Scandalous stories
The stories told here cast light on the norms of society in the past and how such norms affected those connected with Winckley Square. In selecting tales to tell, we have tried to view the past through the eyes of those who lived at the time these events caused a stir.
The stories range widely. One is the ‘novelty’ of two ‘society’ women living together as a couple in North Wales. Their lifestyle led to well-heeled visitors, including Queen Charlotte, travelling long distances to see this ‘alternative’ situation at first hand and then to use it as the centre of dinner party conversation. Another story touches on an issue debated today, that of legacy. Statues in the UK and USA are subject to intense debate about whether past behaviour should lead to the destruction of the effigy. In Winckley Square, a prominent figure, convicted of crime, was literally erased from history.
There are tales of death and of penalties for petty crime that are different to those that would be handed out today. What might seem harsh to us needs to be put in the context of the time. Local Corporations were unhappy at the costs of keeping prisoners in jail. In 1837 only 2% of sentences were for more than a year. Prior to 1853, no one could be sentenced to a prison term of over two years. The downside was they could be hanged or transported!