Podcasts about victorian england

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a respectable Victorian doctor became Britain's most feared poisonerVictorian England believed murder belonged to the gutters. Then Dr William Palmer shattered that illusion.In this gripping episode of History Rage, award-winning journalist and author Stephen Bates exposes the dark truth behind the case of William Palmer — the Midlands doctor hanged in 1856 for poisoning his friend John Parsons Cook.Known as the “Rugeley Poisoner”, Palmer was a churchgoing professional, a gambler drowning in debt, and a man suspected of killing far more than the one murder for which he was convicted. His weapon? Newly available strychnine — a terrifying poison that left victims writhing in agony and Victorian society gripped by fear.What You'll Discover in This EpisodeWhy Victorian Britain refused to believe a middle-class doctor could be a killerHow strychnine changed the landscape of 19th-century murderThe explosive Old Bailey trial that required a special Act of ParliamentThe role of celebrity pathologist Alfred Swaine TaylorHow press sensationalism helped create one of Britain's first “serial killer” panicsThe disturbing class bias in Victorian (and modern) murder trialsStephen also explores parallels with later cases, including Herbert Rouse Armstrong, the subject of his book The Poisonous Solicitor, and reflects on how professional status has long influenced public perceptions of guilt.This is Victorian true crime at its most unsettling: insurance fraud, gambling debts, missing betting slips, botched inquests, and a public execution witnessed by 30,000 people.About Our Guest – Stephen BatesStephen Bates is an award-winning journalist and former political correspondent. He is the author of:The Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Victorian England's Most Notorious Doctorhttps://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837730285The Poisonous Solicitorhttps://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781785789601The Poisoner was shortlisted for the prestigious Agatha Award for True Crime in the United States.

Award-winning, bestselling author Laura Frantz is passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century, and writes her manuscripts in longhand first. Her stories often incorporate Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in Virginia, and is credited with teaching George Washington surveying. Proud of her heritage, she is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Special Guest Co-Host Heather Tabers Today we have someone special joining us. Since Darcy was unable to join for this recording, our friend Heather Tabers stepped in to cohost with KyLee. Heather writes Historical Romance and Children's Fiction, and she also hosts The Hope-Filled Romantic—a podcast where faith and fiction meet real-life love stories. And now for the interview with Laura Frantz, discussing her latest novel, The Belle of Chatham. (pronounced “chat-um”) Is there a word or goal that's inspiring you in this chapter of life? Laura: You hit it on the head when you opened and said, “How do we pursue God through our writing?” I’m eighteen novels in now, and my pursuit for the Lord is stronger than it was even with my debut novel back in 2009. I just want to honor him with a gift. He gave the writing gift–it wasn’t one I asked for or really wanted, but it was a sign to me. We’re here to bless and minister to others, and I think the written word does that. So my desire is just to press on. Life is often a spiritual fight, and I just want to finish well.   We don’t know how much time we have. I’m old enough to remember the nation's bicentennial, which was 1976 and now we’re at 2026. So this is a huge milestone, historically for us as a nation, and personally. Whatever time I have left, hopefully it’s many more years and many more books, I want to pursue God with everything that is in me and try to honor him with every story I write. Read more: Episode 122: The American Revolution and Family Bonds with Laura Frantz KyLee: Wow, I admire that. Just to press on, to move forward–whatever’s in front of you, whatever comes your way–just to keep moving towards God. And you’re speaking specifically towards the books you're writing, but really that’s applicable to every area of our life, as parents, and spouses, and at work, and everywhere we go. And when I think about pressing on with God, I picture that light in front of us, guiding us. What is one book that you read last year that really stuck with you and why? Laura: You know, I read a lot of historical fiction, mostly for research, but one thing I’ve gotten invested in is a 24-book series in the general market – Anne Perry’s William Monk Victorian Mysteries. And there’s a reason I invested in that. My book that releases next January is set in London. I wanted to see how another author, even in a different time period, handled that same setting along the River Thames, and with the police force at that time. So I thought, “Oh, I’ll just read one book.” But there’s a reason Anne Perry is so wildly popular and prolific. She has some of the smartest writing I’ve ever read. So the William Monk series is clean, although a little bit bloody or gruesome at times, but so eye-opening into Victorian England. Do you have a favorite historical figure who inspires you? Laura: George Washington and also Daniel Boone. Men who were both totally intrepid and stalwart. George Washington didn’t know that he’d be on our currency now, or we’d name our capital after him. He had no idea he was the great “George Washington.” And Daniel Boone plays a big part in my heritage. I'm from Kentucky, and recently, I read a document that listed my ancestor as coming into Kentucky with Boone in the latter 18th century. And also George Humes, my ancestor, is credited with teaching surveying to the very young Washington from 1748 to 1750 in Virginia. So to see how the Lord has allowed me to write so close to my ancestry is such a beautiful thing to me. I don’t understand it, but just seeing my people come alive in history, and with such an amazing godly historical figure like Boone, is truly amazing. This crazy woman in the 21st century is writing about these amazing historical figures, and there’s actually a link. Only God could have done that. Heather: My family is the McFeeders family, and we came from the Hume Clan, so I have to believe that we’re cousins somehow. Laura: Long-lost cousins! I love it! KyLee: You never know what you’ll find when you start digging into your genealogy. I have chills just hearing you found out that one of your ancestors came over with Daniel Boone. Digging back and finding out where your people come from is very exciting. And is there anything especially interesting that you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us? Laura: Years ago I decided that in 2026 my hope was to write a book honoring our country and our founders. Because I’m very proud to be American. The Lord said He sets us in the times, the seasons, and the places where we’re supposed to be. And to be an American is certainly a privilege, and He’s blessed this country so much in the past, since our founding. So, like I said earlier, I want to press on in the spirit of 1776 and continue carrying that forward and honoring Him. Our nation is great because it was based on godly principles. That’s why I’m proud to be an American, and hopefully that shines through The Belle of Chatham‘s pages. In 1777, caught in the crossroads of the American Revolution, sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon's quaint New Jersey village becomes a battleground as they house American officers in their home. Rebellion ripples through their family as members take opposing sides–Patriots and Loyalists–causing a deep chasm that fractures their once-unbreakable bond. As Mae's friendship grows with the American general Rhys Harlow, Coralie continues her liaison with her childhood sweetheart, a British officer stationed in New York. Torn between her growing love for the general and suspicion that her sister is a British spy, Mae leaves the only home she's ever known for the New York frontier. When betrayal strikes in the heart of the wilderness, she's forced to take a perilous journey that tests her very survival and those she loves, all in the name of liberty. Can you tell us a little more about Maebel and Coralie (and their love interests)? Laura: I don't have a sister; I have a younger brother. So it's fun to create these fictional sisters. In The Indigo Heiress, the bond between my heroine and her sister was extremely tight. That's not the case in The Belle of Chatham. You have two very different women, almost the same age, who are nothing alike—different in looks, personality, loyalties. And their love interests are very different. Mae is in love with a rifleman, who's from a very different world than herself, and her sister Coralie is infatuated with a British soldier. Which is indicative of where their loyalties lie, Mae with the Patriots, Coralie with the British. I tried to make it as true to history as possible. Not everyone is close to their sisters, so I wanted to bring that out. How wartime issues can fracture and fray that already-strained relationship. KyLee: That’s so like real life. As we traverse those long-term relationships, it's not always easy. I think sibling relationships are special because you start out so young and go through so many seasons together. I hope that, in the end, Mae and Coralie can find something in common. I have three sisters, and I'm very close with one. With a couple of my little sisters, we've had moments where our differences created distance. Now, when I look back over the seasons, I see things she does very differently from me, and I value them. I've learned from her and her very different approach to things. Laura: A beautiful, open-hearted concept. And that bears pondering: “How would Jesus love this person that’s different than me, or that I really want to condemn or distance myself from?” Jesus says we’re to love them anyway, leaning heavily on Jesus to do it. I don't know that Mae, in this novel, does that well. She tries. It takes practice, right? And Coralie makes it very interesting. And it’s relatable to today. We might not be in a war, but we definitely have different political opinions in our nation right now, stronger than they have been in a while. It’s not uncommon to see siblings falling on either side of the aisle. One thing that grieves me very much, that is even mirrored in this novel, is how people cease to talk to each other. There’s just no relationship anymore. And that’s heartbreaking. That’s a wound that too easily festers. If we have to be the one that breaks down that wall, in Jesus’ name, to ask for His help and an opportunity to do that, I believe He’ll give it. Just because you're distant from loved ones, that doesn’t mean it’s forever. Ask the Lord to help you mend that relationship, even if you have to make the first move. KyLee: Absolutely. Something I keep seeing, that really hurts my heart, is when people are so upset by things that are disturbing, and there’s a sense of powerlessness. And I've found myself saying to other adults what I've said to my children for years: Look at your circle. You start small, and it gets bigger. Siblings, spouse, children, friends, church, community, work, and it moves out from there. Pray for the big things, that's important, and if you are one of those people who has an opportunity to go to a far-away place and make an impact in that circle, do it. But don't let what's so far away from you distract in the circle where God has placed you. Be present where you're at, and you can make a difference. You can be loving, you can be understanding, you can have respectful conversations, and trust God and encourage other people to trust God. Heather: That’s such a good word, KyLee. So many times, my heart is so burdened by everything I see on the news. And my husband is faithful to remind me, “Heather, you’re not supposed to know every person that died in North Carolina and California.” People have suffered atrocities all around the world forever. But it wasn’t until recently that we’ve had the technology to know every single one of them, sometimes in real time. And he’s like, “You’re just not supposed to know all these things.” So I love that you tell people to focus on their circles. I can’t go help everyone, but I can help the people next to me. KyLee: And every generation has its own burden to bear. God knew that you would be born in this generation with this technology, and He’s equipped you like He’s equipped me. Laura: I recently heard an author say, “We're not meant to be omniscient. That's God's job.” Social media and the internet have us almost omniscient, so to speak, in a human perspective. We have access to everything around the world. And I kept hearing him say, “God doesn't mean for us to be omniscient because it's very burdensome.” I thought that was a really interesting point. What's next for your writing? Laura: Right now is a busy, busy season! I just handed in a 400-page novel set in 1798 London, releasing January of next year. I'm also halfway through a Christmas novella that will be releasing September of 2027, but it's due this fall. And then I'm beginning another novel set in Colonial America 1733, a totally new setting. So that has me quite busy. I will also be traveling to England next January. And then in 2027, I'm leading a tour of some historic sites in the United States. I've done England and Scotland, and had a wonderful time with readers. So I'm excited to do a stateside trip this time, and I hope readers can join me. If you head to my website, LauraFrantz.net, and sign up for my newsletter, about halfway down the home page, you'll get the tour news and details, as well as book updates. I work hard on my newsletters and try to keep them fun and fresh and interesting. And where else can readers connect with you? I’m very active on my Facebook author page, and on Instagram. I post every couple days or so on X, but I'm not very active. But most of my followers, interestingly enough, are on Pinterest. And, I just love my readers. How ever they want to come–through my newsletter or my website or socials–is always welcome to me, a delight. BOOKWORM REVIEW The Mistress of the Macabre has penned another five-star stunner!  “Night Falls on Predicament Avenue” features Jaime Jo Wright's signature blend of atmospheric prose, eerie suspense, and spiritual depth. Black as a mourning veil, this literary cuppa is enriched by the aromatic earthiness of a forgotten graveyard and contrasted with a honeyed note of hope—warm and bright as a candle's flame, flickering amid shadows.  The authentic characters of Effie and Norah will make readers feel seen and heard, especially those who suffer with anxiety, and the absorbing plot will keep readers turning pages into the wee hours, eager to navigate the mystery's winding paths of intrigue. The final plot twist ripped a gasp straight from my chest. A literal, audible, GASP! Good gracious, was I well and properly gobsmacked! Wright has truly outdone herself with this haunting tale's jaw-dropping, mind-reeling, gut-punching conclusion. If you're a fan of true crime podcasts and gothic fiction, be sure to visit Predicament Avenue . . . preferably, before night falls! Read more about Jaime at her website. (www.jaimewrightbooks.com)~ Angela Bell, author of A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure If you enjoyed this episode, we hope you'll subscribe for more on your favorite listening platform, and join our newsletter (see the sidebar). Don't forget to share it with a fellow historical fiction reader! And if you really enjoyed this episode and would like to support, you can always buy us a coffee. Thanks again for joining us for this episode of the Historical Bookworm Show! Join the conversation in the comments, and be sure to connect with Laura Frantz, and our special guest Heather Tabers. If you really enjoyed the show, you can always Buy Us a Coffee. Until next time, KyLee and Darcy

