Timesuck with Dan Cummins - 477 - The Ogress of Reading and the Horrors of Baby Farming

Episode Date: October 20, 2025

In Victorian England, “baby farming” turned unwanted infants into a deadly business. Amelia Dyer, known as The Ogress of Reading, used it to hide an unimaginable number of murders - hundreds of them. This week, we expose the grim world of baby farming, the cruelty of Victorian morality, and how one of the most prolific killers in British history was only a small part of a much bigger problem.Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: [e-mail] (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amelia Dyer became known as the ogress of Reading and also as the Redding baby farmer. Baby farming was a lot like what it sounds like, unfortunately. Babies were viewed as a cash crop, and it was a common 19th century practice in England where women offered to adopt or foster illegitimate or unwanted children for a small fee. Selling a child to a baby farmer was an option most often utilized by desperate single mothers looking for a humane way to give up custody of their child so they could get back. into the workforce and avoid poverty, starvation, and the very strong punishing social stigma that came with being an unwed mother in Victorian England. Unfortunately, baby farming was

not a positive practice in almost every case. Most baby farmers, it seemed, based on the historical analysis, use the infants and sometimes older children they brought in to make easy money. It had a lot more to do with profit than anything even remotely humanitarian. After getting the child into their custody, most baby farmers simply neglected them, shipped them off to a workhouse or to another family, sold them to someone else, or in many cases let them die of starvation and or disease. And then there was what Amelia Dyer did. Instead of collecting a small weekly or monthly fee from mothers, as was customary, she pocketed a one-time payment for full custody of the child, and then typically the child she adopted was quickly murdered. Most of them

within the first 24 hours of coming into her care. Amelia used the wildly unregulated baby farming industry to monetize infanticide. She posted ads in the paper under a false name, collected the children along with the payment, and then straight up strangled them towards the end with white edging tape before throwing their tiny bodies into the River Thames waded down by bricks. Amelia is believed to have murdered anywhere from 200 to somewhere around 400 infants and children. If these numbers are true, she is the most prolific serial killer

in British history, more prolific even than previous time-sucked subject, Dr. Harold Shipman, Dr. Death. Despite the horrible description you just heard, some actually considered Amelia to be doing a kindness to these children by not allowing them to suffer for too long. Apparently some baby farmers, perhaps many baby farmers, were even worse than Amelia Dyer. That's the true horror of today's episode, how unbelievably common this abhorrent practice was and the terrible cultural beliefs that led to it. Amelia's case would expose the dark secrets of baby farming to many during her day who had no idea how many of England's infants were being abused and killed.

It opened a lot of eyes to the systemic problems in Victorian society that pressured so many women to give their children to baby farmers, women who often had no better choice. Why were baby farmers allowed to get away with murder for so long? Today, we will dig into the dirty, shameful secrets of polite and proper Victorian society. We'll look at the forgotten women and children who were considered so morally corrupt for daring to have a child out of wedlock

or to be born out of wedlock that their lives didn't matter at all. Those high horse riding pretentious, supposedly virtuous moral crusaders of today, the ones who coldly look down and judge the choices of those not born into the same family stability and or wealth and or opportunities as they were, the ones who dismissively look down their noses

on the working class and try to enforce rigid moral values upon them that they do not tend to follow themselves while those upwardy pathetic shitheads have always been around. Today we'll examine Victorian England's horrific treatment of unwed mothers and will cover Amelia's life from beginning to end and how she got away with Killy, so many children for such a long period of time on another dark historical. Why does so many humans have to be so unbelievably cruel October edition of TimeSuck? This is Michael McDonald and you're listening to TimeSuck. You're listening to TimeSuck.

Happy Monday and welcome or welcome back to the cult of the curious. Dan Cummins. Suck Snowflake, long-time dangers of hitchhiking PSA deliverer. And you're listening to TimeSuck. Hail Nimrod, Hail Lucifina. Praise be to Good Boy Bojangles and Glory B to Triple M. Last reminder, before I get into it, that on Thursday night, October 23rd, right around the corner.

Lindsay and I will be coming to you live on video from the Scared to Death Studio for True Tales of Hallows Eve 5. I hope you join us. Go to Bad Magic Productions.com if you want to get a ticket. Logan Keith, they'll be running the old cameras, doing the scoring, live. The show will begin at 6 p.m. Pacific time, 9 p.m. Eastern time. I'll be sharing a new, never before heard, vampire-themed nightmare fuel story. Lindsay will be sharing new fan stories and will help get you in the move for Halloween.

again go to bad magic productions.com for that and some fun new merch and now let's hop across the pond to jolly old england back when it wasn't very jolly back when it was a constant fucking nightmare for most one they would never wake up from back when victorian england was a society that would have made me want to throw myself into the river thames and just let myself drown not even kidding poverty was rampant millions most of the nation living in filth and squalor with very little hope for any socio-executive economic advancement. If you were poor, you were firmly stuck down in the muck and the mire, the mud, piss, blood, and filth of crowded, polluted industrial cities, or your back was being broke, working out at some laborer for next to nothing out in the country. As the Tom waits, song goes, misery is the river of the world. If you were rich, you were surrounded by stiff, rigid, pretentious, fun-hating fuchs I would rather spit on than have a drink with. Victorian England was a full of old-fashioned, very conservative attitudes, and sometimes flat-out bat-shit insane beliefs regarding sexuality, gender, and motherhood. These values were so extreme that unwed mothers were essentially completely cast out from society.

They lost their jobs, were legitimately shunned by their families and their church, often had to abandon their illegitimate children if they hoped to ever find a man willing to marry them and save them from their shame and from dying in poverty. What laws were in place that allowed such things to happen? What kinds of social values fostered an environment of such cruelty towards women and children? Let's find out. Prepare to be outraged. A popular ballad in 19th century England sums up to zeitgeist of Victorian England when it came to unwed mothers. Poor girls who fell down from the straight path of virtue. What could they do with the child in their arms?

The fault they committed they could not undo, so the baby was sent to the cruel baby farm. To say the life in 19th century England was not easy for single mothers and their illegitimate children would be a massive understatement. Women who got pregnant outside of marriage were often quickly kicked out of their homes, as I mentioned, viewed as basically dead by their parents, fired from their jobs if they were lucky enough to have a job, and then both they and their child were left to fend for them.

themselves. Their career choices, for the mothers, of course, going forward pretty much to either engage in dangerous sex work back when syphilis was rampant. Almost no one used condoms. There was no antibiotics around to cure syphilis back when Johns could and commonly did abuse sex workers with impunity. These women's other choice was to beg in the street. Did it matter if a woman was pregnant because she had been taken advantage of by a much older man, a boss, a pastor? No. They could easily deny it and often did. Did it matter if they had been raped, sexually assaulted by a family member even? Nope. Those crimes fell on deaf, uncaring ears by and large. Would the father of the child often be shunned the same way or in any way? Oh, fuck no. Oh, not at all. They could just lie and

say the pregnant woman was making it all up that they were not the father. Even when people knew better, the father usually got away with a very little stigma attached to his name going forward, especially if he was a man of means and money and he certainly did not face any legal trouble so when exactly did all this shit happen well the victorian era in england was on the uh or excuse me was the period of queen victoria's reign from june 20th 1837 till her death january 22nd 1901 uh just prior to the victorian era before the 1834 poor law amendment act parish authorities did have the power to pressure or force the alleged father to pay maintenance for the child to avoid that cost falling on the parish. If he refused, he could be imprisoned.

So at least there was some focus on the father, some form of recourse and punishment. But after that act, well, the legal and financial burden shifted almost entirely on to the mother, making it much harder for women to claim maintenance. Dads and the church just got fucking cut loose for any responsibility pretty much. Making it easier for men to avoid any and all responsibility and to avoid any form of punishment. for their sexual dalliances and who passed this law? Bunch of dudes. Women couldn't vote.

They had no representation in parliament. They certainly could not run for any legislative position. The only woman who had any legal power was the queen herself. How convenient for men to pass self-serving laws. England was a country of the haves and have-nots, and the haves often borne into their money and into some form of nobility. They ruthlessly suppressed the poor. And women as well, especially women.

these fuckers are real big on submission this law in addition to fucking over unwed mothers fucked over the poor more than they were already being fucked led to the creation of a lot of workhouses places that were part sweatshop part prison to quote this law

out relief should cease relief should be given only in workhouses and upon such terms that only the truly indigent would accept it into such a house none will enter voluntarily work, confinement, and discipline will deter the indolent and vicious and nothing but extreme necessity

will induce any to accept the comfort which must be obtained by the surrender of their free agency and the sacrifice of their accustomed habits and gratifications. So in plain English, no more giving welfare money to the poor. Fuck them. If those bums can't find a proper job, the only way for them to not be homeless now

is to enter the employ of a workhouse where they'll find room and board and be worked nearly to death. for it and be disciplined, as it for children. They're to be so badly treated in these workhouses, so exploited and abused, they will do everything and anything in their power to get a better job to escape the abuse. This kind of shit kills me. It's always framed in some form of, well, if they weren't so lazy, if they weren't so indolent and vicious, we wouldn't need to do this, would we?

They bring it on themselves. This simplistic view never factors in shit like, you know, what if there's not actually enough good jobs to go around for everybody in the economy. What if some of these people are mentally ill, which is always true? What if some of these people are mentally and or physically disabled, which is also always true? And so on and so forth. So many people who take on the attitude of, well, I did it. I worked hard and made something to myself, so you can too. They don't factor in that we don't all begin the race at the same starting line. We're not all built to dominate a race. you know personally i've worked my ass off ever since i was in high school uh to what some would

and have considered a workaholic level during certain stretches of my life you know starting back in college i have regularly had more than one job more often than not i've had two or more jobs throughout all my years of stand-up 90% of the time i's also working on other shit in the background auditions pitches production work hosting a satellite radio show hosting other shit doing talking head shows then i took on podcasting very time-consuming research heavy version of podcasting then added more podcasts, and I've worked out, I would guess, on average, 60 plus hours a week of actually like focused work since time suck began. Still work, even with no stand-up, at least eight to 10 hours on most weekends. But that does not mean that I did it all by myself or that anyone

else could do it too. That doesn't mean that someone whose homeless could have done the same damn thing pulled themselves up by their same bootstraps in the same way. I've been very lucky. My first wife, very supportive of my career choices. My current wife, very supportive. Very extremely supportive does so many things so I can focus on work not everybody has that support not everybody's lucky enough to find it I've never suffered from a serious mental illness not at least one that's been diagnosed some of you're probably like eh I've you know very likely on the autism spectrum was born with the brain that can hyper fixate spend day after day intensely researching or creating stories and not get distracted or worn out like some other people

would you know I was born with the ability to read very quickly retain more of what I read than the average person. I've never had a major health crisis, knocked me out of work for any significant length of time, not ever. So many things completely outside of my control have allowed me to do what I've done. Are some people lazy? Are they just not willing to work hard enough to get what they want? Not willing to save, to delay short-term gratification for long-term security. Of course, a lot of fucking people are lazy. I've known too many of them. I've worked with too many of them. Had talent, had the means, just fucking lazy. But a lot of people truly are not able based on some combination of ability and circumstance to, quote, make it like others can. And we should,

I don't know, maybe help them instead of shaming and disavowing them. Isn't that one of the most important functions of a noble and healthy society to help one another, to help the less fortunate? Why is that so hard for so many selfish people to understand? Just, man, just such a fucking chronic lack of empathy. That shit always piss me off. Essentially, those Victorian workhouses became de facto prisons for people whose only real crime was just being born into poverty.

Another part of this 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act regarding unwed mother specifically is described thusly. Mothers of an illegitimate child should receive much less support. Poor law authorities should no longer attempt to identify the fathers of illegitimate children and recover the cost of child support from them.

fuck authority should no longer even attempt to identify the fathers and the mom should receive less support how many lords and other aristocrats help pass that law specifically so they didn't have to help support the various young women they were fucking and impregnating probably often raping uh or at least sometimes outside of their marriages single mothers were such an easy target for lawmakers. Men and women in Victorian England, in a culture whose morality was dictated pretty much solely by men who are the lawmakers, the pastors, the heads of the household, could view single moms as immoral and get no real social or political blowback.

It was far easier to judge them than to take a look at themselves. No one wanted to help them or be associated with these moms. Illigimate children were neglected and abused more often than not. Just crazy like, what did the kids do? So many meat sacks have sucked. Each and every generation of human history, haven't they? Vile, small, selfish little fucking cretans. Able to look down on an unwed child,

simultaneously look at themselves as a good person. Man, the mental hurdles, people jump. The lies we tell ourselves. If you look down on kids because they were born out of wedlock, guess what? You're a cunt. Get fucked. The mothers of these children were often physically,

financially, and emotionally unable to care for them. domestic servants were often among the women who gave birth to illegitimate children. Many of them are thought to have been victims of rape, fucked by the head of the household behind his wife's back. Then if she got pregnant, fired, tossed out unceremoniously. They lost their home, their social network, their sole source of income. But what about abortion, you ask? Abortion was a criminal act in Victorian England, punishable by death.

