CLASSIC: Fanny and Stella: The Cross-Dressing Scandal of Victorian England

Summary

Ridiculous History: CLASSIC - Fanny and Stella: The Cross-Dressing Scandal of Victorian England

Episode Release Date: March 29, 2025

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Introduction

In this classic episode of Ridiculous History, hosts Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown transport listeners to the eccentric and tumultuous era of Victorian England. They unravel the captivating tale of Fanny and Stella—a duo whose refusal to conform to traditional gender norms ignited a sensational court case in 1870, echoing contemporary debates on gender identity and societal conformity.

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Setting the Stage: Victorian England’s Contradictions

Ben (00:00) opens the episode by highlighting the paradoxical nature of Victorian society—beautiful yet brutal, specific yet self-contradictory.

Noel (00:25) introduces the central figures: Fanny (Frederick Park) and Stella (Ernest Bolton), two men renowned in the London theater scene for their cross-dressing, which was both a professional necessity and a personal expression.

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Fanny and Stella: Lives and Identities

Fanny and Stella, born in the mid-19th century, were not just entertainers but pioneers challenging gender norms. Stella, encouraged by his mother, embraced feminine attire early on, while Fanny flourished in the acting world where cross-dressing was commonplace due to the exclusion of women from legitimate theater roles.

Noel (07:30) clarifies the terminology: “Crossdresser is the preferred term. It does not imply that either individual is gay, but it’s just specifically referring to someone of a gender that likes to dress like a member of another gender.”

Their dual identities allowed them to navigate both public performances and private social circles, often blurring the lines of gender presentation in ways that fascinated and scandalized Victorian society.

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The Scandal Unfolds: Relationship with Lord Arthur Clinton

Central to their story is their association with Lord Arthur Clinton, an influential aristocrat. Fanny and Stella maintained a close, sister-like bond with him, which became the focal point of societal scrutiny.

Ben (13:37) describes Lord Clinton as: “An English aristocrat born in 1840, creme de la creme of society at the time. He went to Eton, was in the Royal Navy, served in the Crimean War, and was in Parliament for three years.”

Their relationship with Clinton, especially during his financial downfall and eventual mysterious death, added layers of intrigue and speculation, further fueling public fascination.

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The Arrest: April 28, 1870

On a Thursday evening, April 28, 1870, Fanny and Stella attended a performance at the Strand Theater in London, donning elaborate evening frocks complete with gloves, bodices, and intricate lace. Their attire didn't stop at the stage; they often wore makeup in public, challenging societal gender norms even outside theatrical settings.

As they attempted to leave the theater, a police superintendent and sergeant, along with a detective who had been monitoring them for a year, apprehended Bolton, Park, and their friend Hugh Alexander Mundell. The arrest was aimed at proving unlawful sexual relations and the misdemeanor of "personation of a woman."

Ben (22:26) explains: “To establish whether they had, in fact, had experienced that sexual act.”

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The Courtroom Drama: Media Frenzy and Legal Proceedings

The courtroom became a battleground for societal values, with the prosecution struggling to present concrete evidence. The media sensationalized the trial, dubbing Fanny and Stella as the “Funny He She Ladies,” turning their personal defiance into a national spectacle.

Noel (26:49) cites a contemporary newspaper review: “There is one peculiar trait in the evidence that stands out... showing the base and prurient nature of these misguided youths.”

Despite the intense scrutiny, the prosecution failed to produce a reliable witness, undermining their case significantly.

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Verdict and Public Reaction

After approximately 14 hearings and a media circus that captivated the nation, the jury deliberated for only 53 minutes before acquitting Fanny and Stella. The verdict was met with widespread approval, as evidenced by the courtroom’s response of “bravo” from the gallery.

Ben (30:00) quotes Lord Chief Justice Sir Alexander Cockburn: “The prosecution's case was garbage juice and that the police were acting unprofessionally.”

This swift acquittal not only exonerated them but also highlighted the inadequacies and biases within the Victorian legal system.

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Aftermath and Societal Impact

The trial of Fanny and Stella had profound implications on English law and societal perceptions of gender identity. Their acquittal demonstrated the limitations of legal frameworks in addressing complex social issues, paving the way for future discourse on gender expression and rights.

Noel (31:11) reflects on the era’s transformations: “In 1870, the Republican movement was reaching a tipping point. The work of Charles Darwin was propagating out through the world. Paris had become a commune.”

These cultural shifts created a backdrop that both enabled and resisted the changes Fanny and Stella embodied.

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Parallels with Oscar Wilde

The hosts draw parallels between Fanny and Stella’s trial and that of Oscar Wilde, another prominent figure who faced legal persecution due to his sexual identity. Wilde’s trials in the late 19th century further exemplify the societal and legal challenges faced by those who defied conventional gender norms and sexual identities.

Noel (43:29) summarizes Wilde’s plight: “Oscar Wilde... was trying to defend his own sexual identity. He was convicted on charges of sodomy and gross indecency, reflecting the persistent societal prejudices of the time.”

