Insane or Evil? The 1901 Murder of Emily Chapman at Hindhead

Insane or Evil? The 1901 Murder of Emily Chapman at Hindhead
News of the Times | Episode 524 | 1901
Was it madness — or murder?

In the summer of 1901, the quiet village of Grayshott awoke to a scene of unimaginable horror. Emily Chapman, a mother of five, lay dead — brutally attacked in her own home. The killer? Her husband Walter: sub-postmaster, cabinet-maker, and now accused murderer.

This episode of News of the Times explores one of Edwardian England’s most shocking domestic tragedies. Using historical newspapers, eyewitness accounts, and courtroom testimony, we ask the haunting question: was Chapman truly insane… or simply evil?

🔪 A chilling case of jealousy, delusion, and violence
🧠 Did the court get it right—or miss the deeper truth?
📜 Original reports, strange confessions, and forgotten headlines

📍Also in today’s Further Particulars:
What happens when a best man kisses the bride a bit too soon in 1890s Essex? Clerical outrage, of course.

👤 Hosted by Robin Coles

📅 New uploads every Monday, Wednesday & Friday
▶️ Related episodes from the vault:
1902: The Case of the Clonbrok Murder | EP477
https://youtu.be/M908ewkwXy4
1920: The Case of the Ipswich Murder | EP478
https://youtu.be/_56V2qvyND0
1912: The Case of the Tragic Love Story Unfolds at Blackburn Mill in 1912 | EP481
https://youtu.be/EiEAtewg9mw
1900: The Sinister Mr Salmon | EP484
https://youtu.be/dbLJw0a7v4A

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