After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal - History Hit

Ghosts of the Deep South Nov 21, 2024

The Deep South is a haunted landscape where dark tourism thrives, supplying spine-tingling thrills to eager visitors. But is there a darker truth behind these tales? Maddy and Anthony's guest today is Tiya Miles, author of Tales from the Haunted South. Tiya reveals how ghost tours exploit and distort the true history of slavery for profit, feeding troubling narratives.

Tiya Miles is the Michael Garvey Professor of History and Radcliffe Alumnae Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Her latest book is Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People (Penguin 2024).

Edited by Freddy Chick. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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English Village Sacrificed to Plague (Part 1) Nov 18, 2024

(Part 1/2) They could've run, but they stayed. In 1665 plague arrived in the idyllic English village of Eyam. What followed was a story of suffering and self-sacrifice.

Maddy tells Anthony the story. Today we set the scene with the outbreak of the plague in London and how the pestilence arrived, via a bolt of cloth, in the village of Eyam.

With special guest Rebecca Rideal, author of "1666: Plague, War and Hellfire".

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Queen Victoria's Funeral & the Cult of Death Nov 14, 2024

Queen Victoria was synonymous with grief and the Victorian cult of death. Yet her own funeral wasn't that at all. Today Dan O'Brien explains to Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling how to bury a Queen like Victoria.

Dr Dan O'Brien is a of historian of undertakers and funerals in Eighteenth Century England and researcher at the Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath.

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Final Days of Captain Cook Nov 11, 2024

The violent death of Captain James Cook, British explorer, on a Hawaiian beach in 1779 has become the stuff of legend. Should we believe the story that's been handed down? How should we remember a man who means so many different things to so many different people?

Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling the story of the Final Days of Captain Cook.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long.

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Ghosts of Hampton Court Palace Nov 07, 2024

The ghost of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, screaming down a corridor. A nursemaid's spinning wheel clicking in the walls. Robed Tudor figures slamming open fire exits. A noisy group of ghosts haunt Hampton Court Palace.

Tracy Borman, Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, joins Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney to guide them through the spectres of Hampton Court.

Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Titanic: The Final Hours (Part 2) Nov 04, 2024

Part 2/2. Iceberg, panic and lives changed forever. Loss, survival, and myth-making. Today is part two of the most famous maritime disaster in history.

Maddy Pelling takes Anthony Delaney through the tragic sinking of Titanic, from the fateful moment the iceberg is spotted through to what the wreck means today for people around the world.

Special thanks to our guest Marnie Wood a cultural historian and a producer on Titanic: In Colour.

Voice acting by Lucy Davidson and Stephen Ventura.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long.

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The King's Witch Trial: North Berwick Witches Oct 31, 2024

Maddy and Anthony have a new TV documentary out all about King James VI of Scotland's witch hunts, available on History Hit TV.

When James VI of Scotland's new wife, Anne of Denmark, is almost lost in a storm at sea he thinks he knows who is to blame. Witches. The King personally leads the investigation that follows, coming face-to-face with at least one of the accused, Agnes Sampson. What on earth is going on here?

Anthony and Maddy are joined by Dr Louise Yeoman, historian of witchcraft and radio producer for BBC Scotland who latest series is House of the Lion.

Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Titanic: The Doomed Ship (Part 1) Oct 28, 2024

Part 1/2. Come on board the White Star Line's latest marvel, the splendour of the sea, the Titanic. Today we begin the story of the most ill-fated voyage in history.

Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story this week with special thanks to our guest Marnie Wood a cultural historian and a producer on Titanic: In Colour.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Irish Origins of Halloween Oct 24, 2024

Pumpkins, trick or treating and ghost stories are what we associate with Halloween, but what about turnips, fairies and a fortune-telling cake? Anthony and Maddy are joined by historian Dan Snow, and host of sister podcast Dan Snow’s History Hit. They go in search of the origins of Halloween, rooted on the island of Ireland, in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when the harvest ends and winter looms.

The trio try Barmbrack cake, a fruit loaf filled with charms that foretell the fate of the consumer, and Dan speaks to food historian Dr Regina Sexton about the traditional

Samhain practices that inform our present Halloween customs. Meanwhile, Maddy and Anthony discover the historic Irish folklore of the ‘three worlds’, and the ghouls and fairies that occupy them, with Dr Kelly Fitzgerald. You can discover more at Ireland.com/homeofhalloween

Produced by Charlotte Long, Mariana Des Forges, Freddy Chick, edited by Tom Delargy, Dougal Patmore and the production coordinators were Beth Donaldson and Peta Stamper.

