I love all these old cases from the 1800s. So fascinating & intriguing & as usual very well narrated. Your channel is so incredibly addictive so thank u for your amazing Brief Cases
I lost my first 3 children, had a live birth and then lost 3 more children, its horrific bit still happens in the late 20th Century. My daughter is 30 now with 2 live children and she lost 4 babies too
@@mommabearmanga3758 What an unbelievable Tragedy for you...I am so sorry to hear that...What a Terrible Cross to have to bear...I'm sure Their Precious Little Souls are resting in The Hands of God..May God Bless you, Protect you and give you Strength....
@ Annamarie Hewitt As cold as this sounds, death was such a common occurrence for the lower class, miscarriages, infant and young children deaths were just another fact of life. Everyone around them experienced them, everyone in their families experienced them. Children and wives were seen as property. They were replaceable. The women were brought up to believe this, so didn't connect the same emotion to the deaths as we do now. Obviously, if women had, there would not have been 8, 9,10 year olds working in the mines and factories, etc. (Yes, there were exceptions, but it was rare.) Things really didn't change until after the Suffrage movement & a few major factory and mine catastrophes.
Sad case. Given that time, women were sometimes treated so horrendously and had little means of escaping a bad marriage. I actually grew up in a time, when divorce was the "Scarlet Letter." I'm glad divorce is a reasonable out for many men and women.
Abused, assaulted by a man, arrested charged, tried, judged by men, sentenced and hung by a man!!! Mitigating circumstances dismissed by a man.!Well the 'murder' of a husband by his wife was once termed Petty Treason!! Heartless bastards. RIP Martha Brown, another victim of male abuse and duplicity:Even denied a proper Christian grave and a tombstone!! Just like in England today, an abused woman is uprooted from her home, and the abusive male is allowed to remain by man-friendly police
@@annabellasarafaraone4147 woman of gained a lot of power in the last hundred years. A lot of things were so much better then. It's really hard to know what the right answers are about how the world has progressed.
Right? People bemoan the divorce rate, but I celebrate it. Low divorce rates are not equivalent to societies full of happy couples; more often, they signify institutionalized misogyny and financial entrapment which for too many women equates to domestic sexual slavery, especially in "traditional" societies. Eg: Afghani culture follows the strict traditions of an Islamic agricultural society. They have the highest domestic abuse rate in the world and a divorce rate under .05%
The case of Martha Brown is well known to me as I live in Dorchester and am familiar with the story of Thomas Hardy climbing the tree to watch her execution. Nice to see you cover this case, which you did very well. Thanks you!
Sad case. Years ago, I remember seeing a quote that went like this; “Drunkenness, the wrath of grapes.” Infidelity, suspected or otherwise; drunkenness and domestic violence definitely do not make a happy home. Martha should’ve taken her money and left her husband in the beginning. Her husband was young and could take care of himself. But the drink and his libido took over his senses and he paid a price. I think Martha should’ve had her sentence commuted for reasons of self defense. Martha wasn’t insane but she was suffering physical and mental abuse from her husband. Keep up the great work and keep these stories coming.
It clearly wasn't self-defense, she could have left at any point. Self-defense means you've exhausted every other reasonable alternatives. It does not mean killing a drunk man out of revenge. The sentencing was fair.
@@yahnservices1978 I don't think striking someone with the nearest object, who is hitting you so hard they think there's a chance you'll die overnight is a crime. I suppose your one of those kinda of men and they all stick together against those evil women huh
@@evil1by1 Victim blaming, groundless accuaions and defending predators, you folks will never change. Evil is an accurate nickname and I think this is your nature.
I always tell my 10 year old son, that people haven’t changed. Technology has, but basic human emotions and behaviour are pretty much the same 400 years ago. This episode sums up how little ppl have changed.
Poor, poor woman. Her confessing earlier would probably still have made no difference to the case outcome because women were seen as being part of their husband's "possessions" at that point in history in England.
Martha was absolutely a victim of her husbands drunken rage, she never should have been arrested let alone sentenced to death. The saddest part is this type of injustice is still happening today. Poor Martha knew such sadness in her life, it seems like anything good that happened to her would shortly be followed by illness and death.
A) wish there was someone to corroborate that story but of course the other party can’t defend himself because he is dead b) is the solution to domestic violence murder c) wish she hadn’t lied and tried to cover up the truth, thereby manipulating the investigation d) were was the remorse that she had taken away a life
Thanks BC! I wonder if they even bothered to check for bruises on her body. And would her husband have gotten the same sentence if any one of those blows had killed her. I've read Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Poor Tess also got the raw end of the deal. So sad for women in that time period and before. I meant to comment on the last few videos but time got away from me and now I can't remember what I was going to say🤔
I doubt it because it wasn't a crime to beat your wife, even severely and even nearly to death. If you messed up and she died I'm sure they would find some way to blame the woman for dying and only if they couldn't then maybe he'd get in a spot of trouble.
This case is such a tragedy and I feel so sorry for Martha!! Then losing your children is absolutely pitiful!! So sad!! Thank you so much BC for your amazing videos!! You are fabulous!!!
My heart goes out to Martha as she had to suffer the embarrassment of her husband cheating on her and his ill treatment on top of it. Of course she regretted what she had done once she regained clarity, because that's not the kind of person she was. Being in an abusive relationship and being mistreated, when she did lash out, unfortunately it was fatal. I feel badly for her.
Such a tragic story. Sadly, some victims of domestic violence still pay the price when they defend themselves or end their tormentor's life to protect themselves.
So much senseless violence against women in the old days ,as a married man, so sad, about this lady the way her life unfolded and violence she endured PS Thank you so much( Brief Case) for your hard work! you are wonderful ,Blessings David.
