Dark Histories

When a young woman was found lying on her hearth rug, foaming at the mouth on New Years Day of 1845, few would have guessed that the winding path leading up to her death would result in a mystery that would become entwined with one of the key moments in the history of communication as well as one of the earliest cases of murder by Prussic Acid. In the long catalogue of Victorian poisonings, the case of Sarah Hart remains prominent not just because of its twists and turns, but equally because of its long reaching influences on the adoption of a device that would help to shape the modern world.   SOURCES   Carol, Baxter (2014) The peculiar case of the electric constable: a true tale of passion, poison & pursuit. Oneworld, London, UK.   South Eastern Gazette (1845) Alleged Murder At Slough. South Eastern Gazette, Tues 7 January 1845. UK   The Examiner (1845) Suspected Murder. The Examiner, Sat 4 January 1845. UK.   Bell's Weekly Messenger (1845) Apprehension Of A Quaker On A Charge Of Murder. Bell's Weekly Messenger, Mon 06 January 1845. UK.   Bell's Weekly Messenger (1845) The Murder At Salt Hill. Bell's Weekly Messenger, Sat 11 January 1845. UK.   Church & State Gazette (1845) The Supposed Murder At Slough. Church & State Gazette, Fri 10 January 1845. UK.   Morning Chronicle (1845) The Salt Hill Murder trial of John Tawell. Morning Chronicle, Thurs 13 March 1845. UK   Morning Chronicle (1845) The Salt Hill Murder trial of John Tawell. Morning Chronicle, Fri 14 March 1845. UK   Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper (1845) Execution of Tawell. Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, Sunday 30 March, 1845. UK. ------- This episode is sponsored by Babbel, check out babbel.com/darkhistories to get 55% off a subscription. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

In 1812, in the Manchester settlement of Vermont, a local man named Russell Colvin mysteriously vanished, and despite extensive searches, no trace of him was found. Years later, rumours began to circulate that Russell had been murdered and buried in a cellar on a piece of local farmland. Ghosts were seen, arrests were made, confessions witnessed and convictions completed, before Colvin strolled back into town, dashing the whole thing against the rocks and creating a case that would go on to be remembered for well over a century as “The Manchester Mystery.” SOURCES McFarland, Gerald (1990) The Counterfeit Man. Pantheon Books, NY, USA.   Boorn, Jesse & Boorn, Stephen (1820) Trial of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, for the Murder of Russell Colvin. Fay & Burt, VT, USA.   Sergeant, Leonard (1873) The Trial, Confessions and Conviction of Jesse and Stephen Boorn, for the Murder of Russell Colvin. Journal Book & Job Office, VT, USA.   Manchester Historical Society (1930) Early History of Manchester. The Society, VT, USA.   ------- This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/darkhistories and get on your way to being your best self.   ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

19th century London saw two of the most sensational public scares in its long history when the enigmatic Spring Heeled Jack stalked the alleyways of the capital city and in 1888, when Jack the Ripper enacted his reign of the streets, bringing about an autumn of terror that has since become infamous. One hundred years earlier, however, the streets were stalked by another threat, one that many consider a precursor to both Spring Heeled Jack and Jack The Ripper, and one that remains, to this day, one of the strangest, most bizarre cases in the entire criminal history of London. Sources Ranger, H. (1793) Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies; or Men of Pleasure kalender for the year of 1793. H Ranger, London, UK.   Swift, Theophilus (1790) The Monster at Large: Or, the Innocence of Rhynwick Williams Vindicated. J. Ridgeway, London, UK.   Bondeson, Jan (2000) The London Monster: A Sanguinary Tale. Free Association Books, London, UK.   Bartholomew, Robert & Evans, Hilary (2009) Outbreak! The Encyclopaedia of Extraordinary Social Behaviour. Anomalist Books, TX, USA   Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette (1790) St James’s, Jan 19th. Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, Tuesday 21 Jan 1790, p.3, Bath, UK.   The Public Advertiser (1790) A Reward. The Public Advertiser, Thursday 15 April 1790, p.1. London, UK.   The Public Advertiser (1790) The Monster. The Public Advertiser, Wednesday 16 June 1790, p.3. London, UK.   The Bath Chronicle (1790) The Monster Detected. The Bath Chronicle, Thursday 17 June 1790, p.3. Bath, UK.   Jackson’s Oxford Chronicle (1790) The Monster. Jackson’s Oxford Chronicle, Saturday 19 June 1790, p.1. Oxford, UK.   The Derby Mercury (1790) Trial Of The Monster. The Derby Mercury, Thursday 8 July 1790, p.2. Derby, UK   ------- This episode is sponsored by Babbel, check out babbel.com/darkhistories to get 55% off a subscription. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

