Petty Sessional Division (1 results)
Seller: The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., ABAA ILAB, Clark, NJ, U.S.A.The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., ABAA ILAB
Contact seller5-star sellerCheltenham: [October 6, 1887]. "Threatening to Kill Ellen Little, His Wife" [Domestic Violence]. Petty Sessional Division of Cheltenham. [Court Judgement and Binding Order To Keep The Peace]. Cheltenham: [October 6, 1887]. 4-3/4" x 11-3/4" part-printed vellum document completed in manuscript. Light soiling, three vertical fold l…ines. A sturdy and evocative manuscript artifact from the late Victorian era. $250. * An unsettling primary record of a 19th-century domestic crisis. The document records the judgment against David Little, who was found guilty of "threatening to kill Ellen Little, his wife." Under the authority of the Justice of the Peace for the County of Gloucester, the court issued a "Binding Over" order. Mr. Little was commanded to "keep the peace" toward his wife for a period of three months. The document sets a recognizance (penalty) of five pounds-a substantial sum for the period, intended to act as a financial guarantee of the wife's safety. This item provides a rare, specific look at how the Petty Sessional Divisions handled domestic "threats to life" before the widespread legal reforms of the early 20th century. It is a stark reminder of the limited legal protections available to Victorian women facing marital violence. Cheltenham: [October 6, 1887]. (illustrator).