My gosh, lost her hubby and her children. Then abused by her second husband, I dare call him that. Poor Martha never had peace or happiness after her loss. This one hits the heart badly. As always, BC educates us. Love from Texas.
Good morning Brief Case! 💼💐🤗💞☀️☕☕ Very tragic...poor Martha...I wonder if she had told the truth up front and pled for mercy if she might have lived...
It looks like getting married for a woman in Victorian England was a form of slavery to her husband. I personally would not have considered marrying anyone half my age because such a relationship would make me feel like I was his mother, and feeling this way would make me uncomfortable. Martha should have been shown mercy by the judge due to the extenuating circumstances, but it was her responsibility to tell them her side of the story because she couldn't have expected others to read her mind.
I didn't recognise any of the buildings but when I have 5 mins I will look again and pay more attention. But I imagine they were stock photos because you really don't see a lot of that architecture left. Not in my part of Dorset anyhow.
@monke, MD Not a boy :( oop, cringe inducing too? I've bever seen (sigh) anywhere, it's just something I used to write in letters. Now that I know it was a Thing, I will not use it again! This was um, the third or fourth time only so it's fine. I've only been interested in YT for 3 years, so I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me
Thanks for the upload. I so truly appreciate you on Mondays and The Crime Reel on Wednesdays helping to keep me entertained at work. I agree with your title and this is tragic and sad.
I've just been reading through the comments. As one would expect there's pretty strong opinions on both sides. Thankyou for a very thought provoking case BC. Hope you and Brief Cat are doing really well. 👍👍 I'll catch up with you next week.
I also strongly disagree with her punishment. Her husband cheated on her, beat her and abused her. Now a days, she could possibly have been acquitted. Or even pleaded self defense. But in those times women had very little recourse. Such a sad, tragic case. Thanks again, BC, as always, bringing us this story.
A Caucasian female could POSSIBLY be acquitted, present day. I urge you to research the statistics on women currently incarcerated. My heart got broken and my mind was BLOWN.
"I remember what a fine figure she showed against the sky as she hung in the misty rain and how the tight black silk gown set off her shape as she wheeled half round and back." Thomas Hardy did say later on in life he was ashamed to have been there.
Thomas Hardy is one of my favorite writers. I think it was in Jude the Obscure that one of Jude's children hanged himself. I wonder if witnessing Martha's hanging was an inspiration for that scene. He wrote some incredible books. I read Tess of the D'Urbervilles a couple times. Talk about a struggle life! I don't think I could handle it again.
I always head for your channel Brief Case and I’m never disappointed. A terrible tale of an abused woman who snapped would not have washed in those male dominated times.
I can't believe they used to hold inquests in the local pub! what could possibly go wrong? "i'm sure it was murder, at least as sure as I can be after seven pints..Hic! who's up for another round while we discuss this life or death matter?"
If you read crime novels from the early 20th century that seems to have been fairly standard practice. I wouldn't swear to it but I think some episodes of Midsomer Murders (set in the last decade of the 20th century & then the 21st century) also have the police setting up temporary operations rooms in pubs. Pubs don't just consist of bars, they usually have function rooms that can be repurposed. And you don't have to go far to get a meal.
@@resourcedragon Pub is short for Public, and they were meeting places. Maybe they didn't really drink during meetings. Their houses were small and filled with 17 children, right?
Why do you believe her story without any evidence? She was facing the death penalty and may simply have made that up to try to get off of her crime with a lesser sentence. If she was so badly beaten why didnt the Police or the man she went too see any evidence of it? No bruises? No limping or pain in her side? Evidence first, she was not executed for defending herself, she was executed for cold blooded murder.
@@paulosullivan3472 And why are you defending an abuser? What evidence says it isn't true? What evidence did the all male jury have to prove what she said wasn't true? Why do I believe her? The time period. Whether it was or was not self defense, she was going to be executed. The all male jury would have to make an example of her. She murdered a man. She had to be punished, or else other women would get the idea to do the same
@@unionjack84 You dont know he is an abuser, whereas we know for certain she is a murderer. How do you know it was an all male jury? Women were allowed to be and often were jurors. They were allowed to own businesses and often did, in fact it was more common for women to own businesses than men. You are basically just an idiot who knows nothing but propaganda on this period in history, and even if your propaganda were true it is still not evidence he did anything wrong. You are defending a murderer and painting their victim as the one to be attacked. You should be ashamed of who you are as a person.
@@paulosullivan3472 Men wanna defend an abuser when he was killed by his victim. lmao You do realize that women didn't have much of a place in society in the Victorian era and their opinions were rarely counted. Hysteria was still a diagnosis. You have zero idea what you are talking about. Nor do you have any idea that the jury had any female members. You are the one who needs to feel ashamed. Defending abusive men is the reason why women are so afraid to speak up. Misogynist.
Thank you for taking your time researching and narrating all the cases from the past. I’ve always looking forward to listen to your narratives. They’re very interesting. I’ve even went back and watch all your previous videos.
