The Perreaus and Mrs. Rudd : Forgery and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century London / Donna T. Andrew and Randall Mcgowen

Language: English

Published by Berkeley: University Of California Press, 2001

0520220625 / 9780520220621

  • First Edition
  • Hardcover
  • Used
See all details

Seller: MW Books Ltd., Galway, IrelandMW Books Ltd.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since June 23, 2003

Hardcover

Condition: Used

£ 8.64

£ 14.29 shipping 
Ships from Ireland to U.S.A.

Quantity: 9 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

The Perreaus and Mrs. Rudd tells the remarkable story of a complex forgery uncovered in London in 1775. Like the trials of Martin Guerre and O. J. Simpson, the Perreau-Rudd case--filled with scandal, deceit, and mystery--preoccupied a public hungry for sensationalism. Peopled with such familiar figures as John Wilkes, King George III, Lord Mansfield, and James Boswell, this story reveals the deep anxieties of this period of English capitalism. The case acts as a prism that reveals the hopes, fears, and prejudices of that society. Above all, this episode presents a parable of the 1770s, when London was the center of European finance and national politics, of fashionable life and tell-all journalism, of empire achieved and empire lost. The crime, a hanging offense, came to light with the arrest of identical twin brothers, Robert and Daniel Perreau, after the former was detained trying to negotiate a forged bond. At their arraignment they both accused Daniel's mistress, Margaret Caroline Rudd, of being responsible for the crime. The brothers' trials coincided with the first reports of bloodshed in the American colonies at Lexington and Concord and successfully competed for space in the newspapers. From March until the following January, people could talk of little other than the fate of the Perreaus and the impending trial of Mrs. Rudd. The participants told wildly different tales and offered strikingly different portraits of themselves. The press was filled with letters from concerned or angry correspondents. The public, deeply divided over who was guilty, was troubled by evidence that suggested not only that fair might be foul, but that it might not be possible to decide which was which. While the decade of the 1770s has most frequently been studied in relation to imperial concerns and their impact upon the political institutions of the day, this book draws a different portrait of the period, making a cause clbre its point of entry. Exhaustively researched and brilliantly presented, it offers both a vivid panorama of London and a gauge for tracking the shifting social currents of the period. The Perreaus and Mrs. Rudd tells the remarkable story of a complex forgery uncovered in London in 1775. Like the trials of Martin Guerre and O. J. Simpson, the Perreau-Rudd case--filled with scandal, deceit, and mystery--preoccupied a public hungry for sensationalism. Peopled with such familiar figures as John Wilkes, King George III, Lord Mansfield, and James Boswell, this story reveals the deep anxieties of this period of English capitalism. The case acts as a prism that reveals the hopes, fears, and prejudices of that society. Above all, this episode presents a parable of the 1770s, when London was the center of European finance and national politics, of fashionable life and tell-all journalism, of empire achieved and empire lost. The crime, a hanging offense, came to light with the arrest of identical twin brothers, Robert and Daniel Perreau, after the former was detained trying to negotiate a forged bond. At their arraignment they both accused Daniel's mistress, Margaret Caroline Rudd, of being responsible for the crime. The brothers' trials coincided with the first reports of bloodshed in the American colonies at Lexington and Concord and successfully competed for space in the newspapers. From March until the following January, people could talk of little other than the fate of the Perreaus and the impending trial of Mrs. Rudd. The participants told wildly different tales and offered strikingly different portraits of themselves. The press was filled with letters from concerned or angry correspondents. The public, deeply divided over who was guilty, was troubled by evidence that suggested not only that fair might be foul, but that it might not be possible to decide which was which. While the decade of the 1770s has most frequently been studied in relation to imperial concerns and their impact upon the political institutions of the day.…

Seller Inventory # 38314

Title
The Perreaus and Mrs. Rudd : Forgery and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century London / Donna T. Andrew and Randall Mcgowen
Author
Andrew, Donna T. (1945-)
Publisher
Berkeley: University Of California Press
Publication year
2001
Dust jacket
Dust Jacket Included
Binding
Hardcover
Language
English
ISBN 10
0520220625
ISBN 13
9780520220621
Edition
First Edition.
Item weight
1 kilogram

MW Books Ltd.

Galway, Ireland

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since June 23, 2003

Shipping rates from Ireland to U.S.A.

Item6 to 15 business days3 to 14 business days
First item£ 14.29£ 21.04
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Paypal

Specialty

Asia and Asian Colonial History, Travel and Exploration, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Political Economy, Labour History and Literature, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Social History

Seller's business information

MW Books Limited

70A Renmore Road, Renmore
Galway, Ireland