Was Justice Served?

‘He found the child dead and saw Dr Burke drop the revolver on the hearthrug and stagger to the side of the room, where he lay down on a seat...'  On a cold February night, in a Barnsley pub, an unimaginable tragedy took place. Inebriated on expensive champagne, a local doctor waved a revolver around wildly. As his terrified wife fled the room to get help, a bullet rang through the air. Its target: their 9-year-old daughter Eileen. What could explain this horrific act? How did the courts – and the community – respond in the wake of such a crime?  In the first episode of this two-part special, Jen and David look at one of the ‘Barnsley Murders' - two shootings that took place just weeks apart - and reflect on the impact of social class on its verdict. In part two, they'll be turning their attention towards a shockingly similar crime with a very different outcome.  Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved  Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:  @wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved  Producer - Madeleine Gilbert  Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard  AV Editor - Callum Main  Video Lead - Andrew Farrell  Researcher - Jen Baldwin  Voiceover - Tanya O'Sullivan  AV Lead - Mark Asquith  Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

‘Her dress was bedaubed with blood, and there was blood on the floor. Jealousy is said to be the cause of the crime...'  In the autumn of 1880, David Anderson awoke to find his wife Ann dead in his arms. With a fatal head wound and sheets stained with blood, her cause of death was far from natural. The couple had recently become entangled in a jealous, alcohol-fuelled love triangle with their lodger – but was she to blame for this atrocity? Who would be tried for Ann's murder?  Jen and David delve into this gruesome 19th-century murder. They analyse salacious headlines to tell a story of jealous passion, unravelling themes of poverty, addiction and Victorian gender roles in the process. Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved  Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:  @wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved  Producer - Madeleine Gilbert  Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard  AV Editor - Callum Main  Video Lead - Andrew Farrell  Researcher - Jen Baldwin  Voiceover - Tanya O'Sullivan  AV Lead - Mark Asquith  Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

If he was not Roger Tichborne, he had committed a deliberate fraud, and supported it by perjury, forgery and the most abominable means...'  In the autumn of 1886, the widowed Lady Tichborne received a curious letter signed ‘Sir Roger Tichborne, your son'. But Roger had perished in a shipwreck off the coast of Brazil over a decade before. The grieving mother welcomed Roger back with open arms – but with growing suspicions and accusations of fraud, the joyous reunion wasn't all that it seemed. Was it the real Roger Tichborne, or a fraudster after the family's fortune?  In this episode, Jen and David trace the scandalous story of a shipwrecked son risen from the dead to reclaim his inheritance. From Australia to Hampshire, the headlines take them on a journey full of unexpected twists, as they analyse the case's wealth of first-hand testimonies.  Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved  Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:  @wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved  Producer - Madeleine Gilbert  Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard  AV Editor - Callum Main  Video Lead - Andrew Farrell  Researcher - Jen Baldwin  Voiceover - Tanya O'Sullivan  AV Lead - Mark Asquith  Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

'She... woke and was horrified to find that her husband was cold. She tried to pour brandy down his throat, and then found that he was dead...'  In the early hours of New Year's Day 1886, Adelaide Bartlett stirred from her slumber to find her husband cold to the touch. He'd been unwell for some time, but his premature death didn't seem like an accident. Was he poisoned? Who wanted him dead?   Edwin Bartlett's death in 1886 opened a Pandora's box of secrets and intrigue, as a couple's unconventional marriage – and their entanglement with close friend minister George Dyson - was laid bare. In this episode, Jen and David turn their attention to a salacious murder case, discussing its central themes of gender and Victorian social norms.  Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved  Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:  @wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved  Producer - Madeleine Gilbert  Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard  AV Editor - Callum Main  Video Lead - Andrew Farrell  Researcher - Jen Baldwin  Voiceover - Tanya O'Sullivan  AV Lead - Mark Asquith  Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