Under Lord Ellen Burroughs Law, or, excuse me, Lord Ellen Burroughs Act, passed in 1803, willfully, maliciously, and unlawfully administering, quote, any deadly poison or other noxious and destructive substance or thing with intent to cause and procure the miscarriage of any woman, then being quick with child would lead to capital punishment. If women risked death and did get an abortion, they almost never got it from a good doctor. The good doctors were not willing to do that. They got an infamous, you know, back alley type of abortion, and there were often severe medical complications. was an uncommon for the mothers to die or to be injured in a way that left them unable to have children going forward

if the woman chose to give birth to their baby they typically had to carry the child to term in secret this was referred to as their confinement period many women both rich and poor who got pregnant outside of marriage were highly pressured to go into hiding as soon as they started to show and because of all that many women felt highly pressured to kill their newborns to take or drink

you know, or fetuses, take or drink something to induce an abortion, like tincture of Pennyroyal or Penny Royal tea, which is actually super dangerous. Penny Royal is highly toxic. The oil from the Penny Royal plant contains a poisonous compound called Pulacone, which can cause multi-organ failure in death. It's an unpredictable and extremely dangerous method of abortion, not some kind of safe herbal folk remedy. Still, Penny Royal was one of the ingredients advertised in, quote, female regulating pills sold by pharmacists of the day through mail order catalogs.

These products use euphemisms like correcting obstructions or correcting irregularities to signal their abortifacient purpose. Anyone else hearing Nirvana's unplugged edition of Penny Royal Tea in their head right now?

Sit down drink in a royal tea. still the life that's inside of me God, such an iconic performance In addition to Penny Royal, women also use shit like knitting needles, later coat hangers to induce abortions, great way to get a possibly life-threatening infection, you know,

to bleed out, and then to avoid being hanged, they would dispose of the bodies of their children in secret. Unwanted babies back before modern birth, birth control methods existed were left in city streets, dumped in rivers, dumped in canals regularly. If a woman was arrested in London, it was most often during the Victorian era for concealment of a birth or infanticide. Infanticide came with a death penalty, and concealment came with a two-year prison sentence. Two years of hard labor. Crazy. Even if the baby died naturally, if you did not

register the death out of shame and thus concealed your child, you still got sent to prison where you would do hard labor again for two years. There was also no form of state assistance for single mothers in Victorian England. Occasionally orphanages and charities helped them out, you know, kind of institutions like founding hospitals took in unwanted children, but they had very strict rules, very frequently, you know, commonly shamed and punished mothers, and most of the children had to be adopted out, right? You know, sure, you can come stay with us, ma'am, but you can't keep your child. I'm sorry, rules is rules. We need to sell to the wee chap to cover operational. cost we will i have no idea what that accent was orphanages they were just baby farms with a different

name uh life was hard not just for unwed mothers but for the illegitimate children as well wherever they went they were abused starved neglected died frequently from disease outbreaks like cholera because they were living in such squalid conditions many mothers even if they did somehow managed to keep their children ended up in workhouses with little to no access to their kids as we learned in the ireland's true houses of horror episode if the mothers could leave the workhouse they were often too poor to afford to take their kids with them and all of that is what led directly to the practice of baby farming single women with no good other options for help with their baby often felt like their best option was essentially to sell their child to a baby farmer a woman

who offered to foster or adopt the child for a small fee baby farmers advertise themselves in local newspapers most often using fake names their ads said things like quote respectable married couple seeking to adopt. Respectable married couple offering a country home for a child. Most baby farmers when Amelia Dyer was active in the mid to late 19th century, charged around five shillings a week to care for a child until they could find a home for them or until the mom could take the child back, plus a one-time fee of 10 or more pounds. That fee changed based on how much a baby farmer thought they could get from the mother. Mothers were exploited based on their financial situation. If the parents of the unwed mother were wealthy baby farmers might significantly charge more up to like

80 pounds or more but most charged anywhere from five to 10 pounds this could be an entire year's salary for some women but they often felt it was worth it for the promise of a good life for their child uh to put all this in modern terms think of baby farming like a craigslist for adoption women communicated by writing letters and arranged to meet in a public place once a woman gave up her baby. That was usually the last time they would ever see them. Once the baby farmer had the child, they could then be adopted by a childless couple sold to another baby farmer, or they could experience a much darker fate. Many baby farmers sought out infants under two months old because they were extremely fragile, and no one would question if they died. They collected the large

initial upfront payment from the mother, then made sure the infant died quickly so they could pocket most of the money for themselves without having to spend it on, you know, food and clothing for the baby. Author Angela Buckley wrote in her book on Amelia Dyer, Every death relieved the nurse of a burden enabling her to pocket the profits. Hundreds of baby farmers, arguably more cruel than Amelia, are believed to have slowly starved so many children to death, thousands. This is all so insane. There was an entire cottage industry revolving around covertly killing babies for money. These poor babies were fed water down milk, you know, fucking half rotten potatoes, stale bread, gruel, sugar.

They had little to no nutrients in their diet, so they got sick very easily. Back when diarrhea was a common cause of death for young children. And back in 19th century, England, it was very easy to go to your local drug store and purchase some opiates for a few, for a few cents as well. You could buy opiates over the counter without a prescription. As easy as buying a bottle of aspirin today. Opiates were a Victorian cure-all for aches, pains, coughs, insomnia, and, quote, quote, low spirits. Yeah, I bet.

And they were commonly used as a sleeping aid for both babies and children. That's fucking wild. Just giving babies opium. The most popular opiate product, Lodinum, was a tincture of opium, dissolved, and alcohol. And kids would drink it to help fall asleep. And they often did get an awesome night of sleep.

Hell yeah, they did. They were high as fuck. But then unless they kept getting more, you know, it was harder than ever for them to fall asleep going forward because Lodinum is highly addictive. So now you've got babies and toddlers and small kids who are legit opium addicts going through withdrawals that no one understands and getting beat for being fussy. Baby farmers use both alcohol and opiates to suppress infants appetites as well, saving money on food, allowing them to slowly starve to death. What's the actual fuck?

Many purchased a popular opiate syrup, sold at the time called Godfrey's cordial or mother's friend. Oh, it's laudaned them sweetened with syrup and spices. so messed up but also why is talking about that making me wish I could try it today I know opiates are so bad so bad but also just being totally honest I would love to cover some buttermilk pancakes

right with some of that Godfrey's cordial just once and take the greatest nap in history because the children technically died from starvation and not from the opium medical examiners considered it a natural death due to quote general debility marasmus or lack of breast milk quite the little murder loophole there. Older children, however, used as a way to provide long-term income oftentimes.

Baby farmers would charge mothers a weekly fee for years in some cases for their care. Mothers would pay this fee in hopes that someday they would be able to take the child back and raise them. They generally waited until they were married to try and do that. Especially evil baby farmers, some used some children who were in their long-term care as decoys to show prospective clients that children could live a happy life with them. imagine being that kid being paraded around by some monster trying to get more babies you knew damn well they were going to kill most women used aliases to communicate with the baby farmers baby farmers used aliases too which of course made it difficult to check on the welfare of a child or trace their location not that there were any social workers back then looking for them there was a police but unwed mothers who suspected their child was being abused were often too afraid to go to the police they knew in all likelihood that officers yours wouldn't give two fucks about their plight. Amelia Dyer was, of course, one of these baby farmers.

She offered single unmarried mothers a solution to their problems, or so she advertised. In reality, of course, she took money from unsuspecting mothers who believe they were sending their child off to a better life and straight up murdered them. And she is, as I mentioned, believed to have murdered anywhere from 200 to 400 infants and children in the late 19th century. That is such a crazy number. 400 people would be every single person in the little town I grew up in, all murdered by one person. she either slowly starved her victims,

which she did, you know, early on, overdosing them on Godfrey's cordial as well, and then in later years strangled them. And her trial in London would be one of the most sensational criminal cases in all the Victorian-era England. Not just because of what she did, but because Amelia's crimes

highlighted the widespread problem of the practice of baby farming. Her being a baby-killing monster was, of course, disgusting in its own right. But it was far more shocking to realize she was but one of many monsters, that the conditions of Victorian England had allowed her to get away

with her depraved, soulless business scheme for almost 30 years. And how many others had it allowed to do the same? At the time, the idea of a woman being a cold-blooded killer was extremely shocking in England, and the idea of a woman to find her maternal instinct in killing babies, even more horrifying.

And again, the knowledge that she was one of many, well, that was just shocking beyond belief. Joanna Bork, Gresham professor of rhetoric and history at Birkbeck, University of London, said in her evil women lecture series series of Amelia, she was a monstrous Victorian woman, the ultimate perversion of motherhood and the nursing profession. No woman could be further removed from the Victorian ideal of the angel of the house as described by the poet Coventry Pat Moore in his 1854 classic.

Okay, now, before jumping into Amelia's timeline, let's now look at a bit more historical context. How was baby farming legal? Well, in short, because Victorian England clearly did not give two fucks about kids in general. As I mentioned, the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act removed a father's financial obligation to care for his illegitimate children. Women could no longer appeal to the father for financial support at all. Well, I mean, they could. They could appeal. They could beg.

But he had no legal obligation to give it. This, of course, was incredibly hard on mothers and their children. They couldn't work. No one wanted to hire a pregnant unwed woman. Now they had to somehow deal with the stigma and shame of caring for an illegitimate child with no income all on their own. Add to this that children in general in England had not. no significant legal protection until the 1880s. In the Victorian era, children in particular working class

or impoverished children were generally seen as a liability until they could contribute to their families. It wasn't until 1872 that the government passed the Infant Life Protection Act, which required anyone who took in a child under 12 months to register with the police. However, this act was not enforced and considered ineffective. Then in 1884, the London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

was established. It became a national society in 1889. That year, the NSPCC, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was granted a royal charter with Queen Victoria as the first royal patron. The NSPC campaign to eradicate cruelty to children. Their mission statement argued that cruelty to infants and children was blatantly, morally wrong, and also common. The NSPC was frustrated because more Brits were concerned about animal cruelty at the time than child cruelty. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had been founded back in 1823, over 60 years before NSPCC. In 1890, NSPC founder Archbishop Henry Edward Manning wrote to the Guardian and appealed to Christians to fight against child abuse. He wrote, quote, the vilest, blackest shame of our land,

is the famine and the pain of tiny staggerers to the grave. Even the NSPC had their problems, though. As you will soon see, they didn't care about protecting all children, their mission was to protect white European children. More on that in a bit. For now, although NSPCC was founded on kind of good principles, for white kids at least, they still had to overcome a few major obstacles. The first was the father's legal right

to exert nearly unlimited control over his property, which included wives and legitimate children. Infants truly considered property, and men didn't want them regulated by the state. How crazy is this? This wasn't that long ago. It's just two centuries ago. Property-wise, infants born to unmarried women were considered worthless,

and somehow, through jumping over a lot of strange mental hurdles, their innocence was questioned. A lot of people at the time actually did not believe that illegitimate children had the divine spark of humanity. They compared them to animals. Like they somehow interpreted the Bible in a way that led them to think that babies literally did not have souls, illegitimate babies. They thought these babies were born spiritually and morally tainted by their mother's sexual

immorality. Not the fathers, you know, just the mother. anyone else right now feeling the urge to get into a time machine bring some machine guns so many bullets bunch of bombs maybe a bunch of poison for the water supply head back to Victorian England and just wreak fucking havoc just lay waste to so many evil pieces of shit this insane attitude of bastard babies being soulless

cretons led to the widespread acceptance of child abuse when it came to bastards and also baby farming right they were just animals soulless tainted animals wicked little things that did not deserve protection. Pretty convenient thing to believe. You know, easier to believe that than it would be to take the effort to help them. There was even a debate at the time regarding the sentience of children and whether or not they could actually feel physical pain. Seriously, most respected scientists of the day believed that infants were not fully sentient. Science was not exactly a sciencey back then, as it is now to be clear. In the 1870s, experimental embryology showed that the fetus's

nerve fibers developed at different rates, thus proving they were not sentient, and that belief was also extended post-birth. And this belief was then intertwined with some bat-shit crazy thing called the Great Chain of Being. And before I dive into the madness of what was The Great Chain of Bean, time for today's first to two mid-show sponsor breaks. Thanks for listen to our sponsors. Hope you heard a deal that you liked. And now let's check out the Great Chain of Bean nonsense. The Great Chain of Bean was a widely accepted. cosmological concept in medieval Europe that described a divinely ordained hierarchical structure

of all matter and life with God at the highest point and minerals at the lowest. The system emphasized permanence, or permanent, excuse me, order and the interconnectedness of everything from spiritual beings like angels to humans, animals, plants, and inanimate objects, influencing social structures and thought until the Enlightenment. And within this great chain of being during Victorian England, it was believed that white men were at the top of the hierarchy, directly below angels, you know how we are, we're almost angels, and that infants, white infants, born to a married mother, of course, were closer to animals on the chain. All of the races of infants were inferior to the proper white babies to some

degree, obviously. I mean, which makes it, which does make kind of sense, you know, some sense. I mean, we've all seen little white babies, born to a married couple, of course, at the library or a coffee shop, working on their doctoral theses, right, where an ascot. tweed jackets with elbow patches, you know, slacks, maybe corduroys. Their little white baby glasses, sipping espressoes, wrapping their little white baby heads around various economic theories or astrophysics. While their baby peers, African, Latino, and Asian babies are at home sucking on their thumbs and shitting themselves.

I mean, that's real right. Anyway, on top of this nonsensical, completely made up great chain of being, some geniuses posited that something called the great chain of feeling ran parallel to the great chain of being. I mean, the two chains, they do rhyme. So, of course, they must be connected. Adult white men were on one end of the great chain of feeling. We obviously feel the most, which is why you should never hurt us. And also why it's okay to abuse women and minorities. They don't feel. They don't feel as much as I do, obviously. And infants, they're on the other end. They feel the least. A little babies can't.

feel shit. So what's the big deal when they get beat or starved? Shake the fuck out of them. It's fun for everybody. It's fun for you. It's a great stress reliever. They don't mind. They're dumb babies. You can't feel shit. What's this big deal? Baby left to be shaped. James Sully, a British psychologist, also created the recapitulation theory, published in 1895 that helps further illustrate where people's heads were at, like how far exactly they were up their asses regarding babies in Victorian England. This theory proposed that an infant recapitulates or repeats the history of the human species. Uh, what?

A bit confusing, right? Here's how James explained this drivel in his own words. He wrote, If the order of the development of the individual follows that of the race, which it doesn't, we should expect a child to show a germ at least of the passionateness,

the quarrelsomeness, of the brute and of the savage. Before he shows the moral qualities, distinctive of civilized man, that he often shows so close a resemblance, semblance to the savage, and to the brute suggests how little ages of civilized life with its suppression of these furious impulses have done to tone down the ancient and carefully transmitted instinct, the child at birth, and for a long while after, may then be said to be representative

of wild, untamed nature. So in short, babies are savages. And regarding that point, you know, well, yeah, of course, not wrong in that respect. I mean, they do have very undeveloped brains. but they can't get hungry. They do have to shit, and they can't wipe their ass. And they're changing so fast and growing so fast, their bodies are hurting all the time. You would be savage, too, if you were still a baby. This theory stated that children belong to the animal community

because they had more in common with small mammals than with adult humans. I mean, you know, fair in a way. Children needed to be educated, they thought, to evolve from feral animals to proper humans. Thus, an uneducated child was seen as not all that different from like a pesky rat. or a feral dog

again if I got stuck back in Victorian era England I would probably not throw myself in the river I just couldn't handle being surrounded by this much insanity and stupid I'd probably go in a murderous rampage then you know

if the police didn't catch me first then throw myself in a river oh thankfully Amelia Dyer's trial would go quite a ways towards changing how England viewed babies in 1896 Reverend Benjamin Ward was called to give evidence before the select committee of the House of Lords

about the new infant life protection bill and safety of nurse children bill that would pass a few years later in 1897 excuse me, this happened either directly or, excuse me, this happened, his little speech here, either during or directly following Amelia Dyer's trial. He was called in to speak after revelations

came out about the true nature of baby farming. And his testimony shocked the committee. He told him there were roughly 50,000 children born to unmarried women each year in England and that baby farmers were responsible for killing thousands, if not more likely, tens of thousands of these babies every year, that it was not uncommon for baby farmers to continue to collect money from mothers long after the children had died. The committee then asked why the women did not check on their

children. And Reverend Ward informed them that the women were not allowed to in many cases and that they were too afraid to go to the authorities and risk exposing what was viewed as a shameful secret. Reverend Ward would also say to the committee, quote, Mrs. Dyer was actually the most saintly of baby farmers I have come across. She gives six seconds of pain, while the others give six weeks. Fuck. According to the Reverend, the monster you're about to meet, one of the good baby farmers. So keep that mind as we go forward.

Now the stage has been properly set for the timeline, and what a dark stage it is, right? But to make it not so dark, I do have some good news. British babies They are and have been for a long, long time Some of the ugliest babies in the world If not the very ugliest Don't Google that, just trust me Do yourself a favor

Do not picture cute little babies Being hurt and killed in today's episode No, that's too much Only picture very ugly babies Like don't think of like, you know, guys like Hugh Grant or Kit Harrington And imagine them as babies Or Sienna or Kate Beckinsale as babies

No instead imagine the face of Ricky Jervais Or Boris Johnson or Pierce Morgans on a little baby body Imagine David Ike Or Margaret Thatcher Having their little face on a baby And in addition to being ugly Some historians don't look this up

Have come out and said that babies in general For whatever reason in Britain in the 19th century Were quite vile They were often born cruel And racist and violent They couldn't be breastfed Because they would often try to bite off Their mother's nipples with their nasty little teeth

Oh yeah, they were born with teeth Sharp teeth Little goblins really Just replaced the word baby with goblin, demonic spawn of Satan goblin, and the pill of this episode will be easier to swallow. Okay, with that out of the way. Before we jump in, I want to say real quick that because the true number of Amelia's victims is unconfirmed and the estimated number is so high, it won't be possible to go in depth on all the children she fostered and abused and all the children

she likely murdered. Also won't be possible to cover the full extent of the testimony and evidence against her in one episode. And honestly, it would get super, or redundant and boring to do so. What we'll do instead is cover all her known biographical information and the child murders that led directly to her conviction. And that, of course, is not to minimize the importance of any of the victims.

Also, many of the children she murdered remain unidentified to this day, so we can't really recognize them. Finally, it would be impossible to cover the full scope of the horrific acts committed by Amelia Dyer, again in one episode, even a long one. But by the time I'm done, I think you'll be glad

that I haven't had more to say about all this. You'll be like, enough! Oh, my God, enough! What is wrong with our species? Now let's dive in. Shrap on those boots, soldier. We're marching down a time-sunk timeline. On November 27, 1837, Amelia Elizabeth Hobbley, born in the hamlet of Pyle Marsh,

a pretty funny name, a village near Bristol, Pile Marsh, now a suburb of Bristol. Amelia was named after her maternal grandmother. her parents were Samuel and Sarah Hobley, maiden name Weymouth. Amelia had five siblings, four when she was born that were aged two through 12. Thomas, James, William, and Sarah Ann. There'd be another Sarah Ann. Sources described the Hobbley family as respectable. Samuel Hobbley worked as a master shoemaker.

He was lower middle class. Would have made around $23 shillings a week, which is good for the time. Hobblies were able to afford to send their kids to a school when private school was the only option. unlike most girls in Victorian England Amelia received a good education Learned to read and write Developed a love of literature and poetry Compared to most Victorian children

While she was not a part of England's nobility She grew up in a prosperous loving family So it's not like she was mistreated herself As a baby as far as we know Or that she saw babies being mistreated growing up In 1841 Amelia's closest sister Sarah Ann Was killed by a baby Two week old little goblin

Fucking knifed her in her sleep do you likes me blade mum Do you likes how it feels in your neck mom Bleed out you feel the ho Me wants to watch your soul depart Oh yeah, that was a nasty little baby No, she died of inflammation to the brain Like the result of some sort of viral infection

They didn't understand back then She was six years old In 1845 Amalia's mother gave birth To another daughter who she also named Sarah Ann She died five months later And Amelia goes back to being the youngest of the family yeah the fucking Sarah Anne's were cursed Both Sarah Ann's died young

That's fucking crazy Um sorry I hung up on that for a second In 1845 Amelia's mother gave birth to another daughter Who she named Sarah Ann But she died five months later And Amelia goes back to being the baby of the family That's crazy that both Sarah Ann's

Passed away like a cursed name in this family In October of 1848 Amelia's mother Sarah hobbly dies of meningitis At the age of 45 is only 11. The final years of Sarah's life had been pretty brutal. She had suffered from a severe mental illness, it seems, after contracting typhus. Something happened with the fever there, changed her brain, and she experienced violent fits, which were traumatizing for young Amelia to witness going forward. Amelia also had to watch her mother attempt suicide several times during those final

years. Amelia was her mother's primary caretaker during the years of sickness. She learned she was good at nursing and carried the practice into her adult life. The highly children continued living with their father after Sarah's death. James worked as a ship's carpenter, William McCabinet maker, Amelia stayed in school. Thomas, the oldest hobbly child, lived nearby and worked as a shoemaker.

Impress her for the time that dad never pressured her to leave school and get a job or to go get married, so he and her brothers would no longer have to provide for her. It seems as if she grew up in a loving home. On November 26, 1859, the day before Amelia's 22nd birthday, her dad, Samuel died of bronchitis.

Amelia left home, now lived with her aunt in Bristol, started working with her aunt as a corset maker. Made pretty good money, but I guess she didn't like the long hours and the tough working conditions. In 1861, Amelia became estranged from all of her brothers for unknown reasons. She moved into a home on Trinity Street, Bristol,

and continued to work with her aunt. November 22nd, 1861, Amelia Hobbly married George Thomas at the Bristol Register Office. George was a new widower who worked as a master carver and gilder, and he was 56 years old. Amelia was just 23. That large of an age grab, unusual.

Even back then, they were embarrassed enough to lie about their ages on their wedding certificates. George shaved off eight years, wrote that he was 48. Amelia added seven years, wrote that she was 30. For years, historians will report these ages as fact, which will lead to a lot of confusion about Amelia's real birth date

and did so until recently. According to Amelia, her first husband was quite cruel to her. He was controlling and physically abusive and she left him three times but always felt compelled to come back, likely for financial reasons. Women had very little rights back then. Dude controlled all the cards. Amelia had received an inheritance from her father, but this was before the Married Women's Property Act of 1882. That act finally gave married women independent rights over their own property, effectively ending a legal

doctrine of coverture where a wife's legal identity would merge with her husbands. And what that means is, when the two got married, George gained control of all of Amelia's money, and he fucking spent it on himself. Didn't even bother spending a little to grease his bicycle chain. Didn't buy new tires for his bike, didn't polish the handlebars, nothing, just wrote it, abused it, and took from it. And people today still wonder why many women worry about having their rights taken away. In 1864, Amelia allegedly gave birth to her daughter, Ellen Thomas. I say allegedly because there are no records to verify Ellen's birth, and it's not known with certainty if you she was actually Amelia's biological child.

Even if she was adopted, we know that Amelia did raise Ellen as her daughter, though. Amelia worked as a nurse at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. She enjoyed her nursing job, probably felt good to be away from her shitty old-ass husband. Amelia was unique for the time in that she did not follow traditional gender roles. She received a solid education and worked outside the home, even when her husband had a decent job. In 1868, Amelia Thomas met a woman who would change her life first. forever. She met Ellen Dane, a midwife, who worked in an infirmary and did some baby farming as well. Seems she only worked as a midwife in order to gain access to unwanted babies. And at the time

midwifery was unregulated and midwives received no formal training. It would be Ellen who told Amelia all about the practice of baby farming. She said she targeted wealthy women who wanted to conceal their pregnancies. She took women into her home, helped him give birth, then offered to care for their children for a fee. Ellen told Amelia all about this easy, money-making opportunity. And not long after these two women met, Amelia started up her own baby farming business and regularly took women into her and her husband's home in Bristol. Ellen Dane will later have to flee to the U.S. to escape from authorities tracking her down

or trying to track her down to investigate claims she was killing babies, which she definitely was. Amelia decided the best way for her to get clients not being a midwife herself would be to post ads in the local newspaper. The following quotes are from three ads she posted. hosted in 1869. Married couple having no child would adopt one. Good home, small premium. Mrs. Thornley, care of size, better exchange, Stockscroft, Bristol.

Married couple with no family would adopt healthy child. Nice country home. Terms 10 pounds. Harding. Care of ship's letter exchange, Stokescroft, Bristol. Give me that motherfucking baby. Give it to me. Give it to me.

I want you fucking money. No. That'd be crazy third out. highly respectable married couple wished to adopt child good country home premium required very small home times and mirror office

Amelia traveled around Bristol Redding and sometimes up to Liverpool to get clients Bristol and Reading only about 75 miles apart Liverpool is a bit of a stretch 180 miles up north of Bristol she charged mothers between 10 and 80 pounds

but I mean they had a train she charged mothers between 10 and 80 pounds for services promised a loving home for every child she took in which of course they would not receive. Initially, Amelia used Godfrey's cordial, that opiate syrup, to save money on feeding infants in her care, keeping them high and malnourished. Right from the start, Amelia severely neglected the kids in her care. It was never about doing the right thing, not from the beginning, just about money. She rarely bathed them, rarely fed them, did not interact or play with them

at all, it seems. Witnesses later reported she often just left them lying helplessly on the floor, not sure what her husband thought about all that. Many of the kids in her care died within months from starvation or sickness in the early days speculated she was able to sell some to other baby farmers or to couples who actually wanted to properly adopt and raise a child. In later years, most of the children she will take will be

murdered quickly within a few days or often just a few hours coming into her care. Although the exact number of early victims is unknown, eyewitnesses reported seeing her with as many as six children a day being taken into her home. Unlike most baby farmers, Amelia often charged a one-time fee instead of a weekly or monthly payment, right, that allowed her

to get away with disappearing a little bit easier because the mothers who gave their children over to her were looking to give up custody entirely with no hope of ever getting the child back in most cases. Amelia's daughter once asked her mother why so many babies disappeared and Amelia told her she was an angel maker.

She said she sent children to Jesus because Jesus wanted them more than their mothers did. Holy shit. I expected her to lie about killing babies. No, she put a positive spin on infanticide. Pretty sure we've previously covered a serial killer or two who have viewed themselves as some sort of angel maker. On October 18, 1869, George Thomas died of diarrhea at his home in Horfield, Bristol,

another suburb that used to be its own proper stand-alone town. I've got to say, I definitely laughed out loud when I first read that he, quote, died of diarrhea. That is literally how his burial record records him as dying, of diarrhea. That really paints or rather spray paints, quite the picture, doesn't it? Sounds horrific. I think we should bring this description back Oh my God, Derek Oh my God, I'm so sorry to hear about your dad

Last time I saw him, he looked great If you don't mind me asking it Not to be insensitive, but how did he pass? Oh, he shit himself to death. He died of diarrhea. Oh my God, was it like a stomach flu? Some kind of food poisoning? We're not sure.

All we know is he just kept shitting and shitting and shitting until he died. He died. on the toilet and you want to know what his final words to me were uh yeah what i'm a child that's his final words me up that was his final words anyway after his Edmund McGill popped himself off. Amelia was now a widow and a single mother. And around this time, a bit of controversy was stirring up regarding baby farming.

An 1870 case in Brixton, South London made national headlines. Sergeant Richard Ralph of the Metropolitan Police. Yeah, let's add some Dick Ralph to this tale. Sounds like Dick Shelf, which is a funny visual for me. Anyway, Sergeant Ralph was concerned about baby farming after finding a number of dead infants lying about in the streets. He began answering baby farming ads in the paper. Good for him, which led him to investigating sisters Margaret Waters and Sarah Ellis in Brixton. He and other officers searched their house and found 10 neglected and abused children,

two of them dying, all of them shockingly emaciated. There was literally no food for them to eat in the house. They also found evidence that the sisters had already killed many children. Margaret Waters was convicted of willful murder, willful on September 19th, 1870, executed the following month. Her sister Sarah Ellis sentenced to just 18 months for conspiring to obtain. money by false pretences. Apparently Margaret was the leader of this horrible baby farming operation and Sarah was a long for her sister's terrible ride. Margaret would be the first baby farmer

convicted for murder in England. Letters found at her home indicated she had associates around the country doing the same shit including a Mrs. Smith slash Mrs. Harding from Bristol a woman strongly believed to be Amelia Dyer. In September of 1870, Amelia now 33 years old, worked as an attendant at the Bristol Lunatic Asylum. the fact that they straight up called a psychiatric facility's lunatic asylums. Also makes me laugh every time I come across it. It's just such a harsh

sounding description now. At the asylum, Amelia observed inmates and reported their behavior to a superintendent, and historians believe she learned to mimic their behavior so she could later fake insanity at various points later in life. Although there's no exact date, sometime in 1870,

Amelia sent her daughter Ellen, now five or six years old, to go live with family in Stoke Bishop Bristol. We fucked up that she just bailed on raising her kid for a while, but, you know, I guess better than the alternative of snuffing her out. December 21st, 1872, Amelia married William Dyer. Now we get to her name. At the Church of St. Philip and St. Jacob in central Bristol. William was a 27-year-old labor who worked in a vinegar factory.

He was illiterate, signed his marriage certificate with an ex. Amelia was 35 at the time, but reduced her age to 31 on the wedding certificate, which is probably the age she told William she was. since it was uncommon, a bit scandalous even for a man to marry an older woman back then. So many rules regarding how women were expected to live. Amelia and William moved all over Bristol for the next few years. They had two children. Mary Ann Dyer was born October 17th, 1873. Amelia often called her Polly.

William Samuel Dyer born February 27, 1876. And Amelia will show tremendous restraint and not killing either one of these kids. kids, even one single time. Throughout the 1870s, the remarried Amelia continued to adopt and presumably murder child after child. She used the aliases, Stanfield, Harding, Thomas, Waymouth, Thornley, Wawthon, and Smith. She said in her newspaper ads that she was a married woman with no children who lived in a country home.

On August 20th, 1879, an inquest was actually opened into two deaths of infants in Amelia's care. At this time, she lived in Totterdown, another suburb of Bristol. four babies had died in her care already that year, two from atrophy and convulsions. And to be fair, at least one of those babies was killed in self-defense when it attacked Amelia in an alley behind a pub. Hello, ma'am, ma'am I'd like to carve you up like a Christmas ham me would. Gonna slice you, mom, from your crack till your back, mom.

Gonna bleed you. Gonna make you squeal, going to stick you and stick you. And tell me what such a light of your eyes, ma'am? I mean, that's a fucking terrifying baby goblin. I'd kill that baby. I'd fucking kill that baby in a heartbeat. Of course, I'm just being ridiculous. Amelia registered the death of a fourth child,

just after the death of the third, and the medical examiner finally grew suspicious and referred the issue to the coroner. The coroner investigated two deaths, Elizabeth Thomas, six weeks old, and Evelyn Townsend, eight months old. Both girls died from diarrhea. And that doesn't read as funny to me now.

Funny when her husband died from diarrhea. not funny when these two babies murdered via diarrhea comedy so subjective Amelia Dyer testified at the inquest she told the coroner quote I wish to speak the truth she said that

yeah she said that both the girls' mothers were quote in service that is in workhouses I believe Amelia said she kindly took the babies into her home but Elizabeth was a weekly child right from the start she said that Evelyn was strong and healthy though

Amelia said she wrote to two women Jane Williams and Elizabeth Hacker to take the girls because her home was overcrowded at the time. She asked Jane Williams to register Elizabeth as her birth daughter because her mother was nowhere to be found now and she said that Evelyn the healthy child did go with Mrs. Hacker and then died shortly thereafter. Amelia said that two more children came into Amelia's care

soon after this, Alfred John Channing, Mary Walters. Elizabeth, Alfred, and May were then given to this mysterious Jane Williams in good health, according to Amelia. But when she visited Mrs. Williams, Elizabeth, and May, were now very sick and little Alfred suffering from diarrhea and then all three kids died from their various illnesses a doctor testified that he prescribed Alfred medication for diarrhea and that it was a common condition

he blamed poor drain maintenance for the kids illnesses the coroner decided that although the case was fraught with grave suspicion there was no evidence of abuse or neglect medical experts determined Elizabeth Alfred and Evelyn died of natural causes none of the women could be convicted of improper conduct without more evidence. The coroner informed Amelia, she put herself in an exceedingly awkward position by attempting to register her birth falsely, and she would be investigated by the registrar general.

On August 23rd, 1879, the coroner offered an inquest into the death of May Walters. May's death certificate listed her name as Annie Mae Walters Dyer. The coroner sought to know her real identity and how she had died. Nine-week-old May died August 17th at a local doctor's office. her death brought the number of infant deaths and Amelia's care up to five at least that they knew of a doctor testified that he saw May on August 15th Amelia reported that she was doing much better

but just two days later died of convulsions and some kind of intestinal disorder Jane Williams testified next she said she had known Amelia for three years and then Amelia asked her to take in May because she had six kids at her house already Jane said that she did accept May and Elizabeth and that May wasn't poor health

dirty, thin, covered in rashes and sores when she accepted her. She said both babies slept unnaturally well that night because Amelia had dosed them with opiates. After a couple weeks, Amelia came back to retrieve May, but Amelia had given her to a woman named Mrs. Hacker, and then Elizabeth died in Jane's home. Mrs. Hacker testified that May was dirty, suffering from diarrhea, as May worsened, Amelia asked for Mrs. Hacker to give her back, but to return her in the dark, so no one would realize how many kids she had in her home at the time. Amelia then took May to the doctor's office, asked Mrs. Hacker to pretend to be her sister,

but she refused. When Mrs. Hacker visited Amelia later that week, she said May was lying down, quote, unaware and unresponsive. Last time she saw May was in Amelia's parlor. Her corpse was swaddled in a blanket, made to look as if she was still alive. The last witness was 16-year-old Ellen Thomas, Amelia's first daughter, back in her care.

She had returned to her mother's home from foster care in 1872 when she was eight and helped take care of children at the house ever since. She said that Amelia Dosed all the kids With five drops of Godfrey's cordial Every night Just giving fucking babies

So much opiates Every night Ellen said she had to go to the store At least twice a week To buy more opiate syrup She said Amelia Was kind to the children But that seven had died

Under her care Since March of 1878 And that brought the total Up to at least nine kids The coroner concluded That Amelia was fucking suss But also overwhelmed By the number of responses

To her ads And unable to properly care for so many kids. The coroner also testified that there was no real evidence that Amelia had intentionally killed the children or that the opiates had killed them. August 29th, 1879.

Now Amelia convicted of breaching the 1872 Infant Life Protection Act. That law required anyone who took in a child under 12 months to register them with the police. She was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labor and Amelia served her time

at the Shepton Mallet jail. And that stretch of hard labor apparently, quote, destroyed her mentally Amelia developed suicidal tendencies and mental instability that would remain with her for the rest of her life or she would at least pretend it did for the rest of her life. She would later be committed to asylum several times, although her asylum stays often very conveniently coincided with times she needed to disappear to hide from the authorities. And because Amelia had worked as an asylum nurse, she reportedly knew how to fake insanity as I went over. Also had problems with opium addiction. Some historians believe she may have gotten herself committed to get access to more.

more powerful opiates. The stretch of incarceration led directly to her changing her baby farming tactics as well going forward, when she began to murder infants much more directly now. Kids she would never register as having taken any custody of. She would just dump their bodies in a river. No more doctors examining death certificates. And now before we jump into Amelia's post-incarceration baby farming ways, time for today's second-to-two mid-show sponsor breaks.

Thanks for listening to those sponsors. Hope you heard some deals. liked. Let us return to 1880 now. Check in with Amelia Dyer's horrid life. In February of 1880, Amelia was released from prison. And initially, interestingly, she tried to start up a laundry business, but it failed. And then I guess she thought, ah, fuck it. Why don't I just kill a bunch more babies? There's great money in that. She went back to baby farming, continued to do that for over a decade without getting cocked. Jumping ahead, 11 years now to 1891. Amelia's 54, and the Dyer family splits up. William will now live with the

couples two children, they're adults now, Marianne, William Samuel. Amelia will move to Porta's Head Somerset, just down the road, not more than 10 miles from Bristol on the coast, where she works as a nurse, given her nice access to young mothers, which helps her baby farming business. In the fall of 1891, Amelia cared for the illegitimate baby of a soon-to-be-married governess, a private teacher employed in a wealthy household for a while, and she still killed a kid. When the governess visited her child, she became suspicious. It wasn't really hers. She took the baby's clothes off, checked for a birth mark, didn't find it. In October of 1891, the governess and her new husband go to the authorities for help and then come to Amelia's house

with a police officer. And Amelia, conveniently, quickly becomes hysterical and tries to, or at least makes it appear as if she tries to cut her own throat. Also drinks two full bottles of laudanum, but her tolerance is so fucking high, she's just fine. I mean, super high, but totally fine. This is the beginning of a pattern of behavior that will last for the next few years. is admitted to the Gloucester Asylum shortly after being visited by the police November 13th, 1891. Amelia later will report that asylum staff

abused her. She said, quote, they beat me and cruelly treated me putting me in a padded room. It would be no sin to destroy myself. And maybe this happens. Something might have actually happened to her at the Gloucester Asylum. She will reference being abused there until her

dying day. Amelia was discharged from that asylum, January 12, 1892. And the lady who complained about being treated so badly she should have killed herself goes right back to baby farming also according to her daughter marianne she was quote very downhearted and very peculiar in her manner she could dish it out but she couldn't take it when it came to abuse uh December 25th 1893 christmas day that poor governess and her husband come back again to look for their lost child marianne grew concerned about amelia's state of mind while they showed up while they were there called a doctor doctor determined amelia was

suffering from delusions again how convenient During his visit, Amelia grabbed a poker, threatened to break the doctor's skull, told him she heard voices, telling her to kill herself. She said, the bird said, do it, do it. Dr. Logan reported, she was wild and excitable. I was satisfied that she was in a fit and a proper subject for an asylum. So she goes back to hide out from the governess and her husband. Next day, December 26, 1893, she is admitted to the Somerset County asylum this time. This asylum, a staff reported that Amelia was both suicidal and violent.

She swung in her caretakers with a poker. She loves a poker. Cursed him, said that the voices told her to kill herself, you know, the birds. But then she stopped faking it. Or it got better. Something happened. And on January 20th, 1894,

Amelia is discharged from the asylum and returns once more to baby farming. A few months later, April of 1894, the fucking governess and her husband again come back to inquire about their missing child. And now Amelia tries to drown herself in a brook in Ashton Park. She is rescued, goes to the hospital,

returns home. For fuck sick, every single time this couple comes to question her about what the fuck happened to their baby, she just conveniently has another psychotic break. How annoying? On top of heartbreaking, would it be to deal with somebody like that? It might be a good way to get out of some situations though, right? Like if somebody really wanted to help them move, and he didn't want to. Or if they wanted you to return, I don't know, something that you had borrowed and lost. You know, they might just give up if you're pretending to go nuts. Dude, come on. Just give me back my leaf blower. Come on. Give me back my leaf blower. And

I'll leave you alone. I will not Caesar. Stop trying to eat my eyeballs. Yatsy! You can't eat the marshmallows before you eat the poofs. Three times, three times ten times three is purple. I don't want an enchilada. Yatsy! Where are the gremlins? I see two, but another ten. Ten little gremlins. Carving up the pumpkins. Oh, I guess it's time to go to Costco, isn't it? They have the best cheesecakes. Yatsy! Fucking forget it. Just keep the goddamn leafblower. Eight months later, December 14th, 1894. The poor governess and her husband, they come back one last time. And guess what Amelia did?

Oh, that's right. Great guess. Yeah, she went bananas again. This is your baby. Can't you see? Can't you see? You forgot what she looks like. Now get those reindeer out of my kitchen. Yatsy! I'll pour you a cup and tea. The second you sweep my chimney, you ghoul. Two crumpets is not enough. Let's play some cricket.

Yatsy! She got so upset that Marianne called the doctor. After the 10 minutes, the doctor signed a letter of admission to the Gloucester Asylum. So back she goes. December 15th, 1894, she was readmitted to that Gloucester asylum. During her final stay at the asylum, she attempted to strangle herself with bootlaces, but failed. While she was away, the police searched Amelia's home, found four children with no caretaker. Two biological mothers were located, thankfully.

One child adopted by a couple living in Canada. Another child soon died in a workhouse. The governess's child still nowhere to be found. Obviously, that child was killed. February 13, 1895, Amelia discharged from the asylum. Now she's been a few weeks hiding out in a workhouse under the name of Smith left and came back several times. I said a few weeks. Actually, she spent a few months there.

During one of her stints in the workhouse, she made friends with an elderly woman named Jane Smith, who she will refer to by her nickname of Granny. June 18, 1895, Amelia discharged from the workhouse for the last time. She and Granny moved to Caversham, a suburban Redding, and they adopted boy named Bertie Palmer. Oh, how lucky for little Bertie. She used the alias Annie Smith for the transaction. soon after both women fled the city and left Bertie behind. An SPC officer John Otley went to her house, found her gone. Neighbors told him that Annie Smith slash granny said Bertie was a grandson and she was taking

him to Cardiff, neighbors estimated she had taken in six kids during her time in Bristol. Two weeks after she left town, the police found the body of an infant in the river but couldn't link the death to her. They did issue a warrant for the arrest of Annie Smith, but Amelia never came back to the area, and the police never learned her true identity. During the nine-month period that Amelia spent in Caversham, she cared for 15 infants, not just six, and all of them ended up unaccounted for, so dead. Amelia left town, continued her baby farming business now, 1896, Amelia and Granny, both in the baby farming business, will briefly live with her daughter Marianne and her husband. They'll move to a place along Kensington Road in Berkshire, about 60 miles from Bristol, later in the year.

Amelia will often call Granny Smith's mother in front of potential clients to present the image of a caring dog. daughter. In January of 1896, Evelyn Marmon, a 25-year-old barmate, posted an ad in the paper seeking an adoptive mother for her daughter Doris. Evalina was the daughter of a farmer who had, quote, gone astray when she had moved to the city. In November of 1895, she gave birth to her illegitimate daughter, Doris, in a boarding house in nearby Cheltenham. Evolina's ad read, wanted, respectable woman, to take young child. Evolina planned to go back to work, save up some money and eventually reclaimed Doris. Evalina's ad happened to end up right next to Amelia's ad in the paper which read

Married couple with no family would adopt healthy child. Nice country home. Terms. 10 pounds. Evalina couldn't believe her luck. This was exactly what she wanted for Doris. She responded to the ad posted by Mrs. Harding a few days later. Mrs. Harding, but of course Amelia, wrote to Evelyn, I should be glad to have a dear little

baby girl, one I can bring up and call my own. We are plain homely people. in fairly good circumstances I don't want a child for money's sake but for company and home comfort myself and my husband are dearly fond of children I have no child of my own a child with me will have a good home

and a mother's love and care we belong to the church of England although I want to bring the child up as my own I should not mind the mother or any other person coming to see the child at any time it would be a satisfaction to see and know the child was getting on all right I only hope we can come to terms

it's so evil so crazy that this was common at the time baby farmers all around England pulling on desperate mother's heartstrings pretending to want to provide good homes for loving children when really they wanted to fucking snuff them out just for a bit of money

Evelina wrote that she was willing to pay a weekly fee for her daughter's care but Mrs. Harding insisted on a one-time payment instead writing, I will take her entirely and she shall be of no further expense to you. Evelina reluctantly agreed to pay the 10 pounds. A week later, Mrs. Harding met her in Cheltenham to pick up Doris. Evelyn was surprised to see an older woman than she expected, but she seemed to care for Doris.

Evelyn was sad to give up her daughter, of course, but needed to go back to work and had no one to look after her daughter. A few days later, she received a letter from Mrs. Harding assuring her that all was well. Evolina wrote back and then never received another reply. Amelia Dyer never went to Reading where she told Evelyn she was going. Instead, she went to 76 Mail Road, Wilsden, London, to meet her 20. 23-year-old daughter Polly. Amelia took some white edging tape from Polly and used that to strangle baby Doris. It is unclear how long she'd been strangling babies by this point instead of starving

them, probably quite some time. Amelia will later say she always made sure the babies she strangled did not die too quickly, which is fucking crazy. According to her confession, quote, I used to like to watch them with a tape around their neck, but it was soon all over with them. She actually confessed that, that she enjoyed watching babies. babies die.

Not known how much Little Polly participated in the murder, if at all. I guess she's not little. She's an adult now. We'll hear more details about this particular night from some court testimony later. March 30th, 1896, a bargeman makes a horrifying discovery

that will finally lead to Amelia Dyer's arrest. Bargeman Charles Humphreys found the dead body of an infant while working out on the Thames, the River Thames. Humphreys discovered a wrapped parcel weighed down by a brick. The package was wrapped with layers of linen, newspaper, and brown paper. Inside was the partially decomposed body of Helena Fry, a tiny

baby girl. There was white tape wrapped around her neck, tied in a knot under her left ear. Humphreys took the child, ran to the Reading police station to notify them. Constable Barnett arrived on the scene and delivered the baby to the mortuary. Local surgeon, Dr. William Maurice, examined the body. By this point, the police were well aware of what was going on with baby farming in England. What the press would describe in the paper is, quote, wholesale doing away with children. They discovered children's bodies in several places around Redding. Detectives were told to keep a close watch on the Thames for more bodies. The Northeastern Daily Gazette wrote the following month in April of 1896,

It has now transpired that beyond doubt, Reading has been for a long period suspected by the London police of being the refuge for the disposal of children. But despite the many inquiries prosecuted, they were unable to gain a clue by which they should arrest Dyer, who appears to have been regarded with suspicion ever since she resided at Caversham, nearer. ready. On April 1st, 1896, a 13-month-old child named Harry Simmons is given to Amelia by his caretaker. Now, she's still on the loose. Amelia adopted Harry for another 10-pound fee, took Harry back to 76 Mile Road, had no more white tape, so she just removed the tape from Doris's body and strangled Harry with it. So fucked up. But I will say, at least she recycled the tape. I know. I know

it's fucked up to kill babies. But if you do reuse tape, you know, tape you previously used to kill a different baby doesn't that mean that you're at least you're like you're kind of a good person at least environmentally speaking kidding of course no she's a monster uh i'll share more details on this night later as well next day april 2nd 1896 amelia puts doris and harry's bodies in a carpet bag and weighs it down with some bricks travels back to reading uh she knew about a secluded spot near caversham lock and under the cover of darkness she forced the carpet bag through bridge uh bridge railings and dropped it into the river thames a man actually happened to be passed by uh The footbridge called out goodnight as she did this, but he was in a hurry, didn't stop to look at exactly what she was doing, unbeknownst to Amelia, he was already under, or she, excuse me, was already under investigation for the murder of Helena Fry. Also on April 2nd, an inquest into the still unidentified. At this point, Henry, Helena Fry's death took place at the Reading courthouse.

Both Charles Humphreys and Constable Barnett testified about what they discovered. The coroner adjourned, the inquest, gave the police, a fortnight to make further inquiries and gather more evidence. Reading, a borough of London, was a town of about 60,000 residents back in 1896, and although Redding had one of the largest police forces in London, they still had their work cut out for them when it came to solving this case. Chief Constable, George Tuesley, led the Redding Borough Police Force in 1896, and he assigned Detective Constable James Bede Anderson and Sergeant Harry James to this case.

When examining the parcel, the baby's body was still wrapped up in. D.C. Anderson found a faded address written on the paper, a Midland Railway stamp with the words 24, 1095, Mrs. Thomas of 26 Pickett's Road, Caversham. D.C. Anderson went to the Reading Railway Station to speak to the clerk. The clerk actually recognized the parcel, told him it came to the office in October of 1895 from Bristol. Damn! That clerk had quite the memory.

Clerk also knew Mrs. Thomas's real name, Amelia Dyer, and that she was now living at 45 Kensington Road in Reading, Why wasn't that unnamed clerk working as a detective? Sounds like he would have been phenomenal. D.C. Anderson and Sergeant James went to the house, but discovered Amelia was away in London. They spoke to her neighbor who said she gave Amelia some strings to wrap up a parcel on March 30th. The string matched the string found on the parcel in the river. With his evidence, Chief Constable Tuesley ordered surveillance on Amelia's home.

On April 3rd, 1896, Amelia arrived home from London. And now the police sent a woman as a decoy to her address to inquire about fostering a child. The woman ended up agreeing to return later that day with 50 pounds. Getting paid 50 pounds to strangle the child. Too exciting of an offer for Amelia to pass up. Just before 3 p.m., when the woman was due to arrive, Amelia opened the door. The woman was not standing there. Instead, it was D.C. Anderson and Sergeant James standing there.

She was arrested, taken to jail while officer searched her house. No hysterics this time. I guess she knew it wouldn't have done her any good. The police learned of the house's other occupants, Granny Smith, 11-year-old Nellie Oliver, year old Willie Thornton and a three month and a three month old infant. A woman named Mrs. Chandler and her two daughters also lived in the house. Police found a pile of baby clothes for kids of different ages. Fifteen pawn tickets. Pond tickets were receipts given by a pawn broker to a person who was pledging an item for a loan, acting his agreement that the item

could be bought back for a set price plus interest later. And they found various children's vaccine certificates and receipts from ads in the newspapers. The police noticed a noxious smell coming from Amelia's bedroom there they discovered a large tin box and while it was thankfully empty the smell told them it had recently contained a dead body they found stacks of letters from parents who had given their children to Amelia through these letters they identified the baby in the river as Helena Frye Mary Frye given Helena to Amelia back on March 5th with a 10 pound payment the coroner estimated Helena was killed that same evening Amelia most likely then hid her little body in that tin box and when the smell became too strong dumped Helena in the river

but did not weigh the body down enough to avoid getting caught. Perhaps most damning of all, the police found white edging tape identical to tape around Helena's neck amongst Amelia's things. Granny Smith gave a press interview soon after Amelia's arrest. She said Amelia was very cruel to the children in her care. She said, quote, she used to shake the little baby in a shocking manner. Amelia, according to Granny, thought more of her cats than of the kids she cared for. She allowed cats to sleep with her, fed them nice food.

while the kids ate stale bread and stewed pigs liver Amelia also never paid Granny for her work according to Granny. Why the fuck was Granny sticking around? She was just that desperate to have a roof over her head which is sad. April 4th, 1896, 57-year-old Amelia

Dyer, Dyer, appears before the magistrate at the Reading Police Court. She is charged with having feloniously killed a child. Chief Tewsley testified presented all the evidence against her, the string, the address on the packaging, her alias, the white tape wrapped around Helena's neck. Tewsley requests that Amelia be placed on remand for a week so he

could complete his investigation. The magistrate asked Amelia for any comments and she only said, I do not know anything about it. It's all a mystery to me. The Reading Police spent the next week gathering all the evidence they could, trying to trace and identify more victims. During the week-long search, the police found letters between Amelia and Arthur Ernest Palmer, the husband of Amelia's daughter, Mary Ann Polly Palmer. And on April 6, 1898, D. C. Anderson and Sergeant James traveled with Constable Bartley from the Metropolitan Police to 76 Mayo Road, Wilsden, and interrogated Arthur and Polly. Arthur was 26 at the time, worked as a commission agent for a sewing machine manufacturer, but hadn't done that for very long. He changed jobs frequently. He was born back on June 7, 1870, in Wiltshire, and his dad had died when he was just a baby.

He was raised by his mom and an older brother. Arthur had met Marianne Dyer, Polly, at the Bristol Railway Station when he accidentally ran into her. apologized and then the two struck up a conversation and then started to date quickly fell in love and became engaged. They married May 12th, 1894 in Horfield, a suburb of Bristol. Mary Ann had no job at the time, but Arthur worked as a Miller making good money and the couple lived in a nice house and were able to wear expensive clothes. In 1895, the couple came home with a child which they would claim as theirs, but the child died shortly thereafter. The following Christmas, they told Arthur's family, they were going to adopt another child to assuage their grief. Hmm.

A lot of speculation that they might have been baby farming. The Palmer's moved around a lot. They occasionally lived with Polly's mother, Amelia. And in 1895, while living with Amelia, the Palmer's adopted a little boy named Harold. Arthur allowed the police to search the home. The police did discover an 18-month-old boy living in the home, possibly Harold, found a pile of baby clothing far more than one little boy needed. Polly gave them more clothes and diapers, even more than that initially found in that pile. They also found 10 pawn tickets.

Chief Tuesley now issued a warrant for Arthur Palmer's arrest, believing he was an accomplice to Amelia's child murders. And the police had another reason to be suspicious of the Palmer's. On May 31, 1895, a notice appeared in the police gazette, stating that a man named A. Patson or A. Parsons was wanted for abandoning a four-year-old child. His description matched Arthur Palmer, he and a woman, Marianne, and a little girl boarded in a house in London. and then they abandoned this little girl four-year-old Queenie Baker in the streets when they left. Fucking so cruel.

On April 8th, 1896, laborer Henry Smithwaite find some new evidence. He's dredging the River Thames when he and his dredging partner find a parcel of rags under a footbridge when he picked it up, the package burst apart

and a brick fell out and then they discovered a child's body inside the package so deteriorated the head literally fell off. It was the corpse of a male baby just a few weeks old and the child had the exact same kind of white tape wrapped around his neck as Helena Fry's body did. Two days later, April 10th, 1896, a third baby's body is found by one John Titcombe.

Yes, his name is Titcombe. What of it? Mr. Titcombe was an unemployed laborer who had heard that the police needed help dredging up the river. He found another parcel, waded down with the brick while dredging another parcel with the body inside. A medical examiner determined the body was a nine-month-old baby. Later that same day, laborers Henry Smithwaite and Alfred George body continued to dredge the river. They found a carpet bag 12 feet underwater at Cavisham Lock Sergeant James arrived to the scene,

cut the bag open, found two more baby's bodies inside, a boy and a girl. The medical examiner determined the babies had died 10 days prior and had been in good health. The cause of death was strangulation with the white tape wrapped around their necks. The boy was 13 months old, the girl only four months old.

They were later identified as 4-month-old Doris Marmon and 13-month-old Harry Simmons. Evelyn Marman identified her daughter Doris, Amelia Hannah Sargent identified the body of Harry Simmons. In total, six babies were found in the river, all with the same white tape around their necks. April 11, 1896, Arthur Palmer and Amelia Dyer appear in court for the first time. Together, the prosecution was led by lawyers Sidney Bryan and Alfred T. Lawrence. The baby's death inquest took place later that day.

The medical examiner and the laborer who found numerous bodies, Henry Smithwaite, testified. Both Evelyn Marmon and Amelia Sargent also testified. about giving up their kids to Amelia. Evalina confirmed that she gave up Doris March 30th, 1896. Right? It's just so heartbreaking. Amelia Sargent told the coroner that Harry was the son of Lizzie Simmons, a widow. Harry's father had died before he was born.

Mrs. Simmons was going to move abroad to work as a maid, and she gave Harry to Amelia S. She paid for a wet nurse for Harry, visited frequently to ensure he was cared for, but eventually could no longer afford his care, and his mother stopped sending money. she saw an ad from Mrs. Harding

offering to adopt a child for a small fee and responded to the ad and the woman negotiated a price and a drop-off point. Finally, nine-year-old

Willie Thornton testified one of the kids living with Amelia at the time of her arrest. Poor little Willie told the court that he called Amelia Dyer mom that he had not

seen his father for many years. He said he came to Reading to live with a woman named Mrs. Henwood. Mrs. Henwood was going to send him

to a boarding school though. Instead, Mrs. Dyer was able to take him in. He lived with her for six months. Willie brought all his possessions with him in a carpet bag. The same one Amelia used to bury Doris and Harry. Willie identified the bag as his, said he last sought March 30th, when Amelia put some ham, or so she said, and baby clothes inside it to take to London.

Willie ended his testimony by saying that he knew of two infants who had died in the house they stayed in. The corner now concluded the inquest and declared there was insufficient evidence to convict Amelia at the time. The constables would have to return with more evidence. against her. Luckily they would. Amelia herself would give a lot of that evidence to them directly. On April 16th, 1896, Amelia wrote her first of many confession letters. She also told the police that if they found any more bodies, quote, you'll know all mine by the tape round their necks.

You're in Amelia's three weeks in the condemned cell. She filled five notebooks called exercise books at the time with her, quote, last true and only confession. When she then visited the chaplain and he asked if she wanted to confess, she handed him her exercise books and asked, isn't this enough? She also wrote several poems from herself. That's fun. Here's one of those. By nature, Lord, I know with grief, I am a poor and fallen leaf, shriveled and dry, near unto death, driven with sin, as with a breath. But if by grace I am made new, washed in the blood of Jesus too, like to a lily I shall stand, spotless and pure at his right hand, signed, mother.

Ah, for fuck's sake. Same shit that that asshole last week Ivan Malat did, right? She kills hundreds of babies, then write the little poem talking about standing at the Lord's right hand. Ah, fuck her. April 18th, 18, 1896,

Amelia and Arthur Palmer appeared in court together again. The papers described her as a short, stout woman and Palmer as foppishly dressed. During the proceedings, Amelia rocked back and forth, clearly trying, read faking,

to appear mentally distressed. Initially, Amelia was charged for the murder of an unknown child, but Alfred Lawrence proposed charging her for the murders of Doris Marmon and Harry Simmons as well. He asked for remand for a week to gather more evidence for the charges. April 23rd, 1896, that laborer, Henry Smith, wait, we met a few times. Finds another infant near Cavansham, or excuse me, Kaversham.

D.C. Anderson delivered the package to the medical examiner. This was a 12-month-old female this time. Her body so decomposed, it fell apart, the head falling to pieces in front of the examiner. She had a piece of red flannel wrapped around her with the letters J.D. Grannie Smith later testified that the child was named Isaacs and a piece of material used in her cradle belonged to Amelia Dyer. I wonder if Amelia, or I wonder if Granny, excuse me, was maybe a little more involved than all this than she let on.

April 24th, 1896, the police seized 300 weight of children's clothes from the Reading pawnbroker, believed to have been pawned by Dyer under various aliases. My God! Took money for those babies and sold their clothes to a pawn shop. April 25th, 1896. Amelia and Arthur Palmer appeared in court again. She and Arthur both had lawyers now. The state had only just started to provide defense attorneys for inmates, but only for very

serious charges like murder. Amelia was represented by E. Milliken and Arthur Palmer by R.S. Wood. The prosecution led by Sidney Bryan and Alfred T. Lawrence. Reynolds newspaper reported, quote, The whole town is in a great state of excitement over the case. And at an early hour, the thoroughfares in the vicinity of the courthouse were crowded with with an eager throng of people anxious to catch a glimpse of the accused on their journey from the county jail. As the cab containing the prisoners drew up outside the police station, there was a

hostile demonstration on the part of a number of women, said to be neighbors of Mrs. Dyer. The court began by presenting several witnesses for Doris Marmon's case. Mr. C. Jeffrey, a clerk at the Bristol Journal, presented evidence of an ad in the March newspaper offering to adopt a child for 10 pounds. The ad was signed A. Harding. The replies were sent to a letter exchange at Stokescroft, Bristol. Witnesses Mary Ann Beatty testified next. Mary Ann Beatty testified next. She lives on Mayo Road next to Mary Ann and Arthur at the time, or lived at the time.

On the night of March 31st, she said that she and her husband were returning home at 10.30 p.m. in an omnibus, which was a large horse-drawn carriage, the precursor to a modern bus. A woman got out at the same time as them. She carried a child, a parcel, and a carpet back. Mrs. Beatt saw the woman hesitating at the corner. She asked where she was going, offered to carry the bag while she walked her to 76 Mayo Road. mrs beady put a cape over the child's face to protect him from the rain and amelia handed over the back she walked the woman to 76 mayo road where a man and woman were waiting for her she identified the woman she walked with as amelia dyer in court witness charlotte cullum testified next mrs cullum also lived on mayo road was the landlady for 76 mail road the palmers began renting the house from her january 14th eighteen ninety six on march 31st a woman named mrs thomas visited her daughter and son-in-law at the house Mrs. Cullum went to the address on April 1st.

Mrs. Thomas explained that she got in late on the 31st and Polly let her stay the night. She offered Mrs. Cullum a pair of children's boots. Mrs. Cullum saw the carpet back laying in Arthur Palmer's room. Arthur Palmer asked Mrs. Cullum to not bolt the door because they would not be back until late that evening. Mr. Albert Cullum testified after his wife. According to him, two of the bricks used to weigh down the carpet bag were remarkably similar to bricks he took from the back of his fire. great. He put the bricks underneath the rabbit hutch in his garden. On April 1st, the bricks were not packed tightly underneath the hutch, implying somebody had removed them and made them loose. He

believed Amelia stole his bricks to weigh down the bodies with. Granny Smith testified next, the Northeastern Times Gazette reported, quote, after the witness had taken the oath, Mrs. Dyer slowly raised her head and stared at the witness for a few seconds. This being the only occasion on which the prisoner looked up from the ground. Granny testified that when she and Amelia lived in Caversham, she brought three children into the home. On the morning of March 28th, Amelia left to meet Polly and Arthur in London. They all came back at 10.30 p.m. Polly had a child named Harold with her. Amelia left again, March 29th. She returned without the child. Granny testified that Amelia again, often very unkind to children in her care. She shook them violently and usually

just left them to lie on the floor. Granny said she stayed behind the day Amelia went to 76 Mayo Road. on March 31st, Amelia left with a full carpet bag, returned without the bag, and said she had left it at Polly's. The next witness was John Toller, a prison engineer. He was a guy who walked past Amelia just before 11 p.m., night of April 2nd. He said he witnessed Amelia, walk out from underneath the railway arch on Eastern Road, the arch near the River Thames. The last and perhaps most influential witness was Amelia Hannah Sargent,

who testified, again, to give further details about Harry Simmons. Harry, again, not her child. Harry's mother had left him in her care. Amelia Sergeant saw an ad for a couple who wished to adopt a child, answered the ad, received the following letter. March 201896. My dear madam. In reply to your letter, just a hand I beg to say, I should be pleased to have a dear little boy. I have no child of my own. I do not want a child for money's sake. We live in the country and I am alone, a great deal sometimes. I want a child for company and home comfort's sake. I may say we are in fairly good circumstances. We live in our

own house. I have a good and comfortable home. We belong to the Church of England. A child with me would be well brought up and have a mother's love and care. I should like to take him entirely as my own child. But at the same time, if the mother of the friend would like to come see him sometimes, I should be pleased to see them, and no doubt it would give them more satisfaction to see and know the child was going on all right. I can give you good reference, if you wish, and any further particulars you may wish I shall be pleased to send you. I am yours, A. Harding. Amelia Sargent received another reply. March 22nd, 1896, arranging a meeting for March 28th.

She met with Mrs. Harding on the 28th and transferred custody of Little Harry. Mrs. Harding was accompanied by a woman, she said, was her niece. Amelia was worried about giving up Harry and asked, You will be kind to him. And Amelia responded with, Trust me for that. After taking Harry, Amelia Dyer sent a letter requesting the other half of the payment and inviting Amelia asked to come visit Harry.

Granny Smith was now called back Which she wouldn't because you know got killed Granny Smith now called back to the stand And she confirmed Amelia was gone On the days she was negotiating the acquisition of Harry April 30th 1896 Another body is found The police now find the body of a nine-month-old boy

Near the River Kennet In a bundle of weeds The body was extremely decomposed And falling apart But still had white tape Wrapped tightly around his neck The next day, May 1st, Marianne testified in court. Polly, coroner reminded her she did not have to say anything incriminating.

She testified about working with their mom and a few baby farming operations and conceding she had failed to inform a parent about the passing of their child. Coroner William Whedon expressed his opinion that Amelia Dyer murdered infants and that Marianne was an accessory to at least two of the murders. The jury now charged Amelia with two murders and charged Marianne with accessory after the fact. both women take into prison while the crowd, quote, yelled and hooted to their heart's content, according to a newspaper account. May 2, 1896, Amelia and Arthur, Palmer, her son-in-law, brought to court in a cab. A huge crowd was waiting outside.

Amelia was now represented by Sheporji, Aspenjari, Carpadia, and Raymond T. Winford. Arthur, represented by R.S. Wood. Palmer, discharged from custody after Alfred Lawrence, decided there was insufficient evidence to charge him with accessory. Hmm. Palmer walked out of the court, but as soon as he left, head constable Tuzley

arrested him for child abandonment. Love it. For that crime, he received three months imprisonment and hard labor. The child he abandoned that Queenie Baker, thankfully was located

and later adopted by like someone who didn't fucking murder her. The first witness to testify May 2nd was Ellen Gibbs, matron of the Reading Prison. She testified that on April 16th

she saw Amelia writing letters. After Amelia finished the letter, she told Mrs. Gibbs, quote, I have eased my mind. Amelia asked her to give the letters to the police. Mrs. Gibbs warned her that the letters were a guilty plea, and Amelia responded, quote, I wish to. They cannot charge me with anything more than I have done.

