Thomas Hardy: Justice of Peace
Thomas Hardy qualified as a magistrate in 1884. He was Justice of the Peace for the Borough of Dorchester from 1884, and for the County of Dorset from 1894. He sat in court at least thirty-eight times as a magistrate and served at least sixteen times on grand juries for the Assizes.
Hardy was fascinated by the justice system or rather by the injustice of the society in which he lived. An example of this was the trial of Elizabeth Martha Brown at Shire Hall and later her hanging in 1856 at the Dorchester Prison and before her in 1706 the burning of Mary Channing at Maumbury Rings. Hardy thought that Channing was innocent of poisoning her husband.
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Come and join Mark Damon Chutter, Chairman and Academic Director of the Thomas Hardy Society. He is a Head of Performing Arts and has been teaching for thirty years. Mark was shortlisted as one of the top six practitioners in the country for ‘ The Times ‘ Most Innovative Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Year respectively. He is a member of the Dorchester Civic Society, the Joint Dorchester Heritage Committee and STAND.
Advance booking required
£10 per person
To book contact us on info@shirehalldorset.org or phone 01305 261849