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content WarningThis episode contains discussions of domestic abuse, poisoning, and death. Support resources are listed at the end of these notes.This EpisodeSeason 39: The Balham Mystery. April 1876—a successful barrister collapses in his bedroom after drinking from a bedside water jug. For three agonizing days, doctors begged him to name his poisoner. He never would. This is the story of Charles Bravo, and the Victorian murder that has never been solved.Behind the elegant facade of The Priory, a villa in Balham, South London, lay a tangle of secrets: a wealthy widow's scandalous past, a controlling husband who knew everything, and a companion with everything to lose.The VictimCharles Delauney Turner Bravo was thirty years old when he died. A barrister called to the bar, Charles came from a prosperous family of Portuguese Jewish ancestry. He was ambitious, charming, and by all accounts, determined to control every aspect of his household—including his wife's considerable fortune. Charles married Florence Campbell Ricardo in December 1875, knowing full well about her four-year affair with the famous hydropathy physician Dr. James Gully. What should have been a fresh start for Florence became something else entirely: a marriage built on leverage and suspicion.The CrimeOn the evening of April 18, 1876, Charles Bravo dined at The Priory with his wife Florence and her companion, Jane Cannon Cox. He retired to his bedroom around 8:30pm. Shortly after, servants heard a bedroom door crash open. Charles staggered into the hallway, his face contorted in agony, crying out for hot water. Jane Cox reached him first—a detail that would later prove crucial.Charles had been poisoned with antimony, likely administered in his bedside water jug. The dose was massive: 20-40 grains of tartar emetic, ten times the lethal amount. For three days, as doctors fought to save him, Charles was asked repeatedly who had poisoned him. His only answer: "I have told you all I know."The InvestigationCharles Bravo died at 5:20am on April 21, 1876. The first inquest returned an open verdict—insufficient evidence to determine what had happened. But public outrage demanded answers. A second inquest, lasting 23 days and calling over 40 witnesses, became a Victorian sensation.Florence Bravo took the stand and admitted everything: the affair with Gully, a pregnancy, a possible miscarriage. Dr. James Gully, 66 years old and once one of England's most respected physicians, saw his reputation destroyed. Jane Cox, whose position in the household was under threat from Charles's cost-cutting, gave contradictory testimony that convinced no one.The verdict: "Wilful murder by person or persons unknown." Three suspects. No conviction. No justice.Historical ContextThe Bravo case emerged during a period when Victorian marriage laws trapped women in impossible situations. Florence had inherited £40,000 (approximately £5 million today) from her first husband, an alcoholic who died at 27. Yet as a married woman, she had limited control over her own life. Divorce required proving both adultery and cruelty—nearly impossible for women of her class.The case also highlighted Victorian England's reputation as a "poisoner's paradise." Antimony was readily available in most households, used to treat horses in stables. The science of toxicology was still developing, and many poisonings went undetected or unprosecuted.Sources (Chicago Notes-Bibliography format):Primary:The National Archives, Coroner's Inquest Records, Bravo Case (1876)Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com* Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foulplay/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WE WERE ON A BREAK! But the ladies are back and filled with more feminine rage than ever! Kelley wines about Josephine Butler, a reformer who looked at Victorian England's messed up culture and said, "Nope." Then, Emily wines about a local hero, Lena O. Smith who fought for the rights of people of color in Minneapolis using her grit, tenacity, and law degree. Protect your neighbors and FUCK ICE because we're wining about herstory! Join the Funerary Cult: https://www.patreon.com/winingaboutherstory Sponsor a Glass of Wine: https://buymeacoffee.com/wahpod Get Merch: https://wining-about-herstory.myspreadshop.com/   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonight's reading comes from The Greatest Heiress in England, published in 1880, written by Margaret Oliphant, and it tells the story of a young woman who unexpectedly becomes one of the wealthiest heiresses in the country, exploring the social pressures, family dynamics, and expectations that come with sudden fortune in Victorian England.