During the First World War, the Ottoman Empire established a wide network of camps to house prisoners of war from the allied powers. Like most, the conditions were often poor, the treatment often harsh and the complexes often established in some of the most remote, rural and desolate landscapes. Yozgat was one such camp, comprising a small collection of buildings in a rural town commandeered by the Ottoman Army to house British officers. Whilst its conditions were not the harshest, nor its prisoners the most dangerous, it became the scene for one of the most bizarre tales of escape that the first world war and just about any incarceration, anywhere in the world, would ever see, involving buried treasure, a Ouija board and an audacious pair of pranksters with a strong desire to get home. Sources Jones, Elias Henry (1919) The Road to En-Dor. Anchor Press LTD, Essex, UK. Hill, Cedric Waters (1975) The Spook and the Commandant. William Kimber, London, UK. Fox, Margalit (2021) The Confidence Men. Profile Books LTD, London, UK. Ritchie, John (1996) Australian Dictionary of Biography: Vol 14, 1940-1980. Melbourne University Press, Australia. ------- This episode is sponsored by Hello Fresh, check out hellofresh.com/darkhistories50 and use the code darkhistories50 to get 50% off your first order. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Almost thirty years before the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun and the fabled “curse of the pharaohs” was unleashed upon an excitable population, rumours and stories of another curse, attached to an ancient object, had been weaving its way into myth and legend as a complicated tangle of truth and fabrication. The “Anger of the Priestess of Amen-Ra” has links to several high profile deaths and even the sinking of the Titanic. It was potentially responsible for thousands of deaths in the few decades since its discovery, far overshadowing the famous curse of the boy king in scope, even if it would never quite match it in fame. SOURCES Luckhurst, Roger (2012) The Mummy’s Curse: The True History of a Dark Fantasy. Oxford University Press, UK.   Breckin, Edmun (2020) The Unlucky Mummy: A Concise History of the Legend. Independently Published.   Alcott, Louisa May (2019) Curse of the Mummy: Victorian Tales of Ancient Egyptian Terror. Fox Editing Classics, UK.   Bulfin, Ailise (2011) The Fiction of Gothic Egypt and British Imperial Paranoia: The Curse of the Suez Canal. Trinity College Dublin.   Barbados Agricultural Reporter (1904) A priestess of Death. Barbados Agricultural Reporter, 11 July 1904, p4.   Shaw, I & Nicholson, P (1995) British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt. BMP, London.   Summers, Montague (1946) Witchcraft & Black Magic. Dover Publications, NY, USA.   Goodrich-Freer, Ada (1913) The Priestess of Amen-Ra. The Occult Review, Vol. 17, Jan 1913, p.11. London, UK.   O’Donnell, Elliott (1911) Haunted Houses of London. London, UK.   Stead, William (1909) Ghost of Egyptian Mummy Haunts British Museum. San Francisco Examiner, 15 Aug 1909, p.1. San Francisco, USA.   Cheiro (1928) True Ghost Stories. The London Publishing Company, London, UK. ------- This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/darkhistories and get on your way to being your best self.   ------- Click the link to hit up Vessi Footwear and use my code, DARKHISTORIES at checkout for 15% off your entire order! Free shipping to CA, US, AU,JP, TW, KR, SGP ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

