Many famous trials were held in the Old Bailey, and you can now search the proceedings of this court at: www.oldbaileyonline.org. Those who have been tried here include playwright Oscar Wilde and Nazi propagandist William Joyce (aka Lord Haw Haw). Unfortunately, you won't find these trials on this web site just yet, as the database currently only contains 45,000 trials from December 1714 to December 1799. The project aims to publish the Proceedings from 1674 to 1834 in the future, and depending upon funding, the Proceedings from 1834 to 1912.

Upon your first visit to this site you should definitely check out the Historical Background section. This section details the history of crime, justice and punishment in London; the social and cultural changes in London at the time; information on the history of the Old Bailey; information on the communities often represented in trials; and much much more.

Did you know that you will not find mention of the Police in the Proceedings until the 1830s? This is because the Metropolitan Police force was not formed until 1829 when Robert Peel introduced it to London (the term "bobbies" comes from his nickname). Prior to this private citizens played a prominent role in apprehending suspects and bringing them to court.

Apart from being able to search the Proceedings for trials by name, place, crime, verdict, punishment, etc, the historical sections of the site also help you to understand the society at the time. Because of the make-up of the London population back then, often particular groups of people were represented in trials more than others, punishment patterns for women offenders differed to those of the men, and so on. For example, the demography of London society during these times is reflected in the Proceedings. London's population was growing rapidly and was consisting more and more of young immigrants, to begin with from the outskirts of London, and later from other countries. Therefore, this forms one reason why many trials in the Proceedings are those of young people.

There is also comprehensive information on the history of the Proceedings and notable trials (though not necessarily famous ones). Students are also well catered for with a range of interesting information on other aspects of the history of the Old Bailey, including the people present in the courtroom, the punishments handed down (a bit gory and bloodthirsty back in those days!), prison life, and much more.

Old Bailey Online is a wonderfully comprehensive site of interest to students, genealogists, and those curious about its history.