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Brontë in 1847, depicts a gothic world full of violence and passion, set against the wild Yorkshire Moors.So how did the daughter of a clergyman create such a story? How was it received at the time? And what darkness and intrigue happened in the Brontê's lives that could have influenced such stories?With a new Wuthering Heights film being released, Anthony and Maddy are exploring that world with you in today's episode.It's one of relentless death and tragedy, wild creativity, and supernatural belief, all to the backdrop of an industrial Victorian England.If you're interested to find out more, you can watch the documentary Death at the Parsonage: The Brontês, on HistoryHit.com.This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Sue Talbot's grandmother casually mentioned items belonging to "Arthur," Sue discovered a family secret buried for decades. But that revelation was just the beginning of a journey that would uncover scandal, betrayal, and tragedy stretching from Victorian England to the streets of Chicago.In this episode, I sit down with British genealogist Sue Talbot as she shares the shocking story of her great-great-grandfather John Jenkinson—Methodist preacher, mayor, and jeweler whose respectable facade concealed darker truths. What Sue discovers forces her to reconsider everything her family believed about their "good stock" and reveals how one man's choices created devastating ripples across generations and an ocean.From mysterious disappearances to courtroom drama, from England's small market towns to Chicago's jewelry district, Sue pieces together a story of crime, consequences, and unexpected connections that ultimately bring her family full circle back to America.Sometimes the ancestors who shock us the most teach us the deepest truths about resilience and family bonds.〰️

Plug your nose and say PRUNES! Carly Q takes the time elevator back to Victorian England to show you everything that this smelly time period has to offer!Grownups, we're proud to bring free, high-quality educational podcasts to families and classrooms everywhere. But as the media industry changes, it's becoming increasingly difficult to financially sustain high-quality human-made audio shows like ours without additional help. If our shows have sparked wonder, laughter, or curiosity for your family, we're asking for your support now. Grownups, visit tinkercast.com/support where you can select from a handful of gifts we've curated to thank you for your support.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 38 examines one of Victorian England's most infamous murderers: William Palmer, the Rugeley Poisoner. This four-part series traces his crimes from gambling addiction to serial murder—and the groundbreaking forensic investigation that brought him to justice.The Fatal WagerNovember 1855. A man lies dying in Room 10 of the Talbot Arms inn. His back arches off the mattress. His jaw locks. Every muscle seizes at once.John Parsons Cook had won big at the Shrewsbury races just days earlier. His horse Polestar crossed the finish line first, putting nearly a thousand pounds in his pocket. He should have been celebrating.Instead, he's being murdered—slowly, methodically—by his own friend and physician.Dr. William Palmer stands beside the bed, taking Cook's pulse. He doesn't call for help. He waits.The VictimJohn Parsons Cook was twenty-eight years old in 1855. Born into comfortable circumstances, he inherited enough money from his father to live without working. He trained for the law but never practiced—the racing circuit called to him instead.Cook followed the horse racing meets across England: Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Chester. He owned horses. He wagered heavily. He lived for the thundering hooves and the roaring crowds.But Cook suffered from chronic poor health. Stomach troubles plagued him. This made him dependent on physicians—a dependency that would prove fatal when his racing companion William Palmer decided he needed to die.The CrimeWilliam Palmer was a surgeon, a family man, and a serial killer.By November 1855, Palmer owed more than twenty thousand pounds to moneylenders. His gambling addiction had consumed him. He had already murdered for money—his wife Anne (insurance payout: thirteen thousand pounds), his brother Walter (insurance claim pending), possibly his mother-in-law, and at least four of his own infant children.When Cook won at Shrewsbury, Palmer saw an opportunity. The two men traveled together back to Palmer's hometown of Rugeley. Cook took his usual room at the Talbot Arms—directly across the street from Palmer's house.Palmer began visiting Cook immediately, administering "treatments" for his illness. Each time Cook improved, another dose sent him back to agony.Cook suspected. He told friends: "I believe that damn Palmer has been dosing me." But suspicion wasn't proof, and Palmer was a doctor. Doctors could be trusted.The InvestigationWhat followed Cook's death would transform British forensic science and create new legal precedent.Dr. Alfred Swaine Taylor, England's foremost toxicologist, examined Cook's remains. He found no strychnine in the body—the poison metabolized too quickly. But the symptoms were unmistakable: tetanic convulsions, locked jaw, arched back.Taylor's testimony established a critical principle: absence of poison does not equal absence of poisoning. Clinical symptoms and circumstantial evidence could establish murder even when the weapon couldn't be found.Palmer's trial became so notorious that Parliament passed special legislation—the Central Criminal Court Act 1856, forever known as "Palmer's Act"—to move the case from Staffordshire to London's Old Bailey.Thirty-two medical experts testified. The jury deliberated eighty-two minutes.Verdict: Guilty.Historical ContextThe Palmer case exposed the vulnerability of Victorian society to medical murderers. Physicians held almost unquestioned authority. Patients trusted them with their lives—literally.Palmer exploited this trust systematically. His medical knowledge allowed him to choose poisons that were difficult to detect, calculate doses that would kill without immediate suspicion, and explain away symptoms as natural illness.The case accelerated the development of forensic toxicology across Europe. Scientists raced to develop more sensitive tests for alkaloid poisons like strychnine.Sources consulted: Old Bailey Online trial transcripts (May 1856); The Times contemporary coverage; British Newspaper Archive; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; forensic toxicology historical analysis.ResourcesPrimary Sources:Old Bailey Online: Trial of William Palmer (May 1856) — oldbaileyonline.orgBritish Newspaper Archive coverage of Rugeley poisoner caseFurther Reading:Katherine Watson, "Poisoned Lives: English Poisoners and Their Victims" (2004)Robert Graves, "They Hanged My Saintly Billy" (1957) — literary treatmentCrisis Resources:For concerns about elder financial abuse or medical exploitation: Adult Protective ServicesSupport the ShowIf Foul Play brings you into history's darkest corners, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Reviews help new listeners discover the show—and every share helps us continue telling these stories.Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wuthering Heights is a story full of passion, violence and sexual tension.So it's no surprise that it shocked Victorian readers when it first came out. How did Emily Brontë, the daughter of a clergyman, create such a provocative world? How did the Brontê sisters write about sex and sexuality in their work? And how accurate is the new film to the original story?!Joining Kate today is Dr Claire O'Callaghan, author and Brontë scholar, to take us back to Victorian England at the peak of the Industrial Revolution, and find out more about this scandalous story.For tickets to the live show of Betwixt the Sheets in May, follow the link here https://www.fane.co.uk/betwixt-the-sheets This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our Serial Sunday series, we are presenting The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. When mysterious cylinders fall from the sky, Victorian England is thrust into a terrifying struggle for survival as Martian machines lay waste to the countryside. Told in serialized chapters, this landmark science-fiction classic unfolds as a gripping tale of invasion, panic, and humanity pushed to the brink.If you have a story you'd like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.comBy becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconradNarrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/Other shows hosted by Darren:Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymagMicro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrorsRetro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradioChurch of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Episode 2 of 4 in Foul Play's Road Hill House Murder series, covering Victorian England's most notorious family crime. Episode 1 established the Kent family's toxic dynamics and the discovery of three-year-old Francis Saville Kent's body. This episode follows Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher's revolutionary investigation and his tragic downfall at the hands of Victorian class prejudice.On July 16, 1860, a train departed Paddington Station carrying a middle-aged man with a smallpox-scarred face and blue eyes that catalogued every detail. Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher—one of England's first professional detectives—was about to solve the Road Hill House murder in just five days. What he couldn't solve was Victorian society's refusal to believe...Episode SummaryWhen Scotland Yard's finest detective arrived in Wiltshire to investigate the murder of three-year-old Francis Saville Kent, he brought revolutionary investigative techniques that would shape criminal investigation for generations. Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher interviewed witnesses separately, compared their stories for inconsistencies, and built psychological profiles—methods modern detectives would instantly recognize.Within five days, Whicher had identified his suspect: sixteen-year-old Constance Kent, the victim's half-sister. His evidence centered on a missing nightgown—one of three that Constance owned, now mysteriously absent from the household laundry. In an era before DNA analysis or forensic laboratories, Whicher understood that the absence of evidence could itself be evidence. A bloodstained nightgown couldn't be cleaned or hidden—it had to be destroyed.But Whicher faced an obstacle more formidable than any criminal: Victorian class prejudice. He was a gardener's son who had risen through merit. Constance was a "young lady of good breeding." When he arrested her, the public erupted in fury. Newspapers condemned him for persecuting an innocent girl. Her defense attorney, Peter Edlin, transformed the preliminary hearing into a trial of Whicher himself—questioning what kind of man interrogates a teenage girl alone in her bedroom.The magistrates released Constance due to insufficient evidence. Whicher returned to London in disgrace. His career was destroyed, his health broken. He was right about everything—and it cost him everything.Key Case DetailsDetective: Jonathan "Jack" Whicher, Detective Inspector, Scotland YardSuspect: Constance Emily Kent, age 16Victim: Francis Saville Kent, age 3 years 10 monthsLocation: Road Hill House, Road (now Rode), Wiltshire, EnglandTime Period: July 16-27, 1860Key Evidence: Missing nightgown from household laundry recordsOutcome: Constance released; Whicher's career destroyed by class prejudiceThe First Modern DetectiveJonathan Whicher represents a pivotal moment in criminal justice history. Before professional detectives, crime investigation relied on informants, rewards, and confessions obtained through pressure. Whicher pioneered systematic investigation: separate witness interviews, timeline reconstruction, psychological profiling, and the revolutionary concept that physical evidence—or its absence—could tell a story.His techniques at Road Hill House read like a modern investigation manual. He interviewed the household staff individually, noting inconsistencies in their stories. He reconstructed the timeline of the murder night hour by hour. He examined the crime scene for physical evidence. He built a profile of the likely killer based on access, motive, and opportunity.The tragedy is that his brilliance couldn't overcome the social barriers of his era. Victorian society wasn't ready to accept that respectable families could produce murderers—or that a working-class detective could be right about an upper-class suspect.Victorian True Crime ContextThe Road Hill House case exposed fundamental tensions in Victorian society. The emerging professional police force—Scotland Yard was barely thirty years old in 1860—represented a threat to traditional class hierarchies. When Whicher accused Constance Kent, he wasn't just accusing a girl of murder. He was claiming that a working-class detective could penetrate the secrets of respectable families and judge their daughters.The public backlash was immediate and fierce. Newspapers that had demanded answers now demanded Whicher's resignation. The same society that was horrified by Francis's murder was more horrified by the suggestion that his killer came from within his own family.Historical Context & SourcesWe highly recommend Kate Summerscale's acclaimed 2008 book "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective," which provides the most comprehensive modern analysis of the case. Additional details come from contemporary newspaper accounts in The Times and Morning Post, trial transcripts from the National Archives, and Victorian police records documenting Whicher's investigative methods.Resources & Further ReadingKate Summerscale, "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" (2008)The National Archives (UK) - Victorian Crime and Punishment RecordsBritish Newspaper Archive - Contemporary coverage 1860Related Media:"The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" (2011 TV film starring Paddy Considine)Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on The Willie Jackerson Experiment, we tumble headfirst down the rabbit hole to uncover the real history behind Alice in Wonderland. What began as a simple story told on a boat ride in 1862 turned into one of the strangest, most analyzed books ever written. Who was the real Alice? Was Lewis Carroll a whimsical genius, a mathematical madman, or something far more complicated? We dig into Victorian England, hidden symbolism, banned interpretations, psychedelic rumors, and how a children's tale became a cultural acid trip long before rock ‘n' roll ever existed. Grab your teacup—things are about to get curiouser and curiouser.

