Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
August 7, 1889. In Liverpool's St. George's Hall, an American woman named Florence Maybrick stands behind iron bars, dressed in mourning black… for the husband she's accused of murdering. The evidence against her is thin: James Maybrick was a longtime arsenic addict who bought the poison daily, and none was found in his stomach when he died. But Florence had committed another kind of crime in the eyes of Victorian society. She'd had an affair. And to many, that moral transgression was proof enough of murder.
How did a 17-year-old American socialite end up married to a secret addict, and then put on trial for her life? How did her case ignite protests, half a million petition signatures, and the fury of Queen Victoria herself? And how did one wronged woman help change England's system of justice forever?
Special thanks to our guest, Rick Hutto, attorney and author of A Poisoned Life: Florence Chandler Maybrick, the First American Woman Sentenced to Death in England; and to Andrea Hastings-Arroyo, graduate student and library specialist at the University of Wyoming, who helped with our research.
You can find all the books we’ve used to make recent HISTORY This Week episodes at historythisweekpodcast.com.
Credits:
Sally Helm | Host/Producer
Ben Dickstein | Sound Designer/EP
Eli Lehrer | Executive Producer
Liv Fidler | Executive Producer
Get in touch: historythisweek@history.com
Follow on Instagram: @historythisweekpodcast
Follow on Facebook: HISTORY This Week Podcast
To stay updated: historythisweekpodcast.com
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-this-week/id1493453604
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2YFm0ezrXmMqLXbxgZpkmd?si=9a84fadee11447d4
Audacy: audacy.com/podcast/history-this-week-71b4d
Subscribe for more HISTORY:
histv.co/SubscribeHistoryYT
Check out exclusive HISTORY content:
History Newsletter - histv.co/newsletter
Website - histv.co/History
Facebook - histv.co/Facebook
TikTok - bit.ly/4kZKjXi
HISTORY® is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, premium documentaries, and scripted event programming.
August 7, 1889. In Liverpool's St. George's Hall, an American woman named Florence Maybrick stands behind iron bars, dressed in mourning black… for the husband she's accused of murdering. The evidence against her is thin: James Maybrick was a longtime arsenic addict who bought the poison daily, and none was found in his stomach when he died. But Florence had committed another kind of crime in the eyes of Victorian society. She'd had an affair. And to many, that moral transgression was proof enough of murder.
How did a 17-year-old American socialite end up married to a secret addict, and then put on trial for her life? How did her case ignite protests, half a million petition signatures, and the fury of Queen Victoria herself? And how did one wronged woman help change England's system of justice forever?
Special thanks to our guest, Rick Hutto, attorney and author of A Poisoned Life: Florence Chandler Maybrick, the First American Woman Sentenced to Death in England; and to Andrea Hastings-Arroyo, graduate student and library specialist at the University of Wyoming, who helped with our research.
You can find all the books we’ve used to make recent HISTORY This Week episodes at historythisweekpodcast.com.
Credits:
Sally Helm | Host/Producer
Ben Dickstein | Sound Designer/EP
Eli Lehrer | Executive Producer
Liv Fidler | Executive Producer
Get in touch: historythisweek@history.com
Follow on Instagram: @historythisweekpodcast
Follow on Facebook: HISTORY This Week Podcast
To stay updated: historythisweekpodcast.com
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-this-week/id1493453604
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2YFm0ezrXmMqLXbxgZpkmd?si=9a84fadee11447d4
Audacy: audacy.com/podcast/history-this-week-71b4d
Subscribe for more HISTORY:
histv.co/SubscribeHistoryYT
Check out exclusive HISTORY content:
History Newsletter - histv.co/newsletter
Website - histv.co/History
Facebook - histv.co/Facebook
TikTok - bit.ly/4kZKjXi
HISTORY® is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, premium documentaries, and scripted event programming.
