The Yorkshire Witch

The Yorkshire Witch
Author: Summer Strevens
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2017-01-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473863872

On the morning of 20 March 1809, the woman who had earned herself the title of ‘The Yorkshire Witch’ was hanged upon York’s ‘New Drop’ gallows before an estimated crowd of 20,000 people. Some of those who came to see Mary Bateman die had traveled all the way from Leeds, many of them on foot, and many of them were doubtless the victims of her hoaxes and extortion. A consummate con-artist, Mary was extremely adept at identifying the psychological weaknesses of the desperate and poor who populated the growing industrial metropolis of Leeds at the turn of the nineteenth century. Exploiting their fears and terror of witchcraft, Mary Bateman was well placed to rob them of all their worldly goods, yet she did much more than cause misery and penury; though tried and convicted on a single murder charge, the contemporary branding of Bateman as a serial killer is doubtless accurate. Meticulously researched, this accessible, and at times shocking retelling of Mary Bateman’s life, and indeed her death, is the first since the publication chronicling her criminal career appeared in print in 1811, two years after her execution. Not only focusing on the details of her felonies and the consequences to her victims, it also examines the macabre legacy of her mortal remains, a bone of contention (literally you might say!) with the continuous public display of her skeleton in the Thackray Medical Museum until the recent removal of this controversial exhibit.

The Yorkshire Witch

The Yorkshire Witch
Author: Summer Strevens
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2017-01-31
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 1473863899

“A fascinating tale of witchcraft and skulduggery in darkest Yorkshire in the early 19th century. . . . An extraordinary story, brilliantly told.” —Books Monthly On the morning of March 20, 1809, the woman who had earned herself the title of “The Yorkshire Witch” was hanged at York’s New Drop gallows before an estimated crowd of twenty thousand people—many of them victims of her hoaxes and extortion. A consummate con artist, Mary Bateman was adept at identifying the psychological weaknesses of the desperate and poor who populated the growing industrial metropolis of Leeds. Exploiting their fears and terror of witchcraft, Mary was well placed to rob them of their worldly goods, yet she did much more than cause misery and penury. Though tried and convicted of only one murder, the contemporary belief that she was a serial killer is doubtlessly accurate. A meticulously researched retelling of Mary Bateman’s life and death, and the macabre legacy of her mortal remains, The Yorkshire Witch is also a “wealth of social history . . . about the lives of servants; housing conditions . . . the rise in religious fervour . . . the prevalence of superstitious beliefs . . . accounts of early toxicology; how crimes were prosecuted; the treatment of female convicts; and public executions” (Crime Review).

The Book of Forgotten Witches

The Book of Forgotten Witches
Author: Lilla Bölecz
Publisher: Watkins Media Limited
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2024-09-03
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1786789132

A beautifully presented hardcover collection of folklore and stories of legendary and historical witches from all over the world, with over 80 stunning, spooky illustrations. The perfect gift for the witchy people in your life. For many centuries the figure of the witch has haunted our imagination and our nightmares. There have been many attempts to quash our fascination with these wielders of forbidden powers, but all have failed. We invite you now on a journey through a moonlit world, where every shadow tells a tale of magic, persecution and persistence. In this beautifully illustrated volume, discover witches real and legendary, who once terrorized, devoured, helped or empowered their communities, but who are now largely forgotten. Ten chapters introduce ten different categories of witches, from curse-bringers, shape-shifters and survivors to revenants, nature witches and fate-turners. Most, but far from all, are women, and their stories come from across the world. Each chapter is linked to a different card of the Major Arcana and to a stage in the alchemical process of turning base metal to gold. In this way, as you learn about the witches, you will complete a journey of self-discovery and transformation, gleaning wisdom and empowerment from the awe-inspiring magical practitioners of folk tradition and history.

Yorkshire's Strangest Tales

Yorkshire's Strangest Tales
Author: Leonora Rustamova
Publisher: Portico
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2013-05-15
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1909396338

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Yorkshire, or as it is sometimes beautifully referred to, God’s Own County. Though this isn’t the usual side of the county the tourists, travellers and residents see. This is the real Yorkshire, the strange and twisted nooks and crannies of the county’s bizarre history – past, present and future. Following on from the bestselling Strangest Series now comes an eBook devoted to one of England’s most beautiful valley regions. Located in the upper body of Britain’s old man, Yorkshire is a county with more strangeness than you can shake a Dale walking stick at. Home of Robin Hood (he was born in Barnsdale), Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin and Dracula (Bram Stoker wrote part of the vampire tale in a Whitby hotel!) and, some say, the birthplace of modern civilization even began in Leeds! But you’ll have to read the book to find out why. Yorkshire’s Strangest Tales is a treasure trove of the hilarious, the odd and the baffling – an alternative travel guide to some of the county’s best-kept secrets. Read on, if you dare! You have been warned.