About

Since graduating with a history degree in 2007, I have been researching and writing about women's history (with a few gaps here and there). My real area of interest lies in the 19th century and the crossover between femininity, crime and health.

Image result for case of the chocolate cream killer kaye jonesI have written 3 titles for the History In An Hour series: 1066, Medieval Anarchy and Charles Dickens. I have also written a full-length biography of the notorious 19th-century murderess, Christiana Edmunds. My research has also featured in various blogs and magazines, including FindMyPast and the Institute of Historical Research. 

In 2018, I moved in a new direction by training as a secondary history teacher. I am very interested in exploring different ways of teaching diversity and encouraging students to realise that the past consists of more than one historical narrative. 

Praise for The Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer: The Poisonous Passion of Christiana Edmunds:
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"Absolutely fantastic read. A really in depth and engrossing look at Christiana Edmund's life. Very readable. Jones writes in a way that really keeps your attention. Chocolate and murder, what more could you want?"

"A brilliant read the ethos of the era was captured perfectly and the information in the book is very interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and will be watching for more books by Kaye Jones."

"‘The Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer’ explores the sinister story of poisoner Christiana Edmund who, fuelled by an unrequited passion, set out on a lethal course of action. Kaye Jones skilfully re-creates Christiana Edmunds’ story with meticulous research and evocative description, taking the reader on a journey into the darker side of Victorian life, through powerful themes such as mental health issues, asylums and substance abuse. It is an excellent book and a must-read for all lovers of Victorian true crime!"

 All titles are available on Amazon.





Popular posts from this blog

Face-Reading and Christiana Edmunds: The Wonderful World of Victorian Physiognomy

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When Christiana Edmunds stood trial for her poisoning spree in January 1872, her physical appearance was heavily scrutinised by the press. This was not uncommon among murderesses, as I'll discuss in a later post, but it was, in part, a response to the rise of a pseudo-science called Physiognomy. As a rough definition, Physiognomy is the belief that studying a person's facial features or expressions can be indicative of their personality or behaviour. Though it's centuries old, the Victorians had a particular love for Physiognomy and believed that it had a myriad of uses. It was used, for example, to depict the so-called differences between racial groups, like the Jews and the Irish. It was also used by Hugh Welch Diamond, the Superintendent at the Surrey County Asylum (1848-1858), as a means of both illustrating insanities (in its various forms) and as a method of treatment. Diamond believed that if a patient saw a photo of herself, she might recognise her madness and beg...
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Christiana Edmunds: The Venus of Broadmoor (Part One)

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On this day - 5 July - in 1872, Christiana Edmunds was transferred from the Sussex Country Prison to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum in Berkshire. Built in 1863, Broadmoor was England's answer to the long-standing question of where to house the criminally insane. Previously, the provision for such people was haphazard and generally inadequate, with many criminal lunatics housed in ordinary asylums or prisons. By 1860, it was felt that such provision was undesirable, as stated by a Select Committee of the House of Commons: To mix such persons, that is criminal lunatics, with other patients is a serious evil;  it is detrimental to the other patients as well as to themselves. In the same year, the government passed the Criminal Lunatic Asylum Act which authorised the creation of Broadmoor and gave the Home Secretary control over its management and the admission of patients. Construction began shortly after and, three years later, on 23 May 1863, Broadmoor welcomed its first ...
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Christiana Edmunds: The Venus of Broadmoor (Part Two)

In the first part of this article , I looked at how the infamous institution, Broadmoor, came into being and the sort of asylum that it was when Christiana arrived there in July 1872. (If you missed it, you can read it here ). In this post, I'm looking at life for Christiana once she was admitted and as under the care of Dr William Orange, Broadmoor's resident superintendent. All of our knowledge of Christiana's time in Broadmoor comes from her medical file, a document filled out by Dr Orange and based entirely on his observations. As you can imagine, her file makes for interesting reading, not just because of its contents but because it is one of the few impressions of Christiana that remains in existence. According to Dr Orange, Christiana confirmed her diagnosis of insanity in the first few weeks of her arrival at Broadmoor. Though she was a "quiet and orderly" in her behaviour, she showed no remorse for the crimes that she had committed nor did she offer a...
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