Wilde’s ultimate downfall serves as a somber reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by individuals challenging societal norms.

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Conclusion: Legacy of Fanny and Stella

Fanny and Stella’s story is a testament to the enduring struggle for gender expression and identity. Their bravery in defying Victorian norms and the subsequent trial highlight the complexities of societal acceptance and the slow progression of legal protections for marginalized identities.

Noel (45:14) concludes: “We can only hope that they were able to find some privacy and some dignity that the press apparently could not afford them at the time.”

Their legacy continues to resonate, offering valuable lessons for contemporary discussions on gender and identity.

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Notable Quotes

• Ben (07:30): “Crossdresser is the preferred term. It does not imply that either individual is gay, but it's just specifically referring to someone of a gender that likes to dress like a member of another gender.”

• Noel (26:49): “There is one peculiar trait in the evidence that stands out... showing the base and prurient nature of these misguided youths.”

• Ben (30:00): “The prosecution's case was garbage juice and that the police were acting unprofessionally.”

• Noel (43:29): “Oscar Wilde... was trying to defend his own sexual identity.”

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Final Thoughts

Ben and Noel wrap up the episode by reflecting on the historical significance of Fanny and Stella’s trial and its relevance to today’s ongoing conversations about gender identity and societal norms. They express gratitude to their research associate Ren and their producer Casey Pegram for their invaluable contributions.

Listeners are encouraged to engage with the Ridiculous Historians community on social media platforms and to explore additional resources for a deeper understanding of this fascinating historical episode.

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Transcript

[Ben]

Fellow ridiculous historians, thank you for tuning in for this week's classic episode. We're going back to Victorian England. I'll just say it with the benefit of retrospect. A very weird, specific and self contradicting time.

[Noel]

Oh, big time. As evidenced in our recent episode on flirting, which was Wasn't that Victorian?

[Ben]

Yes, Victorian flirting.

[Noel]

Really really very, very, very, very interesting. Thanks to our research associate Ren for that one. But to April of 1870 when a court case, O.J. simpson style captivated the people of Victorian England. Fanny and Stella, AKA Frederick park and Ernest Boulton were arrested after attending a play for their refusal to dress according to their assigned gender, let us say. And it caused a moral panic.

[Ben]

A court case that rocked the land entire. We can't wait for you to hear this episode if you haven't yet, because you know these kinds of moral panics still continue in the modern day. So there's a lot we can learn from this one.

[Noel]

Oh, not to mention all of the crazy stuff going on in Washington right now with you know, trans erasure and just like really horrible revisionist history for a group of people who very much exist and have very much fought for the right to be treated like human beings beings. And I think this is a great example of a precedent setting case.

[Ben]

So let's roll the tape.

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[Noel]

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[Larison Campbell]

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[Ben]

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[Larison Campbell]

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[Damien Hirst]

Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

Ow.

[Ben]

Go slower.

[Damien Hirst]

From Blumhouse TV, iHeart podcasts and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi and what's the way to find a missing person? Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[John Cameron Mitchell]

This is John Cameron Mitchell and my new fiction podcast series, Cancellation island stars Holly Hunter as Karen, a wellness influencer who launches a rehab for the recently canceled. In the future, we will all be canceled for 15 minutes, but don't worry, we'll take you from broke to woke or your money back. Cancellation Island's revolutionary rehab therapies, like bad touch football, anti racism, spin class, and mandatory ayahuasca ceremonies are designed to force the council to confront their worst impulses. But everything starts to fall apart when people start disappearing. Karen, where have you brought us Cancellation island, where a second second chance might just be your last. Listen to Cancellation island on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben]

Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartrad. We're opening today's episode with an excerpt from a letter written on November 21, around probably 1869. My dearest Arthur, how very kind of you to think of me on my birthday. I had no idea that you would do so. It was very good of you to write and I am really very grateful for it. I require no remembrances of my sister's husband as the many kindnesses he has bestowed upon me will make me remember him for many a year. And the birthday present he is so kind as to promise me will only be one addition to the heap of little favors I already treasure. Up. And. And we'll cut it there. And go to the signature, it says, believe me, your affectionate sister in law, Fanny Winifred Park. And Fanny Winifred park in this letter is writing to a fellow named Lord Arthur Clinton.

[Noel]

Ah, that's right. We'll get to the. Okay, we'll circle back to this part of the story. Welcome to Ridiculous History.

[Ben]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Who are you?

[Noel]

I'm Noel.

[Ben]

Okay. And I'm Ben.

[Noel]

You are still Ben.

[Ben]

Yes. And that's what they call me in this part of the world. And we are, of course joined as always, with our super producer, Casey Pegram.

[Noel]

What do they call you elsewhere in the world, Ben? Do you have a knighthood that we don't know about? Are you a sir or a lord?

[Ben]

I don't know if it is something you could pronounce.

[Noel]

Oh, okay, cool.

[Ben]

Not just you specifically.

[Noel]

I mean, Just the human tongue. Yeah, got it.

[Ben]

It's kind of weird, but you know how it is. You get in situations. You travel.

