59. Kitty Newton - Killer Daughter

Lucy Worsley meets Kitty Newton, a daughter accused of killing her very own mother. With her team of all female detectives, Lucy uncovers long buried secrets in the Newton family - but could these truly be the motive for such a terrible crime?

Would a daughter really kill her very own mother? If so, why?

It is 1848, in the chill depths of winter. In the early hours of the morning a servant, Mary Corfield, stumbles upon a grisly discovery - the lifeless, charred body of an elderly lady, Ann Newton. At first sight the death looks suspicious, and the woman’s daughter, Kitty Newton, is arrested on the spot.

In this episode, historian Professor Rosalind Crone heads to the market town of Bridgnorth in Shropshire to visit the scene of the alleged crime. She also goes to Bridgnorth Town Hall where an inquest into the death of Ann Newton took place.

Back in the studio, Lucy is joined by crime writer Dorothy Koomson, author of The Ice Cream Girls and All My Lies are True. She’s known for her sharp insights into the tangled dynamics between mothers and daughters, vital skills to help examine this sinister case.

Together, Lucy, Ros and Dorothy piece together the clues and the possible means, motive and opportunity.

Was the fire that killed Ann Newton a terrible accident or was it set by her daughter?

Producer: Emily Hughes Readers: Clare Corbett, Jonathan Keeble, Ruth Sillers and Bill Hope Sound Design: Chris Maclean Executive Producer: Kirsty Hunter

A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4