Witching Hour: Mary Bateman and the Cost of Belief

As the old year dies and a new one staggers into the light, we travel back to industrial Leeds, where desperation was currency and superstition could be weaponized.This is the story of Mary Bateman, known to history as the Yorkshire Witch, a woman who sold miracles, curses, and hope in tiny paper packets… until one of her promises ended in murder.In this New Year’s Eve episode, we untangle folklore from fact, examine the life of her victim Rebecca Perigo, and ask an uncomfortable question that still echoes today: when survival depends on belief, who really holds the power?Because not all monsters wear masks. Some sell cures. And some years end in blood.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Bateman https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/blog/prisoner-stories-mary-bateman/ https://www.iapsop.com/ssoc/1809__anonymous___life_and_character_of_mary_bateman_the_yorkshire_witch.pdf https://capitalpunishmentuk.org/mary-bateman-the-yorkshire-witch/ https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1939-0513-110 https://www.mylearning.org/stories/crime-and-punishment-in-leeds/1053 https://the-line-up.com/mary-bateman-yorkshire-witch https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/bateman-mary.htm