The Burning of Mary Channing

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On the 15th January 1704, aged just 16, Mary Brookes was married to Thomas Channing in Dorchester, England. On the 21st March 1706 approximately ten thousand people witnessed her being burned at the stake, convicted of "petty treason" - the murder of her husband. The case seemed straightforward, but did Mary really intend to kill Thomas or were there others involved? A callous murderer or a naive young woman whose life was spiralling out of control? This fictionalised account draws on all the available facts from the time and highlights the way women were treated in Queen Anne's 18th century England.