54. Martha Brown - Domestic Violence

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

BBC

True Crime, History

4.7 • 908 Ratings

🗓️ 13 January 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Lucy Worsley is back with a new series of Lady Killers, where true crime meets history - with a twist. This time Lucy heads to Dorset to explore the life of Martha Brown, a victim of domestic violence, accused of murdering her husband John in 1856. Martha’s story goes on to inspire Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

Martha initially claims John was kicked to death by his horse, but eventually confesses to his murder, revealing the long history of abuse she suffered at his hands. Will Martha’s confession win her a reprieve and save her from the gallows? With Lucy to find out more is the solicitor Harriet Wistrich, the founder of the Centre for Women’s Justice and the co-founder of the campaigning organisation Justice for Women. Harriet works on behalf of women who have murdered their partners after years of abuse. She is best known for leading Sally Challen’s successful 2019 appeal when her conviction for murdering her abusive husband was overturned. Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone and together they visit Dorchester to see the courtroom where Martha Brown was tried for murder and the site of the former prison where she is held before her trial. Lucy wants to know what this case tells us about the lives of women experiencing domestic abuse in Victorian England and women in similar situations today. How much has the law changed since the 1850s concerning abused women who kill? And, if Martha Brown were on trial today, what might the outcome be? Producer: Jane Greenwood Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers Sound design: Chris Maclean Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts.
0:05.7	Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, and I'm Ed Gamble, host of another BBC podcast, The Traitors Uncloaked.
0:12.7	But my show is available only on BBC Sounds, just like Ellis and John's Saturday bonus episodes,
0:18.2	The Pop Top Ten podcast with Scott Mills and Rylan, and comedy specials
0:22.2	from the likes of Harriet Kemsley, Susie Ruffel and Rommashranga Nathan. However, and maybe I'm biased,
0:27.9	it's really all about The Traitors Uncloaked. So for a whole bunch of exclusive scoops and podcasts,
0:33.4	listen only on BBC Sounds. You're about to listen to a brand new series of Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley.
0:40.3	Episodes will be released weekly wherever you get your podcasts.
0:43.6	But if you can't wait, head over to BBC Sounds,
0:45.9	where you can listen to the latest episodes a whole week earlier, first on BBC Sounds.
0:51.1	If you'd like to stay up to date with the latest episodes,
0:53.6	make sure you subscribe to Lady Killers on the BBC Sounds app
0:56.9	and have push notifications switched on.
1:01.3	Welcome to Lady Killers with me, Lucy Wersley, from BBC Radio 4.
1:06.5	This is where true crime meets history with a twist.
1:16.1	Music This is where true crime meets history with a twist. Today I'm investigating a heartbreaking murder case from the Victorian age.
1:22.8	This is a story which stirred passions, divided the nation, and inspired one of Britain's greatest
1:30.6	novelists. I must warn you that you will hear graphic descriptions of violent injury and domestic
1:35.9	violence from the start. I had never struck him before after all his ill treatment, but he hit me so hard.
1:44.0	The absence of blood everywhere but in this room seems to show that he must have been killed
1:48.8	in this room.
1:49.9	I am accused of murdering my husband, but I'm as innocent as the angels in heaven.
	...

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