Victorian Domestic Abuse Cases - Margaret Fay 1848
In January 1848 in Glasgow, George Fay was charged with culpable homicide and also the cruel, barbarous and unnatural treatment of his wife Margaret in so far as on 30 th June 1847 he caused his wife to be confined in a water closet until 23 rd September following which from the effects of such treatment, she died. George Campbell, Inspector of the Poor, said “I went to the prisoner's house on 23 rd September. I inquired for the prisoner and found he was at home. Asked prisoner where his wife was. He said in the country and would be home the next day. Told him I must see her as I had information that she was in the house. There are three rooms, a kitchen and a water closet in the lobby. There was a window a foot square in the door of the water closet. I asked the servant, Margaret Hume to light a candle and asked the prisoner again if his wife was in the house, when he admitted she was. He was then leading me to a room behind when I noticed a bar across the wate...