In 1833, the quiet town of Morristown, New Jersey became the site of one of the most disturbing crimes in early American history. When French immigrant Antoine Le Blanc arrived in the United States looking for work, he found a job with the Sayre family. Within weeks, the arrangement ended in brutal violence.

Le Blanc went down in history not only for committing the town’s only triple homicide, but also for what happened after his execution. What was done to his body shocked the community and has continued to fascinate historians and true crime enthusiasts for nearly two centuries. His story is one of murder, punishment, and a postmortem fate far more disturbing than the crime itself.

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We’re joined by historian, author, and podcaster Adam Pennington for an in-depth conversation on power, lineage, and survival in Tudor England.

Adam is the creator and host of "The Tudor Chest" website and podcast series, where he brings a fresh and thoughtful perspective to one of history’s most dramatic periods. He is also the author of the highly praised Henry VIII and the Plantagenet Poles: The Rise and Fall of a Dynasty, which examines the perilous fate of the Pole family during the reign of Henry VIII.

In this discussion, we examine how the Poles came to be viewed as a serious threat to the Tudor crown, resulting in the Exeter Conspiracy and the execution of eight individuals, along with twelve arrests. We also take a closer look at one of the most shocking moments of the period: the brutal execution of Margaret Pole.

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Bishop John Fisher was one of the most respected minds of Tudor England. He was also one of the very few men who dared to say “no” to King Henry VIII. Rising quickly through a series of early successes, Fisher became Bishop of Rochester, where he openly opposed the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon and refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, which named the king as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. His defiance led to imprisonment in the Tower of London and beheading in 1535. Fisher’s story is one of moral courage and the high personal cost of standing firm in one’s beliefs.

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