-century England, and wondering what has changed. In cases of rape, juries were reluctant to convict, often cases were withdrawn, and if the woman got pregnant medical belief of the time (and for some time afterwards) held this to be conclusive evidence that it could not have been rape.

Before 1275 it wasn’t even the Crown’s duty to prosecute, and the victim had to seek her own recompense in the courts, if she could.

So one can’t but cheer Sybel Climne, who was walking home late one night by the light of the moon in 1312 through the alleys of Great Yarmouth. When a man jumped out and tightened her hood around her neck, trying to strangle her into submission, she pulled out a small knife and stabbed him in the stomach, killing him instantly. She even had a witness to testify to what had happened. (Although, I read, witnesses to the defence were not sworn and may not have been legally taken into account.)

The jurors couldn’t at this stage, however, give a verdict of “not guilty”; all they could do is recommend the king pardon her for killing in self-defence (se defendendo). The source doesn’t say if she got her pardon, but you’d hope so.

But you do have to wonder about the coroner’s verdict in the case of Agnes Tuppel of Wiltshire, who struck a six-month-old-boy, “William, son of Michael the vintner”, with an axe. The verdict? Misadventure.

From R.J. Sims, “Secondary offenders? English woman and crime 1220-1348” in Studies on Medieval and Early Modern Women 4: Victims or Viragos, pp. 69-88.

London’s answer to the Arc de Triomphe, the outside entrance to Buckingham Palace, a source of controversy and scandal – all of those are or have been among the roles of Wellington Arch (also known as Constitution Arch), which stands today at an odd angle opposite Apsley House, amidst a raceway of roads. (Something for London’s mayor Ken Livingstone to sort out soon, you’d have to hope.)

So is it worth the £3 entry fee (or less with a combined ticket for Apsley House)? I’d say it was. There’s a lovely view from its balcony of the surrounding area – down to the House of Commons and the London Eye, up to the green stretchs of Hyde Park, and a close-up view of the bronze quadriga (four-horse chariot), which was lovingly crafted by a man with a detailed knowledge of equine anatomy. READ MORE

There’s something odd going on, when it is the House of Lords, full of party placemen and hereditary aristocrats, that is protecting human rights in asserting evidence obtained by torture should not be used. And the the Tories look much greener than the Labour Party. (Yes it is easy to “look” things in opposition, I agree, but still Tony Blair barely even pays lip-service to environmental issues, and his government policies are even worse.)

Does left/right mean anything any more?

Frances Williams Wynn is today making a second visit to the Caledonian Church in Hatton Garden, and finding the Rev David Irving, isn’t sounding quite so good the second time around.

And for those who think 19th-century churchgoing would have been a decorous business, there’s also an awakening:

Even when one did not hear some voices crying for mercy and others for silence, the crowd pressed against the pew till they made every board creak, and kept one in continual apprehension that at last they would give way. During the last hour of the oration the people were more quiet; some servants, who I believe came for the fun of pushing about, were turned out, and we heard better.

Tim Worstall has today posted a graceful response to my, and others’ criticism of the small number of female bloggers represented in his book of the British blogosphere’s year.

> And he does have a point. He drew heavily on his weekly Britblog roundup, and women are only very lightly represented there.

There does seem to be a problem, I’d say, speaking as someone keen to promote women bloggers, that they are not always doing much to promote themselves. I’m not sure why this is – is it that women are not in general encouraged by society to put themselves forward? is it that they are afraid of attracting “the wrong sort” of attention? I’d be interested in thoughts on this.

But go on, DON’T BE SHY – nominate yourself, or a female blogger you know. This is the best posts of the British blogosphere (i.e. either blogging Britons, or people blogging in Britain) of the past week.

To quote Tim:

You can do so by simply emailing the URL to britblog AT gmail DOT com. If there is a 2006 version some of the research will come from there, naturally. But it would also be wonderful if more people would nominate posts, most especially from those areas of blogging that don’t normally get a look in. Yes, personal blogs, LGBT, women writers, different political persuasions and all. The entire aim and purpose of it is to do precisely this, to get us reading out of our little groupthink bubbles.