A ghost. A witch. A princess. This is a story of those who lie. And of those who choose to believe them.
Thursday 7 May 2026 7 pm - 8.30 pm
In advance: • Standard £15 • Living Support £8 • Student £10 (+ £2 venue levy)
On the Door: • Standard £16 • Living Support £9 • Student £11 (+ £2 venue levy)
Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL
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Here lies Fanny Lynes, who, after death, became the notorious scratching ghost of Cock Lane, London.
Here swings Mary Bateman, the Yorkshire Witch and apocalyptic prophetess who died a murderer.
Here stands Mary Willcocks. Or is it Anne Burgess? Or Princess Caraboo, from the distant island of Javasu?
A ghost. A witch. A princess. This is a story of those who lie. And of those who choose to believe them.
Join History Hit After Dark’s Madeleine Pelling and Anthony Delaney as they discuss Madeline’s new book Hoax: A ghost, a witch and a princess in the Age of Enlightenment.
The discoveries of the Enlightenment unsettled longstanding beliefs. Rationalism jarred with superstition. But which voices would be heard in this ferocious battle for certainty? From the chaos, three women and their hoaxes rose as symbols of terror and fascination. But were the lies surrounding Fanny Lynes, Mary Bateman, and Mary Willcocks entirely of their own making? And why were the public transfixed?
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Madeleine Pelling‘s engrossing history of this great age of the hoax reveals a veiled world of moral panic, tall tales and true crime, and holds a mirror to our own turbulent relationship with truth.
Age Recommendation: All ages. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Thursday 7 May 2026 7 pm - 8.30 pm
In advance: • Standard £15 • Living Support £8 • Student £10 (+ £2 venue levy)
On the Door: • Standard £16 • Living Support £9 • Student £11 (+ £2 venue levy)
Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL
Join the London Fortean Email List
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