‘Save the ghastly corpse, still bleeding from a frightful wound in the head, they had not left a trace of the dark deed which had been but too successfully accomplished...'  In the summer of 1860, a wealthy 70-year-old widow was found murdered at her home in Stepney. She lay in a pool of her own blood, with her scalp pulverised and her petticoats thrown above her head, for four days before being discovered. Curiously, there were no signs of forced entry into her home. Was her killer an acquaintance - or worse, a friend? What did they have to gain from her murder?   Presenter and former police officer Rav Wilding joins Jen and David to examine how the grisly murder of Mary Emsley played out in court, reflecting on Victorian investigation methods and the central themes of class and poverty. With Rav's firsthand insight, they reflect on how police would handle this perplexing case today.   Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved  Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community:  @wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved  Producer - Madeleine Gilbert  Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard  AV Editor - Callum Main  Video Lead - Andrew Farrell  Researcher - Jen Baldwin  Voiceover - Tanya O'Sullivan  AV Lead - Mark Asquith  Executive Producer - Helen Kaye

Join Jen for a special bonus episode, in which she dives into her own family tree and reveals the fascinating story of her Irish ancestor: Archibald McKenzie. Research by Findmypast revealed that 1 in 6 people have a criminal in their family tree, and Jen's research has led her to uncover the details of Archibald's crimes in historical records and newspapers. Follow the story from a brush with the law in Ireland to a second offence in Wales before he emigrates to America. Get to know the world in which Archibald lives, which might lead you to question - was justice served? As always, you can review the Case Files for yourself at www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved Instagram - @wasjusticeservedpod TikTok - @wasjusticeserved Producer - Madeleine Gilbert Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard AV Editor - Callum Main Researcher - Jen Baldwin AV Lead - Mark Asquith

“There were infinite possibilities as to how he might be shot. There was room for conjecture and for difference of opinion in this matter...” On the morning of 10 August 1893, a party of three gentlemen leave for a morning of shooting on the sprawling Scottish estate of Ardlamont. One loses his life in the woods, at the wrong end of the barrel of a shotgun. The survivors – the only witnesses – were the two men with the most to lose and the most to gain from his demise. Were they responsible for plotting his death and covering it up as a tragic accident? Jen and David take their expertise to this case, which inspired the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. They look at the characters involved, all with something to hide, and examine what brought them together on this fateful day. They follow the major twists of the trial, including revelations around money, love affairs, and criminal pasts. And they look at the fall-out of the case, where the those involved revealed their true characters… Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community: Instagram - @wasjusticeservedpod TikTok - @wasjusticeserved Producer - Madeleine Gilbert Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard AV Editor - Callum Main Videographer - Angus Webster Video Lead - Andrew Farrell Graphics/Design - Kate Benzie, David Bradley and Graham Jacobs Researcher - Jen Baldwin Voiceover - Elliot Hardman AV Lead - Mark Asquith  

“...she asked me to fetch the police, but my husband would not let me interfere... he had threatened to rip her inside out. I said to her: “He is not safe to live with”...” In the early morning of 2 June 1906, a woman is discovered lying dead on the floor of her bedroom. She had gone to bed in good spirits but never woken up. An autopsy revealed a ruptured spleen – an injury which could have been caused by a nasty fall, or just as easily by the toe of a boot. What happened overnight in the small, terraced house in the Essex coastal town of Southend on Sea? Was her partner to blame? In this episode, Jen and David pick apart the complex relationships between a woman, her partner, and her close family, all living in close proximity in Victorian terraced housing. They discuss issues of masculinity and historical attitudes towards domestic abuse, which played a central role in the case. This mysterious and tragic death was discovered and sent in by Findmypast community member, Tom Fitton. Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community: Instagram - @wasjusticeservedpod TikTok - @wasjusticeserved Producer - Madeleine Gilbert Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard AV Editor - Callum Main Videographer - Angus Webster Video Lead - Andrew Farrell Graphics/Design - Kate Benzie, David Bradley and Graham Jacobs Researcher - Jen Baldwin Voiceover - Elliot Hardman AV Lead - Mark Asquith  