I was just replying to another comment here and realized, sadly, that in many parts of the world (and for a good chunk of people here in the U. S.) the view of women as property hasn't changed from Martha's time. We like to tell ourselves we're so much more enlightened now. However, in reality, not so much as we care to believe. I really love my weekly dose of BC, but sometimes dude, you're a real bummer of a start to the week. 😁🤩☣️👍
I totally disagree with you. America does NOT see women as property. America has lots of people, and lots of people have lots of issues, but we don’t force anyone into marriage, we don’t offer dowries to sell off our daughters, etc., etc. Where do you see women being treated like property? Maybe foreigners living in America, who still believe in honor killings and whatnot, but don’t put that on us. 🇺🇸
@@janicesmith2475 You say "don't put that on *us*" as though I wasn't born here and lived my whole life here too. And as a proud, 100% monoglot American, I can tell you this with utter confidence: as a People, as a Society, we find the idea of one person viewing and/or holding another as "property" despicable and abhorrent. Just as you said. Now that we have *that* out of the way, there are groups of people who were born & raised right here in the good ol' U. S. of A. who believe that in a marriage a good wife is totally subservient to her husband. Her purpose is to devote herself to making her man's home and home life as happy and perfect as he could want. Any wants, needs, or desires of hers are of no concern as hers are of no consequence because she's just a woman. Children, of course, are the property of the parents just as the woman is the property of the husband (and since the woman has no say basically the kids are property of the father, until marriage arrangements are made.) We're talking about hard-line Fundamentalist Christians. Not "Christians" in general and not every Fundamentalist. But the "The Bible is to be taken literally - the Earth is 5,000 years old - Evolution is just a "theory" - humans & dinosaurs inhabited the planet @ the same time (cuz it's only 5,000 yo) - and on and on. If you're gonna have a "women exist to serve men" type (& there're women with zero self-esteem & are more than happy to buy into this) then chances are you're looking at a FundiChristian. It's very sad comment on us that so many of us believe that the only people who view women as property are extreme Right-wing Muslims in Malaysia, The Middle East, and Africa. We consume news stories where they are selling child brides for goats and engaging in genital mutilation. Our religious right-wingers aren't that bad. But the ones I've seen, that I've had the misfortune of dealing with personally - I honestly believe that if they thought they could get away with a marriage contract where they got a few grand and some goods in exchange for letting their daughter marry some other parents' son and not get into any legal morass.... Yeah - they'd do it in a heartbeat. So don't believe all the propaganda. Not all the backwards thinking religious goons who see women & 4K TVs in the same social standing are dark skinned foreigners. A lot of them are good, God-fearing 'Muricans who are so white they damn near glow in the dark. And, yeah, I have no problem dumping this on you.
@@dank8865 You obviously think very highly of yourself and your perceptive powers, eh? You’ve wrongly assumed way too much about me, and your arguments are way off.
@@justaperson8560 1871 in London - Kidbrooke Lane. There’s a book called Pretty Jane and the Viper of Kidbrooke Lane by Paul Thomas Murphy. It’s a sad story but definitely worth a read. Poor girl
Just finished work and came to listen to you straight away! Hope you had a lovely Father's Day! Sorry i forgot to tell you yesterday, on my listen to your videos. But to me fathers are everyday! So, Happy Father's Day everyday!🥳
I just love your voice and you narrate these stories perfectly. Thank you for all the work you do to bring these old stories and people back to life for us. Love your channel ❤
Dorset is a lovely County, often underrated. Great photos BC (as always) Ah I love a bit of Thomas Hardy personally! Guess Martha just snapped following cumulative ill treatment from her feckless hubby.
Morning, BC!! Poor Martha clearly endured so much & lashed out in self defense. If this happened today, countless battered women groups would have reached out to offer assistance & counsel.
My favorite introduction ever! Thank you Brief Case for all your hard work and research you put into your work. We truly appreciate you and always look forward to your uploads, stay safe!
OMG Monday was HORRIBLE, I didn't get to watch Brief Case 😢💔 But! Tuesday is now a better day ❤ Thanks for being so dependable, BC, and for bringing us these great stories. You also have the best period photos which I just love.
I guess you haven't read "Jude the Obscure". Hardy had a very dark soul. I still like him though. Reading Hardy will prepare you for real life in my opinion.
Upsetting yes, but like all his books word perfect English . Tess was is a master piece of the English language . as indeed all his novels books poems are . Jude The Obscure is also heartbreaking upsetting as is The Trumpet Major. Far from the Madding Crowd . The Hand of Ethelberta and of course the tragedy Of The Mayor of Casterbridge . is beyond heartbreaking . just as Tess and Jude And Ethelberta . His works are some of the best writings that ever went tom print . Hardy was a wordsmith like no other . Draws you into his stories and holds one there like a vice . unable to put his books poems Master pieces down .
Another intriguing crime! Thank you BC!! It always amazes me the fact humans can see how bad women had it "then" without realizing that today still in powerful nations women are struggling to obtain their rights. So... little has changed
Thank you so much for this wonderful story. In the end I was so surprised when Thomas Hardy wrote the book of Tess it is one of me favourite book and, also difficult to read I could barely speak or read english at that time.
She probably should've led with self defense. Different time of course but you would think if it actually happened that way, she would've told the truth right away?
The lie was just as bad as the truth. A horse kick to cover up a hatchet to the head multiple times? Think I would've taken my chances. Not much to lose. At least someone might hear her story, if nowhere else in the newspaper, have some sympathy
She should have had injuries to show. It should have helped her case. I think the trauma she had suffered combined with her lack of education to give her a very bad idea for a story to claim total innocence. She had been hit in the head and probably had a concussion to go along with the pain from her other injuries. Poor woman.
I love these old stories. Knowing that theres still ppl today that get wrongfully convicted even with all the technology we have....it makes me wonder how often that happened back then?
Another excellent doc. Like these older ones, most have never been heard. Go away for a few days and..... bam!.... Look at the followers you have!! I knew your channel would do well-great job BC!
