Although areas of Warwickshire became industrialised in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, much of the county remains rural. The history of crime in the county encompasses small towns and villages in the countryside, historic market towns such as Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon, and larger settlements such as Rugby, Bedworth and Nuneaton which attracted more industries. In this book author Graham Sutherland explores how historical crimes were investigated and punished in Warwickshire, including areas of the historic county such as Sutton Coldfield, Solihull and Aston which are now within the West Midlands conurbation. Cases range from highway robbery and a rebellion by pupils at Rugby School, murder, arson, fraud and bigamy to deaths through prize-fighting, and food hoarding during the First World War, poison pen letters and a workhouse resident prosecuted for refusing to work. This collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Warwickshire through the centuries to the present. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime as well as those who want to know more about the history of this county in the heart of England.