In 1866 a gruesome murder on a rural farm in the centre of Scotland shocked the local community. With little clues to go on outside of a bloody axe, a boiled egg and a missing door key, the police would eventually be left having to rely heavily on a string of unreliable testimony to do their job, a factor that would go some way in creating what would wind up as Scotland’s longest running cold case. SOURCES National Records of Scotland (1861) Perth Census. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//research/census-records/street-indexes/1861/1861-perth.pdf Paton, Chris (2012) The Mount Stewart Murder. The History Press, UK. Erikson, Arvel B. (1961) The Cattle Plague in England, 1865-1867. Agricultural History, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Apr., 1961), pp. 94-103. UK. Dundee Courier (1866) The Murder At Mount Stewart Near Perth. Dundee Courier, Mon 2 Apr 1866, p.2. Dundee, Scotland. Dundee Advertiser (1866) A Murder of a Most Atrocious... Dundee Advertiser, Mon 2 Apr 1866, p.2. Dundee, Scotland. Dundee Courier (1866) The Murder At Mount Stewart Near Perth. Dundee Courier, Thurs 5 Apr 1866, p.2. Dundee, Scotland. Perthshire Constitutional & Journal (1866) Proclamation. Reward of £100. Perthshire Constitutional & Journal. Thurs 12 April 1866, p.1. Perth, Scotland. Perthshire Advertiser (1866) The Mount Stewart Murder. Perthshire Advertiser, Thurs 26 July 1866, p.2. Perthshire, Scotland. Perthshire Advertiser (1867) Murder Near Bridge of Earn. Perthshire Advertiser, Thurs 11 Apr 1867, p.2. Perthshire, Scotland. ------- Click the link to hit up Vessi Footwear and use my code, DARKHISTORIES at checkout for 15% off your entire order! Free shipping to CA, US, AU,JP, TW, KR, SGP ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Forty years before the infamous witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, Hugh Parsons stepped out of his dirty, disease ridden prison cell in Boston and was carted off towards the courthouse in order to stand trial as a witch. He’d come from a small settlement named Springfield over a hundred miles away and spent the last year cooped up in a concrete prison with his life in the balance. The previous few years had seen the fear of witches spread like a disease throughout New England, with cases springing up like boils on a plague victim. Accused, tried and sent to prison to await a verdict, Parsons had survived the cold winter drinking filthy water and eating gruel in the overcrowded gaol and finally, he was to find out if he was to be lanced. SOURCES Pynchon, William (1651) Testimony Against Hugh Parsons Charged With Witchcraft. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1650 - 1651. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/3ca63410-c627-0139-9efd-0242ac110004 Gaskill, Malcolm (2021) The Ruin Of All Witches: Life And Death In The New World. Allen Lane, UK. Handlin, Lilian (1985) Dissent In A Small Community. The New England Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 2 (Jun., 1985), pp. 193-220 (28 pages). New England, USA. Evans, Hillary & Bartholomew, Robert (2015) Outbreak: The Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Social Behavior. Anomalist Books, UK. ------- This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/darkhistories and get on your way to being your best self. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

By the 1930s forensic police work had just begun to come into its own. The late 1920s had introduced advancements that had seen investigations using more than simple fingerprint evidence to solve crime and in America the FBI’s technical crime lab would firmly establish itself over the first half of the decade. Both in the UK and the USA experts from outside of the police or detective agencies were routinely drafted in to help on cases and in the UK there were none more qualified than the professors in the medical universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. In 1935 a grim discovery in a rural Scottish town opened a sensational case that would see the country's finest experts challenged to not only help the police to solve a murder case, but to pioneer multiple new forensic techniques along the way, creating innovative methods that would go on to be used right up to the modern day. SOURCES Craddock, Jermey (2021) The Jigsaw Murders. The History Press, Cheltenham, UK   Dundee Courier (1935) Moffat Crime: Devil’s Beef Tub Searched. Dundee Courier, Mon 07 Oct 1935. Dundee, UK.   Aberdeen Press and Journal (1935) Grim Discovery Made in Ravine. Aberdeen Press and Journal, Mon 30 Sep 1935. Aberdeen, UK.   Evening Sentinel (1935) Moffat Ravine Mystery. Evening Sentinel, 01 Oct 1935. Staffordshire, UK.   Aberdeen Press & Journal (1935) Nurse Girl Disappears. Aberdeen Press & Journal, 09 Oct 1935, Aberdeen, UK.   Dundee Courier (1935) Mr Buck Ruxton Charged With Murder. Dundee Courier, 14 Oct 1935. Dundee, UK.   ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

