Murder, Magic, Madness - 9781138407978

Taylor & Francis

In 1856, William Dove poisoned his wife, was tried and executed. Believing a fortune teller's prediction that he would remarry a more attractive and richer woman, he made a pact with the devil, hired men to perform magic, and then murdered his wife. This book is a study on nineteenth century magic, murder and madness. > \nIn 1856 William Dove, a young tenant farmer, was tried and executed for the poisoning of his wife Harriet. The trial might have been a straightforward case of homicide, but because Dove became involved with Henry Harrison, a Leeds wizard, and demonstrated through his actions and words a strong belief in magic and the powers of the devil, considerable effort was made to establish whether these beliefs were symptomatic of insanity. It seems that Dove murdered his wife to hasten a prediction made by Harrison that he would remarry a more attractive and wealthy woman. Dove employed Harrison to perform various acts of magic, and also made his own written pact with the ""