Ronald Winslow

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	"Theft (including swindling/fraud, deception and grand larceny)"
Sentence:	No Sentence
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:
Year Convicted:	1908
Year Cleared:	1910
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	United Kingdom
County or Region of Crime:
City of Crime:
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Basis of the 1946 play by Terrence Rattigan, "The Winslow Boy," and the 1948 British movie and 1999 movie remake by the same title. 14 year old Ronald Winslow was a cadet wrongly accused and expelled from the Royal Naval College in 1908 for allegedly stealing a five-schilling postal order. His father, Arthur Winslow believed in his son's innocence and hired one of England's most distinguished barristers, Sir Robert Morton to fight for his son's exoneration. The Winslow's eventually took the case to the House of Commons, since as a part of the British Crown the Admiralty couldn't be sued under the theory that the Crown can 'do no wrong.' Parliment eventually granted a Petition of Right so the Winslow's were able to sue the British government for Ronald's wrongful expulsion from the College. In 1910 Ronald was exonerated of stealing the forging the postal order. Mr. Ridgley Pierce, England's foremost handwriting analyst mistakenly identified Ronald's handwriting as that on the forged postal order."
Conviction Caused By:	"Mr. Ridgley Pierce, England's foremost handwriting analyst mistakenly identified Ronald's handwriting as that on the forged postal order."
Innocence Proved By:	Acquittal after a civil trial.
Defendant Aided By:	His Father and sister's unwavering belief in his son's innocence led him to embark on a financially ruinous campaign to prove Ronald's innocence.
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Yahoo! Synopsis of "The Winslow Boy," 1948 movie version."
Information Location 1:	http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=v&id=1800136056
Information Source 2:	Review of 1999 movie remake by Sarah Barnett.
Information Location 2:	http://www.anglicanmediasydney.asn.au/cul/TheWinslowBoy.htm
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):	""The Winslow Boy," 1946 play by Englishman Terence Rattigan served as the basis for the orig. 1948 British movie and the 1999 American remake."
Movie About Case:	""The Winslow Boy," 1948 starring Cedric Hardwicke as Mr. Winslow and Robert Donat as his barrister Sir Robert Morton. Excellent example of British understatement. Remade in 1999 with a screenplay by David Mamet. Sarah Barnett's wrote in her review at: http://www.anglicanmediasydney.asn.au/cul/TheWinslowBoy.htm : "This is a movie about defending the powerless against the mighty. According to this film, humanity has an obligation to do right and protect the weak from the strong. The essence of The Winslow Boy is the significance and the cost of truth and reputation. The Winslows experience their ‘seven lean years' as the quest for right robs them of health, friends and fortune. Everything is staked on their trust in the Winslow boy.""
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Ronald Winslow

Charge:

"Theft (including swindling/fraud, deception and grand larceny)"

Sentence:

No Sentence

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

Year Convicted:

1908

Year Cleared:

1910

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

United Kingdom

County or Region of Crime:

City of Crime:

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Mr. Ridgley Pierce, England's foremost handwriting analyst mistakenly identified Ronald's handwriting as that on the forged postal order."

Innocence Proved By:

Acquittal after a civil trial.

Defendant Aided By:

His Father and sister's unwavering belief in his son's innocence led him to embark on a financially ruinous campaign to prove Ronald's innocence.

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Yahoo! Synopsis of "The Winslow Boy," 1948 movie version."

Information Location 1:

http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=v&id=1800136056

Information Source 2:

Review of 1999 movie remake by Sarah Barnett.

Information Location 2:

http://www.anglicanmediasydney.asn.au/cul/TheWinslowBoy.htm

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

""The Winslow Boy," 1946 play by Englishman Terence Rattigan served as the basis for the orig. 1948 British movie and the 1999 American remake."

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: