From the ‘Death of a Female Unknown’ to the Life of Margaret Dockerty: Rediscovering a Nineteenth Century Victim of Crime

On 1 January 1863, a woman was brutally raped and beaten to death in Newcastle upon Tyne. Her murderer was to be tried, convicted, and finally executed for murder. However, he is not the subject of this piece. Historically, the study of the criminal law has focused too heavily on the perpetrators of crimes. This article attempts to establish the victim, Margaret Dockerty, as an individual and to offer some social, cultural, economic and historical context for, and background to, her life. Keywords: victim, murder, Irish, Newcastle upon Tyne, police surgeon, intemperance, clothing; legal history; social history; microhistor