Description:Today, we're stepping into the candlelit, corseted world of Victorian England with New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin—a master of emotionally rich, meticulously researched historical fiction. Madeline's novels (The Last Bookshop in London, The Librarian Spy, The Keeper of Hidden Books) have introduced millions of readers to hidden corners of history where ordinary people wield books as lifelines, rebellion, and hope. Her latest work and our December JHBC pick, The Secret Book Society, is no exception. Set in an era when women were warned that reading could “inflame the imagination,” The Secret Book Society follows Lady Duxbury—a thrice-widowed countess trailed by scandalous whispers—who covertly gathers a small circle of women for tea…and contraband literature. What begins as shared curiosity blooms into a daring underground society where women read the stories they've been forbidden, claim a power they've been denied, and build the kind of sisterhood that can spark a quiet revolution. In this conversation, we pull back the velvet curtain on: how real Victorian restrictions inspired her fictional rebellion the archival rabbit holes that uncovered surprising truths about women, reading, and resistance the power of “found family” in times of surveillance, judgment, and constraint why stories become sanctuaries when the world demands silence Thought-provoking Quotes: “Reading can really provide such lightness in dark times.” – Madeline Martin “Every book that I've written, I have been to the location where it is set. And I've been able to get that really wonderful firsthand experience of being there. I feel like it takes this black and white world and colors it in this really vivid, wonderful way that lets me accurately convey it onto the book for hopefully what makes for a very evocative read for the reader.” –  Madeline Martin “If you read a book and it's so good you can't put it down, you read it over the course of a weekend, and you can viscerally recall every part of that story, from what the character drank and ate, to what they wore, to that snarky little one-liner that they gave the antagonist. But if you took six months to read that book, you might have a different experience. So for me, when I get to write that book in one month, it's like I'm living in their skin, and I'm living in their heads.” – Madeline Martin Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - https://amzn.to/4iv5e3C The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin - https://amzn.to/4pKU0uq For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards by Jen Hatmaker – https://amzn.to/48AqikP A Time of Witches: A Novel by Madeline Martin – https://amzn.to/3MBpnJl The Forgotten Pages by Madeline Martin – coming 2027 Goodreads 2025 Reading Challenge – https://www.goodreads.com/readingchallenges?ref=rc_summerreading_25 The Hope Keeper: A Novel by Heather Webb –https://amzn.to/48uJkc2 The Lotus Shoes: A Novel by Jane Yang – https://amzn.to/447ANuy Guest's Links: Website - https://madelinemartin.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/madelinemmartin/ Twitter - https://x.com/MadelineMMartin Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MadelineMartinAuthor Pinterest - https://www.instagram.com/madelinemmartin/ Substack - https://authormadelinemartin.substack.com/subscribe Connect with Jen!Jen's Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmakerJen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmakerJen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Darby McDevitt is a narrative director and writer at Ubisoft . He's worked on multiple games in the Assassin's Creed franchise, which spans time periods from Ancient Greece to Victorian England. But what does it mean to be a writer on a massive video game where your character is mostly running, climbing, jumping and fighting? The key to his work lies in historical research, but he is sometimes torn between what would actually happen and what pop culture has trained us to expect from different eras of history. We also discuss his new novel, The Halter, which imagines a future where virtual reality is so realistic and addictive that people abandon their real lives and have to be tracked down. This is the first episode in a multi-part series on video games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 37, Episode 1 of 4This is the first episode in Foul Play's four-part investigation into Victorian England's most notorious family murder and the case that birthed modern detective fiction.Elizabeth Gough checked Francis Saville Kent's cot at five in the morning on June 30, 1860. The blankets were gone. The three-year-old was gone. And somewhere in Road Hill House, someone who knew exactly what had happened was waiting for the search to begin—On the last night of June 1860, three-year-old Francis Saville Kent was lifted from his nursery bed in the family's Wiltshire mansion. Hours later, a servant discovered his small body in the outdoor privy, his throat cut nearly to the spine.The killer came from inside the house. That much was immediately certain. But who among the nine people sleeping at Road Hill House that night would murder a child? And why?This episode traces the fractured Kent family—a household divided between a tyrannical father's first marriage and second, where teenage Constance and her brother William existed as ghosts in their own home while their half-brother Francis received everything they'd been denied. We witness the horror of discovery morning, the bungled local investigation, and the arrival of Detective Inspector Jonathan "Jack" Whicher from Scotland Yard—a working-class detective about to walk into a class warfare trap that would destroy him.Some walls don't protect families. They hide what families are capable of doing to themselves.Key Case DetailsVictim: Francis Saville Kent, age 3 years and 10 months, murdered June 29-30, 1860Location: Road Hill House, village of Road (now Rode), Wiltshire, EnglandCrime: The boy was taken from his nursery bed between midnight and five in the morning, carried through the dark house, and murdered in the outdoor privy. His throat was slashed from ear to ear with a razor or knife, cutting nearly to the spine. His body was stuffed into the privy vault and hidden among waste.Initial Investigation: Local police focused on servants and outsiders, refusing to suspect the respectable Kent family. Critical evidence—including a bloodstained nightgown belonging to sixteen-year-old half-sister Constance Kent—was destroyed by her father with police cooperation. The inquest returned "willful murder by person or persons unknown."Scotland Yard Intervention: Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher arrived July 16, 1860, and within five days identified Constance Kent as his primary suspect—the first time in English history a young lady from a respectable family faced formal murder charges.Section 4: The Victim - Francis Saville KentFrancis Saville Kent deserves to be remembered as more than a murder victim. He was three years and ten months old—dark-haired, curious, his father's favorite child. He collected smooth stones from the garden and named them after colors. He asked endless questions about where stars came from and why dogs didn't talk. He had a stuffed rabbit he couldn't sleep without and an imaginary pack of dogs that followed him everywhere.He was learning to count but always skipped the number nine. He negotiated extra bedtime stories with remarkable persistence for a toddler. He called his half-sister Constance "Tannie" because he couldn't pronounce her name.He was three years old. Someone murdered him anyway.Section 5: Victorian True Crime ContextVictorian England in 1860 was obsessed with respectability. Gas lamps flickered in drawing rooms across the countryside while servants moved silently through service corridors. Behind heavy curtains and locked doors, families performed daily rituals of propriety—morning prayers, afternoon tea, church attendance every Sunday.The outside world saw polished brass door knockers and manicured gardens. Inside, secrets festered.The Road Hill House case shattered Victorian assumptions about where crime originated. Respectable families didn't produce murderers. Young ladies of good breeding didn't commit violence. Working-class detectives couldn't accuse gentlemen's daughters.These assumptions would destroy Detective Inspector Whicher's career—and let a killer walk free for five more years.Section 6: Historical Context & SourcesThe Road Hill House Murder became Victorian England's most notorious domestic crime and directly inspired the birth of detective fiction. Wilkie Collins used case details when writing The Moonstone (1868), widely considered the first modern detective novel. Charles Dickens followed the investigation closely and incorporated elements into his final, unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood.Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher's methods—systematic crime scene analysis, methodical witness interviews, evidence-based deduction regardless of social class—represented revolutionary policing. His destruction by class prejudice exposed how Victorian justice protected the respectable while prosecuting the poor.Primary Source: Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (2008) provides the most comprehensive modern account, drawing on original trial transcripts, contemporary newspaper coverage, and National Archives documents.Content Advisory: This episode contains clinical description of violence against a child, consistent with documented historical records.Section 6A: Resources & Further ReadingThe Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale (2008) - Definitive modern account of the caseCruelly Murdered by Bernard Taylor (1979) - Alternative analysis exploring brother William's potential involvementThe Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) - Detective fiction directly inspired by the Road Hill House investigationThe National Archives (UK) maintains original trial transcripts and investigation documents from 1860-1865Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join us for a chat about the writing and worldbuilding in the fantasy novel, A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. We discuss dragons as the topic of academic study, worldbuilding inspired by Victorian England, and memoir-style novels. Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon Next month's novel: Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!) Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