Execution of Lady Jane Grey Oct 21, 2024

This Tudor's story is intense and tragic. She's known as Lady Jane Grey but we ought to change that to 'Queen Jane'. That's who she was, even though she didn't want it, and it cost her her life in the end. Hear how Jane Grey became Queen Jane and how the shortest reign in English history ended in execution.

Our guest is Dr Tracy Borman who has a documentary on Channel 5 about Queen Jane and whose latest book is Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Final Days of Anne Boleyn Oct 17, 2024

Today we’re exploring the grim and heroic final days of the Anne Boleyn, the thousand day queen.

We are joined by the one-and-only Dr Tracy Borman who bestselling book on this topic is Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Ménage à Murder: 1920s Love Triangle Killers Oct 14, 2024

Edith Thompson was the model 1920's flapper girl. Her husband Percy was more suburban. When young Freddy Bywater entered the marriage home, things became deadly.

This week Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story of a murder case that gripped the nation.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited and Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Bodies in the Walls: Postwar London's Darkest Crime Oct 10, 2024

John Reginald Christie was the most notorious murderer of his era. On the outside he was every inch the Old Fashioned Englishman, respectable norms personified. But inside the walls and under the floors of his flat at 10 Rillington Place were the bodies of the women and babies he had killed.

Our guest today is Kate Summerscale, groundbreaking true-crime writer whose new book is The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place. She guides Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney through this shocking history that shows 1950's Britain's ugliest face.

Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Who was Jack the Ripper? The Doctor (Suspect 4) Oct 07, 2024

Part 4/4. By looking at the men accused of being Jack the Ripper, we uncover dark truths about Victorian society - and our own. Why were these men, most of them almost certainly innocent, singled out as monsters?

Today Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling about how quack doctor Francis Tumblety, an American, became a prime suspect in the case. He is a shining example of medical malpractice but does that make him a murderer?

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Freddy Chick & Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long. With thanks to the Little Dot Studios team for their voices.

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Burke & Hare: Scotland’s Most Notorious Serial Killers Oct 03, 2024

Discover the true story of Burke and Hare’s murderous rampage through the streets of Edinburgh, all to serve the needs of the city’s scientific minds. We're rerunning this early episode to mark the release of Maddy and Anthony's new documentary on History Hit TV all about Burke and Hare's story.

Anthony tells Maddy the unnerving details about the infamous 19th century serial-killing duo.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy. Producer is Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Who was Jack the Ripper? The Artist (Suspect 3) Sep 30, 2024

Part 3/4. By looking at the men accused of being Jack the Ripper, we uncover dark truths about Victorian society - and our own. Why were these men, most of them almost certainly innocent, singled out as monsters?

Today Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling about how the celebrated artist Walter Sickert became a leading suspect for many. His art is unsettling, gruesome even, but does that make him a murderer?

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long.

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Wounds of Christ: Macabre History of Stigmata Sep 26, 2024

The wounds that Christ received on the cross - the stigmata - have had a strange afterlife, reappearing on the flesh of followers from St Francis of Assisi right through to the present. The stigmata are most commonly found on young women and are often accompanied by other miracles. What can this strange history teach us?

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney are joined today by Kristof Smeyers author of Supernatural Bodies: Stigmata in modern Britain and Ireland

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick and Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Who was Jack the Ripper? The Barber (Suspect 2) Sep 23, 2024

Part 2/4. By looking at the men accused of being Jack the Ripper, we uncover dark truths about Victorian society - and our own. Why were these men, most of them almost certainly innocent, singled out as monsters?

Today Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling about Aaron Kosminski, a Polish Jew living in Whitechapel who later became suspected of being Jack the Ripper. It's a story of immigration and antisemitism; of mental illness and of an effort to use DNA to link Kosminski to the crime.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long.

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Ned Kelly: Australia's Notorious Outlaw Sep 19, 2024

Ned Kelly is a murdering, bank-robbing, Australian folk hero. What is the true history of this mythic figure? And how did an outlaw - or bushranger - rise up to become a symbol for a new nation?

Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling are joined by Dr Meg Foster, research fellow at the University of Technology, Sydney and award winning author of Boundary Crossers: the hidden history of Australia's other bushrangers.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Who was Jack the Ripper? The Prince (Suspect 1) Sep 16, 2024

Part 1/4. By investigating the men accused of being Jack the Ripper, we uncover dark truths about Victorian society - and our own. Why were these men, most of them almost certainly innocent, singled out as monsters?

Today Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling about how Prince Albert Victor, grandson to Queen Victoria, became suspected of being Jack the Ripper. It's a story of Victorian masculinity and how our twentieth century relationship with monarchy helped ferment baseless accusations.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long.

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Lost Colony of Roanoke: Mystery of England's First American Settlers Sep 12, 2024

The colonists of Roanoke Island in the 1580's were the very first English people to try to establish a permanent settlement in America. They completely disappeared. The only clue was the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a tree where they had been. What happened?

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney are joined today by Misha Ewen, author of The Virginia Venture: American Colonization and English Society, 1580-1660 and lecturer in early modern history at the University of Sussex.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long.

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Myth of the Minotaur: Half Man Half Bull Sep 09, 2024

The myth of the Minotaur has endured thousands of years for good reason... it's hard to forget! Today, Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story of King Minos of Crete, the monster in his maze, and the son of Athens that comes to kill it, thanks largely to the cunning of Princess Ariadne.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long.

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The Black Death: The Deadliest Plague Sep 05, 2024

It was beyond Biblical in its horror. Around half of all Europeans are estimated to have died in the Black Death. Death ravaged towns and villages, castles and hovels. What did it feel like to live through this darkest of histories? Bestselling author Helen Carr guides Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling through disease, death and self-flagellation! Helen's new book on the fourteenth century, Sceptred Isle, will be out next May.

Edited by Max Hennessy and Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.

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Macabre Death of Edgar Allan Poe Sep 02, 2024

Edgar Allan Poe was a poster boy for the macabre whose work thrilled readers throughout America and beyond. How did he end up in a gutter in Baltimore, delirious, and wearing clothes that were not his own? Maddy Pelling takes Anthony Delaney through the mysterious death of a mysterious man.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long.

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Corpse Medicine: Eating Egyptian Mummies Aug 29, 2024

A skull a day! People ate people in the name of medicine across Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Charles II kept powdered skull in a bag on his belt and mummified corpses were the greatest cure of all... but why? Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney visit the apothecary with guide Hannah Slajus, whose PhD was on human ingredients in medicinal remedies in seventeenth century.

Edited by Max Hennessy. Produced by Freddy Chick. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.

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Giggling Granny Serial Killer Aug 26, 2024

Picture a serial killer in your mind’s eye. What do you see... Is it your gran?

Today is the story of one of America’s most notorious female serial killers: Nannie Doss, aka the Giggling Granny. She killed 11 people, four of which were husbands. This lead to her also being known as the Lonely Hearts Killer, due to her supposed search for love.

This is an episode from our sister-podcast Betwixt the Sheets with host Kate Lister. Kate was joined by Tori Telfer, author of Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Salem Witch Trials: Interrogation & Torture Aug 22, 2024

The second part of our story on the Salem Witch Trials. Anthony Delaney takes Maddy Pelling inside the courtroom as unbelievable stories of witchcraft are told and a terrifying power dynamic reveals itself, which ultimately ends in innocent souls being sent to their deaths.

The drama is brought to life thanks to the acting talents of Carolina Hoyos, Jessica Reagan and Don Wildman.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long.

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Salem Witch Trials: Hysteria & Accusations Aug 19, 2024

First of two episodes on the Salem Witch Trials. We begin the story as accusations are made throughout the town of Salem and a climate of fear is palpable. Maddy Pelling takes Anthony Delaney into the most famous witch trials of all time.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long.

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Harry Houdini: the Original Ghostbuster Aug 15, 2024

Harry Houdini was the greatest magician that ever lived. He was also the greatest ghostbuster ever, exposing countless spiritual mediums as frauds. Why?

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney are joined by Efram Sera-Shriar, historian of the occult and author of "Psychic Investigators: Anthropology, Modern Spiritualism, and Credible Witnessing in the Late Victorian Age".

Get ready for the moving story of Harry Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and a son's love for his mother that would not die even after she was gone.