[Noel]

Yeah. Witchy stuff happens.

[Ben]

Yeah. You make deals. Whatever. Boy, we got off the. We got off the rails really quickly on this one, Noel.

[Noel]

Shaking my head.

[Ben]

Shaking his head. Okay, so the fanny in question who is writing to Lord Clinton is someone known as Mrs. Fanny Graham. Like Graham Cracker, Right?

[Noel]

That's right.

[Ben]

And the sister she is referring to is someone named Ms. Stella Bolton. Or occasionally she will sign things as Stella Clinton.

[Noel]

That's right. And they refer to each other constantly as sisters. But in fact, these two quite theatrical individuals were, in fact, their Christian names were Ernest Bolton and William park. And they were in fact men who were widely known in the London theater community as being very successful cross dressers. And I just want to point out right up front. Yeah, I thought that term was antiquated. I wasn't sure if that was like the okay thing to say. But I did look it up on the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation website, which had a media section. And crossdresser is the preferred term. It does not imply that either individual is gay, but it's just specifically referring to someone of a gender that likes to dress like a member of another gender. And that was the case with Fanny and Stella.

[Ben]

Right. So Stella, also known as Ernest, was born in 1847 the child of a stockbroker. And park was born in 1846 the child of a barrister. So a legal official.

[Noel]

That's right. And Stella's mother encouraged him from an early age to kind of follow that impulse to wear clothing of the opposite.

[Ben]

Sex, which was kind of common in Victorian era, or not less uncommon than it is now.

[Noel]

That's right. Because women for a long time were not allowed to act in the theater. So parts, female parts were played by men in drag.

[Ben]

Right. And this was an old tradition. And these two people were talented actors. Bolton in particular was known for having a wonderful soprano voice. And they both regularly played female parts in legitimate theaters. And then also at this time, some theatrical productions would go to country houses, private homes. Yeah.

[Noel]

For private events, you know, of like, let's say philanthropists of the arts. They would have a salon at their house and like host some sort of event where there would be a play put on and a collection of various wealthy individuals from the community would go there and check it out.

[Ben]

Like Lord Ravingham Putin on the Ritz.

[Noel]

Lord Pilkington of Ebsworth.

[Ben]

Yeah. Lord Webito's Hand Time.

[Noel]

Okay. You know, the of the do it. Do what you got to do.

[Ben]

Of the old northern England Hantime dynasty. No, but we are. The point is true, and it's an important thing to mention. They were playing these female parts in theatrical productions, but they were also wearing clothing that Victorian society said should only be worn by women offstage.

[Noel]

Yeah. Like in public. Like walking around town. And just to paint you a picture here, they were not necessarily professional actors. It was something they liked to do in their free time, but in their day jobs, their day lives. Ernest, who was 22, and Frederick, who was 23.

[Ben]

Yeah, just a year old.

[Noel]

That's right. Frederick was a law student, and I believe Ernest was a clerk at a law firm. And I think he ended up working at a bank as well at some point.

[Ben]

And let's examine their lives in a little more detail. So these are famous friends. They refer to each other as sisters. They have this really strong bond. And, you know, they're in their early 20s. What a time to be alive, right? Glory days. They also do not shy away from public attention or controversy. The dresses of the time. For anybody who's interested in the history of fashion, we'd also like to recommend our peer podcast, Dressed, available now wherever you find your favorite shows. But their clothing that they would wear was incredibly complicated, at least to me. I'm like a slacks in a dress shirt guy. But it's important to note that they also dressed as what would stereotypically be considered men, too. And they would stroll back and forth at what's called the derby. This is from a great article on Indiana. Edu. Off the pedestal. They would attract attention because they would wear a male dress, but they would also wear makeup, which was normally associated with women at the time.

[Noel]

That's right. There were several accounts of folks who knew them around town who said that they thought that they were two gay women wearing men's clothing. And there were accounts of folks who, when seeing them wearing women's clothing, thought they were two gay men wearing women's clothing. So the gender identity is extra kind of muddled up here in a really interesting way. The thing about it is, too, theaters in particular in London were kind of a hotbed for this sort of underground gay world that was certainly not accepted in the mainstream. These theaters would be a way for folks in this scene to connect with one another. Obviously, before, you know, Facebook and Tinder and Scruff and things like that, they had to have a way and also to kind of keep it secret.

[Ben]

Yeah. There was another thing that occurred called a Molly House. Did you hear about this?

[Noel]

No.

[Ben]

So a molly house was a term that was used in the 18th and 19th century to describe a meeting place, this kind of meeting place, particularly in England. They were generally taverns, bars, essentially coffee houses, or sometimes private rooms. And the thing about it is, at this time, any kind of same sex activity was considered illegal and remained a capital offense until the 1860s.

[Noel]

A capital offense meaning the death penalty. And sodomy, the act of sodomy carried that sentence, sodomy being a pretty loaded term.

[Ben]

Absolutely.

[Noel]

And in this context, that word refers to a particular type of penetrative sex act.

