Unspeakable Acts

James Pratt and John Smith were the last men hanged in England for the crime of sodomy, reported to the authorities by nosy landlords who later petitioned for clemency. Tom Crewe joins Thomas Jones to explain how exceptional – and unexceptional – the case was, the historical forces that led to the death sentence and the surprising ambivalence many Londoners felt about ‘unnatural crimes’ in the 1830s.

Find out more about Bluets at the Royal Court theatre here: https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/bluets/

Find Tom Crewe’s piece and further reading at the episode page: https://lrb.me/prattsmithpod

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