In 1818 Mary Shelley published her infamous novel, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”. More than just a work of gothic fiction, it represented a host of fears and concerns that the public held after viewing experiments by the natural philosophers of the day. In the same year, in a lecture theatre in Glasgow, the dissection and supposed resurrection of an executed criminal took place. As electrodes were placed on the body, it jumped and danced, its fingers moved “nimbly, like those of a violin player,” all for the amazement of the excited audience members. It was the dawn of electricity and a period of wild experimentation in an age of divisive and dangerous theories. SOURCES Rhys Morus, Iwan (2011) Shocking Bodies: Life, Death & Electricity in Victorian England. The History Press, UK.   Oxford University & City Herald (1918) Country News. Oxford University & City Herald, Sat 15 May 1918. p4. Oxford, UK.   Oxford University & City Herald (1918) Shocking Murder. Oxford University & City Herald, Sat 15 May 1918. p4. Oxford, UK.   Cambridge Chronicle & Journal (1918) Execution of Weems. Cambridge Chronicle & Journal, Fri 13 Aug 1918. p3. Cambridge, UK.   Cambridge Chronicle & Journal (1918) Trial For Murder. Cambridge Chronicle & Journal, Fri 6 Aug 1918. p3. Cambridge, UK.   Haley, Christopher D., & Archer, Mary D. (2005) The 1702 Chair of Chemistry at Cambridge: Transformation and Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.   Mackenzie, Peter (1865) Reminiscences of Glasgow & The West of Scotland. John Tweed, Glasgow, UK.   Rhys Morus, Iwan (2009) Radicals, Romantics & Electrical Showmen: Placing Galvanism at the End of The English Enlightenment. Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London, Vol. 63, No. 3, Thomas Beddoes, 1760-1808 (20 September 2009), pp. 263-275. Royal Society Publishing, UK.   Bostock, John (1818) An account of the history and present state of galvanism. Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, London, UK   ------- This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/darkhistories and get on your way to being your best self. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

In the 19th century moving images were everywhere. Illusionists cast tricks using mirrors and shadows, whilst flick books, magic lanterns and Zoopraxiscopes unveiled the hidden mysteries of motion to a wide-eyed audience. By the later part of the century, new advancements in photography had made the dream of motion pictures reachable for a few genius inventors, who toiled away in dingy workshops, setting fire to volatile chemicals as they cranked the handles of their machines, hoping to capture moments in time. Most now attribute the birth of cinema to either Thomas Edison, the famous American inventor, or the French Lumiere Brothers, whose projection of a train pulling into a station terrified its excited audience. But there was another man who had been working on the problem of moving photographs and had seemingly cracked it several years earlier. On the dawn of his machine's great unveiling, however, he disappeared, leaving those behind to question, where in the world was Louis Le Prince? Sources Leeds Mercury (1930) Inventor Who Vanished. Leeds Mercury, Tues 09 Dec 1930. p1. Leeds, UK. Yorkshire Evening Post (1930) Leeds Street In First Successful Moving Picture. Thurs 11 Dec 1930. p6. UK. Fischer, Paul (2022) The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures. Faber & Faber Ltd. London, UK. Rawlence, Christopher (1990) The Missing Reel: The Untold Story of the Lost Inventor of Moving Pictures. Atheneum. London, UK. New York Sun (1891) The Kinetograph. New York Sun, Thurs 28 May, 1891. P1. New York, USA. ------- This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/darkhistories and get on your way to being your best self. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

From ancient origins, to Churchill, who popularised the Victorian phrase “The black dog on your back”, the concept of the spectral black dog as a portent of doom, death and catastrophe is one that has maintained, with a constant slow progression throughout centuries. From musty old tomes maintained in cold damp monasteries, to the pages of Harry Potter, the Black Dog, Old Shuck, the Barghest, the Guytrash and the Skriker have haunted the stories of our rural landscapes and worked their way into the global imagination like almost nothing else in popular folklore.   This weeks episode was sponsored by The Art of Crime Podcast, check them out here: https://www.artofcrimepodcast.com/ Sources Chambers, Robert (1894) The Book of Days: A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities… W & R Chambers, London, UK.   Waldron, David & Reeve, Christopher (2010) Shock! The Black Dog of Bungay. Hidden Publishing, London, UK.   Waldron, George (1744) The History and Description of the Isle of Man. W.Bickerton, UK.   Dutt, W. A. (1901) Highways and Byways in East Anglia. Macmillan and Co. LTD. UK.   L’Estrange Ewen, C. (1929) Witch Hunting & Witch Trials. Routledge, London, UK.   E.S.T. (1850) Notes & Queries 1850-05-18: Vol 1 Iss 29. Oxford Publishing Limited, UK.   Brown, Theo (1978) The Black Dog in English Folklore. D. S. Brewer, UK.   Parkinson, Thomas (1888) Yorkshire Legends & traditions.   ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Hi everyone, I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas or at least a nice bit of time off work... Here's part 2 of the 2022 Campfire episode, which should hopefully be something to help pass the time in these strange limbo days. ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.      

