The Mortiferous Machinations of the Maleficent Murderess

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n Somencontemporary critics of Joanna Southcott sought to damn her by association whennone of her Passports to Paradise was found in the possession of the notoriousnmurderess Mary Bateman, known as The Yorkshire Witch. Regardless of what we maynthink about Southcott and her shenanigans, this is a cheap shot and a low blow,nas she had absolutely no control over who subsequently gained possession of thenthings. Mary Bateman, nee Harker, was born at Aisenby, near Thirsk in NorthnYorkshire, in 1768, to respectable farming stock, and at about twelve years ofnage she entered domestic service in Thirsk. She was a poor servant, and wasndismissed from several households for petty pilfering, and in 1788 she moved tonLeeds, where she worked as a silk dressmaker and began to exploit a growingnreputation as a witch.

Mary Bateman – The Yorkshire Witch

nIn 1792, she met John Bateman, a wheelwright, and withinnthree weeks they were married, an act that poor John had cause to repent at hisnleisure. One day he received a letter from Thirsk, saying his father was gravelynill and like to die. He immediately left Leeds for home, where he met hisnfather, hale and well, walking in the street. When asked about his health, thenfather replied he was well, and had been for a long time. Perplexed, Johnnreturned to Leeds, where he found Mary had stripped the house and soldneverything!

Leeds in Bygone Days

nShe repeatedly stole from their lodgers, and following a factorynfire, she approached various people for bedsheets with which to make shroudsnfor dead children, which were freely given, only to turn up later in localnpawnshops. John attempted to be free of her by joining the militia, but shensimply followed him, so in 1799, they returned to Marsh Lane, Leeds, where Marynbegan again to practice her magic, providing love potions and reading fortunes.nOne of her more imaginative ruses at this time was to inscribe eggs with suchnmessages as ‘Crist [sic] is coming’, re-introduce them into hensnand then wait for them to be re-laid, for which she charged observers a penny antime to witness the miracle.

Bateman with one of her miraculous eggs

nShe ingratiated herself into the household of twonQuaker sisters, the Misses Kitchin, who kept a small linen draper’s shop in StnPeter’s Square, Leeds, and presented herself frequently with promises to readntheir fortunes, and even ended up working in the shop. In September 1803, onenof these young ladies became ill, and Mary took the task of nursing her uponnherself. Mrs Kitchin senior, hearing of the illness, arrived from Wakefield butnshe, together with her other daughter, also became ill. Within ten days, allnthree were dead and Mary put out word that plague was to blame, therebynensuring there were no unwanted inquirers. When the house was eventuallynopened, it ws found that all its contents, the stock and the books from thenshop, were all missing. But no suspicion fell on the good friend Mary, whoncontinued to read the fortunes of mainly young serving girls, many of whom shenterrified into parting with their little savings. She employed a pair ofnfictitious confederates, a Miss Blythe and a Mrs Moore, whose sagacious ‘goodnadvice’ she passed on to her dupes, wringing even more pennies from them.

Joanna Southcott

nMarynnext devised a plan to visit York, where she announced herself to be a followernof Joanna Southcott and enquired where she might find others who were ‘Sealed’nin that City (knowing, full well, that these credulous folk would be theneasiest to swindle). She took lodgings, for free, at the house of a widownSouthcottian, where she lived for a while, allowing herself to be well fed andnmade comfortable. When she eventually left, the widow discovered that severalnguineas and the contents of her wardrobe had departed with her former ‘guest’.

The Extraordinary Life and Character of Mary Bateman – 1811

nIn the early spring of 1806, a servant girl from Leeds, Sarah Stead, spent hernWhitsuntide holiday with her aunt and uncle in the nearby village of Bramleynand was concerned to find her aunt Rebecca had a ‘flacking’ ornfluttering in her chest. A local ‘hedge’ doctor had been consulted, whondeclared she had an ‘evil wish’ had been laid upon her but a cure wasnbeyond his powers. Luckily, Sarah knew a woman who knew a woman, and MarynBateman’s assistance was sought. She did, she affirmed, know a Miss Blythe innScarborough who could help. All she needed was a flannel nightdress or somenother item worn by the lady next to her skin, which would be sent off, in ordernfor Miss Blythe to ascertain the true nature of the curse.

nMr Perigo broughtnthe nightdress and was told to return in a week’s time, which he did. A replynhad come from Scarborough, which told them to take the four guinea notes thatnwere supplied, sew them into silk bags and place them at the corners of MrsnPerigo’s bed, where they were to remain for eighteen months. Four guineas werento be given in return to Mrs Bateman, who would send them back to Scarborough.nAll this was done, and two weeks later another letter arrived, instructing themnto nail up two horseshoes on their door, using not a hammer but the back of anpair of pliers, which were then to be sent to Scarborough. For months, lettersnarrived instructing them to send all manner of odd things back to Scarborough,nincluding cheeses, silver spoons, a goose pie, worsted stockings, china teansets and a tea-caddy. Sums of money also arrived, to be sewn into the Perigo’snbed, and replacement amounts were to be returned, via Mrs Bateman, tonScarborough.

