Specialist True Crime & Criminology Booksellers

Home

About Us

Contact Us

Notable Scottish, English & British Trials Series

 

 

In 1905 Harry Hodge, an Edinburgh court reporter, began publishing a series of Notable Scottish Trials which he thought would provide the general public with a clearer view of what actually went on during court proceedings.  These volumes not only included the transcript of the trials, but also an Introduction by the various editors – a selection of noted authors, lawyers, journalists were chosen for this task.  The original Notable Scottish Trials were bound in matching green cloth with gilt titles.

In 1911, Hodge decided to introduce a series of Notable English Trials, this time bound in red cloth with gilt titles. These included the Trial of Lord Lovat at Westminster.  Although it concerned a treason case from Scotland and had already appeared in the Scottish Trials editions, it was felt to be of importance in both countries.

Eventually it was decided to combine the two series under the title of Notable British Trials.  The eighty-third title in the series was The Trial of August Sangret in 1959.

The whole series is now most collectible with some of the trials becoming quite hard to find.  Scottish editions that were not reprinted in red cloth are extremely scarce. We do try to keep as many as possible in stock.

The following are examples of recent inclusions in our catalogue:

An example of the cover of one of our Notable Scottish, English & British Trials Series CollectionAdam, editor: TRIAL OF DR LAMSON.  The Blenheim School Murder. 216pp+illus. VG in d/w.  William Hodge. New Edition. 1951.

The English doctor who used a little-known poison to murder his crippled 18-year-old nephew for his inheritance. Percy Malcolm John, was a resident at Blenheim School in Wimbledon and owned a small property which would go to his uncle on his death. Lamson visited the boy, bringing a cake and a capsule that he said was medicine. A few hours later he died in agony from aconitine poisoning.

 

An example of the cover of one of our Notable Scottish, English & British Trials Series CollectionJesse, editor.  TRIAL OF MADELEINE SMITH.  413pp+illus. near Fine in d/w. William Hodge. New Edition. 1949.

The classic 1857 murder trial of a respectable young woman whose “unsuitable” lover was found poisoned. Madeleine’s compromising letters played an important role in the trial and they are included in full. An outstanding case with a remarkable defence case by the Dean of Faculty, John Inglis and shocked the public with its scandalous revelations.

 

 

An example of the cover of one of our Notable Scottish, English & British Trials Series CollectionRoughead, editor:  TRIAL OF JESSIE M’LACHLAN.  402pp+illus.  near Fine in d/w. William Hodge. 2nd edition revised, 1950.

Also known as the Sandyford Mystery, the case caused a sensation as Jessie M’Lachlan was accused of murdering her friend Jessie M’Pherson in Glasgow in 1862. Mrs M’Lachlan said she found the dying woman in the house where she worked as a servant, but she had in fact been beaten by the elderly father of the owner when she resisted his advances.

[Antiquarian]
[
Assassination]
[
Biographies]
[
Classic Cases]
[
Collected Cases]
[
Forensic]
[
Historical]
[
Notable Trials]
[
Organised Crime]
[
Police]
[
Prisons]
[
Reference]
[
Wild West]
[
War Crimes]

 

Site Design by Internetology