Virginia and William Taylor - Poisoned History

What this episode covers

William Taylor was a farmer who died in excruciating pain from what was thought to be tetanus. Was it actually strychnine poisoning, and was his wife Virginia the culprit? Sources and resources: “The Strychnine Exhumation” by Raychelle Burks, Chemistry World, 22 April 2017, Royal Society of Chemistry, https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-strychnine-exhumation/3007131.article Richmond Dispatch, December 27,1888, https://eshore.iath.virginia.edu/node/4866 Richmond Dispatch, March 28, 1889, https://eshore.iath.virginia.edu/node/4665 Brown’s Household Panacea: https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:tm70n416s "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBP-6MW?cc=1417683&wc=XZ36-N38%3A1589415431%2C1589415430%2C1589415428%2C1589394938 : 24 December 2015), Virginia > Accomack > Metompkin Magisterial District > ED 6 > image 56 of 64; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.) "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB8-935T?cc=1727033&wc=QZZC-ZRK%3A133639801%2C140113301%2C140118001%2C1589089926 : 24 June 2017), Virginia > Northampton > Capeville > ED 91 > image 44 of 50; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). "United States Census, 1920", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJFH-Y9B : Fri Dec 08 00:55:26 UTC 2023), Entry for Thomas Taylor and Flora D Taylor, 1920. "Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JBN-LCF2 : Tue Nov 07 16:39:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Asa T Taylor and Wm J Taylor, 2 Jun 1878. "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRS3-F3X : 29 January 2020), Virginia A. Gardner in entry for Wm. J. Taylor, 1877. "United States Census, 1940", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRB2-YZP : Tue Nov 28 15:24:45 UTC 2023), Entry for Virginia Townsend and Lee H Hart, 1940. African American History of Accomac County, Virginia, http://accomacroots.com/ Cover art photo: photo, public domain.

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How long is this episode of Poisoned History?

This episode is 52 minutes long.

When was this Poisoned History episode published?

This episode was published on March 14, 2024.

What is this episode about?

William Taylor was a farmer who died in excruciating pain from what was thought to be tetanus. Was it actually strychnine poisoning, and was his wife Virginia the culprit? Sources and resources: “The Strychnine Exhumation” by Raychelle Burks,...

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