Sad story and yet all I can think of is why you would go and watch someone being executed! I’d never recover, How would you ever get the image out of your head? 😩
At the beginning of this story I thought I’m glad I didn’t live in those times. Marrying a person who is 20 years older or younger is never a good idea. Then at the end I thought how sad, when 4,000 people come out to watch an execution. They enjoyed watching someone dying. Thank you for another story well told. Everyone have a blessed day.
It was quite normal in history for varying age gaps in relationships, depending on the people and circumstances involved. Don't view things from the past through a modern lens.
I love all these old cases from the 1800s. So fascinating & intriguing & as usual very well narrated. Your channel is so incredibly addictive so thank u for your amazing Brief Cases
Thankyou :)
@@BriefCaseOfficial 0+
@@BriefCaseOfficial +
His voice is perfect for this channel.
I agree!!!! 👍
What a tragic series of Life Events for this Poor Woman...I don't think I'd be too sane after losing 3 children....
I lost my first 3 children, had a live birth and then lost 3 more children, its horrific bit still happens in the late 20th Century. My daughter is 30 now with 2 live children and she lost 4 babies too
@@mommabearmanga3758 What an unbelievable Tragedy for you...I am so sorry to hear that...What a Terrible Cross to have to bear...I'm sure Their Precious Little Souls are resting in The Hands of God..May God Bless you, Protect you and give you Strength....
Unless of course YOU killed them and their dad to be free and to inherit his first wife's money.
2.
@ Annamarie Hewitt As cold as this sounds, death was such a common occurrence for the lower class, miscarriages, infant and young children deaths were just another fact of life. Everyone around them experienced them, everyone in their families experienced them. Children and wives were seen as property. They were replaceable. The women were brought up to believe this, so didn't connect the same emotion to the deaths as we do now. Obviously, if women had, there would not have been 8, 9,10 year olds working in the mines and factories, etc. (Yes, there were exceptions, but it was rare.) Things really didn't change until after the Suffrage movement & a few major factory and mine catastrophes.
Sad case. Given that time, women were sometimes treated so horrendously and had little means of escaping a bad marriage.
I actually grew up in a time, when divorce was the "Scarlet Letter." I'm glad divorce is a reasonable out for many men and women.
Abused, assaulted by a man, arrested charged, tried, judged by men, sentenced and hung by a man!!! Mitigating circumstances dismissed by a man.!Well the 'murder' of a husband by his wife was once termed Petty Treason!! Heartless bastards. RIP Martha Brown, another victim of male abuse and duplicity:Even denied a proper Christian grave and a tombstone!! Just like in England today, an abused woman is uprooted from her home, and the abusive male is allowed to remain by man-friendly police
Yes, our society is so much healthier thanks to broken families.
@@lalagordo Exactly lol
@@annabellasarafaraone4147 woman of gained a lot of power in the last hundred years. A lot of things were so much better then. It's really hard to know what the right answers are about how the world has progressed.
Right? People bemoan the divorce rate, but I celebrate it. Low divorce rates are not equivalent to societies full of happy couples; more often, they signify institutionalized misogyny and financial entrapment which for too many women equates to domestic sexual slavery, especially in "traditional" societies. Eg: Afghani culture follows the strict traditions of an Islamic agricultural society. They have the highest domestic abuse rate in the world and a divorce rate under .05%
The case of Martha Brown is well known to me as I live in Dorchester and am familiar with the story of Thomas Hardy climbing the tree to watch her execution. Nice to see you cover this case, which you did very well. Thanks you!
Thankyou
And thank you as well.
Sad case.
Years ago, I remember seeing a quote that went like this; “Drunkenness, the wrath of grapes.”
Infidelity, suspected or otherwise; drunkenness and domestic violence definitely do not make a happy home.
Martha should’ve taken her money and left her husband in the beginning. Her husband was young and could take care of himself. But the drink and his libido took over his senses and he paid a price.
I think Martha should’ve had her sentence commuted for reasons of self defense. Martha wasn’t insane but she was suffering physical and mental abuse from her husband.
Keep up the great work and keep these stories coming.
“Drunkenness, the wrath of grapes.” I very much like that quote. Thank you, sir.
It clearly wasn't self-defense, she could have left at any point.
Self-defense means you've exhausted every other reasonable alternatives.
It does not mean killing a drunk man out of revenge.
The sentencing was fair.
@ Gary Reid That was then. Cultural norms were different.
@@yahnservices1978 I don't think striking someone with the nearest object, who is hitting you so hard they think there's a chance you'll die overnight is a crime. I suppose your one of those kinda of men and they all stick together against those evil women huh
@@evil1by1 Victim blaming, groundless accuaions and defending predators, you folks will never change. Evil is an accurate nickname and I think this is your nature.
I always tell my 10 year old son, that people haven’t changed. Technology has, but basic human emotions and behaviour are pretty much the same 400 years ago. This episode sums up how little ppl have changed.
Yes!
A lot of women have been killed or murdered just for marrying the wrong guy. Poor Martha if her first husband had lived she would have been fine.
Yes and if Nicole Brown who have ignored that monster
@@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647 wth
I had to deal with my sister's ex he came close to killing her don't defend a monster
@@journeysalkebulan OJ Simpson. He absolutely had a hand in her death
Martha beat her husband to death, lied about it, and tried to cover it up.
Poor, poor woman. Her confessing earlier would probably still have made no difference to the case outcome because women were seen as being part of their husband's "possessions" at that point in history in England.
@Jean Proctor,I agree.
Thomas Hardy has got to be the most depressing author of all time. I can totally see him as a kid climbing a tree to get a closer look at a hanging.
I agree. I had to read "Tess" and thought it was so disheartening.
