Trials and Polemics of the Popish Plot, 1679 : The Proceedings Against Whitebread, Harcourt, Fenwick, Gavan, Turner, and Langhorn ; Together with the Trials of Wakeman, Corker, Marshal ; and the Conduct, Speeches, and Alleged Conspiracies of the Accused. An Original Trial Report from Cobbett's State Trials, part of the great 19th-century archive of courtroom history.

This remarkable group of trial reports and polemical pamphlets offers a concentrated lens on the fevered climax of the Popish Plot prosecutions in 1679. At its heart are the trials and executions of five Jesuit priests; Thomas Whitebread, William Harcourt, John Fenwick, John Gavan, and Anthony Turner, accused of conspiring to assassinate King Charles II. Their proceedings at the Old Bailey, alongside that of Richard Langhorn, a Catholic barrister, became emblematic of the era's volatile mix of religious paranoia, political opportunism, and judicial theatre. Supplementary tracts, animadversions, rebuttals, and spiritual accounts reveal the contested legacy of these men, with voices both condemning and defending their final speeches and conduct at Tyburn. The surrounding trials of Sir George Wakeman and several Benedictine monks, show the breadth of the campaign against Catholic clergy. Meanwhile, Chief Justice Scroggs's courtroom speech and the pamphlet skirmishes that followed reflect the judiciary's struggle to maintain authority amid a pamphlet war that threatened to undermine public trust. Together, these documents form a vivid archive of the legal, religious, and rhetorical machinery of persecution at the height of the Plot. 196 pages, printed in double columns. Printed between 1809 and 1826, these historic documents are vivid extracts from Cobbett's State Trials; pages from the courtroom record that preserve the voices, arguments, and verdicts which helped shape the course of British justice and still echo through its constitutional legacy. Over two centuries old, each leaf is a tangible fragment of legal history, compelling, original, and rarely encountered outside institutional collections. These are not reprints or replicas, but authentic 19th-century printings that are rich in drama, and steeped in history. This particular trial report has been removed from a volume of Cobbett's State Trials and is now preserved in a modern card cover for practicality - an unassuming but serviceable presentation that favours function over finery. Size: 15 x 25 cms. Category: State Trials; Special Interest A; State Trials::Octavo; This item may require more postage than the rates shown for delivery outside the UK. If extra postage is required we will contact you before processing your order and you will be given the details and option to decline the extra cost. Cosmo Books : 29 years on ABE, 47 years taking care of customers. A bookseller you can rely on. Softcover (Booklet - Unbound Pages).…