Scratching Fanny of Cock Lane
Summary
Hosts Dana Schwartz and Lizzie Logan investigate the 1762 Cock Lane Ghost hoax in London. They detail how a parish clerk and his daughter faked supernatural noises to frame William Kent for murdering his common-law wife. The episode explores how the scandal fueled tensions between rational Anglicans and spiritual Methodists, drawing figures like Samuel Johnson before the fraud was exposed and the perpetrators punished.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and podcast introduction
Welcome to Hoax and the 18th-century setting
Historical context: Witch trials and spiritualism
The story of William Kent and Fanny
Fanny's death and the beginning of the haunting
Sponsors: Samsung, Veve, Venmo, and Domino's
The Cock Lane Ghost investigations begin
Public fascination and Methodist involvement
Samuel Johnson's investigation and the vault test
The hoax is exposed and Elizabeth confesses
Sponsors: Samsung, Veve, Venmo, and Domino's
Legal aftermath and sentencing
Cultural impact: Hogarth cartoons and slang
Comparison to Outlander and time travel
Outro, credits, and final sponsors
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