Dr. Allyson May

Biography

Allyson N. May is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Western University. She specializes in the history of eighteenth and nineteenth-century Britain, with a focus on English criminal trials, particularly the Old Bailey criminal trials. Her research has explored the emergence of the criminal bar, the ethics of advocacy, and the role of defense counsel. May is currently investigating the public prosecution of the murder of Lord William Russell, focusing on master-servant relations and the legal landscape prior to the establishment of a dedicated Crown prosecution service. She has a keen interest in agricultural landscape history and has published widely on food history. May holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, obtained in 1997, and has authored several noteworthy publications, including ‘Class, Servitude, Criminal Justice System in Early Victorian London: The Russell Murder’ and the edited collection ‘Criminal Justice in the Long Eighteenth Century: Theatre, Representation and Emotion’. Her contributions to scholarship have been recognized through organized conferences on legal history, where she has engaged with experts across various countries.

Research Interests