The painter, the laundress & the murders at the Inns of Court

On the morning of February 4th 1733, the bodies of three women were discovered at Number 3 Tanfield Court a few yards from the Temple Church at the Inns of Court. The following day, a young laundress, Sarah Malcolm, was arrested and charged with their murder. The gruesome nature of the crime allied to her youth and beauty shocked London society. William Hogarth painted her portrait in the condemned hold of Newgate gaol shortly before her execution. This account of her life, trial and death offers an intriguing insight into the workings of the law in eighteenth century London. It is based on contemporary records and includes Charles Dickens' account of the whole affair. She died still protesting her innocence.