The Cunning Crimes of the Yorkshire Witch
In 1800s England, Mary Bateman posed as a powerful witch to con desperate people out of their money – until her “magical cures” turned to murder.
The story of Mary Bateman, the Yorkshire Witch, is one of trickery, fraud and murder. The life of Mary, was a torrent of fraudulent schemes based on the superstitions and gullibility of her neighbors in early 19th-century England. Her 1809 downfall, trial, and execution are stark reminders of the havoc told that unchecked greed and deceit can wreak.
Mary Harker was born to a farming family in the Yorkshire village of Aisenby in 1768. Mary came from a respectable family — her father was a local politician — but she began showing signs of intensely troubling behavior early in her life. By the age of five, she was already known for stealing and lying. Her parents attempted to set her straight, but it was an impossible task.
At the age of twelve Mary had been orphaned and so was sent to work as a domestic servant, which was common for girls of her class. But her compulsive stealing brought her dismissal from many households. By the late 1780s, her reputation was so sullied that no one in her community would employ her. She had to leave everything behind and Mary chose Leeds, a big city where no one knew her.
Mary was working as a seamstress in Leeds. She was skilled and hard-working, but what she set her sights on went far beyond needle and thread. Mary soon started earning money by claiming supernatural powers. She divined fortunes, peddled love potions, and claimed to lift “evil wishes” that befell her clients. Her standing as a “wise woman” spread, especially among the superstitious and fragile.
Mary wed a wheelwright named John Bateman in 1792. John was a good, solid, decent man — but he quickly got caught in Mary’s web. The pair moved well over a dozen times, often to avoid charges of Mary stealing and committing fraud. Despite all these disruptions, Mary had continued her soothsaying and had made her schemes even larger.
Mary’s schemes grew more elaborate. By the early 1800s Lily claimed to be working alongside a powerful psychic named Miss Blythe, an entirely made-up person. Through Miss Blythe, Mary allegedly heard the voice of God and advised her clients on matters from health woes to money woes. The payment for these services often consisted of money, goods or a combination of both.
Her practice flourished. Visitors at Mary’s humble home were met with a duality of intrigue and power. She would write letters to Miss Blythe on behalf of her clients, and later return with advice that often came with further demands for payment. Mary’s combination of affability and assurance led many to relinquish their valuables under the impression they were investing in their future.
Mary’s plans ultimately drew the interest of a couple from Bramley, near Leeds. William Perigo and Rebecca Perigo were regular people, until Rebecca started having a weird “fluttering” feeling in her heart. Convinced that an “evil wish” (curse) had been cast upon her by a neighbor, Rebecca sought the assistance of Mary. Mary swore that Miss Blythe could cure Rebecca, but warned that it could be a costly and delicate process.
Mary ordered the Perigos to give her silk bags stuffed with guinea notes, which she said would be sewn into Rebecca’s bed to neutralize the spell. In the ensuing months, Mary kept asking for money and household items, ostensibly on Miss Blythe’s behalf. They ranged from clothing, silverware, butter and a new bed. Each demand was also accompanied by strict instructions to destroy the correspondence so as not to weaken the power of the spell.
The Perigos had little money, but plenty of desperation. William did everything he could to fulfill Mary’s demands, believing that Rebecca’s health hinged on it. Mary was a relentless manipulator. She capitalized on their fears and superstition and made (sure) they would never ask someone else for advice or help.
In April 1807, Mary told the Perigos that Miss Blythe had predicted a serious illness in their family for the month of May. But she told them the disease could be reduced if they followed her instructions. Mary gave the couple powders to sprinkle in their food and honey, saying they were protective remedies.
The Perigos started eating the mixtures according to instructions on May 11, 1807. For five days, they suffered no ill effects, but on the sixth day, the doses were larger and both fell violently ill. William recovered after eating only a small amount of the tainted food, but Rebecca, who ate more, died from the poison on May 24.
William had trusted Mary despite his wife’s death, believing that Miss Blythe’s magic might still be able to save him. He did as Mary instructed for another two years, delivering more money and goods. By this time Mary was spinning ever more elaborate stories, insisting that Miss Blythe was working on an even bigger plan to keep William safe from any future harm.
By October 1808, William had begun losing faith in Mary. Tormented by doubts and suspicions, he began investigating. He unstitched the silk bags sewn into Rebecca’s bed by Mary. What lay inside were scraps of paper, useless trinkets – not the guinea notes. The way he’d been tricked sent him into a rage-filled spiral into despair.
William confronted Mary about what he had found. She first attempted to shift blame, insisting that he must have altered the spell’s instructions. As it became clear that her excuses would not suffice, Mary took more desperate steps. She planned a clandestine meeting with William — perhaps to finally silence him. However, William was suspicious of her motives and brought a constable with him to the meeting. Mary’s efforts to spin the situation her way backfired — and she was arrested.
Mary’s arrest shook Leeds and the surrounding communities. It had taken years for her crimes to come to light, buried as they were under her reputation as a healer and soothsayer, but now her true self was exposed. The search of her home turned up a trove of stolen goods and a cache of poisons, including the mercury compounds that were used to poison Rebecca Perigo.
Mary had her trial at York Castle on March 17, 1809. The courtroom was full of spectators eager to watch justice meted out to the notorious “Yorkshire Witch.” The prosecution had presented strong evidence, including testimony from many of Mary’s victims of her schemes, and the chemical analysis performed on the poisoned honey and powders.
The testimonies offered a damning account of Mary’s conduct. Describing how she had preyed on their fears, witnesses said she had been a master at convincing them to give her money and valuables. Some talked about how Mary had used the make-believe Miss Blythe as an excuse for demanding things of them, while others mentioned strange powders and potions she had supplied. Her guilt was a matter of overwhelming evidence.
Mary continued to profess her innocence, pleading against all charges and claiming she had never meant to harm anyone. She even falsely claimed she was pregnant in a last-ditch attempt to stave off her execution. But a medical exam proved that to be false. Her stony expression started to falter as the evidence stacked up.
The jury did not take long to deliberate. Mary was convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged. In closing comments, the judge railed against her greed and lack of remorse, saying “For crimes like yours, in this world, the gates of mercy are closed.”
Mary Bateman was hanged at York on March 20, 1809. Thousands had come to witness her death, many seeking some supernatural manifestation that might save her. None came. The noose clicked tight; with the execution of Mary, her life as a hustler and manipulator dangled at the end of the rope, dead. After her execution, Mary was dispatched to Leeds General Infirmary for dismemberment, as was the custom for executed criminals of the day.
The public’s obsession with Mary didn’t stop after she died. Her skeleton was preserved and exhibited for more than 200 years, first in the Leeds Medical School and later in the Thackray Medical Museum. Books and articles were published about her exploits, and she took her place in history as one of England’s most notorious fraudsters.
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