Martha was absolutely a victim of her husbands drunken rage, she never should have been arrested let alone sentenced to death. The saddest part is this type of injustice is still happening today. Poor Martha knew such sadness in her life, it seems like anything good that happened to her would shortly be followed by illness and death.
I'm gonna go with the jury on this one, babe.
A) wish there was someone to corroborate that story but of course the other party can’t defend himself because he is dead b) is the solution to domestic violence murder c) wish she hadn’t lied and tried to cover up the truth, thereby manipulating the investigation d) were was the remorse that she had taken away a life
@@denizen52 f) If someone in their 40s gets with someone half their age, they really should expect boredom and exploration from the younger person.
@@RIVALContentJammerz where did (e) go?
I left that to denizen52 in the event they come up with something to add.
Thanks BC! I wonder if they even bothered to check for bruises on her body. And would her husband have gotten the same sentence if any one of those blows had killed her. I've read Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Poor Tess also got the raw end of the deal. So sad for women in that time period and before.
I meant to comment on the last few videos but time got away from me and now I can't remember what I was going to say🤔
I doubt it because it wasn't a crime to beat your wife, even severely and even nearly to death. If you messed up and she died I'm sure they would find some way to blame the woman for dying and only if they couldn't then maybe he'd get in a spot of trouble.
This case is such a tragedy and I feel so sorry for Martha!! Then losing your children is absolutely pitiful!! So sad!! Thank you so much BC for your amazing videos!! You are fabulous!!!
My heart goes out to Martha as she had to suffer the embarrassment of her husband cheating on her and his ill treatment on top of it. Of course she regretted what she had done once she regained clarity, because that's not the kind of person she was. Being in an abusive relationship and being mistreated, when she did lash out, unfortunately it was fatal. I feel badly for her.
Hi Brief Case. Hope you enjoyed a lovely Father's Day.
Thank you!
Sad story, thank you.
@@shirleybradshaw8048 The stories are always sad unfortunately 🤷♀️.Greetings from Germany ❤‼
Yeah happy father's day our RUclips daddy
Another fascinating story especially with the Thomas Hardy tie in.
Such a tragic story. Sadly, some victims of domestic violence still pay the price when they defend themselves or end their tormentor's life to protect themselves.
I knew women in prison to whom that happened. In our state, we don't have the right of self-defense. We only have "the right to retreat." Ha!
It'd all too common even in our modern times
Nailed it!!!👍
Maybe, maybe just an old woman who was mad her younger husband was cheating on her. What is certain is that neither of us know.
There is no evidence of her being abused just cheated on, it's hard to hide the bruises every day in the real world
So much senseless violence against women in the old days ,as a married man, so sad, about this lady the way her life unfolded and violence she endured PS Thank you so much( Brief Case) for your hard work! you are wonderful ,Blessings David.
While buried on the Prison grounds in 2016 they think they might have found her remains.
Wow..
Should put her with her actual family like her kids and first husband.
Word? That's crazy
My gosh, lost her hubby and her children. Then abused by her second husband, I dare call him that. Poor Martha never had peace or happiness after her loss. This one hits the heart badly. As always, BC educates us. Love from Texas.
Always the best part of my Monday!
Greetings BC, I nearly missed today's case due to my modem not working for a while!! Thank goodness I managed to get to the bottom of this!
What!😱I’m so glad you made a quick recovery.
@@englishcountrylife3805 LOL! Yes I did!
Good morning Brief Case! 💼💐🤗💞☀️☕☕ Very tragic...poor Martha...I wonder if she had told the truth up front and pled for mercy if she might have lived...
Good morning!
Doubtful I’m afraid, woman taking a mans life, in Victorian times women & children had little value!!
It looks like getting married for a woman in Victorian England was a form of slavery to her husband. I personally would not have considered marrying anyone half my age because such a relationship would make me feel like I was his mother, and feeling this way would make me uncomfortable. Martha should have been shown mercy by the judge due to the extenuating circumstances, but it was her responsibility to tell them her side of the story because she couldn't have expected others to read her mind.
You don't have a choice. It's either marital slavery or starvation.
Men marry women half their age and it is socially acceptable, although, I'm with you...it wouldn't be my personal choice, no sir.
You assume you have a choice.
It would be fine if you had an affair with him.
It likely wouldn't have mattered 😔
I love watching brief case and hearing the stories told. I can’t quit. It’s fascinating! It’d 4:04PM. Please keep them coming!
I'm from Dorset so this was a particularly interesting case
Same as x
Such a beautiful county
It sure is.
Really?! Do any of those beautiful historical buildings she lived and worked in still stand? (Or ware those just random photos)
I didn't recognise any of the buildings but when I have 5 mins I will look again and pay more attention. But I imagine they were stock photos because you really don't see a lot of that architecture left. Not in my part of Dorset anyhow.
Wow it was like getting a fix hearing one of your videos after what seemed like forever.
A truly interesting case indeed, thanks Brief Case, really liked the images too, they felt very English.
Hello Crimey. Love your channel, too!
OMG Crimey!!!
@@cruisepaige ikr? : )
Thank you Brief Case, for this sad case.
Poor woman to go through so much and to get no justice.
I'm not first....20....like 20 seconds after posting. Love listening to these!! Thank you for entertaining all of us!!
Thankyou :)
@monke, MD (sigh) He put a smiley for Pete's sake.
@monke, MD Yeah, why not? I'm on my old phone or I would have used an emoji
@monke, MD Not a boy :( oop, cringe inducing too? I've bever seen (sigh) anywhere, it's just something I used to write in letters. Now that I know it was a Thing, I will not use it again! This was um, the third or fourth time only so it's fine. I've only been interested in YT for 3 years, so I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me
Thanks for the upload. I so truly appreciate you on Mondays and The Crime Reel on Wednesdays helping to keep me entertained at work.
