Case comment: The trial of William Palmer, a mid- nineteenth century English scientific evidence case

Abstract

In 1856 William Palmer, dubbed the 'Rugeley Poisoner' was tried and convicted at the Old Bailey for poisoning a fellow gambler. The charges levelled against him were astounding: not only was he charged with the death of his betting partner, he was also indicted for the deaths by poison of his mother and brother to obtain the sums for which their lives were insured. This was of course sensational, with voluminous press coverage, including the publication of several trial transcripts and sensational Fleet Street accounts of his life. Perhaps as many as 20-30,000 people attended Palmer's public hanging in Stafford and the public impact of his crimes is illustrated by a sermon given by the Rev John Scott of St Mary's, Hull who used the case of William Palmer as an example of the evils of gambling and the dangers of insurance. Public interest in the case spanned the Atlantic, with multiple references to the case in the New York Times, including a scandalous account of the public reaction to the case and to Palmer's execution.6 In short, the trial of William Palmer was notorious.