Episode 85, Season 5 - Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters – Love in the Gallows

In Post-World War I London, Edith Thompson refuses to be put in anybody’s box. She has a successful professional career, and despite the custom of the time, remains childfree in her marriage to husband, Percy.

While Edith may seem as though she’s living her best life, the truth is, she’s miserably married to the dull Percy and escapes the dreariness of her marriage by gambling, dancing, and enjoying everything London Town has to offer.

But when Edith gets reacquainted with her brother’s old school chum, eighteen year old Freddie Bywaters, she is consumed by a whole new passion and in her explicit love letters to her younger lover, Edith fantasizes about getting rid of Percy – for good.

And then one night, her dreams become a nightmare that would transfix London for decades.

Listen to the episode HERE.

Photo caption (L-R) In the summer of 1921, Edith Thompson and Freddie Bywaters embarked on a passionate affair under her husband Percy's nose (credit: Laura Thompson Substack); Percy Thompson, Edith's husband (credit: Find a Grave); Freddie, Edith and Percy on holiday in June of 1921 on the Isle of Wight in a picture taken by Edith's sister, Avis (credit: EdithJessieThompson.com) Edith and Percy on the beach in 1914 before they were married (credit: EdithJessieThompson.com); Sketch of Edith and Freddie's trial; the case electrified England (credit: The London Dead Blog); Spectators line up at the Old Bailey courthouse to get a seat at the trial, which was packed (credit: BBC) Edith and Percy's house (credit: BBC); The knife Freddie used to kill Percy and Edith's watch remain in the custody of the Metropolitan Police (credit: BBC); The crowd outside of Holloway Prison the morning of Edith's execution (credit: BBC); Coverage of the trial in the Sunday Post; media interest reached a frenzy and sold a lot of newspapers (credit: British Newspaper Archive)

Transcript*:

*provided transcripts are lightly edited.

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