After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

Episode: Georgian England's Notorious Dumpling Poisoner
Hosts: Anthony Delaney & Maddie Pelling
Date: September 15, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the curious and controversial true crime case of Eliza Fenning, a 22-year-old servant in early 19th-century London who was accused of attempted mass murder—by way of poisoned dumplings. Historians Anthony and Maddie retrace the events that led to Eliza standing trial at the Old Bailey, reflect on the era’s charged social context, and ultimately explore whether Fenning was truly guilty, a victim of class prejudice, or the subject of one of Georgian England’s most notorious miscarriages of justice.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Setting the Scene: Crime and Context

• Time & Place: March 1815, London, at the heart of the legal district on Chancery Lane.
• Victim & Accused: The Turner family falls violently ill after a meal prepared by their servant, Eliza Fenning, who herself also becomes ill.
• Crime: Attempted murder via arsenic poisoning; significant because no one died, yet Eliza faces the death penalty ([04:08]–[08:05]).
• Societal Backdrop: Post-Waterloo Britain, rife with economic hardship, social unrest, and class tensions; pressing issues include food shortages, the Industrial Revolution, and mass migration to cities ([09:04]–[11:35]).
• Historical Note: Class conflict and the precarious position of servants set the stage for intense suspicion and sensationalism.

Eliza Fenning: Background and Circumstances

• Personal Details: 22-year-old literate cook, only surviving child from a working-class family; nine siblings died in infancy. Born in the West Indies to an Irish mother ([11:47]–[13:42]).
• Social Standing: Working class, yet respected enough to garner character references from employers and acquaintances when accused.

"She is the only surviving child of her parents. Bear that in mind as well because I think that is so poignant when we hear the end of the story."
— Maddie ([12:53])

Anatomy of a Victorian Household

• Turner Household: Headed by Robert Gregson Turner (law stationer), with wife Charlotte, teenage son Robert Jr., grandfather Haldibart, apprentice Roger Gadsall, and fellow servant Sarah Pier ([15:44]–[16:18]).
• Servant-Master Dynamics: Intimate living arrangements blur the lines between family and staff, nurturing both dependency and deep-seated tensions ([17:08]–[18:15]).

Early Allegations: Motive and Suspicion

• Tensions & Testimonies: Charlotte Turner (the mistress) testifies to an incident where Eliza entered the young men’s room “partially undressed,” signaling sexual impropriety—a key element in the later vilification of Eliza ([18:24]–[19:52]).
• Class and Gender Prejudices: The trial capitalizes on accusations of immorality and sexual transgression, painting Eliza as both sensual and threatening.

"I'm just gonna say her boobs have been put on with an ice cream scoop."
— Maddie ([14:36])

The Dumpling Incident: The Meal and Its Aftermath

• The Meal: Eliza prepares beefsteak pie, dumplings, and potatoes. She eats the same dumplings as the Turners.
• Symptoms: Family members (and Eliza) become violently ill almost immediately after eating ([21:54]–[23:41]).
• Possible Causes: Discussion of food hygiene, spoiled ingredients (notably milk), and the plausibility of accidental poisoning ([23:50]–[24:32]).

Forensic Evidence and the Arsenic Mystery

• Grandfather’s “Investigation”: Haldibart claims discovery of a white powder in the dumpling pan and notes silverware blackening—indicative of arsenic, but these findings are suspicious and possibly contaminated ([25:02]–[27:39]).
• Household Supplies: Arsenic was commonly kept for pest control, making its mere presence unremarkable.
• Doctor’s Testimony: Dr. Marshall claims to recover “half a teaspoon of arsenic” from leftovers; the amount allegedly found would have been lethal ([27:41]–[28:13]).
• Eliza’s Defense: She suggests spoiled milk was the cause of illness, not the dumplings ([28:00]–[28:32]).

The Trial: Justice or Prejudgment?

