Edward William Pritchard

Edward William Pritchard (6 December 1825 – 28 July 1865) was an English doctor who was convicted of murdering his wife and mother-in-law by poisoning them.

[13] The fire started in her room but she made no attempt to escape, suggesting that she was unconscious, drugged, or already dead.

[15] She had gone to her family home at 1 Lauder Road[16] in Edinburgh to recuperate, and this worked, but she became ill again on return to Glasgow.

Both his wife and mother-in-law are buried in the grave purchased by his father-in-law, Michael Taylor, in Grange Cemetery in south Edinburgh.

[17] Dr. Paterson was highly suspicious of the "illnesses" of both women and, when the time came, refused to sign the death certificates.

[7][21] He was hanged in front of thousands of spectators at the Saltmarket end of Glasgow Green at 8 a.m. on 28 July 1865.

Sir Cedric Hardwicke played Pritchard in the 6 October 1952 episode of the radio series Suspense.

In the audio drama Tales from the Aletheian Society Pritchard appears as the (deceased) former Chaptermaster of a shadowy occult organisation, driven to murder by dark supernatural forces.

At his trial Pritchard was represented (unsuccessfully) by Scottish law firm Maclay Murray and Spens.