59. Kitty Newton - Killer Daughter
From Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4
February 17, 2026 · 28 min
About this episode
Lucy Worsley investigates the case of Kitty Newton, a daughter accused of murdering her mother, uncovering family secrets and motives.
Lucy Worsley meets Kitty Newton, a daughter accused of killing her very own mother. With her team of all female detectives, Lucy uncovers long buried secrets in the Newton family - but could these truly be the motive for such a terrible crime? Would a daughter really kill her very own mother? If so, why? It is 1848, in the chill depths of winter. In the early hours of the morning a servant, Mary Corfield, stumbles upon a grisly discovery - the lifeless, charred body of an elderly lady, Ann Newton. At first sight the death looks suspicious, and the woman’s daughter, Kitty Newton, is arrested on the spot. In this episode, historian Professor Rosalind Crone heads to the market town of Bridgnorth in Shropshire to visit the scene of the alleged crime. She also goes to Bridgnorth Town Hall where an inquest into the death of Ann Newton took place. Back in the studio, Lucy is joined by crime writer Dorothy Koomson, author of The Ice Cream Girls and All My Lies are True. She’s known for her sharp insights into the tangled dynamics between mothers and daughters, vital skills to help examine this sinister case. Together, Lucy, Ros and Dorothy piece together the clues and the possible means…
People in this episode
Host: Lucy Worsley
Guests: Kitty Newton, Dorothy Koomson
Topics covered
- true crime
- family dynamics
- historical investigation
- murder case
- female detectives
- secrets
Keywords
- Kitty Newton
- Ann Newton
- murder
- 1848
- Bridgnorth
- female detectives
- family secrets
- true crime
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC Radio 4, StoryHunter
Places: Bridgnorth, Shropshire
More episodes of Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley
- Introducing Lady on Trial · June 9, 2026 · 5 min
- 60. True Crime on Trial · February 24, 2026 · 28 min
- 58. Mary Pearcey - Murderous Lover · February 10, 2026 · 29 min
- 57. Jessie McLachlan - Silenced Servant · February 3, 2026 · 29 min
- 56. Elvira Barney - Accidental Killer · January 27, 2026 · 28 min
- 55. Cloe - Forced Resistance · January 20, 2026 · 29 min
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