Binding Men

About this book

"Binding Men tells stories about men, violence and law in late Victorian England. It does so by focusing upon five important legal cases all of which were binding not only upon the males involved but also upon future courts and the men who appeared before them. The subject matter of Prince (1875), Coney (1882), Dudley and Stephens (1884), Clarence (1888) and Jackson (1891) ranged from child seduction, prize-fighting, murder and cannibalism to transmitting gonorrhoea and wife abduction. Each case has its own chapter, depicting the events which led the protagonists into the courtroom, the case's outcome and the judicial pronouncements made to justify this as well as exploring the broader setting in which the proceedings took place. In doing so, this book describes how a particular case can be seen as being a part of attempts to legally limit male behaviour.Binding Men is essential reading for scholars and students of crime, criminal law, violence, gender. It will be of interest to those working on the use of narrative in academic writing as well as legal methods. The book's subject matter and accessible style also make it a must for those with a general interest in crime and history"-- "Introduction CHAPTER ONE R v Prince 1875: Constraining Carnality CHAPTER TWO R v Coney, Gilliam and Tully 1881-2: Civilising Combatants and Limiting Lawlessness CHAPTER THREE R v Dudley and Stephens 1884: Subduing the Savage CHAPTER FOUR R v Clarence 1888: Supervising Sex CHAPTER FIVE R v Jackson 1891: Dictating Dominion CONCLUDING THOUGHTS INDEX"--