I agree with your title and this is tragic and sad.
Ahhhh, ya know what makes yucky Mondays better? Murder.
That is, murder stories narrated by Brief… Case.
So true
I have been fascinated by this case since I read the book 'my name is Martha Brown'. Thank you for this bc!!
Cool! I'm headed to our county library later today!
I've just been reading through the comments. As one would expect there's pretty strong opinions on both sides.
Thankyou for a very thought provoking case BC. Hope you and Brief Cat are doing really well. 👍👍
I'll catch up with you next week.
So glad to hear your narrative again. Thanks 😊
I also strongly disagree with her punishment. Her husband cheated on her, beat her and abused her. Now a days, she could possibly have been acquitted. Or even pleaded self defense. But in those times women had very little recourse. Such a sad, tragic case. Thanks again, BC, as always, bringing us this story.
A Caucasian female could POSSIBLY be acquitted, present day. I urge you to research the statistics on women currently incarcerated. My heart got broken and my mind was BLOWN.
I always forget that it's Monday, but then I have something to watch later. Love u mr briefcase. Panama here
Good day Brief Case and fellow Brief Casers, I hope everyone has a great week. Much Love....
Hello brief case 👋🏾💜 poor Martha such tragedy to befall one person. So sad
"I remember what a fine figure she showed against the sky as she hung in the misty rain and how the tight black silk gown set off her shape as she wheeled half round and back." Thomas Hardy did say later on in life he was ashamed to have been there.
Yes...odd setting for flowery, descriptive narrative. Time and place, Tom Hardy, time and place! 😳😂
Thomas Hardy is one of my favorite writers. I think it was in Jude the Obscure that one of Jude's children hanged himself. I wonder if witnessing Martha's hanging was an inspiration for that scene. He wrote some incredible books. I read Tess of the D'Urbervilles a couple times. Talk about a struggle life! I don't think I could handle it again.
How awful!
I always head for your channel Brief Case and I’m never disappointed. A terrible tale of an abused woman who snapped would not have washed in those male dominated times.
Wow I’m early hell yes what up brief case hope you are doing well
Once again your talents and skills have me in awe. Thank you so much for your work for your audience.
Thank you very much!
I can't believe they used to hold inquests in the local pub! what could possibly go wrong? "i'm sure it was murder, at least as sure as I can be after seven pints..Hic! who's up for another round while we discuss this life or death matter?"
Hey, I think much better after 7 beers. I get real philosophical like
If you read crime novels from the early 20th century that seems to have been fairly standard practice. I wouldn't swear to it but I think some episodes of Midsomer Murders (set in the last decade of the 20th century & then the 21st century) also have the police setting up temporary operations rooms in pubs.
Pubs don't just consist of bars, they usually have function rooms that can be repurposed. And you don't have to go far to get a meal.
@@resourcedragon Pub is short for Public, and they were meeting places. Maybe they didn't really drink during meetings. Their houses were small and filled with 17 children, right?
I jave heard of courthouses above pubs and even executions (hangings) inside said courthouse.
Good morning BC! Good morning all!
Hope everyone has a great week.❤️
I was crazy about Thomas Hardy in my twenties. Thank you so much Brief Case. (Hi BC Fam).
Sometimes I just need to listen to a good story. Not too short not too long. You tell a good story that is just right. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for listening
Another great story, Mr. Case!
Thankyou
Thank you Brief Case for your amazing channel
Thankyou for watching
A woman was executed for defending herself against her husband. She stood up for herself. In Victorian England, that was a no, no.
Why do you believe her story without any evidence? She was facing the death penalty and may simply have made that up to try to get off of her crime with a lesser sentence. If she was so badly beaten why didnt the Police or the man she went too see any evidence of it? No bruises? No limping or pain in her side? Evidence first, she was not executed for defending herself, she was executed for cold blooded murder.
@@paulosullivan3472 And why are you defending an abuser? What evidence says it isn't true? What evidence did the all male jury have to prove what she said wasn't true? Why do I believe her? The time period. Whether it was or was not self defense, she was going to be executed. The all male jury would have to make an example of her. She murdered a man. She had to be punished, or else other women would get the idea to do the same
@@unionjack84 You dont know he is an abuser, whereas we know for certain she is a murderer. How do you know it was an all male jury? Women were allowed to be and often were jurors. They were allowed to own businesses and often did, in fact it was more common for women to own businesses than men. You are basically just an idiot who knows nothing but propaganda on this period in history, and even if your propaganda were true it is still not evidence he did anything wrong. You are defending a murderer and painting their victim as the one to be attacked. You should be ashamed of who you are as a person.
@@unionjack84 Well said.
@@paulosullivan3472 Men wanna defend an abuser when he was killed by his victim. lmao
You do realize that women didn't have much of a place in society in the Victorian era and their opinions were rarely counted. Hysteria was still a diagnosis.
You have zero idea what you are talking about. Nor do you have any idea that the jury had any female members.
You are the one who needs to feel ashamed. Defending abusive men is the reason why women are so afraid to speak up.
Misogynist.
Adding insult to injury, one drunk, the other severely abused, this marraige was doomed from the start. Good narration. Thanks Brief Case.
G🌟🌞d morning, Brief Case! Hi, Everyone! Starting Monday, the right way!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💚💚🙋💐🍀🌞💮🌺
Morning!
I love the narration style and thorough research. Thanks Briefey!
13:26 in South Africa, I should be working but I can't not watch this, since I know it gonna be another interesting case, Halo BC addicts 🌷💙
Hello!