[Ben]

Yes, that is correct. And it's a very important point that we're making here because this need for secrecy was not some kind of like, oh, fun marketing thing like those fake speakeasy bars that are so common in the US these days. This was necessary to protect these people's lives.

[Noel]

Well, and it just goes to show how bold Fanny and Stella were in kind of flouting this and just, you know, doing their thing and going to these very public places wearing these outfits and flirting with very powerful men. In fact, the letter Ben that you read at the very top of the show was written to one of these powerful men who plays a very important part in this story.

[Ben]

Yes, yes. We should set him up before we dive in. Good call. Lord Arthur Pelham Clinton is an English aristocrat born in 1840, and he was, you know, creme de la creme of society at the time. He went to Eton, he was in the Royal Navy, he was in the Crimean War.

[Noel]

He was in Parliament for three years.

[Ben]

He was in Parliament. He had a personal connection with the Prime Minister who was the godson of William Gladstone.

[Noel]

That's right.

[Ben]

This guy had what we call the juice.

[Noel]

He had connects.

[Ben]

Yeah, absolutely. And he had a relationship in 1870 with Stella or Ernest Bolton. And at the time he was technically considered a naval officer, but he was retired. And he was formerly. At one time he had been a man of great wealth and means, but a few years before 1870, he had to declare bankruptcy to the tune of like, what, £70,000 back then? So a little bit of inflation calculation, Casey, I don't know if we have a sound cue for that. That amounts to almost six million pounds today. So he was in deep. He had a lot of problems, but he had found love with Stella or Ernest Bolton.

[Noel]

And we should take this time to mention the fact that Stella, between Stella and Fanny, was considered the more feminine looking one. And if you see pictures of them of which There is one with Lord Arthur, and both of them, Stella has much more effeminate features. And Fanny doesn't even really look like a female in this picture. She's wearing kind of a sweater and has more of a cropped. And it's very interesting and mentioned in several of these articles we've been looking at. One in particular on the Guardian mentions the fact that when you look at pictures of the two of them and you see Fanny, you might wonder by today's standards, how people may have been confused about the gender of this person.

[Ben]

I see. Yeah. That's a great article by Katherine Hughes, Fanny and the Young Men who Shocked Victorian England. It's a review of a book by Neil McKenna, who does some great research here. I think we've set the scene right. They're pushing these social boundaries in a way that probably has several of their friends and loved ones saying, be careful.

[Noel]

That's right.

[Ben]

Watch out.

[Noel]

Well, we should also Just one last thing is that Stella presented herself as the wife of Lord Love.

[Ben]

Lord Clinton.

[Noel]

Lord Clinton.

[Ben]

And that's. Yeah. And that's why in the excerpt of the letter we read from Fanny, that's why you hear them saying things like sister in law. Sister in law.

[Noel]

That's right.

[Ben]

Yeah. And they took this relationship very seriously. It wasn't just like some in joke. And when you read these letters, it's crazy. Especially some of the shorter ones, the.

[Noel]

Kind of dicey ones where they're kind of feuding a little bit.

[Ben]

Yeah. It's like, hey, don't take what Stella said personally. She was drinking.

[Noel]

Yeah. Or there's one where Stella's saying to Lord Clinton, how dare you be so rude to me? And, you know, it's like, you know, terse kind of lovers spat kind of stuff. So we have set the scene, Ben. And now the year is 1869.

[Ben]

Yes, the year is 1869. You see, it wasn't just civilians taking notice of the adventures of Fanny and Stella around town. No, the local law enforcement took notice as well, and they started following the pair, monitoring their movements for like a year. Yeah. An intensive year. Was there real crime that they could have been addressing?

[Noel]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Ben]

Did they?

[Noel]

London was a very dangerous place in those days.

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[Damien Hirst]

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[Larison Campbell]

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[Noel]

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[Larison Campbell]

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[Ben]

It was my family's mystery.

[Larison Campbell]

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[Ben]

The story is much more complicated and nuanced than that.

[Larison Campbell]

I'm Larison Campbell. Listen to under yazukle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[G]

Hey, kids, it's me, Kevin Smith.

[Ben]

And it's me, Harley Quinn Smith.

[G]

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[Ben]

It's a work in progress.

[G]

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[Damien Hirst]

Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

Ow.

[Ben]

Go slower.

[Damien Hirst]

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[Noel]

Now take a big whiff, my bruh.

[Damien Hirst]

Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[John Cameron Mitchell]

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[Larison Campbell]

Karen, where have you brought us?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

Cancellation island, where a second chance might just be your last. Listen to Cancellation island on the iHeartrade radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben]

And so they follow him for a year. And let's fast forward to a Thursday on April 28, 1870.

[Noel]

That's right. The pair is attending a performance at the Strand Theater in London with a mutual friend of theirs.

[Ben]

Right. Hugh Alexander Mundell.

[Noel]

And as per usual, when they're going out of a night to the theater, they are dressed to the nines, wearing evening frocks with all of the accoutrement, gloves, bodices, everything that would go along with it. Lace, all of that.

