In previous articles I have discussed the importance of utilizing one’s own knowledge as a means of choosing a topic for your e-book. However, personal knowledge of a particular subject, while it might be extensive, should always be supplemented by additional research.
Additional research not only enhances the quality of our work, it also adds another dimension to our writing. For example, about twenty years ago I was researching material for a book that I was planning to write. The title of the book was called ‘Truth, Justice and the Fallen Woman’. The book was based on the true story of Charlotte Bryant, a woman convicted of murdering her husband Fredrick. Charlotte was eventually hanged after a trial marked by controversial and misleading evidence presented by the crown prosecution.
The idea behind the book was to highlight the real possibility that Charlotte was not only a victim of a miscarriage of justice but also a victim of extreme social prejudice. This meant that I would have to do extensive research into the murder and into the evidence presented by the prosecution and defence counsels at Charlotte’s trial.
At the time I began my research the Internet was barely in its infancy and access was not as easy as it is today. I was therefore dependent on my local library and various newspaper cuttings for sources of information. Although the information gleaned from these sources was useful, it was also very limited in scope because of its sterile and seemingly detached nature. In essences, these sources didn’t give me Charlotte’s full story from a humanitarian perspective.
As Fredrick’s murder and Charlotte’s subsequent conviction was an event that took place in the small community in which I lived, I decided to ask members of the local population who were old enough to recall what had happened to Charlotte and her family. Many of the people I questioned about Charlotte were getting on in age, but thankfully they were able to recall the scandal that brought so much attention to our small community all those years ago.
One of the people I asked about Charlotte was an aging gentleman who was well into his late seventies. He remembered Charlotte and her family very clearly and had even kept paper clippings from her trial. The information imparted by this old gentleman proved invaluable, as it allowed me to pursue alternative avenues of research which I hadn’t previously thought about. One such avenue of research was related to Fredrick Bryant’s employment.
Fredrick died of severe arsenic poisoning, which the prosecution claimed had been administered to him by his wife, Charlotte. However, what was not mentioned at Charlotte’s trial was the fact that Fredrick was a farm worker and as such was regularly exposed to various pesticides containing arsenic.
Thanks to the aging old gentleman’s recollections of Charlotte and her family, I was able follow a line of research which uncovered evidence which suggested that Fredrick may have inadvertently poisoned himself.
Resorting to living memory as a starting point for my research into Charlotte’s conviction uncovered a wealth of information that was not readily available through other channels when I first started Truth, Justice and the Fallen Woman. Although the book has yet to be published, I am convinced that living memory will play an important role in how Truth, Justice and the Fallen Woman will be received by its readers. It is my sincere hope that the end product will raise questions about the soundness of Charlotte’s conviction, which in turn might lead to a judicial review of her case, albeit posthumously.
If you are into writing about recent historical events, then living memory may prove to be a useful tool to you in your search for information. You might be surprised at how much firsthand knowledge is stored in the minds of those who have actually lived through the events that you plan to write about.
Note: ‘Truth, Justice and the Fallen Woman’ will be available in e-book form in March 2011.
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