{"podcast":{"title":"British Murders with Stuart Blues","slug":"british-murders-with-stuart-blues-1328515","podcast_index_feed_id":1328515,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/67c198ecc003bff532f5476d","website_url":"https://www.britishmurders.com/","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/67c198ecc003bff532f5476d/1761059814121-5f91d109-7391-4f9e-b91b-b7ed2b12af4f.jpeg","author":"Stuart Blues","episode_count":391,"summary":"British Murders is a UK true crime podcast exploring both headline making investigations and lesser known cases that deserve to be remembered. Hosted by Yorkshireman Stuart Blues, the show covers listener suggested cases from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each episode examines what happened, how the case unfolded, and the wider social, cultural, and historical context surrounding the crime. The show covers British crime cases ranging from domestic abuse, coercive control, missing persons, policing failures, miscarriages of justice, and the long-term effects of violent crime on those left behind. With care, balance, and empathy, placing victims, not offenders, at the centre of every story, British Murders focuses on the human cost of murder and the lasting impact on families and communities. Alongside case deep dives, the podcast features conversations with journalists, authors, campaigners, and criminal justice professionals about responsible true crime storytelling. New episodes every Thursday! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-06T02:17:07.784064+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/british-murders-with-stuart-blues-1328515"},"episode":{"title":"Britain’s First Female Serial Killer: The Life and Crimes of Mary Ann Cotton | Ep. 237","slug":"britain-s-first-female-serial-killer-the-life-and-crimes-of-mary-ann-cotton-ep-237","published_at":"2026-03-19T00:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/british-murders-with-stuart-blues-1328515/britain-s-first-female-serial-killer-the-life-and-crimes-of-mary-ann-cotton-ep-237","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/british-murders-with-stuart-blues-1328515","url":"https://shows.acast.com/british-murders-with-stuart-blues/episodes/maryanncotton","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/67c198ecc003bff532f5476d/e/69b9c82b7df9481e683dc055/media.mp3","summary":"In the mid-1800s, a quiet trail of deaths began to follow a woman across the North East of England. Husbands, children, and relatives seemed to fall suddenly ill, often complaining of stomach pains before dying not long after. At the time, many of these deaths were put down to disease, something that wasn’t uncommon in Victorian Britain. But over the years, the number of deaths began to raise eyebrows. Wherever this woman went, tragedy seemed to follow. Families were torn apart, life insurance payouts appeared at just the right moment, and whispers began circulating that these deaths might not have been natural at all. Poisoning, suspicion, and greed were all in the mix. In this episode of British Murders with Stuart Blues , I take a chronological look at the life and crimes of Mary Ann Cotton, one of Britain’s earliest known female serial killers. A woman suspected of poisoning multiple husbands, children, and relatives during Britain’s Victorian era, Mary Ann Cotton remains one of the most infamous female serial killers in UK history. We’ll explore her use of arsenic, the murders that shocked North East England, her trial and execution, and the legacy of suspicion and horror she left behind. Exclusive content: Patreon - Ad Free, Early Access, Exclusive Episodes Follow the show: British Murders with Stuart Blues Disclaimer: The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding…","meta_description":"In the mid-1800s, a quiet trail of deaths began to follow a woman across the North East of England. Husbands, children, and relatives seemed to fall sudde…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1744,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/british-murders-with-stuart-blues-1328515/episodes/britain-s-first-female-serial-killer-the-life-and-crimes-of-mary-ann-cotton-ep-237/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/british-murders-with-stuart-blues-1328515/britain-s-first-female-serial-killer-the-life-and-crimes-of-mary-ann-cotton-ep-237.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}