[Ben]

Hats. The whole thing.

[Noel]

Yeah, the whole nine. And they actually have a private box.

[Ben]

There. The detective who was following them saw the meat to other people. But as they were leaving, as you said, Noel, a police superintendent and a police sergeant had joined with the detective while the group was watching the show. And they arrested Bolton park and this other person, Hugh Alexander Mundell. As they attempted to leave, the others escaped. The three arrested individuals were then subjected.

[Noel]

To humiliating battery of examinations.

[Ben]

Yeah, that's a perfect way to say it. Yeah. To establish whether they had, in fact had that, like, had experienced that sexual act. Right, that's right. They were specifically looking for. And then they were brought to the magistrate at the Bow Street Magistrate's Court the next day. And they were not allowed to change. They were not given the option to change into different clothing. They were just kept overnight and then hauled out, which to me seems like another purposeful act of humiliation.

[Noel]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, they were forced to stay in the jail cells wearing their wigs and everything. And there's a great quote in this review of the Neil McKenna book from Catherine Hughes that describes the scene as such. After a night in the cells with wigs slipping and stubble poking through, it was pretty clear to the packed and panting courtroom that the two tarts were actually young men. Very strange way of putting it. I feel like this was old. Like, who would write like that? Why would they call them tarts? That seems really offensive.

[Ben]

That's still a British term that they use. But tart is an archaic term.

[Noel]

That's fair. Okay, I'll Go on. Their names, according to the charge sheet, were Ernest Bolton and Frederick Park. To their friends, they were Stella and Fanny. And in the newspapers, they now became front page fixtures, known as the Funny He She Ladies.

[Ben]

Tremendously offensive. This is when it officially becomes what's called the Bolton and Park scandal. So at this time, there is a minor law that they could be considered breaking, which is called personation of a woman.

[Noel]

Yeah, So I think it was a misdemeanor.

[Ben]

Yeah, it's like it's a lower charge. It's definitely not a capital offense. And what the court system is trying to do in the preceding legal arguments here is they're trying to prove, not that these people were, quote, unquote, personating a woman, but that they were engaged in unlawful sexual relations.

[Noel]

Yeah, that's right. I mean, it seems to me like they were trying very desperately to make an example of the two in a really horrific way that I believe stretched up to somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 hearings. And it became a total media circus because, you know, the public wanted to get a look at them because they had this, like, you know, horribly offensive title. Now, that took the public's imagination by storm. The Funny He She Ladies. So it became this total ship show of a trial.

[Ben]

Right. And the details of the law under which they would have been prosecuted, perhaps persecuted is a better word here, required the court to have a witness, someone who could say, I know, and I saw this thing happening with these two people that I can conclusively identify. The problem was that despite the terrible media atmosphere of the time and the national attention focused on it, the prosecution was unable to find the witness. They were unable to prove that anything happened.

[Noel]

That's right. But do you know what one of the most galling pieces of evidence to the prosecution was, Ben?

[Ben]

What's that?

[Noel]

It was the fact that Stella, while attending this performance at the Strand Theater, had apparently had the audacity to use the women's lavatory.

[Ben]

That was one of the huge things. They were. I think they were already planning to arrest them.

[Noel]

Yes.

[Ben]

That night.

[Noel]

Absolutely.

[Ben]

But, yeah, that was one of the things that the broadsheets, the newspapers of the time, really latched onto.

[Noel]

That's right, the penny papers. And here is a pretty interesting and telling quote from the way this was all kind of portrayed to the public. There is one peculiar trait in the evidence that stands out in bold and audacious relief and too plainly shows the base and prurient nature which these misguided youths, for they are but little more, must possess. We Refer to the entrance of park into the retiring Room, which is set apart for ladies at the Strand Theater who had the unblushing impudence to apply to the female attendant to fasten up the gathers of his skirt, which he alleged had come unfastened.

[Ben]

And the character we had mentioned, the husband of Stella, also returns to this story in a tragic way. He is implicated.

[Noel]

Yeah. But he is unable to testify because he had passed away officially on paper from scarlet fever. But many whispers and implying that he had taken his own life.

[Ben]

Yeah, that was on June 18, literally the day after he received his subpoena for the trial.

[Noel]

Yeah.

[Ben]

So circumstances strongly point to him taking his own life. And then at the time, there was speculation, however, that before he had done this, either died of scarlet fever or committed suicide for the blow his reputation would take. Right. From being implicated in this. There's pretty solid speculation that he had used those existing connections to fake his death. Pretty interesting stuff.

[Noel]

Ah, Ben. And not to muddy the waters here, we'll get back to the conclusion of Fanny and Stella's story. But there's another bit of implication that after he supposedly either died or disappeared, another woman identifying as male in dress impersonated him and used his name to defraud other wealthy individuals of money.

[Ben]

Yeah. Mary Jane Fairneau. That's her given name. And she was claiming to be Lord Arthur Clinton. And to double muddy this, or to muddy it further, while pretending to be Lord Arthur Clinton, Mary would also sometimes dress as a woman. So dressing as Clinton, dressing as a woman, arguing that it was to throw people off the trail. Complicated.

