Episodes

  • The Woman in Black & The Cheltenham Ghost Scare of 1886

    The Woman in Black & The Cheltenham Ghost Scare of 1886
    May 13 2025
    In the quiet elegance of 1880s Cheltenham, a spectral presence stirred unease in a grand old family mansion in the centre of town. The ghost—described as a tall, veiled woman in black—appeared repeatedly to the daughters of the Despard family, moving silently through the house and vanishing without trace. Witnessed by multiple family members over several years, the haunting became one of Britain’s most documented supernatural cases, thanks to the efforts of the newly founded Society for Psychical Research, who jumped at the chance to study a haunted house, first hand. SOURCES Morton, R.C (1892) Record of a Haunted House. Proceedings for the Society of Psychical Research, Vol VIII, 1892. London, UK. Mackenzie, Andrew (1970) The Unexplained. Abelard-Schuman. London, UK. Abdy Collins, B. (1948) The Cheltenham Ghost. The Psychic Press. London, UK. Underwood, Peter (1977) Hauntings: new light on the greatest true ghost stories of the world. J.M Dent, London, UK. Cheltenham Chronicle (1875) An Assault By An Errand Boy. Cheltenham Chronicle, 16 Nov 1875, p2. Cheltenham, UK. Cheltenham Examiner (1875) Fooling And Its Result. Cheltenham Examiner, 17 Nov 1875, p3. Cheltenham, UK. Cheltenham Citizen (1886) Superstition. Cheltenham Citizen, Fri 27 Aug 1886, p4. Cheltenham, UK. Cheltenham Chronicle (1886) Solution Of The Suffolk Street Ghost Mystery. Cheltenham Chronicle, Sat 4 Sep 1886, p2. Cheltenham, UK. Gloucester Citizen (1886) The Cheltenham Ghost. Gloucester Citizen, Sat 25 Sep 1886, p5. Gloucester, UK. Pall Mall Gazette (1886) Ghosts And Ghosts. Pall Mall Gazette, Fri 10 Sep 1886, p4. London, UK. Rogerson, Peter (2001) Images of Imogen. Magonia Magazine, Issue 74, April 2001. 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Yesterday Today - 04/05

    Yesterday Today - 04/05
    May 4 2025
    Back with another episode of Yesterday Today, the shoot off podcast for Dark Histories. ------- 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • The Strange Discovery of the Hexham Heads

    The Strange Discovery of the Hexham Heads
    Apr 28 2025
    In 1971, in the quiet town of Hexham, England, two small stone heads were unearthed — and with them, a series of strange and unsettling events began to unfold. Shadows moved where none should be, and visitors spoke of an unseen presence lingering in the air. Were the heads simple curiosities, ancient artifacts, or did they hold a deeper, forgotten power? Or were they simply modern toys, made by a doting father looking to entertain his young daughter? As questions grew and answers slipped further away, the mystery of the Hexham Heads only deepened, and then one day, they simply vanished, never to be seen or heard from again.SOURCES Screeton, Paul (2012) Quest for the Hexham Heads. CFZ Press, London, UK. Screeton, Paul (1981) Tales of the Hexham Heads. Self Published. UK. Newcastle Journal (1972) Eerie Tale of the Two Idol Heads. Newcastle Journal, Fri 3 March 1972, p9. Newcastle, UK. Evening Chronicle (1972) Out of the Mists of 1956…. Evening Chronicle, Mon 6 March 1972, p1. Newcastle, UK. Sunday People (1974) Myth of the ‘Evil’ Heads. Sunday People, 13 Jan 1974, p2. London, UK Ferrol, Stuart (2012) The Hexham heads. Fortean Times issue 294, Nov 2012. London, UK. Ferrol, Stuart (2012) The Hexham heads. Fortean Times issue 295, Dec 2012. London, UK. Brophy, K. (n.d.). The Hexham Heads Part 3 – The Cursed Fieldtrip. The Urban Prehistorian. https://theurbanprehistorian.wordpress.com/2019/12/06/the-hexham-heads-part-3-the-cursed-fieldtrip/ ------- 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Yesterday Today - 20/04

    Yesterday Today - 20/04
    Apr 20 2025
    Back with another episode of Yesterday Today, the shoot off podcast for Dark Histories. This week we're looking at one of the more epic boxing matches of the past, a few adverts for wind pills and hair tonics, and a couple of ghost stories dug from deep in the19th century. ------- 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • The Poisoned Prince: The Germ Murders of the British Raj