Hi everyone, Christmas Campfire is back for it's 6th year! A big thank you to everyone who wrote in and shared their personal stories. There were tons this year, so I've split it into two episodes and part 2 will be out next week. Until then, I hope you enjoy part 1 and have a wonderful Christmas and holiday period. My very best wishes to you and your loved ones, thanks for listening for another year and all your kind support. Merry Christmas! ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.      

Despite the number of documented cases, the poltergeist has consistently been one of the most difficult forms of paranormal phenomena to define with very little consensus over what they are actually supposed to be. Spirits, invisible, unknown energy or childish hoaxes all form the basis of the most common theories that have been presented. In England, the Enfield case is without doubt the most famous poltergeist case and has, over the decades, had all three theories put forward by those that investigated the small, London house. Hundreds of miles north and over the Scottish border in a tiny village named Sauchie is another case that has proven just as difficult to define, despite the contemporary investigator, George Owen concluding, “In my opinion the Sauchie case must be regarded as establishing beyond all reasonable doubt the objective reality of some poltergeist phenomena”. SOURCES Robinson, Malcolm (2020) The Sauchie Poltergeist: (And other Scottish ghostly tales). Independently Published. Glanvill, Joseph (1872) Saducismus Triumphatus: or, full and plain evidence concerning witches and apparitions. With some account of Mr. Glanvil's life and writings. A Bettesworth & J. Batley, London, UK. Owen, A.R.G. (1967) Can We Explain The Poltergeist. BBC, 1967. Sims, Victor (1965) Poltergeist Terror. The Sunday Mirror, Sun 13 June, 1965. London, UK. Sims, Victor (1965) Case Of The Haunted Schoolgirl. The Sunday Mirror, Sun 20 June, 1965. London, UK. Sims, Victor (1965) Virginia Was Possessed By A Wild Unknown Force. The Sunday Mirror, Sun 27 June, 1965. London, UK. The Alloa Journal (1960) Ghost - Poltergeist - Or What! The Alloa Journal, Fri Dec 2 1960, Scotland, UK. ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.      

In 1838 a violent murder took place in the Lambeth area of London that set a trend for the stories of the Victorian penny papers for decades to come. Inspiring Charles Dickens, who paid close interest to the case, supplying him with the details he would later adapt to in several of his murder scenes, it was a grim affair that made headlines for months whilst the murderer was blindly chased across London. But was it really an isolated crime or part of something much bigger? Murder, confession and conspiracy all manage to play a role in what would become known as The Grimwood Murder.   SOURCES   Somerville, Alexander (1841) Eliza Grimwood: A Domestic Legend of the Waterloo Road. B. D. Cousins, London, UK   Bondeson, Jan (2017) The Ripper of Waterloo Road. The History Press, Gloucestershire, UK.   Bracebridge, Hemyng (1851) Prostitution in London. Griffin, Bohn & Co. London, UK.   Mayhew, Henry. Et al. (2005) The London Underworld In The Victorian Period. Dover Publications, USA.   Ion, J.L. (1838) Post Mortem Appearances of Eliza Grimwood. The Lancet, Volume 30, Issue 772, P399-400, June 16, 1838. UK.   Kelly, Debra & Cornick, Martyn (2013) A history of the French in london. University of London School of Advanced Study Institute of Historical Research. London, UK.   The Morning Chronicle (1838) Murder and Suicide. The Morning Chronicle, Mon 28 May 1838, p.3. London, UK.   Aberdeen Press & Journal (1840) Murder fo Lord William Russel. Aberdeen Press & Journal, Wednesday 13 May 1840, p.4. Aberdeen, UK.   The Globe (1840) Re-Examination of The Valet Corvoisier at Bow Street. The Globe, 14 May 1840, p.3, London, UK.   London Evening Standard (1840) Murder of Lord William Russel. London Evening Standard, 11 May 1840, p.3. London, UK.   Edinburgh Witness (1840) Confession of Courvoisier. Edinburgh Witness, 1 July 1840, p.2. Edinburgh, UK.   ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.  

