Shropshire Routes to Roots

6a. Murderous Mapp: A Role Play of the Trial

Courtroom

Set up a courtroom in the classroom using the diagram below. Using the appropriate formalities and set up will make the trial more realistic. 'Barristers' should bow to the judge before entering, and call him or her My Lord or My Lady.

Roles

Assign roles according to those given on Page 2, 'The cast'. In addition to these, there needs to be a Bailiff. He or she doubles up as the clerk and Usher, and is responsible for calling witnesses, issuing oaths, and liaising between the Judge and the Jury. There should also be a Recorder, who should keep notes on all that is said for future reference. From the jury, the judge nominates a foreman.

Evidence

For the evidence, you will need a pair of 'bloodstained' trousers, a brooch and a 'bloodstained' knife. In the real trial, a map of the area was also produced. You could use one from Streetmap.co.uk (Opens in a new window).

The Prosecution

Distribute to the witnesses the statements as given in the selection of witness testimony.

The Defence

To counter the evidence presented in the trial, the defence barrister, Mr. Harrington, used the following lines of defence.

• It was a very dark night. How could Jane Richards have seen where Mapp and Lewis went?
• It is perfectly possible that after John Mapp and Lewis left Richards, Lewis walked on ahead of him, as he claims.
• The blood on John Mapp's clothes was due to a nosebleed.
• Mapp bought the brooch found in his pocket from a man whom he had met whilst walking later that night.

The order of events and oaths

You can follow the trial according to the order of these pages. However, for authenticity, you could use the structure, oaths and speeches that would have been used at the time: The Format of a Trial