    The Poisoned Prince: The Germ Murders of the British Raj
    Apr 14 2025
    In 1933, within the quiet corridors of the palace of the Pakur Raj, a death of the young Raja stirred more than grief—it raised suspicions. What seemed at first a tragic illness soon unraveled into one of India’s most chilling and unusual murder cases, when the Raja’s own, elder half-brother was accused of using a deadly germ as a weapon, turning modern science into a tool of silent assassination. Beneath the surface of royal decorum lay a dark tale of betrayal, ambition, and microscopic murder. SOURCES Morrison, Dan (2024) The Prince & The Poisoner. The History Press, London, UK. Rudrajit, Paul (2019) Bacteria as a Murder Weapon: A Tale from Colonial Calcutta. Bengal Physician Journal 2019;6(2):37-39. India. Chicago Tribune (1935) Two Must Die For Germ Murder Of Rich Indian. Chicago Tribune, Sun 17 Feb 1935, p3. Chicago, USA. Lincoln Journal Star (1935) The Mystery of the Famous Germ murder. Lincoln Journal Star, Sun 16 June 1935, p35. Lincoln, USA. The New York Times (1935) Two Germ Murderers Convicted In India. The New York TImes, Sun Feb 17 1935, p1. 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Yesterday Today - 06/04

    Yesterday Today - 06/04
    Apr 6 2025
    The return of Yesterday Today! For those that remember, this is a little side episode for a bit of fun, focusing on old news reports through history. In this episode, I thought I'd focus on April Fools Day and see what we had to say about that back in the day. ------- 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • Project X-Ray & The Bat Bombs of World War II

    Project X-Ray & The Bat Bombs of World War II
    Mar 31 2025
    Amid the chaos of World War II, a secret project emerged from the depths of military innovation—Project X-Ray. It was an idea so strange, so deceptively simple, it bordered on madness: an army of bats, each carrying a hidden firestorm. Under the cover of night, they would infiltrate enemy cities, vanishing into eaves and rafters—silent and unseen. Without warning, flames would erupt from the shadows, consuming everything in their wake. Designed to spread fear as much as fire, the plan was as terrifying as it was eccentric and most would have been excused for believing it could surely never work. But then, if necessity was the mother of invention, bravery was surely the mother of success, and as the world found out in 1945, the war effort needed something bold. SOURCES Couffer, Jack (1992) Bat Bomb: World War II’s Other Secret Weapon. University of Texas Press, TX, USA. Alperovitz, Gar (1995) The Decision to use the Atomic Bomb. Harper Collins, London, UK. Ham, Paul (2011) Hiroshima Nagasaki. Harper Collins, London, UK. McNichols, Charles L and Carus, Clayton D. (1942) One Way to Cripple Japan: The Inflammable Cities of Osaka Bay. Harper's, June 1942, pp. 29-36. NY, USA. Trimble, William F. & Lewis, David (1988) Lytle S. Adams, the Apostle of Nonstop Airmail Pickup. Technology and Culture, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr., 1988), pp. 247-265. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The Strange Death of Ocey Snead: The East Orange Bathtub Mystery

    The Strange Death of Ocey Snead: The East Orange Bathtub Mystery
    Mar 17 2025
    In 1909, the discovery of a young woman, pale and emaciated, lying lifeless in a bathtub marked the start of an investigation into what seemed like a tragic story with a bleak ending. Just beneath the surface, however, lurked something far darker. As investigators pulled back the curtain, they uncovered a twisted tale of manipulation, greed, and murder. At its heart, the eerie, calculating Wardlaw sisters - A trio of eccentric aunts who wore nothing but black. SOURCES Zierold, Norman (1968) Three Sisters in Black: The Bizarre True Case of the Bathtub Tragedy. Open Road Media, NY, USA. Wardlaw, Joseph G. (1928) Genealogy of the Wardlaw Family. Manuscript, SC, USA. Brooklyn Eagle (1909) Mysterious Suicide Lived Strangely Here. Brooklyn Eagle, Tues 30 Nov 1909, p2. NY, USA. The Brooklyn Daily Times (1909) Flatbush Mystery Turns Into A Laughable Farce. The Brooklyn Daily Times, Weds 01 Dec 1909, p1. NY, USA. New York Times. (1909) Bathtub Mystery No Murder She Says. New York Times, Thurs 02 Dec 1909, p1. 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 21 mins
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