In 1582 a small corner of Essex in England turned in on itself, and 14 people - 13 women and 1 man - were arrested, interrogated and imprisoned for bewitching to death people and/or animals. This is a story of how grief, fear and suspicion can kill innocent people. Please note there is some discussion of infant death in this episode.

Brennen, Lewis: Parliaments, Politics and People Seminar: The Political and Religious Origins of the 1563 Witchcraft Act https://historyofparliament.com/2019/11/05/origins-of-1563-witchcraft-act/

Duff, Charles: The History of Hanging https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Art-of-Hanging/

A true and iust recorde, of the information, examination and confession of all the witches, taken at S. Ofes in the countie of Essex

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A14611.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext

Gibson, Marion: The Witches of St Osyth - Persecution, Murder and Betrayal in Elizabethan England

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Osyth_Witches

St Osyth Museum: https://www.stosythmuseum.co.uk/village-tales/1579-st-osyth-witches-and-witch-trials

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1582 a small corner of Essex in England turned in on itself, and 14 people - 13 women and 1 man - were arrested, interrogated and imprisoned for bewitching to death people and/or animals. This is a story of how grief, fear and suspicion can kill innocent people. Please note there is some discussion of infant death in this episode.

Brennen, Lewis: Parliaments, Politics and People Seminar: The Political and Religious Origins of the 1563 Witchcraft Act https://historyofparliament.com/2019/11/05/origins-of-1563-witchcraft-act/

Duff, Charles: The History of Hanging https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Art-of-Hanging/

A true and iust recorde, of the information, examination and confession of all the witches, taken at S. Ofes in the countie of Essex

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A14611.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext

Gibson, Marion: The Witches of St Osyth - Persecution, Murder and Betrayal in Elizabethan England

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Osyth_Witches

St Osyth Museum: https://www.stosythmuseum.co.uk/village-tales/1579-st-osyth-witches-and-witch-trials

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline of Ansbach, wife and queen of George 2nd, is one of the lesser known British Queens. Which is a shame, as she was one of the cleverest and most influential. Born in a small German state, she went on to wield enormous influence over her husband and his kingdom. The British First Minister would approach Caroline before her husband, and the public loved her for her style and loathed her for her influence.

Sources/Further Reading

Dennison, Matthew: The First Iron Lady

Dennison, Matthew: Caroline of Ansbach: why George II's remarkable queen was the first iron lady of British politics

https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/caroline-of-ansbach-queen-britain-george-ii-first-iron-lady-politics-sex-symbol/

Hadlow, Janice: The strangest family - the private lives of George 3rd, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians

Worsley, Lucy: Courtiers, the Secret History of Kensington Palace

Finch, Barbara Clay: Lives of the Princesses of Wales https://archive.org/details/livesofprincesse02finc/page/284/mode/2up

Williams-McIntosh, Leah: Queen Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Queen-Caroline-Brandenburg-Ansbach/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_of_Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline of Ansbach, wife and queen of George 2nd, is one of the lesser known British Queens. Which is a shame, as she was one of the cleverest and most influential. Born in a small German state, she went on to wield enormous influence over her husband and his kingdom. The British First Minister would approach Caroline before her husband, and the public loved her for her style and loathed her for her influence.

Sources/Further Reading

Dennison, Matthew: The First Iron Lady

Dennison, Matthew: Caroline of Ansbach: why George II's remarkable queen was the first iron lady of British politics

https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/caroline-of-ansbach-queen-britain-george-ii-first-iron-lady-politics-sex-symbol/

Hadlow, Janice: The strangest family - the private lives of George 3rd, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians

Worsley, Lucy: Courtiers, the Secret History of Kensington Palace

Finch, Barbara Clay: Lives of the Princesses of Wales https://archive.org/details/livesofprincesse02finc/page/284/mode/2up

Williams-McIntosh, Leah: Queen Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Queen-Caroline-Brandenburg-Ansbach/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_of_Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bess of Hardwick was born in Hardwick Hall as the daughter of a relatively poor local squire. She died in almost the same spot 80 years later - but in a vastly different tax bracket. At her death, she was not only a Countess but she controlled enormous swathes of lands and ran a thriving business loaning money and selling timber, slate and bricks from her extensive properties. She was the richest woman in the country after Queen Elizabeth 1st, and was first a friend and then an enemy of Elizabeths great rival Mary Queen of Scots. Bess of Hardwick was there for some of the most well known and significant moments in English history, and her story is a remarkable one.

