Eliza Fenning
When it comes to poisoned food, it's too easy to blame the cook — but in Eliza Fenning's case, that might have been what actually happened. In January 1815, Fenning was hired to cook for the family of Orlibar Turner in London. Seven weeks into her new job, she was accused of attempting to murder Turner's family after a dinner of yeast dumplings and beefsteak she had served resulted in the family becoming ill. They eventually recovered, but it was alleged that she had put arsenic in the dumpling dough (no good cookbook ever suggests that). Even though there could have been other suspects — another maid or even Mrs. Turner, who inspected Fenning's food, mixed a sauce "and left it for her to make," according to the Newgate Calendar newspaper — Fenning carried the can for the attempted murders and was sentenced to death by hanging. At her execution, she wore her wedding dress, as she had been due to be married that very same day. No word on who was catering the wedding.