 "Holmes took it with admirable good-humour" [PRIO]    For years, Holmes and Watson have served as a blueprint for an "odd couple" dynamic, usually by poking fun at the detective's ego, and the doctor's struggle to keep up. Humor can humanize these literary giants, making them feel less like statues and more like friends.  Now Nicholas Sercombe's The Unexpurgated Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series goes down this path, suggesting Watson's reports were just too risque for the morals of Victorian England. Join us as he shares the facts Watson really discovered about Holmes's family, Mrs. Hudson's real estate empire, and much more, and the live-action and animated television series under development. Don't miss our round-up of Sherlockian society activities in the second half of February in "The Learned Societies" segment, and the Canonical Couplet quiz that tests your Sherlock Holmes knowledge, with a copy of one of N.P. Sercombe's books for the winner. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock.com by January 14, 2026 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.   As a reminder, our supporters can listen to the show ad-free and have access to occasional bonus material, such as additional conversation from this episode. Join us on the platform of your choice (Patreon | Substack). And if you need some show swag or gift ideas, check out our Merch Store, with mugs, notepads and more.   Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; listen to us wherever you listen to podcasts.   Links Unexpurgated Sherlock Harry King Films Other links: The Learned Societies: Sherlockian Calendar I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere / Trifles Merch Store     Explore more here. Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock.   And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians find us. Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.  

Christmas wasn't always a national shopping spree — or even a day off work. But when Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 19th-century London, the holiday went viral.Guests:Leon Litvack, professor of Victorian Studies at Queen's University in Belfast and editor of the Charles Dickens Letters project.Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, author and historian of Victorian England.To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Just in time for the holiday season, Side Talk explores one of the most infamous haunted locations in paranormal history — Borley Rectory, often referred to as the most haunted house in England.In this special Christmas episode, Billy dives into the dark and unsettling history of Borley Rectory, a place plagued by reports of phantom footsteps, ringing bells, mysterious fires, writings appearing on walls, and the chilling legend of a ghostly nun said to roam the property.But this episode goes deeper than one haunted house. Billy also explores why ghost stories have long been tied to Christmas, tracing the tradition back to Victorian England, Charles Dickens, and the belief that winter — with its long nights and quiet stillness — thins the veil between the living and the dead.From documented investigations to folklore passed down through generations, this Side Talk blends haunted history with holiday tradition, reminding us that long before Christmas horror movies, people gathered around fires to tell ghost stories meant to unsettle, warn, and fascinate.Dim the lights, get comfortable, and enjoy this eerie Christmas Side Talk episode — available now on the Say What Again Billy Podcast

