History's Deadliest Women: The Husband Killer
episode
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
54 min
2 speakers
6 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is petty treason and why was it used for women who killed their husbands?
Fantastic news betwixters. Thanks to your votes, we are through to the final twenty of the Listener's Choice Awards at this year's British Podcast Awards. We still need your help though, of course we do. We've got to keep those votes rolling in. And if you voted before, apparently you have to vote again. I d it wasn't my idea. But this time, follow the link in the show notes to the British Podcast Awards Spotified playlist on your mobile app where you can cast up to three votes for Betwixt the sheets. But only in the Spotify mobile app. I'm sorry, it is a bit of a pain. But your vote would mean the world to us. Thank you so much. Hello, my lovely Betwixters. It's me, Kate Lister. Welcome back once again to Betwix the Sheets.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to let us witter on in your lug holes. But before we can do any of that, I have to make sure that you're safe and that you are secure and that you're not going to be upset with anything that might assail the aforementioned lug hole. And here it is. This is an adult podcast, pocket by adults to other adults about adults. Adulty things in an adulty way, covering a range of adult subjects, and you should be an adult too. We call that the fair dudes warning because if you listen to that and then if you keep listening and you get offended, well, tough tits, that one was on you because fair dudes, we did tell you. Right, let's crack on. It is 1773 and we are in central London heading out for a family day at the executions.
Huh? Fun for all the family. The good old days, eh? It's actually quite a big case today. That of Elizabeth Herring, a woman who is controversially sentenced to death for the murder of her husband. Now that wasn't the controversial bit, by the way. She definitely killed him.
How did the law define petty treason and what punishments did it carry?
Definitely did. That there were loads of witnesses and everything. The controversial bit is how she's going to be killed, because Elizabeth has been found guilty not just of murder but of petty treason. As could all women be who would oft their husbands. And how did the refined and genteel 18th century deal with such a crime? Well, they burnt them to death. Of course they did. I'm ready to find out. More if you are.
Hello
and welcome back to Bitwix the Sheets The History of Sex Scandal in Society with me, Kate Lister. For several hundred years under British law, if a woman killed her husband, she wouldn't be charged with murder or manslaughter. She would be charged with, drum roll, please, petty treason. So what is that crime? Would a man killing his wife get the same charge? Spoiler alert, pfft, no. And why did this crime warrant being burnt at the stake? Which felt outdated. Even in the eighteenth century. Well today I'm joined by Professor Rose Wallace, a social historian of crime, and she is gonna tell us all about petty treason and the case of Elizabeth Herring. Are you ready to do it? Well let's crack on.
Well, hello and welcome to Betwixt the Sheets. It's only Professor Rose Wallace. How are you doing, babes? I'm very good, Kate. How are you? Oh, thrilled to be talking to you. I think the last time I saw you we was at Sheffield, wasn't it? We were doing the Crossedwires Podcast Festival with the awesome Lucy Lucy Wellesley. Yeah, all sex and crime and Sex and Crime. Yes. Yes. That was good fun. Actually, that was a hot day if memory serves. Yeah. Yeah. So it's fab to have you back. Not only did I uh we worked together on the Pakka thing, but we also worked together on uh Lucy Walsley's murder club. We were the murder club, you, me, and Nadifa.
Yeah, absolutely.
Why were women burned at the stake for petty treason instead of being hanged?
That was a great, great one to be involved with. It was good fun again. More ranty chats actually
about horrible things. It was a behind the scenes fact about that shoot is that I had the worst flu in my entire life. Do you remember you were so nice to me and so patient. Like I honestly thought I was so ill I thought I was drunk. But you honestly you wouldn't
have known you wouldn't have known Kate, you'd absolutely soldiered to her. I think there was quite a lot of ginger shots, if I remember rightly.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is petty treason and why was it used for women who killed their husbands?
0:00–1:39
2
How did the law define petty treason and what punishments did it carry?
1:39–3:58
3
Why were women burned at the stake for petty treason instead of being hanged?
3:58–9:50
4
Who is Professor Rose Wallace and what is her expertise on crime and protest?
9:50–20:16
5
What happened in the case of Elizabeth Herring, the last woman burned for petty treason?
20:16–39:21
6
How did the trial evidence and witnesses shape Elizabeth Herring’s defence?
39:21–54:32