‘It came to my knowledge that Mr Smith was not a man but a woman. Of course I was greatly astonished, and could not permit things to go on in that way...’

On 17 July 1865, a former employee of shoemaker James Giles entered his workshop, pointing a pistol in his face and pulling the trigger with no hesitation. A gun malfunction spared James his life, but the crime unravelled an extraordinary story of love, abuse and gender transgression. Who was the perpetrator? What was their motivation for shooting Giles point-blank?

In the final episode of this series, Jen and David trace a crime tied up in secrets and scandal. They delve into what life was like for working-class Londoners in the 1860s. With headlines and court testimonies, they reveal a startling LGBTQ story which deserves to be told.

Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved

Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:

@wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved

Producer - Madeleine Gilbert

Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard

AV Editor - Callum Main

Video Lead - Andrew Farrell

Researcher - Jen Baldwin

Voiceover - Tanya O’Sullivan

AV Lead - Mark Asquith

Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

‘He fired three shots at him, two of which took effect in the head and spine, and he fell to the ground...’

On a spring morning in 1888, an enraged labourer stormed into his workplace, a brickworks, with a small revolver. Striding decisively towards William Berridge - the foreman who had fired him just hours ago - the man fired three shots into Berridge’s leg, head and torso. By midday, he’s in a cell, charged with intent to kill. But how was this violent crime prosecuted?

In part two, Jen and David are looking at another shooting which took place in Barnsley, just weeks apart from the murder of Eileen Burke. They compare how the criminal justice system handled these two cases, reflecting on the role of class in sentencing and punishment.

Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved

Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:

@wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved

Producer - Madeleine Gilbert

Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard

AV Editor - Callum Main

Video Lead - Andrew Farrell

Researcher - Jen Baldwin

Voiceover - Tanya O’Sullivan

AV Lead - Mark Asquith

Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

‘He found the child dead and saw Dr Burke drop the revolver on the hearthrug and stagger to the side of the room, where he lay down on a seat...’

On a cold February night, in a Barnsley pub, an unimaginable tragedy took place. Inebriated on expensive champagne, a local doctor waved a revolver around wildly. As his terrified wife fled the room to get help, a bullet rang through the air. Its target: their 9-year-old daughter Eileen. What could explain this horrific act? How did the courts – and the community – respond in the wake of such a crime?

In the first episode of this two-part special, Jen and David look at one of the ‘Barnsley Murders’ - two shootings that took place just weeks apart - and reflect on the impact of social class on its verdict. In part two, they’ll be turning their attention towards a shockingly similar crime with a very different outcome.

Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved

Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:

@wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved

Producer - Madeleine Gilbert

Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard

AV Editor - Callum Main

Video Lead - Andrew Farrell

Researcher - Jen Baldwin

Voiceover - Tanya O’Sullivan

AV Lead - Mark Asquith

Executive Producer - Helen Kaye