Notes and Queries – 1873

nIn May 1807, another letter came, instructing them to take thenseven packets of powder enclosed, give one to Mrs Bateman who was to mix it innhalf a pound of honey, and the other six to be held by the Perigos, awaitingninstruction. This soon arrived; the powder was to be mixed each day with anpudding, which William and Rebecca Perigo were to eat on consecutive days,neating the whole pudding themselves, and not allowing anyone to see them duringnthe time. If they were ill, they need not consult a doctor, but continue withnthe powder and pudding regime until complete and to also take a spoonful of thenhoney, otherwise it would not work. For five days, all went well, but on thensixth day they both became violently ill, vomiting and nauseous, and on May 24^thnRebecca Perigo died.

nA Doctor Chorley was called, who opined that she had diednfrom poison, a fact he proved by giving some of the remaining pudding to a cat,nwhich promptly also died. But, incredibly, nothing else was done. Miss Blythenwrote again, expressing her sorrow at Rebecca’s death but pointing out that itnwas her own fault, as she had not followed her instructions to the letter,nwhich also put the lives of herself and Mrs Bateman at risk! For two morenyears, William Perigo continued to send goods to Miss Blythe via Mrs Bateman,nuntil it dawned on him that the eighteen month period initially mentioned bynMiss Blythe was long passed. He went and rooted out the various silk bagsnplaced in the bed, opened them and discovered they contained bad farthings andncabbage leaves! He contacted Bateman on the pretence of wanting to buy somenmedicine, and when she arrived, he had her apprehended by the law. In hernpocket was a bottle of fluid, containing oatmeal and arsenic.

Arsenic

nShe was brought tontrial in York, before Sir Simon Le Blanc (honestly!) on Friday March 17^thn1809, where Doctor Chorley confirmed he had tested the pudding and the honey,nboth of which contained the poison sublimate of mercury. The Judge commentednwith marvellous British understatement that,

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n“It is impossible not to benstruck with wonder at the extraordinary credulity of Wm. Perigo, which neithernthe loss of his property, the death of his wife nor his own severe sufferings,ncould dispel.”

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nThe jury found Bateman guilty of the death of Rebecca Perigonby poisoning, the attempted murder of William Perigo and the intent to alsonmurder him with the arsenic and oatmeal mix, and defrauding the couple out ofnat least seventy pounds. Judge Le Blanc sentenced Mary Bateman to death by hanging,nwhereupon she announced that the sentence could not be carried out as she wasntwenty-two weeks pregnant. Le Blanc then empanelled twelve married women in thencourtroom to examine Bateman; this dozen matrons baulked at the prospect andnbolted for the doors but the Judge was already one step ahead and had the exitsnblocked. Bateman and the good wives of York retired to a side room and thenexamination took place; they re-emerged and informed the Judge that thenprisoner was not with child as she had claimed. You have to admit it, MarynBateman had more front than Blackpool.

nShe was sent to the condemned cells,nwhere a fellow prisoner told her that her last wish was to see her beloved.nMary told her that if she would give a certain number of coins, she wouldnfashion a charm from them, which she would then sew into the stays of thengirl’s corset and which would guarantee to bring the young man running. Thencoins were found and Mary set about her magic-making but soon after the girlnhad second thoughts and unpicked the stays only to find them empty. Even whennshe was waiting to be hanged, Mary had conned an innocent and pocketed thenmoney! That really is front.

nOn the morning of Monday March 20^thn1809, Mary Bateman went to the gallows at the New Drop near to York Castle,ndeclaring her innocence to the last. When the sentence had been carried out,nher body was taken down and transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, where itnwas dissected before an audience who paid thrupence each to watch, raising £30nfor the Infirmary.

The Mortal Remains of Mary Bateman

nHer skin was taken off, tanned, and strips of the resultingnleather were sold as lucky charms. Her skeleton (or what is left of it) and herndeath mask are still on display at the Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds.