Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share 18. Catherine Flannagan & Margaret Higgins
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
18. Catherine Flannagan & Margaret Higgins
Lucy Worsley investigates the historical crimes of women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
In this episode, Lucy is joined by award-winning crime writer Lynda La Plante CBE to investigate the case of two sisters, Catherine Flanagan and Margaret Higgins. They’re part of the Irish immigrant community in Liverpool, living near the docks in a crowded, working class area, doing many different jobs to make ends meet. Professor Rosalind Crone from the Open University visits the Museum of Liverpool to find out what life would have been like for the sisters, tracing their steps as they moved around different houses in the area.
By 1881, Catherine is a life insurance broker and also a widow. Margaret is married, but her husband, Thomas Higgins, falls ill and dies. Thomas has life insurance policies so, after his death, Margaret and Catherine receive a generous payment. But Thomas’ death doesn’t make sense to his brother Patrick, who calls for a post mortem. Traces of arsenic are detected in the body and Margaret is arrested. But as the police arrive, Catherine escapes. She disappears into the warren of Liverpool’s streets and ends up in the east of the city.
After ten days on the run, Catherine is found and brought to trial with her sister. Did the sisters work together, or was one of them pressuring the other? Were the sisters actually part of a female syndicate, murdering people for monetary gain?
Lucy asks how similar this is to investigations today. Do close knit communities in cities still help each other evade the police?
Producer: Hannah Fisher
Readers: Clare Corbett and Jonathan Keeble
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Series Producer: Julia Hayball
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4
View all episodes
By BBC Radio 4
4.7
488488 ratings
Lucy Worsley investigates the historical crimes of women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
In this episode, Lucy is joined by award-winning crime writer Lynda La Plante CBE to investigate the case of two sisters, Catherine Flanagan and Margaret Higgins. They’re part of the Irish immigrant community in Liverpool, living near the docks in a crowded, working class area, doing many different jobs to make ends meet. Professor Rosalind Crone from the Open University visits the Museum of Liverpool to find out what life would have been like for the sisters, tracing their steps as they moved around different houses in the area.
By 1881, Catherine is a life insurance broker and also a widow. Margaret is married, but her husband, Thomas Higgins, falls ill and dies. Thomas has life insurance policies so, after his death, Margaret and Catherine receive a generous payment. But Thomas’ death doesn’t make sense to his brother Patrick, who calls for a post mortem. Traces of arsenic are detected in the body and Margaret is arrested. But as the police arrive, Catherine escapes. She disappears into the warren of Liverpool’s streets and ends up in the east of the city.
After ten days on the run, Catherine is found and brought to trial with her sister. Did the sisters work together, or was one of them pressuring the other? Were the sisters actually part of a female syndicate, murdering people for monetary gain?
Lucy asks how similar this is to investigations today. Do close knit communities in cities still help each other evade the police?
Producer: Hannah Fisher
Readers: Clare Corbett and Jonathan Keeble
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Series Producer: Julia Hayball
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4
More shows like Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley
View all
Global News Podcast
7,713 Listeners
Business Daily
523 Listeners
Newshour
1,066 Listeners
World Business Report
302 Listeners
In Our Time
5,472 Listeners
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
2,113 Listeners
Dan Snow's History Hit
4,780 Listeners
Curious Cases
822 Listeners
The Life Scientific
236 Listeners
The English Heritage Podcast
224 Listeners
Evil Genius with Russell Kane
367 Listeners
Talking Tudors
737 Listeners
Have You Heard George's Podcast?
234 Listeners
Shedunnit
713 Listeners
Historic Royal Palaces Podcast
469 Listeners
Elis James and John Robins
334 Listeners
You're Dead to Me
3,219 Listeners
British Scandal
2,503 Listeners
Gone Medieval
1,892 Listeners
Not Just the Tudors
2,060 Listeners
Sport's Strangest Crimes
66 Listeners
Uncanny
840 Listeners
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
1,385 Listeners
Believe in Magic
622 Listeners
History's Heroes
510 Listeners
After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
1,111 Listeners
The Global Story
350 Listeners
Miss Me?
266 Listeners
The History Podcast
60 Listeners
Rory Stewart: The Long History of...
77 Listeners
Havana Helmet Club
2 Listeners