Hello
Hi there!
Howzit
I listen while working. Love these old cases that you never hear about on other channels.
Thank you for taking your time researching and narrating all the cases from the past. I’ve always looking forward to listen to your narratives. They’re very interesting. I’ve even went back and watch all your previous videos.
Thankyou
I was just replying to another comment here and realized, sadly, that in many parts of the world (and for a good chunk of people here in the U. S.) the view of women as property hasn't changed from Martha's time. We like to tell ourselves we're so much more enlightened now. However, in reality, not so much as we care to believe. I really love my weekly dose of BC, but sometimes dude, you're a real bummer of a start to the week. 😁🤩☣️👍
Sorry :(
@@BriefCaseOfficial Not your fault. Life is rough, dude. I still luv ya, man. Keep that awesome depressing content coming! 😁👍
I totally disagree with you. America does NOT see women as property. America has lots of people, and lots of people have lots of issues, but we don’t force anyone into marriage, we don’t offer dowries to sell off our daughters, etc., etc. Where do you see women being treated like property? Maybe foreigners living in America, who still believe in honor killings and whatnot, but don’t put that on us. 🇺🇸
@@janicesmith2475 You say "don't put that on *us*" as though I wasn't born here and lived my whole life here too. And as a proud, 100% monoglot American, I can tell you this with utter confidence: as a People, as a Society, we find the idea of one person viewing and/or holding another as "property" despicable and abhorrent. Just as you said.
Now that we have *that* out of the way, there are groups of people who were born & raised right here in the good ol' U. S. of A. who believe that in a marriage a good wife is totally subservient to her husband. Her purpose is to devote herself to making her man's home and home life as happy and perfect as he could want. Any wants, needs, or desires of hers are of no concern as hers are of no consequence because she's just a woman. Children, of course, are the property of the parents just as the woman is the property of the husband (and since the woman has no say basically the kids are property of the father, until marriage arrangements are made.)
We're talking about hard-line Fundamentalist Christians. Not "Christians" in general and not every Fundamentalist. But the "The Bible is to be taken literally - the Earth is 5,000 years old - Evolution is just a "theory" - humans & dinosaurs inhabited the planet @ the same time (cuz it's only 5,000 yo) - and on and on.
If you're gonna have a "women exist to serve men" type (& there're women with zero self-esteem & are more than happy to buy into this) then chances are you're looking at a FundiChristian.
It's very sad comment on us that so many of us believe that the only people who view women as property are extreme Right-wing Muslims in Malaysia, The Middle East, and Africa. We consume news stories where they are selling child brides for goats and engaging in genital mutilation. Our religious right-wingers aren't that bad. But the ones I've seen, that I've had the misfortune of dealing with personally - I honestly believe that if they thought they could get away with a marriage contract where they got a few grand and some goods in exchange for letting their daughter marry some other parents' son and not get into any legal morass.... Yeah - they'd do it in a heartbeat.
So don't believe all the propaganda. Not all the backwards thinking religious goons who see women & 4K TVs in the same social standing are dark skinned foreigners. A lot of them are good, God-fearing 'Muricans who are so white they damn near glow in the dark.
And, yeah, I have no problem dumping this on you.
@@dank8865 You obviously think very highly of yourself and your perceptive powers, eh? You’ve wrongly assumed way too much about me, and your arguments are way off.
What tragic case!!! She deserved better!!! Great Job!!! Thank You!!! 😲😡👍😎
Good to see you again Brief Case! Have you ever looked at the murder of Jane Coulson by any chance? It’s a sad one ☹️
I’m interested which year and part of the world did it happen
I have not but I will look into it - Thanks
@@justaperson8560 1871 in London - Kidbrooke Lane. There’s a book called Pretty Jane and the Viper of Kidbrooke Lane by Paul Thomas Murphy. It’s a sad story but definitely worth a read. Poor girl
@@BriefCaseOfficial I think you’ll find it interesting. That sounds kind of wrong but you know what I mean!
@@wolftail4896 thank you very much I know I’ll find this intriguing already I can tell
Tragic case! Thank you Mr Brief. Always a great job on your videos
Just finished work and came to listen to you straight away! Hope you had a lovely Father's Day! Sorry i forgot to tell you yesterday, on my listen to your videos. But to me fathers are everyday! So, Happy Father's Day everyday!🥳
Such a sad story. Life was so hard for women of that time especially if they had an abusive husband.
That was a truly sad and tragic case . You have my greatest admiration for the work you must be putting into these cases
Thankyou
Poor Martha. 💜💜
Thank you BC 🙏🏼💼
I just love your voice and you narrate these stories perfectly. Thank you for all the work you do to bring these old stories and people back to life for us. Love your channel ❤
Thankyou :)
I was much affected by the story of Tess.... that Thomas Hardy wrote. I always wondered what had inspired him to write it.
Your narration is so spot on for these videos! Much love!
Thankyou
Dorset is a lovely County, often underrated. Great photos BC (as always) Ah I love a bit of Thomas Hardy personally! Guess Martha just snapped following cumulative ill treatment from her feckless hubby.
Another case I've never heard of. Thank you briefcase 💼
Thanks for watching
Morning, BC!! Poor Martha clearly endured so much & lashed out in self defense. If this happened today, countless battered women groups would have reached out to offer assistance & counsel.
But, today race would have determined the outcome, ultimately. Ugh.
Good job love these stories I think no matter how old I get I will watch these please don't stop have a good day everyone 😀
Poor Martha not only was she was physically abused( mentally) she was being humiliating with John's affair.enough is enough it was crime of passion.