According to the late Father Gabrielle Amorth, co-founder of the International Association of Exorcists, Hitler, Stalin, ISIS, Harry Potter and Yoga were all, in one way or another, touched by demonic influence, This does perhaps go some way towards explaining how he managed to rack up over 150,000 exorcisms throughout his long life. Of all of these cases, however, he admitted openly that only a small minority had been true, legitimate cases of demonic possession. Despite this, exorcism remains more popular today than in any other time in history, where it has existed as a long running ritual spanning centuries, continents and cultures. From personal demons to group possessions, humans battle with the Devil is a long, winding history of violence, perversion and projectile vomit. SOURCES St. Louis Globe Democrat (1949) Priest Frees Boy Reported To Be Possessed By Devil. St. Louis Globe Democrat, Sat, 20 Aug 1949, p.3. USA. Laycock, Joseph P. (2020) The Penguin Book of Exorcisms. Penguin Random House, UK. Foys, Martin, et al., eds. (2022) Old English Poetry in Facsimile 2.0 (Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019-): https://oepoetryfacsimile.org. The University of Edinburgh School of History, Classics and Archaeology (2017) The Role of Psychological Distress and Social Contagion in Demonic Possession in Early Modern England. The University of Edinburgh, UK. Baker, Ernest Edward, ed. (2009) A True And Most Dreadful Discourse Of A Woman Possessed With The Devil: At Dichet, In Sommersetshire. Kessinger Publishing, UK. Rev. Father Sinistrari (2019) Demoniality: Incubi & Succubi. Quick Time Press, UK. Goldsmid, Edmund (2018) The History of the Devils of Loudun. Read Books Ltd., UK Evans, Hilary & Bartholomew, Robert (2009) Outbreak: The Encyclopedia of Extraordinary  Social behaviour. Anomalist Books, USA. Reis, Elizabeth, ed. (1998) Spellbound: Women & Witchcraft in America. SR Books, USA. Pitkin, Joseph (1740) The Diary of Joseph Pitkin. Connecticut State Library, USA. Marianhill Mission Society (1927) Are There Devils Today? An Authentic Report on Two Cases of Exorcism Performed in Recent Years. Marianhill Mission Society, USA. ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.  

Whether it be hidden messages transmitted around the world from the hundreds of operating number stations, or the bizarre illustrations on the sheepskin pages of a medieval manuscript, unsolved ciphers and codes have been a compelling source of mystery for centuries. In the annals of true crime, cold cases like the Zodiac killer and the Somerton man have inspired people from around the world to come together and take up the challenge of solving their peculiar riddles. From national intelligence agencies, to armchair enthusiasts, breakthroughs have been made by individuals from across the spectrum of experience. One similar case has largely managed to escape the limelight, however, that of a late 19th Century man whose true identity was never known, hanged for murdering his wife, who left the world a series of unsolved ciphers that promised to unmask the whole mysterious affair. SOURCES Farnsworth, Cheri (2010) “Adirondack Enigma: The Depraved Intellect and Mysterious Life of North Country Wife Killer Henry Debosnys” The History Press, UK. The Citizen Examiner (1882) “Debosnys the tramp…” The Citizen Examiner, Wed 15 Nov, 1882. P.4. Alabama, USA. The Buffalo Commercial (1882) “One Debosnys, confined in Essex…” TheBuffalo Commercial, Wed 15 Nov, 1882. P.1. New York, USA. The Tribune (1882) “A SIngular Story” The Tribune, Mon 7 Aug, 1882. P.1. Pennsylvania, USA. The Swanton Courier (1883) “Over the Lake” The Swanton Courier, Sat 20 Jan, 1883. P.3. Vermont, USA. St Albans Daily Messenger (1883) “A Remarkable Career” St Albans Daily Messenger, Wed 18 Apr, 1883. P.3. Vermont, USA. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1883) “Last Hours Of A Wife Murderer” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Fri 27 Apr, 1883. P.1. New York, USA. The Sentinel (1883) “Hangman's Day” The Sentinel, Sat 28 Apr, 1883. P.3. Pennsylvania, USA. ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.  