A celebrated playwright at the height of fame, Oscar Wilde became fodder for scandal and ruin when he chose love over self-preservation. His brilliant career was extinguished in a courtroom where his queerness became the weapon used to destroy him. In 1895 Victorian England, homosexuality was not just taboo, it was a crime, and Oscar Wilde's passionate affair with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas drew the wrath of Bosie's father, the Marquess of Queensberry. What began as a libel suit against that father's public accusation of “posing as a sodomite” thrust Wilde into a nightmarish legal spectacle that exposed his private life to the world's prying eyes. As the libel case collapsed, the evidence gathered was turned over to authorities, leading to multiple trials for gross indecency under laws that criminalized queer intimacy. Newspapers and courtroom spectators dissected Wilde's love, his works, and the very phrase “the love that dare not speak its name,” turning a queer history moment into a public obsession. Hostile judges, invasive testimony, and Victorian moral panic culminated in a devastating conviction, years of hard labor, and exile in France, where Wilde's health, reputation, and family were forever altered. This episode examines the personal cost of queer desire under oppressive laws and the cultural backlash that followed one of the most infamous queer trials ever. Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers brings chilling crimes, queer stories, and twisted justice to light, all with a cold one in hand. Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we uncover the darkest corners of LGBTQ+ history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have an atmospheric Christmas treat for you this Sunday afternoon: it's Gyles reading 'Murder at the Palace', an original murder mystery story, set in Victorian England, with Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle in the role of detectives. Pour yourself a cup of tea and settle down by the fire and be transported back to a time of pea-soupers, lavish dinner parties, and people who are not what they seem. This is a taste of what we will be offering members of the Rosebud Family every two weeks - when Gyles will read instalments of his murder mysteries exclusively for subscribers. Also available to Rosebud Family members will be one bonus episode a month of Gyles and Harriet going 'down memory lane', and ad-free listening to all Rosebud releases. You can subscribe to the Rosebud Family by visiting www.patreon.com/rosebud, and it's only £4.99 per month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special annual Christmas episode of Home in Progress, sponsored by RepcoLite Paints and Benjamin Moore, Dan Hansen steps away from the usual home improvement topics to celebrate the season—and give back to listeners.This year's Extravaganza includes a festive giveaway: ten $100 gift certificates, awarded to listeners who share their favorite Christmas songs, memories, or traditions via email.Dan opens the show with a humorous and heartfelt story about a long-ago family Christmas card featuring a screaming toddler—an unexpected reminder of how the most genuine moments often become the most meaningful memories. From there, the episode dives into the fascinating history behind familiar holiday traditions.You'll hear how Christmas cards originated in Victorian England, why they were once criticized as cold and impersonal, and how they eventually became a beloved seasonal ritual. Dan also explores the birth of Christmas music on the radio, beginning with the groundbreaking Christmas Eve broadcast of 1906, and how radio forever changed the way the holiday is shared and experienced.The episode wraps up with the story of Christmas lights—from the risky early days of candle-lit trees to the invention and widespread adoption of electric lights that transformed holiday decorating. The show closes with warm Christmas wishes and a reminder to enter the holiday giveaway.Reproduction of the First Radio BroadcastEpisode Timeline00:00 — Welcome to the Annual Christmas Extravaganza01:49 — Christmas Card Chaos: A Family Story04:37 — The Controversial Origins of Christmas Cards09:58 — How Christmas Communication Evolved11:25 — The Birth of Christmas on the Radio18:25 — The First Christmas Eve Broadcast (1906)22:32 — Radio's Impact on Holiday Traditions24:46 — The History of Christmas Lights28:40 — Candles, Symbolism, and Seasonal Danger32:23 — The Rise of Electric Christmas Lights35:16 — Modern Christmas Light Displays35:33 — Final Thoughts, Christmas Wishes, and the Giveaway

He was the most celebrated writer in London, adored on stage with a bright future ahead of him. But he was living a secret life that Victorian society was waiting to punish.Before courtrooms, prison cells, and public disgrace, Oscar Wilde was a literary star at the height of his power. A brilliant author and celebrated playwright, he moved through London society with wit, charm, and dangerous visibility. But beneath the applause was a rigid moral world built on repression, surveillance, and fear of difference. In this episode of our LGBTQ+ true crime podcast, we explore Wilde's rise, the social rules of Victorian England, and the unspoken risks of queer life in an era where reputation was everything. This is not yet the scandal, but the pressure building beneath it, and the society that made his fall inevitable.Blending queer history with true crime from a queer perspective, this episode sets the stage for one of the most consequential persecutions of a gay figure in history, and why Wilde's story still resonates today.Hosted by Jordi and Brad, Beers With Queers examines chilling crimes, queer history, and twisted justice through a sharp and thoughtful lens.Press play, grab a drink, and join us as we step inside the world Oscar Wilde ruled, just before everything collapsed.

Dickens' A Christmas Carol stands out strongly from his other works, but not because it's so different, really, in what it hopes to accomplish. Critiquing society, drawing attention to the world outside the doors of the wealthy in Victorian England, hoping to create social change... this was Dickens. But it's in A Christmas Carol that he condenses this message and provides joy in equal measure with distress. I've read a lot of Dickens, though I never did quite manage to finish Bleak House even after carrying it around for months, but it's A Christmas Carol that most stays with me, and that most feels like a doable add to a high school curriculum filled with many voices. At the same time, we can't talk about A Christmas Carol without considering how it centers Christmas. If you're going to teach this book, consider how you can also acknowledge the many other holidays that happen in this season - Diwali, Hanukkah, Eid, Lunar New Year, and more. I recently redid all the imagery in my winter holiday maker project (snag it free here) because I realized that although I had tried to keep Christmas from dominating, it was still too red and green. Take a look at the simple changes I was able to make (below) to create a more inclusive project, featuring imagery from many holiday traditions. And if you'd like to explore more inclusive holiday activities, you can find a bunch in this round up blog post.  But to come back to Dickens, I think it's important to use the vehicle as a book to discuss Dickens' desire to use his art to create change, his context in Victorian England, and the transformation of his character, Scrooge, rather than seeing it as mainly a fun holiday activity, because of course, many students do not celebrate Christmas and so reading a Christmas story won't necessarily feel like a fun holiday activity to them. IKYK. OK, with all this said, let's dive in to five creative activities you can use with this text, whether you choose to read the play, watch the movie, or some combination. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the 'gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

Nothing says ‘fun afternoon' quite like adding cutlery to your feet, bruising most of your body, and then going for a nice swim. And to clarify, when I say nothing, I mean because that's not something that anyone has ever said before.On today's episode: we'll see how the former digs of axe murderers and corpse thieves and child labour body pits became one of the most beautiful green spaces in London; we'll learn why early ice skates were only marginally more comfortable than being eaten by wolves; and we'll learn why Victorian fashion doubled as de facto funeral attire with the addition of simple water.And because you are listening on Patreon… you'll hear about how early animal captivity turned one man into a bloody Stretch Armstrong doll, complete with blood spray effects; you will learn how the Dutch invented a new high-speed form of knife-fighting and ice skates for horses; and you will hear how London had a unique form of Winter Fair that only closed up for the year once people started drowning.There's no risk of drowning in feces or burning to death in today's story, so in a way this is our nicest visit to Victorian England we've ever attempted – you're welcome. But that said, we're going to see how everything from your hobbies to your clothes wanted you dead. And I don't want to spoil anything, but by the time we're finishing up, you're going to wonder just how often the same thing can happen again and again. I don't want your takeaway to be fear, I want it to be hope and empowerment, acknowledging even the most frightening situations are not guaranteed death sentences. As one of my favourite listeners says, “you're not dead till you're warm and dead”. This is our last normal episode of the year. A year that will have brought you more than 934 minutes of content and laid 23,589 corpses at your feet. Not bad if I do say so myself. The next episode will be our Christmas disaster movies ode, and for you guys I'm turning it into a video! ––––– THANK YOU. Most shows survive at the whim of production companies and corporate sponsors, built from the top down. Doomsday doesn't exist because some network exec believes in it – it exists because actual people do. It's built from the bottom up, and it's been my privilege to bring you these stories. Just you, me, and a microphone. I don't do this for you, so much as I do this because of you. If you'd like to support the show at Buy Me A Coffee, or join the club over at Patreon for AD-FREE EPISODES, LONGER EPISODES, EXTRA CONTENT, all that good stuff (I'm truly sorry about those ads, they're not in my control) All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels  Apple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for more Facebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcastSafety google off. We'll talk soon. And thanks for listening. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.

While the Bay Area doesn't see much snow, one place you CAN find some right now is.. Southeast San Francisco! An annual tradition is taking place these days in a transformed arena off Geneva Street. In a space once reserved for livestock and cowboys, the streets of Victorian England come alive. It's the Great Dickens Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace!

