'She... woke and was horrified to find that her husband was cold. She tried to pour brandy down his throat, and then found that he was dead...’ 

In the early hours of New Year’s Day 1886, Adelaide Bartlett stirred from her slumber to find her husband cold to the touch. He’d been unwell for some time, but his premature death didn’t seem like an accident. Was he poisoned? Who wanted him dead?  

Edwin Bartlett’s death in 1886 opened a Pandora’s box of secrets and intrigue, as a couple’s unconventional marriage – and their entanglement with close friend minister George Dyson - was laid bare. In this episode, Jen and David turn their attention to a salacious murder case, discussing its central themes of gender and Victorian social norms. 

Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved 

Was justice served? Share your judgement with the WJS community: 

@wasjusticeservedpod #wasjusticeserved 

Producer - Madeleine Gilbert 

Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard 

AV Editor - Callum Main 

Video Lead - Andrew Farrell 

Researcher - Jen Baldwin 

Voiceover - Tanya O’Sullivan 

AV Lead - Mark Asquith 

Executive Producer - Helen Kaye