The Madman and the Churchrobber: Law and Conflict in Early Modern England: Jason Peacey, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2022, xvi + 307 pp., Illustrations £40.49 (hardback). ISBN 978-0-19-289713-8.

"The Madman and the Churchrobber: Law and Conflict in Early Modern England" by Jason Peacey is a detailed study of a series of legal cases and spin-off litigation surrounding the property of Warrens Court in Nibley, Gloucestershire, and the funding of Lady Katherine Berkeley's Grammar School at Wotton-under-Edge from 1560 to 1662. The book explores the motivations and strategies of the parties involved, including allegations of forum shopping, suborning of judges, rigging of juries, and intimidation of witnesses. It also delves into the political and religious divisions that fueled the continuation of the case. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of early modern litigation and its intersection with social and cultural factors. [Extracted from the article]