Lucy Worsley, the renowned historian and BBC presenter, is back with a gripping new series, Lady Swindlers. The show is a compelling continuation of Lady Killers, but this time the focus shifts from murderers to female fraudsters. In Lady Swindlers, Lucy, along with a team of all-female detectives, dives deep into the intriguing world of women who, in a male-dominated society, defied the norms to become queens of crime.
From fake heiresses to high-level scammers, the series reveals not just the crimes but also the social circumstances that led these women to live double lives. It challenges the audience to think about how these stories from the past can inform our understanding of women’s roles in society today.
From Lady Killers to Lady Swindlers: Why the Shift?
In Lady Killers, Lucy Worsley examined female murderers. Now, she is turning her attention to a different kind of criminal: swindlers, con-women, and hustlers. These women didn’t rely on violence but on cunning and wit to defy societal norms and profit from their crimes. But why focus on swindlers now?
Lucy explains:
“We’ve identified a number of fascinating female criminals from the past 200 years, and through their stories, we can explore how they navigated a world made for men.”
The shift reflects a broader interest in uncovering the hidden roles women have played throughout history. While female murderers often get attention, con-women and swindlers, who challenged norms in more subtle ways, offer a different angle on women’s struggle for autonomy.
Unmasking Female Criminals: A Look into Their Lives
The new series features an array of female criminals from various corners of the globe. These are women who came from different walks of life but shared one thing in common: they were determined to beat the system.
Some of the intriguing criminals that Lucy and her team revisit include:
- Fake Heiresses: Women who successfully posed as wealthy heirs to gain access to high society.
- Scammers: Con-women who exploited the trust of others to pull off elaborate frauds.
- Thieves and Hoaxers: Women who stole not only material wealth but also identities, using deception as their primary tool.
- Queens of the Underworld: Crime lords and mob queens who controlled underground empires across England, Wales, Scotland, the US, and Australia.
What makes these stories unique is the context in which these women operated. They weren’t just committing crimes for the thrill; they were navigating a society that offered them limited options. For some, crime became a form of survival and empowerment.
The Social Impact: What Do These Stories Teach Us Today?
Worsley’s series isn’t just about entertaining crime stories. It’s also a deep dive into the social history of the times these women lived in. The crimes committed by these women are windows into the larger societal structures that oppressed women and limited their choices.
Lucy comments:
“I hope that people will listen to Lady Swindlers for the fun of it. We’ve got crime capers here; we’ve got some extraordinary stories about some extraordinary women. But I think that you will also, just by osmosis, learn loads of really interesting social history.”
The stories teach us about:
- The Birth of Modern Feminism: Many of these criminals lived during times when feminism was just beginning to take shape. Their stories reflect the frustrations of women who were tired of living in a world that catered to men.
- Female Consumerism in the Early 20th Century: Some of these con-women exploited the new consumer culture, which offered women opportunities to buy status and independence.
- Victorian Beauty Techniques: Lucy humorously notes that some of the Victorian-era criminals used bizarre and even dangerous beauty practices that have long since fallen out of favor.
The series paints a complex picture of the societal pressures that influenced these women. In a world where men controlled the wealth and the power, these women found clever, if illegal, ways to challenge the status quo.
Exploring Global Female Criminality: From the UK to Australia
The global reach of Lady Swindlers adds another layer of intrigue to the series. Lucy Worsley and her team explore stories from:
- England: The birthplace of many notorious female con artists who navigated the rigid class structures to rise to the top of society—often briefly.
- Wales and Scotland: Criminal women from the UK’s Celtic regions, where unique cultural pressures led to different types of crime.
- United States: America’s vibrant history of con-women, from the Wild West to the roaring 1920s, features some of the most audacious female criminals.
- Australia: A penal colony that later became a land of opportunity—also for con-women, some of whom built their fortunes by swindling.
This international scope gives Lady Swindlers a broad appeal, showcasing that women across the world have found themselves in similar predicaments, using crime as their route to power and autonomy.
Breaking the Rules in a Man’s World: The Ultimate Challenge
What stands out in Lady Swindlers is how these women operated within—or just outside—the systems that were designed to keep them down. Lucy asks a fundamental question throughout the series:
“Were they breaking the rules because they lived in a world made by men?”
The crimes these women committed were not just acts of greed or rebellion; they were reactions to the rigid societal norms that left women few options for independence. By revisiting these crimes, Lucy and her team bring forward important discussions about gender roles, societal expectations, and how women have always been capable of rewriting the rules—even if that meant turning to crime.
Lucy Worsley’s Passion for Historical Storytelling
One of the reasons Lady Swindlers is bound to captivate audiences is Lucy Worsley’s signature storytelling style. Her infectious enthusiasm for history, combined with her ability to humanize historical figures, turns these stories into more than just footnotes in history books.
Lucy explains:
“You’ll learn about how women managed to climb the social ladder using cunning strategies in a world that never gave them a fair chance. But most of all, these stories remind us of how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.”
The new series promises not only entertainment but also education. Through these stories of swindlers, Lucy provides a lens into the evolving role of women over the last two centuries.
Lady Swindlers on BBC Sounds and Radio 4
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley is available as a box set starting today, Monday, September 23, on BBC Sounds. The series will also be broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 4 from September 30, providing a regular fix of historical intrigue for fans of true crime and social history alike.
Key Takeaways: Why You Should Tune In
- Lady Swindlers focuses on female criminals who navigated the male-dominated world of crime.
- The series covers a wide range of female criminals, from scammers to fake heiresses, offering intriguing stories from across the world.
- Viewers will gain insight into the societal conditions that led these women to commit crimes, providing a fresh perspective on gender roles in history.
- Lucy Worsley’s storytelling makes history come alive, combining education and entertainment seamlessly.
