TALK: 150 Years of Courtroom Drama - Saturday 7th December, 2pm

Shire Hall was the centre of justice and local government from 1797 to 1955. The Georgian courtroom was the scene of famous and infamous trials throughout this period, from the internationally significant Tolpuddle Martyrs to Martha Brown, said to be the inspiration for Hardy’s Tess of the D’Ubervilles.

Particularly fascinating, are the stories of the ordinary Dorset men, women and children who found themselves in the dock during the 19th century. Often impoverished, sometimes wily, sometimes desperate, from sneaky smugglers, incompetent highway robbers and the good and not so good folk of Dorset, this talk will look at some of these stories alongside a very short history of the building.

Join Shire Hall Museum’s Learning Manager Anne Brown to explore the fascinating stories of the people who have walked through his historic building.