“He there saw the deceased lying upon her back on the floor, a pool of blood surrounded her head, her throat was cut, and she was dead...” During an unseasonal storm on the night of 31 May 1902, a young unmarried woman is brutally murdered in the quiet village of Peasenhall, Suffolk. Her death reveals her secret: she is six months pregnant. Rumours have circulated for years about an illicit affair with a fellow member of the local Primitive Methodist chapel, while a letter discovered in her bedroom appears to show she is in contact with a mystery lover who lives just meters from her house… So who was the father of her baby, and was she killed to cover it up? Jen and David look at the short life of the victim, Rose, working as a domestic servant and carrying a ruinous secret. They discuss the relationships in this small, close-knit rural village, and the hearsay surrounding the trial that centred on the Primitive Methodist community. They take a closer look at the aftermath of the case, including examining false confessions and how the people involved were affected long after the trial ended. Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community: Instagram - @wasjusticeservedpod TikTok - @wasjusticeserved Producer - Madeleine Gilbert Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard AV Editor - Callum Main Videographer - Angus Webster Video Lead - Andrew Farrell Graphics/Design - Kate Benzie, David Bradley and Graham Jacobs Researcher - Jen Baldwin and Karen de Bruyne Voiceover - Elliot Hardman AV Lead - Mark Asquith  

“The boy was lying on the bed in convulsions, and the bed was covered in black vomit...” An accidental poisoning or a bid to wipe out an entire family? You decide. Late in the evening of 22 September 1887 in Victorian-era Surrey, a doctor is called to a mysterious double-poisoning at the home of a gardener, Henry Bowles. There he finds Bowles' wife Hannah and son Edward at the point of death, from what he later discerns as strychnine poisoning. Jen and David examine whether this was a tragic mistake, a double suicide, or a terrible way to dispatch an entire family. They examine a family brought together by economic necessity to reveal what's hiding beneath their façade of respectability, and delve into the details of the trial, looking at Henry's possible motivations for murder. They also discuss the Victorian fear of poisoning, at what was the height of ‘Poison Panic', in a time where common poisons like arsenic and strychnine were easily accessible and difficult to trace. Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community: X - @wasjusticeserved Instagram - @wasjusticeservedpod TikTok - @wasjusticeserved Producer - Madeleine Gilbert Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard AV Editor - Callum Main Videographer - Angus Webster Video Lead - Andrew Farrell Graphics/Design - Kate Benzie, David Bradley and Graham Jacobs Researcher - Jen Baldwin Voiceover - Elliot Hardman AV Lead - Mark Asquith  

“I have been watching him for 12 years. He has been hiding, but I caught him at last...” A pre-meditated murder in broad daylight or the tragic result of deteriorating mental health? You decide. In this special pilot episode of Was Justice Served?, Professor David Olusoga OBE joins co-hosts Jen Baldwin and David Wilson to examine a murder hidden within his family tree. On the 10 September 1896, 64-year-old George Ewart approached 42-year-old Daniel Gray in broad daylight on the corner of Dalton Street in Byker, and shot him at close range with a revolver. Daniel would die that day of his wounds and George - David's great-great-grandfather - would go on to be tried for his murder. But this case is not as open and shut as it seems, as George's mental state is at the heart of his defence… David and the hosts discuss George and Daniel's lives, families, and the events leading up to that fateful day. They draw on testimonies delivered by family members – people that David's mother remembers – which were reported in the newspapers at the time as well as medical evidence and witness statements from the trial. They also examine the social and legal context at the time, and the burgeoning understanding of mental health as a factor in major crimes. And, ultimately, David reveals how this terrible tragedy set his family on a trajectory which has lasting impacts to this day. Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community: X - @wasjusticeserved Instagram - @wasjusticeservedpod TikTok - @wasjusticeserved Producer - Madeleine Gilbert Assistant Producer: Daisy Goddard AV Editor - Callum Main Videographer - Angus Webster Video Lead - Andrew Farrell Graphics/Design - Kate Benzie, David Bradley and Graham Jacobs Researcher: Jen Baldwin Voiceover - Elliot Hardman AV Lead - Mark Asquith  

Discover historical crimes, one headline at a time.    Join hosts Jen Baldwin and David Wilson as they journey back in time to some of the past's most cryptic criminal cases, brought to you by Findmypast. In each episode, we'll take a look at the evidence found in historical newspapers and records and try to unpick what really happened.     Listen as we delve into the gory, the heartbreaking, and the sensational cases that gripped the nation. Get to know the characters involved, their lives and secrets. Follow the twists and turns of the trial – and help us answer the ultimate question: Was Justice Served?    Don't just take our word for it – analyse the evidence for yourself. For each episode, you can access a complete collection of the historical newspapers we've talked about online at www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved.