Introducing Lady Swindlers Series 2

Uncanny

BBC

Personal Journals, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.7 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 15 May 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this first episode, Lucy is investigating the life of Mary Bateman who is living in Leeds in the first decade of the 19th century - a time when, despite huge leaps forward in science, many people still believe in the power of the supernatural. Mary is working as a ‘wise woman’ selling magic charms and potions, and showing off her prophetic chicken. But, as Lucy discovers, there’s a very dark side to Mary’s business too.

With Lucy to explore Mary Bateman’s story is the writer and broadcaster Deborah Hyde, known to millions as one of the sceptical voices on the hit BBC podcast about the supernatural, Uncanny.

To stay up to date with the latest episodes subscribe to Lady Swindlers on BBC Sounds.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.7	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport podcasts.
0:08.4	I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with leading journalists, experienced
0:12.2	pundits and the biggest sports stars.
0:14.3	Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the player's mouths.
0:19.1	But the best thing about doing this at the BBC
0:21.6	is our unique access to the sporting world.
0:24.8	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts
0:27.1	that create a real connection to dedicated sports fans
0:30.1	across the UK.
0:31.3	So if you like this podcast,
0:33.0	head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:37.1	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:43.0	Welcome to a brand new series of Ladies Swindlers with me, Lucy Worsley, where true crime meets history with a twist.
0:58.8	Music where true crime meets history with a twist. Join me and my all-female team of detectives
1:01.7	as we travel back in time
1:03.8	to revisit the audacious crimes of swindlers, hustlers and women on the make.
1:10.8	Women who were trying to make it in a world made for men.
1:16.3	What do their lives and their crimes tell us about women in the past?
1:21.3	And how different is it for women today?
1:25.5	Now let me take you back more than 200 years to the beginning of the 19th century.
1:32.9	Britain has been at war with France for over a decade.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.