With its hot letters, scandalous charges, and charming English beach location, ‘Wicked Little Letters‘ has all the elements of a classic historical drama. The film, directed by Thea Sharrock, tells the story of two neighbors played by Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, who get entangled in a web of mistrust and hate mail.
But is this scandalous film based on a true story? Well, it turns out to be based on true events that date back to the 1920s, despite the story being too fantastical to be true. Yes, Rose Gooding and Edith Swan were actual persons, and the juicy controversy that followed was real!
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Meet The Real Edith Swan And Rose Gooding
In 1920, Edith Swan and Rose Gooding were neighbors in Littlehampton, West Sussex. Edith lived a relatively quiet life as a stay-at-home laundress with her family. On the other hand, Rose’s home was a bit of a circus, with her husband, Bill, her sister Ruth, and their kids.
In ‘Wicked Little Letters‘, Olivia Colman as Edith and Jessie Buckley as Rose are portrayed with some creative liberties. For instance, the film depicts Rose as an Irish immigrant, but she was actually born in Sussex. Also, Edith and Rose were much younger than their on-screen counterparts. And if you’re nitpicky about details, many of their family members were conveniently left out.
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The Explosive Origins Of The Littlehampton Letter Scandal
Initially, Edith and Rose were on good terms, swapping recipes and household items like good neighbors should. But things took a nosedive over something as trivial as garden trash. The Goodings’ untidy garden ticked off Edith, and a feud was born.
The real kicker was an Easter Sunday argument in 1920, involving Rose, Bill, and Ruth. Edith accused Rose of abusing her nephew, leading to a baseless NSPCC investigation. Edith, ever the opportunist, decided to up the ante.
She sent herself a postcard with the charming message: “You old cow, mind your own business and there would be no rows,” and accused Rose of writing it. This set off a chain of anonymous letters full of vulgar language. One of her letters read, “You can talk about us as much as you like you dirty cows…You are bloody dirty or you would clean the yard sometimes you bloody rotten buggers.”
These letters spread through Littlehampton like wildfire, smearing Rose’s reputation. The police, siding with the respected Swans, wrongly imprisoned Rose—twice.
The Real Libel Case Behind ‘Wicked Little Letters’
The scandal, known as the Littlehampton Letters or the Seaside Mystery, spanned from 1920 to 1923. It wasn’t until Gladys Moss (played by Anjana Vasan), the first female police constable in West Sussex, stepped in that the truth surfaced. She caught Edith Swan red-handed, sending one of her infamous letters. Edith was sentenced to one year of imprisonment with hard labor.
‘Wicked Little Letters‘ might dramatize the events, but it captures the essence of a scandal too wild to be fictional. ‘Wicked Little Letters‘ is currently streaming on Netflix.
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