Items related to London Monster: A Sanquinary Tale
Synopsis
"His unnatural and unaccountable propensities in maliciously cutting and stabbing females whenever he found them unprotected, soon made him a terror to the metropolis: his behavior was so revolting to the feelings, and carried with it such hellish appetite and dreadful consequences, that the horror he spread, it is impossible to describe." Between 1788 and 1790 - foreshadowing Jack the Ripper by a full century, London's women were terrorised by a series of street assaults, perpetrated by a mysterious person whom the press quickly dubbed "The Monster". His modus operandi was to sidle up to a woman, address her with "indecent" language and then with a sharp instrument, slit her clothing and her person, invariably her buttocks. Soon the fear of attack became such, that fashionable women did not dare walk outdoors without wearing copper petticoats to protect them from attack. By 1790 Londoners had begun to despair about the ability of the regular police - the Bow Street runners - to catch this elusive monster. At this point, John Julius Angertstein, a wealthy Lloyds insurance broker, set a reward of 50 for anyone who apprehended the "Inhuman Monster". The combination of the then princely reward and the intense fear the monster aroused, led to great numbers of false accusations and vigilante attacks - merely calling or pointing out some person as The Monster was sufficient to endanger his life. In June 1790 when the total number of victims exceeded 50, a young Welshman named Rynwick Williams, was arrested after one of the wounded women had pointed him out to a vigilante. Although he appeared an unlikely Monster, and had a strong alibi for one of the worst outrages, he was nevertheless convicted after two ludicrous trials. This remarkable case has been exhaustively researched by the author who has used a wealth of sources to retell the story of the London Monster and his strange crimes in vivid detail, and in so doing, re-assessing the evidence for the guilt of Rhynwick Williams. The book presents a fascinating picture of London life in 1790, and utilises modern research on mass hysterias and moral panics to reinterpret the Monster-mania, comparing it with modern instances of similar phenomena.
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From the Publisher
Jan Bondeson is an independent scholar. He has previously published "Cabinet of Medical Curiosities" (1997, I. B. Tauris), and "Feejee Mermaid" (1999, Cornell University Press).
About the Author
Jan Bondeson is a senior lecturer and consultant rheumatologist at the University of Wales College of Medicine. His many critically acclaimed books include Buried Alive: The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear and The Pig-Faced Lady of Manchester Square & Other Medical Marvels, ('Reveals how these tragic individuals triumphed over their terrible adversity' The Daily Mail; 'Well written and superbly illustrated' The Financial Times, 'Profoundly humane' The Sunday Telegraph), also published by Tempus. He lives in Newport, Monmouthshire.
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- PublisherFree Association Books
- Publication date2000
- ISBN 10 1853435260
- ISBN 13 9781853435263
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages260
- Rating
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THE LONDON MONSTER A Sanguine Tale
Published by
Fee Association Books, 2000
ISBN 10: 1853435260
ISBN 13: 9781853435263
Used
Softcover / Paperback
First Edition
Seller: Loretta Lay Books, London, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Softcover / Paperback. Condition: Fine. First edition. Softcover. Between 1788 and 1790 - foreshadowing Jack the Ripper by a full century, London's women were terrorised by a series of street assaults, perpetrated by a mysterious person whom the press quickly dubbed "The Monster". His modus operandi was to sidle up to a woman, address her with "indecent" language and then with a sharp instrument, slit her clothing and her person, invariably her buttocks. Soon the fear of attack became such, that fashionable women did not dare walk outdoors without wearing copper petticoats to protect them from attack. By 1790 Londoners had begun to despair about the ability of the regular police - the Bow Street runners - to catch this elusive monster. At this point John Julius Angerstein, a wealthy Lloyds insurance broker, set a reward of £50 for anyone who apprehended the "Inhuman Monster". The combination of the then princely reward and the intense fear the monster aroused, led to great numbers of false accusations and vigilante attacks - merely calling or pointing out some person as The Monster was sufficient to endanger his life. In June 1790 when the total number of victims exceeded 50, a young Welshman named Rhynwick Williams, was arrested after one of the wounded women had pointed him out to a vigilante. Although he appeared an unlikekly Monster, and had a strong alibi for one of the worst outrages, he was nevertheless convicted after two ludicrous trials. In re-telling in vivid detail the story of the London Monster, the author re-assesses the evidence for the guilt of Rhynwick Williams. The book presents a fascinating picture of London life in 1870, and utilises modern research on mass hysteria and moral panics to reinterpret the Monster-mania, comparing it with modern instances of a similar phenomena. Illus., Notes, and Index. 256pp. trade size soft cover. Nr. F. with no creasing to covers. Seller Inventory # 20121
Quantity: 1 available
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The London Monster: A Sanguinary Tale
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
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Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The London Monster: A Sanguinary Tale This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9781853435263
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The London Monster: A Sanguinary Tale
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9781853435263
Quantity: 1 available