Mrs. Gibbs then sent the letters to the governor of the prison who sent it to the police, and the clerk now read the letter in court. From Amelia Dyer, Her Majesty's Prison, Reading, April 16, 1896, to the chief superintendent of police. Sir, will you kindly grant me the favor of presenting this to the magistrates on Saturday the 18th? I have made this statement out, for I may not have the opportunity, then. I must relieve my mind. I do know and feel my days are numbered on this earth, but I do feel it is an awful thing drawing innocent people into trouble. I do know I shall have to answer before my maker in heaven for all the awful crimes I have committed,

but as God Almighty is my judge in heaven. As on earth, neither my daughter, Mary Ann Palmer, Or her husband, Arthur Ernest Palmer, I do most solemnly declare neither of them had anything at all to do with it. They never knew I contemplated doing such a wicked thing until it was too late. I am speaking the truth, and nothing but the truth, as I hope to be forgiven. I myself and I alone must stand before my maker in heaven to give answer for it all. Witness my hand, Amelia Dyer. Uh, surprising there. Taking accountability here, with no hope for a reduced punishment.

that's better than most of the dirtbag killers we cover, better than what they've done. The clerk then read another one of Amelia's letters, which Mrs. Gibbs handed over to the governor. H.M. Prison, Redding, Thursday, April 16, 1896. My poor dear Arthur, how my heart aches for you, and my dear Polly, I am sending this to tell you that I've eased my mind

and made a true statement. I've told them the truth and nothing but the truth, as I hope to be forgiven. God Almighty is my judge, and I dare not go into his presence with a lie. Yeah, because he cares way more about lies than about fucking murdered babies. And I hope and pray you will forgive me. I had a letter from Polly. She is coming down. You will have a lawyer, but for myself, it is only throwing away money. I know I have done this

dreadful crime, and I know that I alone shall have to answer for it. I have just wrote a long letter to Willie and another to father. Also, I have wrote out a true and faithful statement of everything. I hope God will give you both grace and strength to bear this awful trial. God bless you, my dear boy, your broken-hearted mother, A. Dyer, let me have just one line, Friday morning. The court now adjourned until Alfred Lawrence announced that Polly had arrived to testify.

She spoke about the evening of March 31st, 1896. At the end of 1895, Polly was living in Caversham with Amelia. She and her husband moved to Mayo Road, Wilsden, in January of 1896. On March 31st of 1896, Amelia came to the house with a woman and a baby. Amelia also had a carpet bag with her.

She told Polly she was holding a child for Mrs. Harris. Polly watched her mom enter the sitting room, put the carpet bag under the couch. There was a wrapped parcel on the couch. Polly testified that she never saw the baby again after that day. Next morning, Polly said that she and her mom, Amelia, went to Paddington at 12 p.m. noon, Mrs. Sargent, and her husband arrived. Mrs. Sargent handed over a little boy to Amelia and signed a contract. Amelia and Polly got back to the house on Mayo Road, 2 p.m.

Polly went into the next room to put the little boy to bed, and Amelia told her, quote, I'll put this one too, and don't come in for a few minutes. Polly then went to the sofa where the child was sitting, but Amelia pushed her away. Arthur also went towards the sofa, but Amelia pushed him away as well. Baby was probably already dead. After dinner, Amelia locked herself in the sitting room. Polly asked what she was doing, and Amelia answered nothing in particular, but I don't want anyone going into the room. Amelia slept locked in the sitting room that entire night.

Polly saw her mom the next morning, asked where the child was, and Amelia told her, The baby's all right. Don't worry about him. Polly spotted a parcel under the couch. She swore she could make out the shape of a child's head. You know, wrapped in this parcel. Amelia asked for a brick and then said she'd get one herself. Polly owned a sewing box that contained white tape, kept it under the sitting room sofa.

The next time she opened that box, the white tape was gone. Polly got ready to escort her mother back to the rail station, saw the parcel and brick were gone, along with the carpet bag, and asked her mother, what will the neighbors think if they see you coming here with the baby and going away without it? Amelia told her, you can make some excuse. You can make some excuse. Then she watched her mother leave on the 9.15 p.m. train. At the end of the hearing, Amelia was charged with the willful murder, willful murder of Doris Marmon and Harry Simmons. She was committed to trial at the central criminal court in London, the old Bailey, and she was taking to the rail station at 6 p.m.

on May 21st now Amelia's trial at the old Bailey begins the most important the most serious trials for the worst crimes around England would take place in this courtroom Justice Henry Hawkins presided over the trial if Amelia was somehow acquitted of Doris's murder he had plans to try her for another case that was the legal standard in multiple murder cases at the time Alfred Lawrence presented all his evidence from the first trial Marianne testified about her mother's poor mental health and suicide attempts

Almost every witness from the first trial came to the old Bailey to give their testimony again Several psychologists testified Some arguing Amelia was legally insane Other suggesting she exhibited no evidence of quote Homicidal Mania Psychologist Frederick Thomas Bishop Logan

testified about his encounter with Amelia Dyer in December of 1894 One notable psychologist who testified was Littleton Stuart Forbes Winslow A psychologist who believed that Amelia was insane He proposed that Amelia was Jack the Ripper, a theory with no evidence. He examined Amelia and concluded she was, quote,

a good old, carefully attired monthly nurse, but not of the murderous type. So he sounds like an idiot. Amelia had told Dr. Forbes Winslow, I do not know that I ever hurt anyone but myself, and I often hear voices telling me to go out and do certain things, and I go and do it. She claimed she saw in her dreadful things that she couldn't tell him.

She also told Dr. Forbes Winslow about her son, Willie, saying, the spirit of my boy, Willie, seems to be with me all night. I fancy that I could handle his bones and that I was picking them out of the ground. When my poor boy enlisted and went away, I was very ill for three weeks. And when I came to myself, I was beating the rats off who were gnawing on my body and the worms who were eating me up. Not a fucking clue what she's talking about there. That's just gibberish.

Her son, Willie, was definitely alive here. Forbes Winslow later reported hearing a juror whisper, she may perhaps have dreamt this, but it will soon perhaps be a reality. He realized then the jury was prejudiced, but knew the judge would not care. Yeah, prejudice, she had fucking confessed. What are we doing here? Forbes-Linzo was a moron. Amelia's defense attorneys used an insanity defense and referenced her previous asylum commitments.

Her attorney proposed she was suffering from, quote, homicidal mania, a condition that caused people to kill and injure those close to them. That's actually not a thing. It's a thing they thought was a thing at the time. They argued that Amelia was kind to the infants in her care, that losing them meant losing income, which wasn't true. They argued that she had no motive to kill them,

which is consistent with homicidal mania, even though she definitely had a motive, a financial one. The prosecution argued her mental illness was a ploy to avoid suspicions. Prosecutor Horace Avery told the court, if such a defense were to prevail, no murder would ever again be convicted, and lunatic asylums would have to be substituted for jails. Uh, well said.

Amelia's defense team also proposed that any babies that she may have killed intentionally were only once, that she had killed in self-defense. Those babies, they argued, were also trying to put the tape around Amelia's neck, right? They were trying to put the tape around Amelia's neck

and then she took the tape and put it back around their neck in self-defense. Hold still, Mom. Me's gonna wrap this tape round and around your neck

till you won't breathe no more, yeah? Pocket full of posies you will all fall down, Mom! No, they didn't do that. The jury retired at 8.30 p.m.

After five minutes of deliberation, they returned a guilty verdict for the will for murder of Doris Marmon. Now on May 22nd, 1896, Justice Hawkins sentenced Amelia to death. He read a short statement of the court. The prisoner has been treacherous to more than one mother, barbarous to more than one child, and in every case for the same sordid motive, to obtain possessions of 10 pounds.

Amelia chose to not appeal her sentence, and her execution date set for just under three weeks later, June 10th, 1896. The Belfast Newsletter printed an article on the following day that included the following quote. Mrs. Dyer's behavior, after her conviction was most peculiar.

She sat for hours with her eyes riveted, first on one of her attendants, and then on the other without speaking or betraying any emotion. She manifested such dislike to one of her attendance that another had to take her place. The convict was not heard to utter one prayer in her cell by her attendance.

so she's gone full evil she had no genuine emotion left to express i imagine right she probably buried any true ability to express kindness or caring in an emotional way just way deep down long ago she had to have done that i would think in order to be able to kill you know just one innocent child after another i mean i guess people can compartmentalize all kinds of shit though i don't know two weeks later june 6 1896 amelia's final appeal is rejected she received notice from the home secretary that she will not get a reprieve from her execution polly's lawyers subpoenaed at Amelia, though, to testify at her trial scheduled to be after Amelia's execution, the court declared the subpoena invalid, and upheld the execution date.

June 9, 1896, Amelia writes a final confession letter. She wanted to help further exonerate Marianne and Arthur, right, her daughter and son-in-law. She wrote, I feel sure in my own mind. She has set a great deal to screen me, and now she is only suffering for herself. Neither Marianne Palmer nor her husband never had anything in the world to do with either murder. Amelia wrote that she thought No one saw the parcel under the sofa at the Palmer's house That she laid Harry Simmons' body on the sofa

Under a plaid shawl To make it seem like he was just sleeping In the last sense of her letter she wrote What was done? I did myself In the days before her execution Amelia also were a letter to her daughter And in it she told Polly I have no soul

My soul was hammered out of me And glossed her asylum I do wonder what the fuck may have happened to her in that asylum right just left alone in a room with a stray jacket for too long physically or sexually abused or did she just use her time in an asylum as an excuse to justify the evil shit she did right which would be kind of weird since she had started doing evil shit long before she was sent to an asylum

amelia was moved to the newgate prison condemned cell for her final night and for her final meal of course she requested broiled baby with a side of roasted carrots that's disgusting no she requested a baby burger with a side of chips. No, she requested bangers and mash. Baby bangers and mash. I don't know what the fuck she ate.

Amelia Dyer was executed. I do know that. June 10th, 1896, hanged at Newgate prison after giving a final confession to her crimes. On the morning of the execution, Amelia wrote, Amelia quote, rather,

fervently prayed in low tones. She trembled and seemed moody and listless. London law changed so that the public was not allowed to witness executions, only allowed to see the bodies afterwards. The Yorkshire Herald wrote the public were not unmindful that another whom the gallows will claim today was amurred within the frowning pile in the person of Annie Amelia Dyer, the wholesale child destroyer whose sentence was pronounced by Mr. Justice Hawkins in terms of unusual solemnity and pathos.

The morning was, man, these people knew how to write back then. The morning was rainy, but that would not delay the execution. Heer the hour of seven had chimed from the tower of the adjacent church of St. Sepulcher, men were to be seen crouching within doorways and under the caves of the buildings and the old bailey within sight of the bare flagstaff from which was hereafter to float the blackened

at the fateful moment sped as the fateful moments sped the female element appeared and a number of young women whose hablea what the fuck habiliments in some instances were of anything but a morning hue being for the most part bright blue or pink

took up stations in the street by quartered eight the people were standing seven or eight deep in the immediate vicinity of the main portal. Three men were hanged just a few minutes before, Amelia, at a busy day hanging. Right before 9 a.m., the police opinioned her arms and escorted her to the gallows. According to a newspaper account, quote, the convict was quickly placed in a position beneath the beam, and the noose and cap were at once adjusted by Billington,

his assistant rapidly performing other preparations, the convict being meanwhile supported by warders. When asked if she had any final words, Amelia only said, I love my baby back, baby back, baby back ribs. No, she said, no, sir, I have nothing to say. She then thanked the governor in female warders for being kind to her. Executioner James Billington hanged her at 9 a.m. sharp. The drop was five feet.

Billington reported, on the fall of the drop, death was instantaneous. A crowd waited outside for the black flag that symbolized they could enter the prison to witness the body. Amelia's body hanged for a full hour while onlookers were allowed to pass by and witness her corpse. That same day, some Redding Residents Cardwood and crosses on the handrail of Clapper's Footbridge as a memorial to her victims. Also on the day of her execution, the women's penny paper published an article.

The article did not excuse Amelia, but they discussed systemic issues that led to baby farming. Good on them. They wrote that the disgrace of poverty and being a single mother led women to abandon their children and that as long as this continued,

as long as fathers were legally allowed to neglect their children and their child's mothers, people would continue giving their children to baby farmers will hail the women's penny paper. Amelia's daughter, Marianne Palmer, went to trial June 18, 1896. Alfred Lawrence declared there were no grounds for the case of accessory, and Marianne slash Polly was discharged. However, two years later in 1898, the Palmers were charged with neglect for abandoning

a baby girl on the train. Pastures found the baby on the floor, freezing, barely alive. These two pieces of shit now sentenced to two years in prison, after which they were never mentioned in historical records again. Hopefully they were both murdered. Amelia's son, William Samuel, was abroad during his mother's trial. In 1892, he enlisted in the Royal Marine Artillery.

He rose to the rank of sergeant, married and had one child named William Samuel Dyer, who died in 1959 at the age of 83. William Dyer, Sr., estimated to have died in either 1909 or 1910. And finally, in March of 2017, the packaging, the concealed

little Helena's body was found in a loft, owned by the Great, great-grandson of D.C. James B.D. Anderson. He found the brown paper packaging, string, the white tape, and the evidence tag and donated it to the Thames Valley Police Museum in Sulemstedt, Berkshire. The reason the evidence was in his home was because back then police had to bring evidence to court themselves, and I'm sure that policy never led to any evidence tampering, not even one time, and that's it for the timeline. Good job, soldier. You've made it back.

Back. Barely. And now for some good news, kind of, the monstrous deeds of Amelia Dyer, being brought to the Court of Public Opinion as well as testimony that she was a small part of a much, much larger problem led directly to legal reform regarding the rights of children, especially the children of single mothers in the UK. On May 6, 1896, a month before Amelia was executed, while details of her case were on the front page. of newspapers all around the UK every day, Lord Herschel, former Lord Chancellor, issued the safety of nurse children bill. The bill required any person other than a parent caring for a child

under the age of seven or employing a child under the age of 12 to be registered with the police within seven days. Local authorities were now required to keep a register of all children in care and a medical officer should visit regularly these children to ensure that a responsible adult was caring for them properly.