The average lake around the world is about the size of a large parking lot – the kind of thing you might try to skip a stone across. The current World Record for stone skipping is 88 skips. If you were to skip a stone across the lake we're visiting today, it would have to beat that number by about 406, 912 and it would be bouncing across the water for about three hours.On today's episode: You'll learn about the most boat-hungry lakes anywhere in the world; you'll see why you would rather be beaten half-to-death in the face with a bat than visit the site of today story; and you'll find out how a cherished keepsake from our tale was recovered by a nightmarish bright orange, alien-shaped robot monster made out of airplane-grade aluminum.And because you are listening on Patreon… you will figure out if flat-earthers are just the dumbest people in the world or the dumbest people in history; you will get to walk through the deadliest things to ever happen on the Greatest Lake system in the world; and you will hear a sode inside a sode about a storm from 1913 so powerful than when they needed a name they settled on “Great”.We can only barely understand how frightening today's story must have been for the men who were lost and the families they left behind. I feel a real responsibility to tell their stories with accuracy and respect knowing there are real people out there connected to the story and still wounded by it. That said, outside of calling the ship the Eddy Fitz one time, and then the way I give description to the indescribable physical hell you'd experience if you grabbed a snorkel and tried to visit the site of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, I think maintained a definite air of respect during this episode. You'd be honestly surprised at how many people were so deeply touched and effected by the event. Sorry for sounding so gloomy at the end, but sometimes I get bummed out. Not as bummed as the families of those lost on Gitchi Goomie mind you. With all that said, there are only two more episodes in the year, but they are really something. We'll be having our least nauseating visit to Victorian England in search of outdoor entertainment. And the last episode is our return to the Disaster Moviesode format by popular demand. The last time we did one, it was the 1998 Michael Bay schlocktacular “Armageddon” – a movie so bereft of sense or scientific consideration, they used it at NASA as a test to see how many things you could find wrong with it. Well, this time, we have a film so preposterous, it makes Armageddon look misunderstood. And it contains within it's 2 hours and 15 minute running time almost every type of disaster, except ironically, asteroids. It's the 2003 Aaron Eckhart movie, “The Core”, and I know you're going to like it. I saw it in the theatre, and I certainly didn't.If you like what you hear today, why not consider becoming a supporter of the show at   Patreon.com/FuneralKazoo   AD-FREE EPISODES, LONGER EPISODES, EXTRA CONTENT, all that good stuff (I'm truly sorry about those ads, I don't get to control them or their placement). Donations from people like you are the only reason I've been able to do this show as often as I have over the last almost six years, and I appreciate them.   Failing that, you could always make a one-time donation at www.buymeacoffee.com/doomsday   All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels  Apple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt   Follow us on the socials for more   Facebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcast
Safety google off. We'll talk soon. And thanks for listening. 
 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.

"No cut finger or noseblood quite prepares one for the sheer volume of redness - bright bright redness - as can spill and spurt from the frame." R.M. Renfield is one of the most enigmatic characters of Bram Stoker's Dracula - second only, perhaps, to the eponymous count himself. But how did he become the henchman of the vampire? Those answers are sought after in this riveting, intimate drama. We meet him as a young man in Victorian England, with a home life not so extraordinary... But a fascination with blood starts early, followed soon by a mysterious premonition, and a dark voice promises him riches to come. Part 1 of an original radioplay by Marty Ross, produced by Wireless Theatre Limited, about Dracula's henchman, R.M. Renfield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"No cut finger or noseblood quite prepares one for the sheer volume of redness - bright bright redness - as can spill and spurt from the frame." R.M. Renfield is one of the most enigmatic characters of Bram Stoker's Dracula - second only, perhaps, to the eponymous count himself. But how did he become the henchman of the vampire? Those answers are sought after in this riveting, intimate drama. We meet him as a young man in Victorian England, with a home life not so extraordinary... But a fascination with blood starts early, followed soon by a mysterious premonition, and a dark voice promises him riches to come. Part 1 of an original radioplay by Marty Ross, produced by Wireless Theatre Limited, about Dracula's henchman, R.M. Renfield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vampires, demons, and a trip to Hell—there's a lot to discover in author Jonathan Fortin's Lilitu series, and in this episode, he's sharing all the details about his recent release, “Bloody Caleb.” 22-year-old Caleb Schwartzenfeld is a vagrant violinist struggling to make ends meet in the cutthroat squalor of Victorian England. But when his hunt for a patron causes him to be sacrificed by an insidious cult, Caleb awakens in Hell: a nightmarish underworld where he cannot die, no matter how brutally the demons there torture him.  Determined to not let the agony drive him mad, Caleb makes up his mind: he will escape from Hell, reunite with the woman he loves, and get revenge on those responsible for his murder. But it isn't long before he discovers that the only way he can return to the earth is by becoming a demon, joining the very creatures that torment dead mortals like him. Jonathan talks about the inspiration for the story and the worldbuilding he did to create the world of Lilitu. We discuss the character of Caleb, how he changes in Hell and the choices he makes afterward. Jonathan also gives some tips about creating the world for a story and his own experience as a voice actor, which ties into the audio release for “Bloody Caleb.”

Pope Leo XIV has recently formally declared St. John Henry Newman—who was canonized only in 2019 by Pope Francis—a doctor of the Catholic Church, a recognition given only to 37 other saints in Catholicism's over 2000 year history. This places Newman among great figures like St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Theresa de Avila, St. Catherine of Sienna, and the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. What is the significance of giving St. John Henry Newman—an Englishman and Anglican convert to Catholicism who was born over 200 years ago—this title? What is it about Newman's approach to communicating the faith that earned him this great honor—and why now?  Equally important, how can contemporary evangelists draw inspiration from his work to proclaim the Gospel in a drastically different world, religiously and morally, from Newman's 19th century Victorian England? A listener asks for advice on how to give better homilies at Mass. 00:00 | Introduction 01:26 | Bishop Barron's recent domestic travels 03:20 | Defining "Doctor of the Church" 04:55 | Distinguishing doctors from saints 05:50 | John Henry Newman's brief biography 12:18 | Understanding the development of doctrine 17:41 | Safeguards against corruption 22:33 | The wholeness of the truth 25:34 | Newman: "To live is to change" 29:28 | The "illative sense" of the mind's assent to propositions 34:10 | Difficulties vs. doubt 35:54 | How Newman speaks to England now 37:55 | Listener question: How can priests improve preparation for homilies? 39:58 | Join the Word on Fire Institute   Links: Word on Fire Institute: https://institute.wordonfire.org/ NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a Word on Fire IGNITE member! Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners . . . like you! So become a part of this mission and join IGNITE today to become a Word on Fire insider and receive some special donor gifts for your generosity.    

Hey everyone! Part Four of our Halloween Series features a newish film from an acclaimed director: Benicio del Toro's Crimson Peak. This atmospheric thriller features Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowski, and Jessica Chastain. It's set in Victorian England, so the visuals are absolutely incredible. As for the story and suspense, well...we have opinions. Enjoy!

Criminal profiling is one of the most famous tools in our crime-fighting arsenal, and probably our least understood. In her new book, The Monsters We Make: Murder, Obsession, and the Rise of Criminal Profiling author Rachel Corbett writes about how it got its start in Victorian England, the first attempts by profilers to codify psychological patterns, and what profiling reveals, and what it obscures.

Sarah Dazley was one of the most infamous women in the world for a moment in 1843 when she was accused of poisoning not one but two former husbands. Our guest today is Nat Doig - creator of the podcast Weird in the Wade - a podcast about all that's weird and wonderful in/around the town of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhitSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonight's reading comes from The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Written by Charles Dickens and published in 1838, this story follows a young man's journey through hardships and injustice in Victorian England.

