The WW2 Witch Trial of Hellish Nell

<p>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?</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>Joining us is Jess Marlton, manager of Bodmin Jail where all sorts of paranormal events take place.</p><br><p>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?</p><br><p>Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This podcast was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>Get 50% off your first 3 months with code <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/receipt?code=betwixt&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>BETWIXT</u></a>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at <a href="http://historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>historyhit.com/subscribe</u></a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>