Sources/Further Reading:

Lovell, Mary S: Bess of Hardwick - First Lady of Chatsworth

Hubbard, Kate: A Material Girl - Bess of Hardwick 1527-1608

Gristwood, Sarah: Arbella - Englands Lost Queen

Armitage, Jill: Arbella Stuart - The Uncrowned Queen

Once Upon A Time in History: A St Loe Murder https://cupboardworld.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-st-loe-murderer.html

English Heritage: Bess of Hardwick https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/bess-of-hardwick/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bess_of_Hardwick#Death_and_burial

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bess of Hardwick was born in Hardwick Hall as the daughter of a relatively poor local squire. She died in almost the same spot 80 years later - but in a vastly different tax bracket. At her death, she was not only a Countess but she controlled enormous swathes of lands and ran a thriving business loaning money and selling timber, slate and bricks from her extensive properties. She was the richest woman in the country after Queen Elizabeth 1st, and was first a friend and then an enemy of Elizabeths great rival Mary Queen of Scots. Bess of Hardwick was there for some of the most well known and significant moments in English history, and her story is a remarkable one.

Sources/Further Reading:

Lovell, Mary S: Bess of Hardwick - First Lady of Chatsworth

Hubbard, Kate: A Material Girl - Bess of Hardwick 1527-1608

Gristwood, Sarah: Arbella - Englands Lost Queen

Armitage, Jill: Arbella Stuart - The Uncrowned Queen

Once Upon A Time in History: A St Loe Murder https://cupboardworld.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-st-loe-murderer.html

English Heritage: Bess of Hardwick https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/bess-of-hardwick/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bess_of_Hardwick#Death_and_burial

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queen Charlotte was hand-picked King George 3rd to be his Queen, and she proved to be a good choice. Her steady sense of duty helped keep the Kingdom together when her husband was incapacitated and her subjects were restless. Recently made more famous thanks to the series ‘Bridgerton’ Charlotte was not unlike her character on the show - dignified and keen on protocol. However she loved her husband and was highly distressed at his ongoing illness.

Sources/Further Reading

Curzon, Catherine: The Real Queen Charlotte- Inside the Real Bridgerton Court

Hadlow, Janice: The Strangest Family - the private lives of George 3rd, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians

Worsley, Lucy: Courtiers, the Secret History of Kensington Palace

Finch, Barbara Clay: Lives of the Princesses of Wales https://archive.org/details/livesofprincesse02finc/page/284/mode/2up

Historic Royal Palaces: Queen Charlotte https://www.hrp.org.uk/kew-palace/history-and-stories/queen-charlotte/

Wikipedia: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_of_Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queen Charlotte was hand-picked King George 3rd to be his Queen, and she proved to be a good choice. Her steady sense of duty helped keep the Kingdom together when her husband was incapacitated and her subjects were restless. Recently made more famous thanks to the series ‘Bridgerton’ Charlotte was not unlike her character on the show - dignified and keen on protocol. However she loved her husband and was highly distressed at his ongoing illness.

Sources/Further Reading

Curzon, Catherine: The Real Queen Charlotte- Inside the Real Bridgerton Court

Hadlow, Janice: The Strangest Family - the private lives of George 3rd, Queen Charlotte and the Hanoverians

Worsley, Lucy: Courtiers, the Secret History of Kensington Palace

Finch, Barbara Clay: Lives of the Princesses of Wales https://archive.org/details/livesofprincesse02finc/page/284/mode/2up

Historic Royal Palaces: Queen Charlotte https://www.hrp.org.uk/kew-palace/history-and-stories/queen-charlotte/

Wikipedia: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_of_Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.