Rachel Weil, Professor of History at Cornell University, meets with the Early Modern British History seminar to present "The Murder of Thomas Brown, and other Tales of Prisoners seeking Reform in London’s Fleet Prison." The efforts of legislators and philanthropists in the late 18^th century are well-known. Less well known are the earlier efforts made by prisoners themselves to change the conditions of their confinement. This paper asks how we can manage to hear the voices of prisoner-activists and reconstruct their activities, focusing on London’s Fleet prison over the course of the 17^th and early 18^th centuries.

EMSI will provide lunch to those who RSVP by November 27, 2023. Lunch will be served at 12:30.