The Yorkshire witch: A story of murder and witchcraft

The Yorkshire witch: A story of murder and witchcraft.

In 1809 Mary Bateman, aged 40 years, was hanged in front of thousands of people. Her body was put on public display with over 2500 people going to see it. Strips of her skin were made into leather and sold as magic charms to ward off evil spirits.

Some people believe that the spirit of Mary Bateman still haunts the halls of Thackray Medical Museum, where her skeleton was on display for many years.

But why was her skeleton on display there?

What did she do to gain the name ‘the Yorkshire witch’?

And why was she executed?

Mary Bateman started her criminal life early. She was born in 1768 on a farm in North Yorkshire and became a servant girl but was sacked because she was caught stealing. In the 1780s she became a minor thief and con artist.

She convinced lots of people that she had supernatural powers. She became a fortune teller in Leeds and sold potions that she said would ward off evil spirits.

In the late 1700s Mary was responsible for many frauds, petty thefts, poisonings and deaths but she managed to avoid being caught.

In 1806 William and Rebecca Perigo came to see Mary because they thought that Rebecca had been cursed.

She had been having chest pains and asked Mary to help lift the curse. Over several months Mary tricked the couple into giving her more and more money.

She prescribed a pudding secretly laced with poison. But it was only Rebecca that ate the pudding. Her condition got worse as the poison took effect and she died in May 1806.

William Perigo continued to pay Mary for more than 2 years until he discovered that one of the “charms” he had bought from her was worthless. He went to the police who arrested Bateman the next day.

Mary claimed that she was innocent but during a search of her home poison was found along with many of her victim’s personal items. In March 1809 she was tried and found guilty of fraud and murder.

She was sentenced to death and tried to avoid execution by falsely claiming she was pregnant. She was hanged at York Castle.

After she was hanged her body was put on display and then given to Leeds Infirmary for dissection.

Her skeleton was loaned to Thackray Medical Museum to be part of an exhibition there. Her skeleton is now at Leeds University.

Comments

A MAN THAT FAILED TO CONTROL HIS SEXUAL URGE

A MAN THAT FAILED TO CONTROL HIS SEXUAL URGE A man who can control his sexual urge is a man who can live many years on earth. Men don't know that some of their failures are caused by multiple girlfriends Not all girls have good spirit. Some are demons, others have venom between their legs. Some women are destiny destroyers, beware. Pay close attention: 1. A real man only has one woman in his life. 2. Don't obey your Erection at all times. Most erections mislead you Control your erection if you don't want to have few days on earth with much poverty in you. 3. Don't date a lady because she has curves, boobs and a sexy shape. These things are simply misleading avoid such, don't fall for what is called social media irony. 4. Not everything you see under skirt you must work to eat, some skirts contain snakes that bite you and make you uncomfortable. control your sexual urge Self control and abstinence pays a lot in most cases. 5. Marrying a woman doesn't mean she own...

The shocking moment 'cheating' woman is STRIPPED and BEATEN in broad daylight

SICKENING: The shocking moment 'cheating' woman is STRIPPED and BEATEN in broad daylight THIS is the shocking moment a woman accused of sleeping with a married man was stripped naked and BEATEN in broad daylight. Lin Yao Li was ambushed by four women as she walked home from the shops in the Chinese city of Puyang. As Lin's attackers pulled her to the floor they ripped off her clothes while punching and kicking her repeatedly in the breasts and groin. The ringleader of the gang was the scorned wife of the man Lin is accused of sleeping with. The sickening attack was witnessed by passersby who did not even attempt to help the defenceless woman. Local man Jun Feng, 30, who found Lin lying on the ground after the women left told local TV: "This type of thing is becoming quite normal. "Angry wives and girlfriends get their revenge on their cheating men by attacking the other woman. "People don’t tend to get involved because they see it as being an argument of the ...

moments before her execution.

Amanda, moments before her execution, whispers words that stun witnesses and unravel lies. Amanda, a loving mother, had been wrongly accused of kidnapping and murdering Judge Samuel Turner's daughter, Olivia. The trial had been swift and brutal, with public sentiment against her, and her protests of innocence had fallen on deaf ears. One rainy afternoon, Amanda is visited by Judge Turner himself, who delivers a bitter tirade. However, Amanda remains silent, and during his speech, a memory resurfaces, giving her a sudden clarity. She remembers a detail from the day of the crime that she had overlooked, a mention of Turner's grandparents' farm. This realization brings a spark of hope, and Amanda wonders if Emily, her own daughter, could still be alive, hidden away where no one had thought to look. Amanda, who is on death row for a crime she maintains she didn't commit, makes a surprising revelation during her execution. With a newfound deter...

WORLD OF ALL

Search This Blog