Mary Morgan of Presteigne. Victim or Villain of Infanticide

by Peter Ford

The story of poor Mary Morgan, the servant girl in ‘the big house’ who becomes pregnant, conceals her pregnancy, and then kills her baby at birth is not uncommon. Neither is the rapid discovery of the body, the trial and the verdict - guilty of murder.What is so poignant is that just a few miles away another young servant girl called Mary becomes pregnant, kills her new-born child, and is sentenced by the same judge to a lesser penalty for ‘concealment of birth’.

Was Mary Morgan a hapless victim of a harsh social structure? Were the different sentences an indictment of the legal system? Who was the father? Was there a conspiracy involving the judge with an ulterior motive?Time has not mellowed the horrific details. One Mary was sentenced to two years in goal, the other Mary was hanged, which was appropriate?
Judge for yourself the case of Mary Morgan, victim or villain.

147 pages, Paperback

Published March 9, 2021

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