Jamaica: The Edinburgh Castle Mad Master

Foul Play: A Historical True Crime Podcast

Shane L. Waters, Wendy Cee, Gemma Hoskins

History, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.5 • 992 Ratings

🗓️ 26 June 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What drives a man from Scottish grace to Caribbean bloodshed? In the sun-drenched hills of Jamaica, the Edinburgh Castle Mad Master left a trail of violence. This Season 36 episode explores serial killers who left indelible marks on history. Lewis Hutchinson, a Scottish emigrant, came to Jamaica with dreams of wealth. Before his crimes, he was just another settler striving to build a future. However, his ambitions soon turned deadly, giving rise to tales of madness and murder that would haunt the island. Hutchinson's story matters because it highlights colonial tensions and the impact of unchecked power in remote territories. By examining his descent into madness, we learn about the conditions that allowed such individuals to operate with impunity. Allegedly responsible for numerous disappearances, Hutchinson maintained a facade of respectability while committing heinous acts. Locals whispered of his involvement in dark deeds, but it was only after a fortunate escape of one victim that his dreadful reputation was confirmed. In the 18th-century Caribbean, isolated plantations were microcosms of power struggles, with overseers wielding life and death authority. Many, like Hutchinson, succumbed to the sinister lure of unchallenged rule amidst the backdrop of colonial hierarchy. Through gripping narrative, this episode reveals how a seemingly honorable frontier man became Jamaica's feared killer. Foul Play examines testimonies and historical records, piecing together a chilling, cautionary tale of power's corruptive potential. --- Support Foul Play: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/foulplaypodcast Website: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/foul-play/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/foul-play-crime-series/id1525832703 Follow us: Instagram: @foulplaycrimeseries Twitter: @foulplaypod

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Transcript

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0:55.0	secure. What drives a man from Scottish Grace to Caribbean bloodshed? What hunger turns sun-drenched
1:07.5	hills into a killing field? And how did he cloak his murderous games in the guise of hospitality until it was too late?
1:22.1	Music Welcome back, friend, to episode 3 of serial killers in history.
1:46.7	Last time we wandered the gilded saloons of 17th century France.
1:52.9	Today we scaled Jamaica's mist-shrouded peaks in 1768, a land of sugar and suffering, where one man's shadow would stretch further than any plantation.
2:08.1	Imagine the heavy, humid air, thick with cane smoke and distant church bells.
2:16.2	Planters rode past in ornate carriages. Enslaved laborers toiled under
2:22.7	whip cracks. And high above, Maroon hunters whispered warnings of a phantom shot in the dark.
2:32.8	Never rest at that castle, they murmured.
2:37.1	He picks off the living, like fruit from a tree.
2:42.2	Local spoke of a lone silhouette atop the battlements under a blood-red moon.
2:49.8	An omen none dared ignore.
2:53.7	Carriages rattled along winding mountain passes,
2:58.5	carrying merchants, travelers, and targets.
	...

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