User:SchroCat/Littlehampton libels

Edith Swan (left) and Rose Gooding (right)

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Background

Littlehampton

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Littlehampton, on the south cost of England

Gooding

Swan

Littlehampton

Aftermath and legacy

• Wicked Little Letters (2023), with Olivia Colman as Swan and Jessie Buckley as Gooding

Timeline

May 1920	Swan laid a complaint about Gooding with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
	After the inspector’s visit a ‘flood of filthy postcards’ started. The early letters were signed ‘R—’ and ‘R. G.’; one ended ‘with Mrs. Gooding’s compliments’.
	Swan went to the police - no help so started a private prosecution for libel
22 September 1920	Gooding was remanded in custody for two and a half months before trial
13 December 1920	Found guilty - two weeks in prison and bound her over to keep the peace for two years after her release
23 December 1920	Gooding released from prison
1 January 1921	Swan says she received a dirty message which contained the words, “I hope you get all the bad luck you deserve in the New Year for getting me sent to prison.”’
March 1921	Swan launched a new prosecution. Gooding was arrested and committed for another trial. Again a jury found her guilty, and this time Mr Justice Avory sentenced her to twelve months in prison
April 1921	Gooding appealed - rejected
	Documents found in the street in same handwriting
c. June 1921	Inspector George Nicholls of Scot Yard on the case
25 July 1921	Gooding’s conviction quashed
July 1923	Swan’s second trial
“Soon after”	Swan appealed - rejected
December 1923	Swan petitioned the Home Office, pleading innocence

Images

• 
  Edith Swan (r) and her mother - Daily Mirror - 28 October 1921 - Page 1.jpg
• 
  Littlehampton police - Daily Mirror - 28 October 1921 - Page 1.jpg
• 
  Rose Gooding (l), her husband and sister - Daily Mirror - 28 October 1921 - Page 1.jpg
• 
  Policewoman Gladys Moss - Daily Mirror - 28 October 1921 - Page 1.jpg
• 
  Edith Emily Swan - Daily Mirror - 12 July 1923 - Page 1.jpg
• 
  Rose Gooding - Daily Mirror - 12 July 1923 - Page 1.jpg
• 
  Edith Swan leaving court - Daily Mirror - 20 July 1923 - Page 1.jpg
• 
  Rose Gooding & children - Daily Mirror - 20 July 1923 - Page 1.jpg

Notes and references

Sources

Books

• Cockayne, Emily (2023). Penning Poison: A History of Anonymous Letters. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-1987-9505-6.
• Evans, Mary; Moore, Sarah; Johnstone, Hazel (2019). Detecting the Social: Order and Disorder in Post-1970s Detective Fiction. Cham, Zug: Palgrave Macmillan. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-94520-0. ISBN 978-3-3199-4520-0.
• Hilliard, Christopher (2017). The Littlehampton Libels: A Miscarriage of Justice and a Mystery about Words in 1920s England. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-1987-9965-8.
• Morton, James (2015). Justice Denied: Extraordinary Miscarriages of Justice. London: Robinson. ISBN 978-1-4721-1131-9.

Journals and magazines

News

• "Alleged Criminal Libels". The Worthing Gazette. 20 July 1923. p. 7.
• "Anonymous Letter Mystery". The Littlehampton Gazette. 20 July 1923. p. 3.
• "Anonymous Letter Mystery". The Worthing Gazette. 25 July 1923. p. 3.
• "Anonymous Letters Case Recalled". The Times. 10 October 1922. p. 9.
• "Court of Criminal Appeal". The Times. 14 August 1923. p. 4.
• Jones, Ellen E. (24 February 2024). "Wicked Little Letters Review – a Deliciously Sweary Poison-Pen Mystery". The Observer.
• "Libellous Card Mystery". The Leeds Mercury. 10 December 1921. p. 7.
• "Littlehampton Letters". Sussex Express. 17 August 1923. p. 5.
• "Littlehampton Letters Mystery". The Times. 12 July 1923. p. 9.
• "Littlehampton Libel Charge". The Times. 19 July 1923. p. 9.
• "Mrs Gooding's Accuser Freed". Nottingham Evening Post. 10 December 1921. p. 1.
• "The Littlehampton Mystery". John Bull. 21 January 1922. p. 10.

Websites

• "47-51, Western Road, Littlehampton - 1027801". Historic England. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
• "Wicked Little Letters: The Littlehampton Libel Case". The National Archives. Retrieved 13 August 2024.