The Case of Sarah Malcolm

In February 1733, three people were found murdered in a house near Temple Bar in London. They were three women who had been beaten and strangled.

The main suspect was Sarah Malcolm, a young servant. She was born around 1713 in Ireland. Coming from a modest background, she left her poor family in hopes of finding work in England. Sarah was employed as a laundress and domestic helper.

Suspicion fell on her because she had access to the house, and stolen items were found in her possession. Additionally, traces of blood were mentioned in the reports.

Sarah was arrested and tried at the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court. She was sentenced to death and hanged at Tyburn on March 7, 1733.

In the 18th century, trials were often swift, the defense was very limited, and witness testimonies were decisive. Many cases were judged solely on what someone claimed to have seen or heard, without any real possibility of verifying the facts. At that time, London was a vast metropolis marked by social inequality and high levels of crime.

Forensic evidence did not yet exist in the modern sense. Sarah’s trial relied entirely on witness statements, possession of stolen goods, and her reputation.

The painter William Hogarth created a portrait of Sarah in prison. Pamphlets were published after her arrest. This reflects society’s fascination with gruesome or unexplained cases, often surrounded by mystery: Was she truly the murderer? Why would she have killed three women? Or was she simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Was she perhaps a thief, without necessarily being a killer?

This case clearly illustrates the social context of 18th-century England, as well as the public fascination with crime. At the same time, the justice system carried a strong theological dimension: the salvation of the soul was considered just as important as earthly punishment. As a result, written trial accounts emphasized the acknowledgment of sin and served as moral warnings to society.