The Case of the Murder of Mary Ann Weems
News of the Times Episode 472 | 1818
Welcome to today’s episode, where we journey back to Cambridgeshire in 1818.
Our story follows Thomas Weems, a young man from the lower social class who believed life had dealt him a cruel hand. After a brief affair with Mary Ann Dixon of Wendy, Cambridgeshire, Mary Ann claimed she was pregnant with Thomas’s child. Under the harsh customs of the time, the parish authorities gave Thomas an ultimatum: marry Mary Ann or face imprisonment.
Reluctantly, Thomas did what was expected—he married her. However, driven by resentment, he soon abandoned Mary Ann and fled to Edmonton, seeking a new life. There, he met another young woman who quickly captured his heart. But bound by his existing marriage, Thomas was unable to pursue this new love.
What followed was a scandal that gripped the nation, making headlines well beyond the local papers—a rare feat in those days. The story gained even more infamy due to the macabre, Frankenstein-like experiments conducted on Thomas’s corpse after his death, giving the tale a chilling twist reminiscent of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror.
In this episode, we’ll unravel the full story: from the troubled romance and the crime that followed, to the shocking verdict and the gruesome fate of Thomas’s body.
And keeping with the eerie theme, our “further particulars” segment explores a chilling case from the same era—a woman whose prophetic dream foretold a real-life murder.
Hosted by Robin Coles.

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EPISODE
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