The WW2 Witch Trial of Hellish Nell

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? 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. Joining us is Jess Marlton, manager of Bodmin Jail where all sorts of paranormal events take place. 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? Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out. This podcast was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. 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. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT . Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe . You can take part in our listener survey here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.