Dating in the 21st century can be a tricky path to manoeuvre, but in reality, the difficulties pale in comparison when compared to the complex etiquette and social pressures that one was doomed to follow in the Victorian period. One couple found this out in a unique way when their romantic love affair took a hard swipe left and turned into a tale of arsenic, scandal and mystery that could probably have been avoided had ghosting been a thing.   SOURCES   MacGowan, Douglas (2021) The Strange Affair of Madeline Smith. Polygon, London, UK.   Phegley, Jennifer (2012) Courtship & Marriage in Victorian England. Praeger, Cambridge, UK.   The Globe (1857) A Strange Story. The Globe, Sat 4th March 1857, p.4. London, UK ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072 or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.     Dublin Weekly Nation (1857) The Glasgow Poisoning. Dublin Weekly nation, Sat 11th July 1857, p.13. Dublin, Ireland.

Far from being a modern, internet crackpot idea, hollow earth theory has walked a long and winding path, many centuries old. From the mythological pits of hell, to the pseudo-scientific theories of the enlightenment, right through to modern science fiction, founding philosophies of utopian cults and even tenuous links with the Nazis, the proponents have been many and the theories varied, though whether or not they were ever anything other than crackpot is a different question altogether.   SOURCES   Standish, David (2007) Hollow Earth. Da Capo Press, IN, USA.   Bernard, Raymond (1963) The Hollow Earth. Fieldcrest Publishing Co., NY, USA.   Griffin A., Duane (2004) Hollow & Habitable Within: Symmes’s Theory of Earth’s Internal Structure & Polar Geography. Physical Geography, Sep 2004. USA.   Kollerstrom, Nicholas (1992) The Hollow World of Edmond Halley. Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 23 Issue 3, August 1992. USA   Halley, Edmond (1692) An account of the cause of the change of the variation of the magnetical needle with an hypothesis of the structure of the internal parts of the Earth. Philosophical transac­tions, xvi (1692), 563-87. UK   Alexandria Gazette (1818) Food For Philosophers. 13 Aug 1818, p.2. VA, USA   Teed, Cyrus (1899) The Illumination of Koresh: Marvelous Experiences of the Great Alchemist Thirty Years Ago, at Utica, NY. Guiding Star, Chicago, USA.   Goodricke-Clarke, Nicholas (2004) The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and their Influence on Nazi Ideology. Tauris Parke Paperbacks, NY, USA. ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072 or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Widely mischaracterized in popular understanding, the early 20th century world of the occult has never failed to serve up a plethora of intriguing tales. From stories of new age magic, otherworldly realms, alchemy and psychic abilities, all practised in shady back rooms of the temples belonging to secretive societies, our imaginations have often run wild, crossing victorian gothic aesthetic with the lure of a shadowy underworld. This common theme has been a driving factor in the continuing propagation of one of the 1920’s most famous mysteries, when a young woman, seeking the entrance into another realm, was found dead on an isolated Scottish island and a series of links were uncovered, tying her to some of the ages most infamous occult societies. But how much of the story is grounded in reality, and how much is the work of overactive imaginations, is perhaps as much of a mystery as the case itself.   SOURCES   Adamnan. (1874) Life of Saint Columba, Founder of Hy. edmonston & Douglas, Edinburgh, UK.   McNeill, F. Marion (1920) Iona: A HIstory of the Island. Lochar Publishing Ltd, Scotland.   Owen, Alex (2004) The Place of Enchantment: British Occultism and the Culture of the Modern. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA.   Tyler, Mac (1928) The Use of Imagination in Art, Science and Business. The Occult Review v48 n1 Jul 1928.   Fortune, Dion. (1930) Psychic Self Defence. The Classic Instruction Manual for ProtectingYourself Against Paranormal Attack. Weiser Books, UK.   Aberdeen Press & Journal (1929) The Iona Tragedy. Aberdeen Press & Journal, Mon 25 Nov, 1929, P.4. Scotland, UK.   The Scotsman (1929) Iona Mystery. The Scotsman. Wed, 27 Nov, 1929, P.10. Scotland, UK.   ---------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit.ly/3GChjk9 Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at contact@darkhistories.com or via voicemail on: (415) 286-5072 or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.