Edith Swan (played by Colman) lives with her elderly parents at 47 Western Road. Having lost all hope of independence or marriage, she is stuck in a conservative existence controlled by her domineering father. Yet Edith has been suffering another abuse: a series of disturbing, anonymous letters in the post, filled with name-calling and graphic imagery. The Swans\u2019 suspicion over the identity of the author is aimed squarely at their neighbour, Rose Gooding (Buckley).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, although the film condenses the first wave of letters sent in Littlehampton and the case against Rose, focusing on the period 1920\u201321. In fact, Littlehampton would be plagued by obscene libelous letters for a further two years, eventually concluding, after four trials, in 1923.<\/p>\n Initially, Edith and Rose had been on friendly terms. Although the latter had moved to the street with a child born out of wedlock, before she married her partner Bill, the two women of similar age got on well. Neighbourly tensions bloomed, however, and they fell out when Rose was falsely reported for mistreating a child, and she believed Edith had made the allegation. Thereafter, they were at daggers drawn.<\/p>\n Soon, a \u201cfilthy postcard\u201d appeared at 47 Western Road calling Edith a \u201cbloody old cow\u201d. Other anonymous letters followed, and not only to the Swans but to people in the neighbourhood and beyond. One recipient was Edith\u2019s fianc\u00e9 Bertie Boxall, a soldier stationed in Mesopotamia. The letter claimed that Edith was \u201ccommitting immorality\u201d with a police constable and had fallen pregnant, causing Bert to end the engagement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ***spoilers for the plot of Wicked Little Letters<\/i>\u00a0ahead***<\/b><\/p>\n In 1920, Edith obtained a summons against Rose, who was sentenced to ten days in prison. Then when letters continued to circulate in 1921, Rose was arrested again and tried for publishing obscene libels. In court, Edith testified that Rose used \u201cfilthy language\u201d, although other witnesses disagreed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On asking for evidence of Rose\u2019s handwriting, the jury \u2013 which included one woman \u2013 was informed this would be impossible. Therefore, on weak circumstantial evidence, they found Rose guilty and sentenced her to a year with hard labour in Portsmouth. She would be released after four months.<\/p>\n That was not the end of the scandal, though. Edith produced a notebook filled, allegedly, with Rose\u2019s writing, which roused enough doubt that an inspector from Scotland Yard, George Nicholls, was called in to investigate. He came to suspect Edith herself to be the author, describing her \u201cstony expression\u201d and her \u201cremarkable memory especially for filthy phrases\u201d that she could \u201creel off without hesitation\u201d. She struck him as \u201cbeing possibly wrong in her head\u201d.<\/p>\nIs Wicked Little Letters<\/em> a true story?<\/h2>\n
![\"Jessie](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/03\/wickedlittlelettersstillspressphotosfirstlookstill3996x2160wllfirstlookstill-be255b9-e1710172241209.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C412\" "\\"Jessie")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>Was Rose Gooding arrested as the author of the poison pen letters?<\/h2>\n
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Who were the real Edith Swan and Rose Gooding?<\/h2>\n
![\"Olivia](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/03\/2WJH484-36e1b22-e1710172350237.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Olivia")
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