Read an extract from 'Victorian Domestic Abuse'

1857 Matrimonial Causes Act

Divorce courts were established, women had limited access to divorce. A husband if he wanted a divorce had to prove his wife's adultery. A wife, had to prove her husband's adultery, plus cruelty, incest or abandonment. Meanwhile …

One Tuesday night in January 1868, the son of Catherine Reilly arrived at his Gran's house, crying. He said to her.

“Oh Gran, my dada is beating my mama, I know she is dead”

The grandmother went to her daughter's house and found her on the floor in a pool of blood. She told her son in law to take Catherine to the hospital. His response was

“Take her where you like”

The Grandmother went to cover her daughter's body with a quilt but her son in law stopped her, so she took off her cloak and used that instead. Her daughter was still alive but insensible. She put her into bed. Catherine called out 'mother' three times. The grandmother then left and went to get a police constable. On her return they found the children had been put into bed beside her. Catherine was then taken to hospital where she died.

Phillip Reilly, aged 11 was called as a witness. He stated that on the night he had been to a pantomime with his father and younger brother, Peter. After that they stopped at a pub and then returned home. Their mother had gone to hide from their father. She was under the bed. Their father pulled her out by her hair, beat her and kicked her in the ribs. She then went into a fit. Their father made the younger brother throw water over her. When out of the fit she called out for her mother. Their father then kicked her in the eye, kicked her in the back and ribs and threw her against the fire grate. Grabbing a candle he attempted to set her on fire but her clothes were too wet. He dragged her closer to the fire instead, putting her shoulders across the fender. Peter was at this point in bed, crying. Their father went to beat him. While attempting to do so, Phillip went to pull his mother out of the fire. Their father kicked her again and Phillip heard something in her crack. At that point he escaped and went to get his Gran.

At the trial, the father was emotionless. He had put the children into bed with Catherine to make out she was just sleeping. He was committed to be tried.

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