Arsenic and Lace: The Trial of the Yorkshire Witch - with Maddy Pelling
Summary
Tim Harford interviews historian Maddie Pelling about her book on 18th-century hoaxes, focusing on Mary Bateman, a Leeds witchfinder who murdered clients with arsenic. Pelling explores how Enlightenment-era chaos fueled deception, drawing parallels to modern scams and the human desire for hope. The discussion also covers listener questions on political forgeries and the psychology behind why people fall for cons.
Topics discussed
Intro and Ad Breaks
Story Intro: Rebecca Perrigo and the Curse
Interview Intro: Hoaxes in the Enlightenment
The Bottle Conjurer Hoax
Mary Bateman: Early Life and Rise to Power
Mid-Roll Ad Breaks
The Kitchen Sisters and the Egg Hoax
The Murder of Rebecca Perrigo
Mary Bateman's Trial and Execution
Legacy: Anatomy and Public Display
Q&A: Modern Scams and Redeemed Hoaxers
Q&A: Political Forgeries and Schadenfreude
Outro and Credits
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