Jeannie's Demise: Abortion on Trial in Victorian Toronto

On August 1, 1875, the naked body of a young woman was discovered in a pine box, half-buried in a ditch along Bloor Street in Toronto. This is the beginning of Jeannie's Demise, a real-life Victorian melodrama that explores the illegal, underground, and deadly world of abortion in Victorian-era Canada. Historian Ian Radforth brings to life the era, in which abortion was illegal, criminal proceedings were a spectator sport, and coded advertisements for back-alley procedures ran in newspapers. The story revolves around Jeannie Gilmour, a minister's daughter whose independent spirit can only be glimpsed through secondhand accounts and courtroom reports. As rumors swirl about her final weeks and her abortionists stand trial for their lives, the public grapples with questions of guilt and justice, innocence and intent. Radforth's research grounds the tragedy in sharp historical analysis, presenting over a dozen case studies of similar trials in Victorian-era Canada. Jeannie's Demise offers a rare window into the hidden history of a woman's right to choose.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 258 pages
\n Publication date: 01 February 2021
\n Publisher: Between the Lines
\n

Toronto, August 1, 1875: The naked body of a young woman is discovered in a pine box, half-buried in a ditch along Bloor Street. This is the beginning of Jeannie's Demise, a real-life Victorian melodrama that unfolded in the bustling streets and courtrooms of "Toronto the Good." Historian Ian Radforth brings to life an era in which abortion was illegal, criminal proceedings were a spectacle for the public, and coded advertisements for back-alley procedures ran in the margins of newspapers. At the center of the story is the elusive and doomed Jeannie Gilmour, the daughter of a minister, whose independent spirit can only be glimpsed through secondhand accounts and courtroom reports. As rumors swirl about her final weeks and her abortionists stand trial for their lives, a riveted public grapples with questions of guilt and justice, innocence and intent. Radforth's extensive research grounds the tragedy of Jeannie's demise in sharp historical analysis, presenting over a dozen case studies of similar trials in Victorian-era Canada. Part gripping procedural, part meticulous autopsy, Jeannie's Demise opens a rare window into the hidden history of a woman's right to choose.

Toronto, August 1, 1875: The naked body of a young woman is discovered in a pine box, half-buried in a ditch along Bloor Street. This is the beginning of Jeannie's Demise, a real-life Victorian melodrama that unfolded in the bustling streets and courtrooms of "Toronto the Good." Historian Ian Radforth brings to life an era in which abortion was illegal, criminal proceedings were a spectacle for the public, and coded advertisements for back-alley procedures ran in the margins of newspapers. At the center of the story is the elusive and doomed Jeannie Gilmour, the daughter of a minister, whose independent spirit can only be glimpsed through secondhand accounts and courtroom reports. As rumors swirl about her final weeks and her abortionists stand trial for their lives, a riveted public grapples with questions of guilt and justice, innocence and intent. Radforth's extensive research grounds the tragedy of Jeannie's demise in sharp historical analysis, presenting over a dozen case studies of similar trials in Victorian-era Canada. Part gripping procedural, part meticulous autopsy, Jeannie's Demise opens a rare window into the hidden history of a woman's right to choose.

\n Weight: 308g\n
Dimension: 153 x 230 x 20 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781771135139\n \n