• Legal Environment: Most testimony comes from the employers; Eliza has little ability to mount a defense. Oral evidence dominates, and legal representation is limited for the lower classes ([32:38]–[33:39]).
• Character Assassination: The Turners—and especially Robert Jr.—expand upon rumors of Eliza’s “sexual impropriety,” escalating to claims of exposure or suggestiveness ([34:43]–[35:36]).
• Public Perception: While the employer class is fearful of murderous servants, the working classes see a clear scapegoating of Eliza and rally in her defense.

"There is someone in your house who might murder you. Yeah, that’s pretty frightening. So this captures the attention of middling people as well, for the exact opposite reason that it does the working class people."
— Anthony ([34:43])

The Verdict and Execution

• Judge: John Sylvester, known as a “hanging judge,” reputed for bias against women, pronounces the death sentence; possibly colludes with the prosecution ([40:27]–[41:44]).
• Eliza’s Words:

"I am innocent of the crime. I am not guilty. I wouldn't hurt a hair on anyone's head in the family, much less poison their food."
— Eliza Fenning at trial ([38:52])

• Public Mourning: Eliza’s execution at Newgate draws massive crowds; she’s remembered as a working-class martyr. Her parents pay a bribe to recover her body for burial and host a wake attended by thousands ([43:19]–[45:46]).

"She’s absolutely a martyr. Yes. She’s a martyr for the mob, essentially. And she becomes this figure of, you know, the oppression of the upper classes."
— Maddie ([45:56])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On gendered depiction and media bias:

  "I'm just gonna say her boobs have been put on with an ice cream scoop."
  — Maddie ([14:36])

• On servant mistrust:

  "There is someone in your house who might murder you."
  — Anthony ([34:43])

• On legal mishandling:

  "All that’s happened is some vomiting and suddenly the servant’s at the Old Bailey."
  — Maddie ([24:43])

• Eyewitness at the execution:

  "I had the greatest horror of witnessing an execution, and of this particular execution, a young girl of whose guilt I had grave doubts."
  — William Hone ([43:50])

• Historical resonance:

  "Is it an example of a miscarriage of justice and class prejudice? Or did she get what she deserved in the context of the legal system at the time?"
  — Maddie ([46:44])

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [03:50]–[04:08]: Opening summary, the case of the "Dumpling Murder"
• [04:08]–[08:05]: The alleged crime and the ill Turners; first suspicions
• [09:04]–[11:35]: Britain at the end of the Napoleonic Wars; class and economic context
• [13:42]–[15:35]: Eliza’s background, social mobility, and public perception
• [18:24]–[19:52]: Testimony about Eliza’s supposed impropriety
• [21:54]–[23:41]: The meal, illness, and speculation about food poisoning
• [25:02]–[27:39]: “Forensic” evidence and suspicion falling on Eliza
• [32:38]–[33:39]: The structure of the trial; difficulties for defendants
• [34:43]–[35:36]: Smear campaign and gender/class prejudices
• [38:52]: Eliza’s statement in court
• [40:27]–[41:44]: Judge’s verdict and sentencing
• [43:19]–[45:46]: Execution, popular reaction, and Eliza’s legacy

Conclusions & Reflections

Anthony and Maddie ultimately express doubt about Eliza Fenning’s guilt, pointing to the suspicious nature of evidence, the heavy influence of class and gender bias, and the era’s penchant for scapegoating vulnerable individuals. They highlight the dangers of hasty justice in a system tilted against the poor and powerless and note that Eliza's execution became a flashpoint in debates about class oppression and the "bloody code" of Georgian criminal law.

"It’s debated for years and years and years afterwards. Is it an example of a miscarriage of justice and class prejudice? Or did she get what she deserved in the context of the legal system at the time?"
— Maddie ([46:44])

Final Thoughts

Listeners are left with an invitation to reflect on whether Eliza was truly guilty, and to see her not just as a historical curiosity, but as a figure whose story illuminates larger issues of class, gender, criminal justice, and the shaping of public opinion—issues as relevant today as they were two centuries ago.

For feedback and episode suggestions, the hosts remind listeners to contact them at afterdark@historyhit.com, noting that direct email is the surest way to reach the team.