My favorite introduction ever! Thank you Brief Case for all your hard work and research you put into your work. We truly appreciate you and always look forward to your uploads, stay safe!
Thankyou
Poor Martha, she did not deserve to be treated like that.
Great job BC! Thanks for making my Monday morning drive something to look forward to!
Thankyou for watching
Greetings friends and BC. Lovely day in my neck of the woods.
OMG Monday was HORRIBLE, I didn't get to watch Brief Case 😢💔 But! Tuesday is now a better day ❤ Thanks for being so dependable, BC, and for bringing us these great stories. You also have the best period photos which I just love.
Thankyou
im so early ☺️☺️😘 love you briefcase ❤️
Happy Father's Day Brief Case!!!! 😊 And thank you for such wonderful content! 🖤
Thankyou
Happy Father’s Day to Brief Cat’s Dad!
Golly , Thomas Hardy witnessed the execution! No wonder Tess of the D'Urbevilles is the most depressing book ever written.
Was it Hardy or someone else who wrote "Anna of the Five Towns"? I think that ties for the title of most depressing book ever written.
@@resourcedragon sounds like that would be Arnold Bennett, he wrote stuff set in the potteries, the "5 towns".
I looked it up: Bennet
I guess you haven't read "Jude the Obscure". Hardy had a very dark soul. I still like him though. Reading Hardy will prepare you for real life in my opinion.
Upsetting yes, but like all his books word perfect English . Tess was is a master piece of the English language . as indeed all his novels books poems are .
Jude The Obscure is also heartbreaking upsetting as is The Trumpet Major. Far from the Madding Crowd . The Hand of Ethelberta and of course the tragedy Of The Mayor of Casterbridge . is beyond heartbreaking . just as Tess and Jude And Ethelberta .
His works are some of the best writings that ever went tom print .
Hardy was a wordsmith like no other . Draws you into his stories and holds one there like a vice . unable to put his books poems Master pieces down .
Great one Brief Case. Love the reference to Thomas Hardy! ❤️ from 🇨🇦
There are many Thomas Hardy fans here. Yay!!
Wow I'm never first.
M🌞 rning!🌞🌞🌞
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride
Dear Brief case ... I love the way you tell the story of Mrs. Brown
Thankyou
Yaayyy!! Must be Monday!!!
Another intriguing crime! Thank you BC!! It always amazes me the fact humans can see how bad women had it "then" without realizing that today still in powerful nations women are struggling to obtain their rights. So... little has changed
Good morning everyone!👋🦋🌈🦄🍫☕🍀🐴🐕🐱💐
Hi
Thank you so much for this wonderful story. In the end I was so surprised when Thomas Hardy wrote the book of Tess it is one of me favourite book and, also difficult to read I could barely speak or read english at that time.
Because of this tragic story, I think i'm going to read this book again. I hope you will do it again. Enjoy approving in English.
She probably should've led with self defense. Different time of course but you would think if it actually happened that way, she would've told the truth right away?
Men were allowed, if not expected to beat disobedient wives.
I agree, she was on death row, it may have simply been a lie to try to get off of the death sentence.
@@paulosullivan3472 It wasn't, seeing as there wasn't much hope for that.
This was a society that hung children for stealing.
The lie was just as bad as the truth. A horse kick to cover up a hatchet to the head multiple times? Think I would've taken my chances. Not much to lose. At least someone might hear her story, if nowhere else in the newspaper, have some sympathy
She should have had injuries to show. It should have helped her case. I think the trauma she had suffered combined with her lack of education to give her a very bad idea for a story to claim total innocence. She had been hit in the head and probably had a concussion to go along with the pain from her other injuries. Poor woman.
Your voice makes every story more interesting. Lovely!!!!!!!
Thankyou
How unfair.
Big hug to all of you from Sweden
Monday funday!!! Brief case is the cleanest best pleasure lol
I love these old stories. Knowing that theres still ppl today that get wrongfully convicted even with all the technology we have....it makes me wonder how often that happened back then?
Your storytelling is spellbinding. Thank you for sharing 👏👏👏
Thank you so much!
She should have never been executed. And stories like these are the reason the death penalty is so controversial.
Another excellent doc. Like these older ones, most have never been heard. Go away for a few days and..... bam!....
Look at the followers you have!! I knew your channel would do well-great job BC!
Thankyou
How tragic. Poor Martha.
Thank you always for the video always a great one!!💚💚
Thanks for watching :)
Sad story and yet all I can think of is why you would go and watch someone being executed! I’d never recover, How would you ever get the image out of your head?
😩
Always is a good day to be here! Incredible case well done by you. Thank you BC for your awesome channel. Wish nice weekend
There is a reading of names in the British Parliament of women who has been killed by domestic violence it gets no reaction as usual
Happy Monday BC 🤗
Another great case today. Thank you ❤️. Have a wonderful week until next Monday 😊
At the beginning of this story I thought I’m glad I didn’t live in those times.
Marrying a person who is 20 years older or younger is never a good idea.
Then at the end I thought how sad, when 4,000 people come out to watch an execution. They enjoyed watching someone dying.
Thank you for another story well told. Everyone have a blessed day.
It’s crazy to me how executions was like a public event that entertained people. I would never want to see something like that
It's a bit like watching boxing and cage fighting
@@annie_xo Me either.
It was quite normal in history for varying age gaps in relationships, depending on the people and circumstances involved. Don't view things from the past through a modern lens.
@@annie_xo Seeing violence was quite normal during all eras before now, seriously why are people, so wet nowadays?
Your stories are always the perfect length and so entertainingly presented
Thankyou so much Eunice :)