Finally, the death of an infant had to be registered within 24 hours. Amelia's trial had exposed the dark secrets of baby farming In 1896 alone Now that they were looking The police discovered 225 dead infant bodies Over 60% of murder cases In the coroner's courts that year

Were infants killed under the age of one And many around England believe that most infant murder cases Never went to the courts that year The public had learned that dire was one of many evil women Some people interestingly actually commended Amelia somewhat Like Reverend Ward We heard from Reverend Ward before the timeline for at least killing infants quickly instead of slowly.

To them, strangulation was better than slow starvation. The Infant Life Protection Act was amended the following year in 1897. More protections for children were legalized. Local authorities were now required to register and supervise those caring for children up to the age of five. Visitors were allowed to check on baby farmers regularly remove at-risk infants. However, exemptions were made for baby farmers who charged more than 20 pounds because they were more respectable. Okay. Sadly, despite changes in the law, things did not get all that better for bastard babies, not right away, because even after everything England should have learned, nothing was being done to actually support single moms, not legally. And so baby farming continued with many high-profile cases of neglect and murder throughout England and Scotland over the following years. Then the following decade, the 1908 Children's Act was passed, requiring legal registration of foster parents and alluding additional powers to local authorities to protect children. So when did things actually improve significantly for unwed mothers?

1989. Not kidding. You heard that right. 1989. Nearly a full century after Amelia's trial. Back in 1920, MP Neville Chamberlain, the future prime minister, did introduce the bastardie, bastardy bill, which would have compelled fathers to make payments in support of their bastard children and enable the legitimization of children by the subsequent marriage of their parents,

but that bill failed. Un-fucking real. But in 1989, Schedule 1 of the Children Act, 1989, granted courts the power to make financial orders for the benefit of children born outside of marriage, including applications for maintenance, housing, and education. Finally, women had legal recourse to make the father of their child born outside of marriage pay half of the costs associated with raising said child. Applications could now be made by a parent, biological, or adoptive, guardian, special guardian, or person named in a child arrangement order. as somebody with whom the child lives. Fucking crazy, it took that long. Shame on the UK for making it, you know, so easy

for so many dads to be deadbeats, but also the U.S., not much better. Solid effective legislation was not passed here in America to allow unwed mothers across the country to legally seek financial aid from the father of their child until 1988. The Family Support Act of 1988, mandated child support enforced by states.

Before that, some state laws allowed it, but the 1988 Act finally created comprehensive federal requirements for states to establish and enforce child support awards for kids born outside of marriage, making it a widely available legal avenue nationwide. Before that, federal child support enforcement for kids born outside of marriage primarily had began with legislation passed in 1950, requiring states to attempt to collect support for children receiving welfare benefits. But that didn't really happen. Then a more comprehensive federal system established in 1975 with Title IVD of the the Social Security Act.

Before these federal measures, state laws sometimes required fathers to support their kids born outside of marriage, but the efforts often very limited, state-focused, not supported. True effect of protection, yeah, didn't exist until 1988, which is pathetic. Amelia Dyer, as disturbing as she was, a woman labeled by the press of her day as the ogreous of Reading, not the most disturbing part of this episode, to me, not even close. Her being part of a much wider network of baby farmers, far more upsetting. A study by the National Association for the promotion of social science estimated that over 50,000 illegitimate children were born annually in the 1860s in England, with at least two-thirds of them put out to nurse, that is, given to someone else to raise. On top of that, various historians have noted that while the national infant mortality rate in the 1870s was around 15%, the rate among baby farmers could be as high as 90%.

So now let's do some math. I know, you know, we're talking about 1860s and 1870s, but it's going to be close. close 10 times 50,000, right? 500,000. 500,000 illegitimate babies born in one decade in England in the 1860s, 90% mortality rate minus the national mortality rate of 15% equals 75% of baby farmers' babies dying unnaturally at the high end, you know, due to malnutrition and opiate abuse. And that would equal, again, on the high end, to be fair, but still, that would equal 375,000 babies fucking murdered through neglect or directly, In one decade, fuck, even if the true number was just 10% of that,

that's still over 37,000 babies, being killed directly or via neglect. That's insane. Yeah, we've got to do a better job of taking care of each other. Gotta stop demonizing the marginalized. Unwet moms were not the real problem here, obviously. Now the fucking nasty, ugly British bastard babies were. Did you know that bastard babies, on average, are 40% uglier than other babies? Yeah, that's true.

Mm-hmm. Don't look it up. Just trust me. If England would have just legalized the killing of its stupid fucking worthless bastard babies, then those poor mothers could have just shot them out, punted them, you know, fucking into oblivion, and moved on with their lives. If England would have simply declared open season on babies and fetuses and fucking toddlers and any kid under the age of, say, 13, life would have been so much better for moms and dads. No child support worries. No stigma.

Huh? Just carefree fun fucking. Come on. We should legalize killing all children under the age of 13 right now. Make fucking fun again. Muffa. Make fucking fun again. We need to get some Muffa hats. That's a fun hat. We have Muffa on the front. Maybe a little cartoon of a baby with excess fries on the back. Come on. Let's look back in a million dire now. And learn something new. In today's top five takeaways. Takeaways. Number one, Amelia Dyer first heard about baby farming in 1868 from an acquaintance, a midwife who told her about the easy way to make some money, this easy way, just take those babies, let them starve, make that blood money. Amelia took up the practice, fostering many infants for almost 30 years. Many of those infants and children became her victims, of course. Amelia either starved children to death, overdose them with opiates, or strangle them with a piece

of white edging tape. her estimated victim count anywhere from 200 to 400 2. Amelia's son-in-law Arthur Palmer went on trial with her as an accomplice not known how much or how little Amelia's daughter Marianne, aka Polly or Arthur knew about her crimes or if they helped

cover them up or took part in the murders from all the evidence it seems that Polly was more of an accomplice in Arthur. Both Polly and Arthur went to trial. They were acquitted to their charges but then both later charged with child neglect after abandoning a baby on a freezing train and then they served time in prison so I would not be

surprised at all if they were killing kids left and right, too. Number three, Amelia Dyer was considered merciful by some. Most baby farmers allowed children to die a slow, painful death from starvation or disease, while Amelia killed them quickly by strangulation, at least at the end. And that just shows the awful conditions children lived in at the time. Baby farming, an unregulated practice, women targeted single mothers who needed to give up their children to avoid the stigma and shame of having an illegitimate child. these children more often than not abused and neglected

Amelia's quick murder tactics seen as a way by some to expedite what was considered an inevitable outcome of baby farming Number four, Amelia finally brought to justice after a bargeman discovered an infant's body in the River Thames on March 30th, 1896 The Reading Police were horrified by the discovery and worked quickly to uncover her true identity They arrested Amelia within a few days and had her on trial within two weeks She was convicted and executed just two months later.

Number five, new info. Amelia's case inspired two popular ballads of the day. They were sung on the day of her execution and afterwards. The first is the old baby farmer, the wretched Mrs. Dyer. At the old Bailey, her wages is paid. And times long ago, we'd have made a big fire and roasted so nicely the wicked old jade. Another popular one went like this. I'm sure the melody was better than what I'm doing.

What did she think as she stood on the gallers, poor little victims in front of her eyes, or art if she had one, must have been calloused, the rope round her neck how quickly time flies. And that's it. Time suck. Top five takeaways.

The ogres of Reading and the horrors of baby farming have been sucked. I think darkest episode we've had in a while. And that's saying something. Thank you to the Bad Magic Productions team for all your help and making. time suck. Thanks to Queen of Bad Magic, Lindsay Cummins. Thanks to Logan Keith, helping to publish the episode, designing merch for the store at

bad magic productions.com. Thank you again to Olivia Lee for her initial research. Also, thank you to the all-seen eyes, moderating the cult of the curious, private Facebook page, the Mod Squad, making sure Discord keeps running smooth and everybody over on the TimeSuck and Bad Magic subreddit. And now let's

head on over to this week's Time Sucker updates. Sucker updates. Kick you things off with some baby messages. Yeah, it feels right. First update sent into to Bojangles at timesuckpodcast.com

is a sweet one about a baby. Sweet Papa Sack, John Swaggart, sent in a message with a subject line of Levi update. Dear Suckmaster. I wrote in a few months ago about how my son Levi was born three and a half months early,

due to my wife having preeclampsia. It was a scary birth and a long stay in the I, ICU. He was born at only one and a half pounds. Doctors told us that it would be a difficult uphill climb for Levi and there were a few times where they gave us some very scary news that made it seem like we might not ever be able to take him home. They set milestones for Levi and he met each and every one of them before the timeline that they expected. He's a feisty little dude and he impressed the heck out of us and all the nurses and doctors. Levi's mom and I ate lots of hospital

food logged lots of hours driving back and forth from our house to the hospital. Every time we would go home, our house felt empty. It wasn't home anymore because our little Levi was miles away. Thankfully, after 109 days in the NICU, we finally got to bring Levi home. He was sent home on a little bit of oxygen support as a safety net, but he is doing amazing. Before he was born, I was honestly nervous about changing poopie diapers. While we were in the NICU, I would have given anything for the normalcy of having him home and changing all the diapers. Now I am so lucky to wake up at 11 p.m., 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. to change my best Bud's diaper and feed him his bottle while we listen to Time Suck. I can't wait to see the meat sack Levi

turns out to be. Thanks so much to the cult of the curates for the positive messages to the post I made about Levi and the Facebook group. You guys help me and my wife through some hard times and we will forever be thankful. Damn, John. So much allergies there. I love your line about feeling lucky to get up in the middle of the night to change diapers, right? It speaks to how much love we have for our little ones, right? At least how much we should have. You're a fucking awesome dad. And because Levi has awesome parents, I would say there's about a 99% chance he's going to grope to be an awesome, loving, kind man that the world always needs more of.

So thanks for giving us a window into your life. I'm so happy for you and your wife and your baby. Please don't farm him. And now how about another baby-related message? This one more fucked up. But funny. Sent in from a funny Australian sack, Glenn Taraski, with his subject line of, G'day, you funny, cunt.

Just listen to the Lindy Chamberlain short suck. Good work, Cobber. Reminded me of a joke of the time. How do you bring up an Australian baby? You stick your fingers down to dingo's throat. Keep up the good work, you bloke. Keep up the good work, bloke, love you. Until next time, cheerio, dude.

It's a fucked up joke, but I like it. Right? Because that's how we keep from drowning in tragedy. laughing at the very worst life has to offer. You think too long and hard about how terrible the world is and all the fucking nasty shit being done and you might just enter a state of depression you will never pull back out of.

Yeah, I've always loved the dark sense of humor of so many Australians and they just seem to be awesome people. Okay, finally from Texas Sucker, Joshua Gonzalez, who let me know I needed to apologize to an attorney whose name I mocked. He sent on an email with the subject line of Doug Tinker Correction. Hello, lotion master, Dr. Reverend Sucker, 3 Esquire.

I started listening to your podcast this year as I was going through some major changes in my life. Your brand of humor and dedication to open-mindedness is exactly what I was needing as I started a new chapter. I almost reached out when I heard your La Luz de la Mundo episode. I don't know why I love the flow of those words. La Luz del Mundo!

Anyway, because I worked at a venue where they held one of their medians in 2015, but I was too many episodes behind. and didn't feel it would be relevant listening to you today talking about selina i knew i needed to reach out i grew up in corpus christie and my neighbor was the man who held selina in the motel as they waited for the ambulance damn so i had a firsthand account of what happened that day but that's not what i'm writing you about you were going pretty heavy on your ridicule of doug tinker i did my father worked with mr tinker for years and your representation of him was pretty far off mr tinker was a big outspoken and well-like guy in the

area. He was much more good old boy than George McFly. His willingness to represent Yolanda speaks to his fairness and sense of justice even when everyone in Corpus wanted Yolanda dead. I don't think he emphasized enough in the episode how much the entire city hated Yolanda. Now years later, Selena is still highly revered in Corpus, and her statue has become a shrine on the bayfront that thousands of people come to see. Thank you again for all you do. If you read this, please shout out Brie, the woman who helped save me and got me started on your podcast. Keep on sucking Josh. Well, fuck. Fair, Josh. Fair. Apologies to Mr. Dinker. You're no George McFly. You're a mighty tinker. You're not a silly little dinker. It does take some big balls to represent somebody everybody hates. I can admit that. I can only imagine the death threats Doug received. And as much as I hate it, I do understand that even the worst humans ever still deserve fair legal representation if we want to keep the scales of our justice system balanced. So thank you for writing in, Josh. And big thank you for your recommendation, Bree.

Best of luck with the changes. Next time, suckers, I needed that. We all did. Thank you for listen to another Bad Magic Productions podcast. Be sure and rate and review time suck if you haven't already. Please don't farm any babies this week. There's got to be a better way for you to make some money. Be nice to babies, even the ugly ones, especially the ugly ones.

And keep on sucking. Add Magic Productions Hello, Mum. Do as the man says, yeah? Be kind to us, littles. We'll be kinds to ye. They won't have to slice you, mum, if you's kind. Won't have to bleed you, mum.

Won't have to make you a bloody squeal, mum. Won't have to stick you. Won't have to watch the light. Leave your eyes, Mum! Yatsy!