BBC - Lucy Worsley Investigates Series 1 (2022) Part 1 The Witch Hunts

Lucy Worsley re-investigates some of the most dramatic chapters in British history. She uncovers forgotten witnesses, re-examines old evidence and follows new clues. Who killed the Princes in the tower in 1483? What actually caused the Black Death? Why did a witch craze sweep 16th century Britain? Was George III really mad? These are some of the most enduring and perplexing questions that have baffled academics and fascinated history fans for years - and this series sees historian Lucy Worsley turn sleuth by reopening and completely re-evaluating these infamous mysteries. The factual series unfolds like a thrilling investigation - keeping audiences guessing at every twist and turn. In each episode Worsley takes a deep dive into a single event, mounting a comprehensive reinvestigation by assembling historical and contemporary evidence, following paper trails, re-examining scenes of crimes, tracking down lost records, and calling on the very best experts to help her completely reframe the past. She reveals cutting-edge discoveries that shed new light on the cases. Lucy Worsley Investigates puts a modern lens on the past, exploring if these incidents have been obscured by centuries of historical thinking. Each episode brings a contemporary perspective to hugely topical and complex societal issues asking how changing attitudes to children, gender politics, class, inequality and mental health have obscured the answers to these cases. It uncovers new victims and new victors, challenging our perceptions and providing answers to each renowned mystery. Witch trials. Murdered princes. The Black Death. Uncover the shocking truth behind history's most infamous mysteries and find out what they say about our changing society. Lucy Worsley reinvestigates and reveals new evidence about some of British history's biggest unsolved mysteries. She finds lost records, re-examines crime scenes and calls on experts to reframe each case in this remarkable history documentary. As she digs deeper, new light is shed on history's most notorious moments.

Part 1 The Witch Hunts

We all think we know what we mean by a witch, but behind the cliches of pointy hats and broomsticks lies a terrifying history that's been largely forgotten. Four hundred years ago, thousands of ordinary people, the vast majority of them women, were hunted down, tortured and killed in witch hunts across Scotland and England. Lucy Worsley investigates what lay behind these horrifying events. She begins her investigation in North Berwick, a seaside town not far from Edinburgh, where the witch hunting craze began. The story goes that, in 1590, a coven of witches gathered here to cast a spell to try to kill the King of Scotland, James VI. Using an account from the time called Newes from Scotland and other first-hand sources, Lucy uncovers a web of political intrigue that led to a woman called Agnes Sampson, a faith healer and midwife, being investigated. She was accused of witchcraft and interrogated at Holyrood Castle by King James himself before being tortured and executed. Agnes was caught in a perfect storm hardline Protestant reformers wanting to make Scotland devout, a king out to prove himself a righteous leader, and a new ideology which claimed the Devil was actively recruiting women as witches. Under torture, Agnes gave the names of her supposed accomplices, some 59 other innocent people, resulting in the first successful large-scale witch hunt in Scotland. Its brutal success made it the model for trials rolled out across Scotland and England for the next hundred years.

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