In Victorian England, “baby farming” turned unwanted infants into a deadly business. Amelia Dyer, known as The Ogress of Reading, used it to hide an unimaginable number of murders - hundreds of them. This week, we expose the grim world of baby farming, the cruelty of Victorian morality, and how one of the most prolific killers in British history was only a small part of a much bigger problem.Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have a Lazarus double bill this week as both showrunner Harlan Coben and Star Bill Nighy drop by for separate (but thematically connected) chats about the new Prime Video thriller (which is embargoed, so we'll be reviewing it on Pilot+). Plus we go abseiling with Lauren Lyle in The Ridge on BBC2, head back to posh Victorian England with The Forsytes on Channel 5, and get a little ASMR from Julia Roberts in Leonard And Hungry Paul on BBC2. Elsewhere, Kay enquires as to just what it takes to make us all stop watching a show, and James issues a public apology. (Episode 359)

In Victorian England there were many news reports of a caped villian, with a 'diabolical face', metal claws and who could leap over fences and carriages. But was the bouncy scoundral known as Spring Heeled Jack real? Or just a pranking nobleman and mass hysteria? Tiernan and Athena leap into action to bring you the evidence! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lady Charlotte Schreiber, Extraordinary Art Collector (Lund Humphries, 2025) emphasises Lady Charlotte Schreiber (1812-1895) — also known as Lady Charlotte Guest, née Bertie — as one of the most significant women in the history of collecting. An extraordinary collector, historian and philanthropist, Charlotte subverted gendered norms and challenged Victorian conventions. This new study establishes Charlotte's contribution to ceramic history and cultural education, and demonstrates her influential role in transnational artistic networks. Charting Charlotte's eventful life, Dr. Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth focuses on her identity as a renowned connoisseur, whose donation of thousands of objects to the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum marked a pioneering move for a female benefactor. Lady Charlotte Schreiber, Extraordinary Art Collector presents unique insight into the social and cultural world of Victorian England and the role of women within this. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

It's rare for us to have an episode with so many feces mentioned right off the top, but do not worry, refreshments will be served.On this episode: we're doing another one-of-a-kind episode here, and I'll explain the rules as get into it, but for all those listeners who love our more unhygienic content, have we got a treat for you. We're talking about the only consumer product you can blow out your nose while friends and strangers cheer you on; we'll discuss more context and uses for plop and manure than you could shake a feces coated stick at; and we'll see why the only thing you can't kill about the British in countless, ghoulish ways, is their spirit.And if you were listening on Patreon… only one extra segment, but it'll definitely be different. I'll be providing some Dodge Caravan math, but I'll be belching the whole thing for you on a dare from my family.If you are turned off by the mention of faces, this may not be the episode for you. This episode travels all over 1800s Britain, and this is not our first trip to the scabbed over, feces encrusted manure factory that was Victorian England. I am on record as saying they are our grossest episodes, by far, in my opinion. This one may be the worst. I mean, we did one where people were showered in the gory remains of a dead horse that spent the last three weeks cooking in the sun until it randomly popped on some lady in a giant crinoline dress like she was catching hot soup, and she's all, “not this again”. I owe a debt of thanks to the Ye Olde Crime Podcast for clueing me in to just how no soap, no toothpaste, no germ theory it got. It is my strange privilege to bring you this one-of-a-kind first in the history of podcasting: a SIPPING Game, where with every mention of “human filth” in all it's iterations and sources, you take a sip.With all due respect, you should feel free to skip a few. I think we mention feces alone 29 times. This might not be for everyone, but for those of you who do, I say hats off, because you can barf into them in an emergency. I'm always watching out for you.The rule of thumb is your liver can tackle about one full size drink an hour, and then you drink water. Provided you follow this precaution, you'll still die if you sip every time. Feel free to cheat. I encourage it.  Do not hurt yourselves. In fact, drop your car keys in your toilet tank before you even hit play. And have a secondary or backup human on standby to watch you listen and make sure you don't drink yourself into a neurological disorder.The episode is a fun one, and I hope you enjoy. Mark yourself safe after.All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels: Send us your listener questions to ⁠bit.ly/AskYOC⁠. Become a member on ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠ for as little as $1/month to support the show.  Get your groceries and essentials delivered in as fast as 1 hour via Instacart. Free delivery on your first 3 orders. Min $10 per order. ⁠Terms apply⁠. You can write to us at: Ye Olde Crime Podcast, PO Box 341, Wyoming, MN 55092. Leave us a rating and review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Podchaser⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Podcast Addict⁠, ⁠Audible⁠, or ⁠Goodpods⁠! Don't forget to follow us on ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Threads⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠YouTube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's rare for us to have an episode with so many feces mentioned right off the top, but do not worry, refreshments will be served.On this episode: we're doing another one-of-a-kind episode here, and I'll explain the rules as get into it, but for all those listeners who love our more unhygienic content, have we got a treat for you. We're talking about the only consumer product you can blow out your nose while friends and strangers cheer you on; we'll discuss more context and uses for plop and manure than you could shake a feces coated stick at; and we'll see why the only thing you can't kill about the British in countless, ghoulish ways, is their spiritAnd if you were listening on Patreon… only one extra segment, but it'll definitely be different. I'll be providing some Dodge Caravan math, but I'll be belching the whole thing for you on a dare from my familyIf you are turned off by the mention of faces, this may not be the episode for you. This episode travels all over 1800s Britain, and this is not our first trip to the scabbed over, feces encrusted manure factory that was Victorian England. I am on record as saying they are our grossest episodes, by far, in my opinion. This one may be the worst. I mean, we did one where people were showered in the gory remains of a dead horse that spent the last three weeks cooking in the sun until it randomly popped on some lady in a giant crinoline dress like she was catching hot soup, and she's all, “not this again”. I owe a debt of thanks to the Ye Olde Crime Podcast for clueing me in to just how no soap, no toothpaste, no germ theory it got. It is my strange privilege to bring you this one-of-a-kind first in the history of podcasting: a SIPPING Game, where with every mention of “human filth” in all it's iterations and sources, you take a sip. With all due respect, you should feel free to skip a few. I think we mention feces alone 29 times. This might not be for everyone, but for those of you who do, I say hats off, because you can barf into them in an emergency. I'm always watching out for you. The rule of thumb is your liver can tackle about one full size drink an hour, and then you drink water. Provided you follow this precaution, you'll still die if you sip every time. Feel free to cheat. I encourage it.  Do not hurt yourselves. In fact, drop your car keys in your toilet tank before you even hit play. And have a secondary or backup human on standby to watch you listen and make sure you don't drink yourself into a neurological disorder. The episode is a fun one, and I hope you enjoy. Mark yourself safe after.All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels:Apple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for moreFacebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcastIf you like the idea of your podcast hosts wearing more than duct tape and bits of old Halloween costumes for clothes and can spare a buck or two, you can now buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/doomsday or join the patreon at www.funeralkazoo.com/doomsday Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.

In the sweltering summer of 1895, two boys lived with their mother's decomposing corpse for ten days while playing cricket and going to the seaside — a Victorian crime that shocked even the most hardened of London's East End residents.Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateTake the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/surveyIN THIS EPISODE: In the summer of 1895, two young brothers in London's East End harbored a secret so dark that when it was finally discovered, it would become one of Victorian England's most shocking criminal cases. The stench had become unbearable by the time anyone noticed something was wrong at 35 Cave Road. It was July in Plaistow, and the heat made everything worse — the smell of the docks, the horse manure from the market gardens, and whatever was rotting behind the locked bedroom door of the Coombes family home. (Plaistow Horror)ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Part One00:02:46.989 = Show Open00:04:02.016 = Part Two00:16:54.704 = Part Three00:44:40.291 = Part Four01:12:01.698 = Part Five01:42:32.253 = Part Six02:16:49.955 = Part Seven02:35:46.789 = Show CloseSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…https://weirddarkness.com/plaistow-murder-robert-coombes/=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: August 06, 2025NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/PlaistowHorror#RobertCoombes #PlaistowHorror #VictorianCrime #TrueCrime #VictorianMurder #1895Murder #BritishTrueCrime #HistoricalCrime #DarkHistory #Broadmoor #BroadmoorHospital #VictorianEngland #EastLondonMurder #OldBailey #PennyDreadfuls #JuvenileCrime #Matricide #EmilyCoomes #TheWickedBoy #KateSummerscale #VictorianScandal #13YearOldKiller #ChildKiller #VictorianLondon #TrueCrimeCommunity #TrueCrimeAddict #TrueCrimePodcast #DarkVictorianHistory #19thCenturyCrime #BritishHistory #CriminalHistory #HollowayPrison #GallipoliHero #MilitaryMedal #HistoricMurders #TrueCrimeStory #VictorianChildren #CriminalPsychology #InsanityDefense #TrueCrimeCase #UnsolvedNoMore #CreepyHistory #MurderHistory #TrueCrimeObsessed #HistoricalTrueCrime