The 1864 murder of Thomas Briggs in his first-class railway carriage is investigated through documents in The National Archives, The US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), newspapers and other resources. The overwhelming reaction to this event tells us about second generation Victorian society, how the trial stood at the cusp of legal change and has parallels with our own time.
Kate Colquhoun is the author of Mr Briggs’ Hat. Her books have been shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize and long-listed for the Samuel Johnson Award. She writes regularly for The Telegraph, The Sunday Times and many other newspapers and magazines including Who Do You Think You Are?, as well as appearing on television and radio.