Sarah Chesham: The Essex Poisoner Who Changed British Law (1847–1851)

Sarah Chesham: The Essex Poisoner Who Changed British Law (1847–1851)
News of the Times | Episode 563 | 1851
In the sleepy village of Clavering, Essex, two young boys died days apart — sudden, wrenching illness, no clear explanation. Locals whispered… but the law shrugged.

Then a neighbour’s infant died.
Then her husband.
All had one visitor in common.

Her name was Sarah Chesham — but to the press, she became Sally Arsenic, a domestic poisoner whose quiet kitchen rewrote the rules of Victorian justice.

Accused of killing her children, her husband, and another child in a neighbouring village, she stood trial not once, not twice, but three times — and walked free each time. Until, finally, in a fourth trial, the evidence refused to be ignored.

☠️ This episode reveals the chilling true story behind the woman who horrified a nation.

🕵️‍♂️ Based on original newspaper archives and courtroom testimony, we examine:
Arsenic and the Victorian household
The tragic pattern of “illness” in Clavering
Sarah’s notorious trials and final downfall
The real-life consequences that changed English legal proceedings

📚 A tale of whispers, funeral pies, and arsenic-laced rice pudding — this is one case you may not want to watch over dinner.

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1851: The Disturbing Case of Mary Emily Cage | EP390
https://youtu.be/jvM8alfWztY
1851 & 1875: Cases of Double Black Widows | EP464
https://youtu.be/k9YYxpoQ9Go
1856: The Murder of George Samuel Little Mystery | EP469
https://youtu.be/UeoyQsJtEbU

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