[Noel]

Yeah, yeah, layers. Big time. But, you know, we kind of already spilled the beans that there's a happy ending to this story in that they were acquitted or that the jury did not convict.

[Ben]

Yes, they were finally acquitted. And the problem here is that, I mean, we could talk about how they're acquitted. So the prosecution was not able to prove that there was any offense committed under the laws of the time. And they also, despite the impersonation of a woman, misdemeanor charge, they weren't able to get that to stick either. After the the Lord Chief justice presiding, a guy named Sir Alexander Cockburn summed up the prosecution's case. He said that the prosecution's case was garbage juice and that the police were acting unprofessionally. And then the jury took about 53 minutes to deliberate. They found both individuals not guilty. So imagine the emotional roller coaster. Right, Right.

[Noel]

And it's pretty cool because one account that I read says that when that Non guilty verdict was rendered. Everyone in the gallery exclaimed with shouts of bravo. So, you know, they were well liked in the community and they were known. And it seems as though at least the people in the courtroom that were there to support them were kind of in their corner.

[Ben]

Yeah. Yeah. And this leads us to a larger social context here too. One thing I really appreciated about Kathryn Hughes's article was noting the great changes in society that were occurring at the time. Right. In 1870, the Republican movement was reaching a tipping point. The work of Charles Darwin was propagating out through the world. Paris had, quote, become a commune. And there was this cultural ecosystem in which this trial occurred. This finding had later consequences on the world of English law, especially when it comes to gender identity.

[Noel]

That's right. It's something we haven't mentioned. But at this point, they did not make distinctions of gay people. It was more distinctions of acts. So no one would have referred to Fanny and Stella as gay? No, that didn't come until much later, several decades later, in fact, with a case involving someone, I believe, who you know well, Ben. Oscar Wilde.

[Ben]

Yeah, I am Oscar Wilde. About him, but we have never met. I am a big fan. Yes. Legendary writer, poet, author of the Picture of Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde was born in 1854. He was alive while these things were happening, not that much younger than Fanny and Stella. So he was also eventually sent to trial because his sexual identity became a problem for the government of the day.

[Noel]

Yeah, and that's the thing, Ben. We're talking about some of these changes that maybe were happening in the public consciousness, but as we know, the gears of justice and the legal system grind pretty slowly. So they certainly were not caught up to any of these kind of like, awakenings.

[Ben]

Yeah. We see a similar thing with cultural change and technological change. The world of legislation takes a while to catch up, even at the best of times.

[Larison Campbell]

There's a type of soil in Mississippi called Yazoo clay. It's thick, burnt orange, and it's got a reputation.

[Noel]

It's terrible, terrible dirt.

[Larison Campbell]

Yazoo clay eats everything. So things that get buried there tend to stay buried until they're not. In 2012, construction crews at Mississippi's biggest hospital made a shocking discovery.

[Noel]

7,000 bodies out there or more, all.

[Larison Campbell]

Former patients of the old state asylum, and nobody knew they were there.

[Ben]

It was my family's mystery.

[Larison Campbell]

But in this corner of the south, it's not just the soil that keeps secrets. Nobody talks about it. Nobody has any information. When you peel back the layers of Mississippi's Yazoo Clay, Nothing's ever as simple as you think.

[Ben]

The story is much more complicated and nuanced than that.

[Larison Campbell]

I'm Larison Campbell. Listen to under yazukle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[G]

Hey, kids, it's me, Kevin Smith.

[Ben]

And it's me, Harley Quinn Smith.

[G]

That's my daughter, man, who my wife has always said is just a beardless d Ckless version of me. And that's the name of our podcast. Beardless Me. I'm the old one, I'm the young one. And every week we try to make each other laugh really hard. Sounds innocent, doesn't it? A lot of cussing, a lot of bad language. It's for adults only. Or listen to it with your kid. Could be a family show. We're not quite sure. We're still figuring it out.

[Ben]

It's a work in progress.

[G]

Listen to Beardless me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Damien Hirst]

Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

How?

[Ben]

Go slower.

[Damien Hirst]

From Blumhouse TV, iHeart podcasts and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. And Santi was gone. I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi and what's the way to find a missing person. Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Hmm. Pillow talk, the most unwelcome window into the human psyche. Follow our out of his element hero as he engages in a series of ill conceived investigative hookups. Mama always used to say, God gave me gumption in place of a gag reflex. And as I was about to learn, no amount of showering can wash your hands of a bad hookup.

[Noel]

Now take a big whiff, my bruh.

[Damien Hirst]

Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[John Cameron Mitchell]

This is John Cameron Mitchell and my new fiction podcast series. Cancellation island stars Holly Hunter as Karen, a wellness influencer who launches a rehab for the recently canceled. In the future, we will all be canceled for 15 minutes. But don't worry, we'll take you from broke to woke or your money back. Cancellation Island's revolutionary rehab therapies, like bad touch football, anti racism spin class, and mandatory ayahuasca ceremonies are designed to force the council to confront their worst impulses. But everything starts to fall apart when people start disappearing.

