Paul Asling
Bio
I share a special love for London, both new and old. I began writing fiction at 40, with most of my books and stories set in London.
MY WRITING WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH, CRY, AND HAVE YOU GRIPPED THROUGHOUT.
paulaslingauthor.com
Stories (80/0)
WHY VICTORIANS INADVERTENTLY POISONED THEMSELVES EVERY DAY
In Victorian times, poison was a part of everyday life. Readily available in a staggering array of forms, they used arsenic in many products, primarily in the inks and dyes of beautifully printed wallpapers and clothing. Odourless and colourless, it also found its way into food as colouring, and was used in beauty products. As a poison, its effects were unmistakable, unconsciousness, convulsions, nausea, cardiac arrest and death, often in a matter of seconds.
By Paul Asling2 years ago in FYI
CRIME IN VICTORIAN LONDON
In the mid-19th century, British society was facing momentous turmoil and social instability. Growing urbanisation had led to filthy conditions in London. The gas-lit streets hid dark truths. Crime was normal, from pick-pocketing and burglary to murder and affray. Drunkenness was widespread and vice was effortlessly available.
By Paul Asling2 years ago in Criminal
THE OTHER GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
The Tooley Street fire has been described as the worst London fire since the Great Fire of London. The fire began on Saturday, 22nd June 1861, at Cotton’s Wharf, where many warehouses were situated. At 5 p.m. workers in the warehouse along the river by London Bridge, near Tooley Street, were preparing for the Sunday shutdown. Almost everyone had left for the Sunday shutdown when a fire began.
By Paul Asling2 years ago in FYI
THE WICKED BURKERS OF VICTORIAN LONDON
The London Burkers were a gang of body snatchers who functioned in London in the 1830s and came to notoriety in 1831. They worked as a team thieving and selling dead bodies to big London hospitals, including St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and St. Thomas’ Hospital.
By Paul Asling2 years ago in FYI
LONDON’S VILE VICTORIAN BABY FARMERS
In the days when it was considered a disgrace to have a child out of marriage, unmarried mothers would regularly pay an older woman to raise their child. In lots of cases, the mother would have no further contact with the child. This permitted some dreadful crimes to be committed by evil baby farmers.
By Paul Asling2 years ago in FYI
A SATURDAY NIGHT IN VICTORIAN LONDON
As the capital of the largest Empire in global history, London was a place of importance. Victorian London was also the biggest, most amazing city in the world. While Britain was undergoing the Industrial Revolution, London was both reaping the benefits and suffering the costs. In 1800, the population of London was around one million. That number then swelled to over four million by 1880.
By Paul Asling2 years ago in FYI
LONDON’S FLEET PRISON
The notorious Fleet prison was built in 1197. It stood near the side of the Fleet River and was rebuilt frequently. It was used right until 1844 and was finally demolished in 1846. It was the largest and notorious of England’s medieval prisons. Known as the King’s own prison, anyone who held debts to the King would be sent there. During the 18th century, the Fleet Prison was mostly used for bankrupts and debtors.
By Paul Asling2 years ago in FYI