The WW2 Witch Trial of Hellish Nell
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
10/10/23
•37m
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What made a working class woman from Edinburgh become such a threat to British intelligence services during the Second World War, that they tried her as a witch?
In today's episode, we're telling you the story of Helen Duncan, aka Hellish Brown, a medium who lays claim to being the last woman in England to be tried as a witch, culminating in her trial in 1944 under the 1735 Witchcraft Act.
Joining us is Jess Marlton, manager of Bodmin Jail where all sorts of paranormal events take place.
What made Duncan's performances so memorable? Why did her trial capture the public's imagination? And how does the 1735 Witchcraft Act live on today?
Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.
This podcast was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.
Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards! UK & Ireland listeners please place your vote on the Spotify mobile app here: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Age of Consent: Medieval Meaning, Victorian Scandals & Modern Relevance
October 6, 2023
•41m
While the age of consent has fluctuated over time, it reveals some fascinating and enlightening things about how we view sexuality in society.
Today's guest, Laura Lammasniemi, professor at Warwick School of Law, takes us back in time to explore the many ways these laws have changed, and why they have just as much relevance now as they ever have done.
How did Medieval England interpret ideas of consent? Which Victorian scandal led to consent laws we keep in place today? And why have girls consent laws historically differed from boys?
Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.
This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.
Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards! UK & Ireland listeners please place your vote on the Spotify mobile app here: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
The Black Death: the Rise of Women, Witches & the Peasant’s Revolt
October 13, 2023
•40m
There’s not much good to come out of a plague, especially a bubonic plague in the 14th century. A pandemic which definitely didn't involve zoom quizzes and a video montage of celebrities singing 'Imagine' by John Lennon (actually, maybe they were better off in the 1300s).
But something extraordinary happened after The Black Death, which killed around half of the population in England. Because of a shortage of men, women had more autonomy and opportunities; from work and apprenticeships, to being able to rent land in their own name.
Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Philippa Gregory to talk about how women's lives were impacted by the plague.
Philippa's new book: Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History, is out on the 26th October.
This podcast was edited by Tomos Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.
Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards! UK & Ireland listeners please place your vote on the Spotify mobile app here: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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