[Larison Campbell]

Karen, where have you brought us?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

Cancellation island, where A Second Chance might just be your last. Listen to Cancellation island on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben]

Oscar, much like Stella, was dressed in what would be considered feminine attire for much of his early life because his mother had expected and wished for a girl.

[Noel]

Ben, how would you describe the way he dressed later in life when he was a much more known figure? He certainly didn't dress. He dressed in men's clothing, but not the typical kind of men's clothing that the gentry would wear.

[Ben]

He had expensive tastes, you know what I mean? He was going for sophisticated fabrics. He had very particular concerns about dress. He liked what we would call the good life.

[Noel]

That's right.

[Ben]

You know, and unfortunately, he had to end up in court attempting to defend his own sexual identity. The first case, actually, the first trial occurs when he sues someone for libel, right?

[Noel]

That's right. He sued a gentleman whose name escapes me at the moment, who actually left his personal calling card for while. I guess I'm imagining a front desk situation at a gentleman's club called the Albmeier. And on it, he accused him of being a, quote, sodomite.

[Ben]

Right. And Wild received some mixed advice or conflicting advice from his friends and then from some other people. And some people said, a lot of them said, just let it go. Oh, don't worry about that guy. And then he decided that he would initiate a private prosecution for libel, since the note amounted to a public accusation that wildly committed what was considered a crime. So this guy, the Marquess Queensberry, is arrested, and the charge of criminal libel at the time carries a potential two years in prison. But here's the thing, Noel. Under the Libel act of 1843, Queensberry could have avoided this prison sentence if he demonstrated that what he said was true.

[Noel]

That's right. Wild kind of put himself in the crosshairs there, didn't he?

[Ben]

Mm, he did. And against. Again, against the advice of his friends. And it also exposed his private life to the public. And people started to learn details about the people that he associated with. Right. The people that he had romantic relationships with. A team of private detectives started diving into. What'd you call it before? Like, the Victorian underground.

[Noel]

Yeah, exactly. Which was. Absolutely. And by the way, at this point, we're in early Edwardian times.

[Ben]

Yeah, that's true, that's true. And the press and the public is in a state of justice, just almost rabid hysteria by the time the trial opens in 1895, in April. And the problem was, Wild started to know this wasn't going to go his way. So he dropped the prosecution. Queensbury was found not guilty. And the court said that the accusation was true in substance and in fact. And this, this ruling also left Wild on the financial hook for the legal cost of the person who had insulted him, and it made him go bankrupt.

[Noel]

And we should say that the reason the Marquess of Queensbury had such a problem with Wilde is because purportedly Wild had had a relationship with his son, Lord Alfred. But it wasn't this trial that did Wilde in the way that we know he ultimately got done.

[Ben]

Right? Yeah, exactly. There was another trial that occurred. So after Fanny and Stella's famous trial, fast forward a few years and we arrive at something called the Criminal Law Amendment act of 1885 that said any sort of same sex act of any type was against the law. And Wild, after he had left this, you know, he had left this other trial, right, this libel trial, dropped the prosecution. There was a warrant for his arrest put out on the charges of sodomy and gross indecency. And people gave him conflicting advice again. Some people said, go to Dover and hop on a boat for France as.

[Noel]

Soon as you can, seriously.

[Ben]

And then his mom said, no, stay and fight this. And Wild was arrested on April 6. And then the events moved quickly. He was convicted along with Alfred Taylor on May 25th of 1895 and sentenced to two years hard labor. But what is that?

[Noel]

Yeah, it's weird. You would think it would be something functional like we think of today, where they have inmates like, pressing building stuff or pressing license plates. But in those days, it was like these bizarre menial tasks of, like, unraveling rope for hours and hours at a time. Things like that.

[Ben]

Just like psychological torture.

[Noel]

Really strange. Wow.

[Ben]

And he was incarcerated from May 1895 to 1897 or 18th of May 1897. As soon as he was a free man, he sailed immediately for France. He never returned to the uk. And they lost one of the greatest literary minds of that generation.

[Noel]

And I do just want to mention that unraveling rope apparently is kind of functional because it's old rope and you unravel it so that you can recycle it, I guess, to make new rope.

[Ben]

Okay.

[Noel]

And they would also make like caulking compound, you know, for like, construction.

[Ben]

Okay. So it's.

[Noel]

When I first read it, I thought it was just some sort of bizarre, tedious task to make them go insane.

[Ben]

So it's not like the thing that you hear about in the military where someone makes you dig a hole and then fill it back in.

[Noel]

Right.

[Ben]

And dig it again.

[Noel]

Yeah. Or listen to, like. Like, Black Sabbath with headphones on at, like, insane volume, I thought you were about to say.

[Ben]

Or listen to podcasts.

