Heritage and History Publications

The Dagenham Murder: The brutal killing of PC George Clark 1846

By Linda Rhodes, Lee Shelden and Kathryn Abnett.

December 2005

£9.99

Winner of the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award for Non-Fiction 2006|

In June 1846, 20 year old Dagenham police constable George Clark was brutally murdered while on night duty. This lavishly-illustrated book is the first full-length study of a killing that shocked the nation but was to remain unsolved. Many suspects and motives have been put forward, with one theory even implicating Clark's own police colleagues.

The authors were all born and bred in the Dagenham area, and have used original sources to uncover new facts and insights into this fascinating case. The action ranges from rural Essex to London's prisons and convict hulks, from the wilds of British Columbia to the Australian goldfields.

Along the way we meet a cross-section of the early Victorian community, from the monarch herself down to the wretched victims of the 'Hungry 40s'.

Reviews of The Dagenham Murder

"[The authors] are to be congratulated on a fascinating study of a notorious incident. An indication of the painstaking research which has gone into this book is the range of contemporary illustrations featured, over 80 being reproduced, including 6 full colour plates. All in all, an authoritative addition to the ever increasing number of books dealing with the history of the police service, and a credit to the authors and publishers alike".

Local History Magazine

"One of the most thorough books on local history one could wish to find. If your family were connected with the area or with the Metropolitan Police then this is a must for you. For the rest of us it is a very good and compelling read, and an example of how to write good local and family history".

Cockney Ancestor Magazine

"Meticulously researched and rich in detail - the human story behind a terrible crime, a scandal and an enduring mystery".

Linda Stratmann, author Essex Murders

"A definitive account of the notorious murder of a Victorian policeman. Extensively researched and well written".

The Crime Writers' Association judging panel

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