[Noel]

Yeah, that can be tough, too. But hopefully this one wasn't tough. And I know we went a little farther into the Oscar Wilde thing. It wasn't really the main topic of this episode, but it's a really important full circle. And he did, in fact, end up getting incarcerated. And when he was incarcerated, he has this amazing quote that I think is so prescient, it's really, really important. The idea of the love. Love dare not speak its name. And I think we should maybe end on this. And he refers to this as being in this century, misunderstood. So much misunderstood that it may be described as the love that dare not speak its name. And on account of that, I'm placed where I am now. It is beautiful. It is fine. It is the noblest form of affection. There is nothing unnatural about it. It is intellectual. And it repeatedly exists between an elder and a younger man. When the elder man has intellect and the younger man has all the joy, hope, and glamour of life before him that it should be so, the world does not understand. The world mocks at it and sometimes puts one in the pillory for it. And what he's doing is basically just describing any kind of same. I mean, he's talking about this intellectual bond between an older and a younger man, but I think what he's really describing is any kind of same sex attraction or affection.

[Ben]

Yes, well said. Well said, Noel and Oscar Wilde. This guy's work is just rife with these amazing quotes. You know, one of my favorites was always be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

[Noel]

That's pretty good.

[Ben]

That's pretty good.

[Noel]

Hey, and that really applies to Fanny and Stella.

[Ben]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Hey, we got there.

[Noel]

We did.

[Ben]

So we want to thank you all so much for tuning in. Of course. Thanks to our super producer, Casey Pegram.

[Noel]

Thanks to Yves Jeffcoat, who helped us with the research for this episode. I thought this one was pretty wonderful, you know? And what happened with Oscar Wilde? He didn't die in prison, did he?

[Ben]

No, he did not die in prison.

[Noel]

Good. Cause that would have been a bummer.

[Ben]

I know. I'm laughing just because he went out, like, he's just such a cool dude. Okay, so he died bedridden in November of 1900, specifically November 30th. And apparently the whole time he was there, he was complaining about the way the. The room was decorated. And that's why reputedly, his very last words, the one that most people attribute to him is, this wallpaper is terrible. One of us will have to go. And then he passed away.

[Noel]

Oh, I hope that's real.

[Ben]

I hope it is too. He's got such style, you know.

[Noel]

And as for Fanny and Stella, I couldn't find really anything about what happened to them at the end of their lives because you, Ben.

[Ben]

No, no, it's, it got a little bit murky. But you can understand how they would want to retire from public life. Absolutely.

[Noel]

What a, what a. Like, that's like the trial of the century.

[Ben]

So we can only hope that they were able to find some privacy and some dignity that the, the press apparently could not afford them at the time.

[Noel]

That's right. And we, we, we added in some more stuff mid thank yous. So let's get to it. Right?

[Ben]

Right. Yes, yes, of course. Find us on Instagram, find us on Twitter, find us on Facebook. Hang out with us on our community page, Ridiculous Historians, where you can meet your fellow audience members.

[Noel]

And thanks to Alex Williams for composing our theme, and most importantly to you for tuning in to another episode of Ridiculous History. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Geico's motorcycle expertise gives me the coverage I need. Like 24. 7 claims I'm on cloud nine.

[Commercial Speaker]

Clouds are wholly unable to support the weight of an adult human.

[Ben]

What's happening?

[Commercial Speaker]

Furthermore, clouds are not numbered. Even if you procured a jetpack and searched, you'd find no cloud numbered nine. However, at that altitude, you'd likely befriend a flock of migrating snow geese. Geese who'd encourage you to leave your 24.7geico motorcycle claims insurance behind, as they would take you in and even share their dinner of crickets and clovers with you. Geico assumes no liability for any indigestion that makes occur from a clover cricket dinner. Geico expertise for your motorcycle.

[Larison Campbell]

In Mississippi, Yazoo clay keeps secrets.

[Noel]

7,000 bodies out there or more.

[Larison Campbell]

A forgotten asylum, cemetery.

[John Cameron Mitchell]

It was my family's mystery.

[Larison Campbell]

Shame, guilt, propriety. Something keeps it all buried deep until it's not. I'm Larison Campbell, and this is under Yazoo Clay. Listen. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast, do you.

[Damien Hirst]

Remember what you said the first night I came over here?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

Ow.

[Ben]

Go slower.

[Damien Hirst]

From Blumhouse TV, iHeart podcasts and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. I've been spending all my time looking for for answers about what happened to Santi and what's the way to find a missing person Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[John Cameron Mitchell]

This is John Cameron Mitchell and my new fiction podcast series, Cancellation island stars Holly Hunter as Karen, a wellness industry influencer who launches a rehab for the recently cancelled in the future, we will all be cancelled for 15 minutes, but don't worry, we'll take you from broke to woke or your money back. Cancellation Island's revolutionary rehab therapies, like bad touch football, anti racism spin class and mandatory ayahuasca ceremonies are designed to force the council to confront their worst impulses. But everything starts to fall apart when people start disappearing.

[Larison Campbell]

Karen, where have you brought us?

[John Cameron Mitchell]

Cancellation island, where a second chance might just be your last. Listen to Cancellation island on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.