Edited by Ella Blaxill. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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"The Elephant Man": Joseph Merrick's True Story Aug 12, 2024

The life of Joseph Merrick, the man they dared to call "The Elephant Man", will fill you with pain and anger. He was treated so cruelly by society that he found becoming a freak show exhibit preferably to the life available to him elsewhere. Yet alongside darkness there is light and love in his story, and a sense of his own indomitable spirit throughout it all.

Visit https://www.changingfaces.org.uk/ to learn more about living with visible difference today.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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American Serial Killer Family: Bloody Benders Aug 08, 2024

When a series of mysterious disappearances and gruesome murders happened on the American Frontier in the 19th century, fingers started to point in the direction of not one murderer…but a family of killers. As the case unraveled, their grisly crimes cemented their place in history and earned their nickname as the 'Bloody Benders'.

Joining Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney this episode is Susan Jonusas, historian and author of 'Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, A Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier'.

This episode was edited by Tomos Delargy and produced by Freddy Chick. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.

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Innocent or Axe Murderer? Lizzie Borden Aug 05, 2024

It's one of the most infamous trials in American history, Lizzie Borden's story is breathtaking even today. In 1893 she was accused of using an axe to murder her father and step-mother. The case obsessed America and despite evidence against her, Lizzie was let off. Was that justice?

Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story today.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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New York Morgue's Dark Secrets Aug 01, 2024

The unclaimed dead of New York City's streets and rivers were once brought to the notorious New York Morgue. It's a history that has never been studied before, full of dark stories and buried secrets.

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney are joined by Cat Byers who is a writer and historian based in Paris currently finishing a PhD on the Paris Morgue and the never-before-studied New York Morgue.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Final Days of Marie Antoinette Jul 29, 2024

How did Marie Antoinette, last Queen of France, spend her final days before the guillotine took her head? Did she ever really stand a chance? Anthony Delaney takes Maddy Pelling on a journey back to the French Revolution's reign of terror to meet icon of history Marie Antoinette.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tomos Delargy, produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Slenderman & Mothman: Origins of Internet Horror Jul 25, 2024

"The internet is full of dark and wicked things" said a police chief after a shocking crime by two children claiming to be acolytes of the Slenderman. Today we unpick the origins of Slenderman - the internet's scariest creation - and link it back to the pre-internet urban legend of the Mothman. Strap in for a wild ride!

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney are joined by Ceri Houlbrook, folklorist and lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire.

Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Victorian Teen Who Murdered Her Baby Brother Jul 22, 2024

In 1860 Britain was rocked by the brutal murder of 3-year-old Francis Kent inside his family home. Scotland Yard sent their finest but when a teenage sister, Constance Kent, was accused there was outcry. How could a well-mannered young lady be guilty of murder? It was a crime against class and gender to suggest such a thing. The detective was sent packing, but was he right all along?

Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling the story this week.

Edited by Tomos Delargy, produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Real History of the Illuminati Jul 18, 2024

There really was a secret society called the Illuminati that aimed to create a New World Order. This is true story of the Illuminati and how they were transformed into the world's first conspiracy theory by the French revolution.

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney are joined by Michael Taylor whose new book is called Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the War between Science and Religion and who is working on a full length history of the Illuminati.

Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Royal Murder: 1810 Death in St James's Palace Jul 14, 2024

In 1810 a valet called Joseph Sellis was found dead in St James's Palace. All eyes turned to his master the Duke of Cumberland, fifth son of George III. The scandal that would follow hounded the Duke for decades.

Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney this story about royal scandals and the freedom of the press that rings a lot of bells today!

Written by Maddy Pelling, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast

Tutankhamun's Curse Jul 11, 2024

Untimely deaths followed the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter. Coincidence or ancient curse? When the tomb of King Tutankhamun was sealed more than 3000 years ago, it was rumoured to be protected by a curse, which would ruin the life of anyone who disturbed the pharaoh's final resting place. A mere two weeks after the tomb was discovered in 1922, one of the explorers died from a fatal mosquito bite. This wasn't the end of the bad luck, there was more to come... Anthony and Maddy are joined by Egyptologist Campbell Price to unpick fact from fiction, and get to the bottom of one of the most notorious curses in the world.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast

Bell Witch of Tennessee: America's Greatest Ghost Story Jul 07, 2024

It's America's greatest ghost story: the 1817-1821 haunting of a rural family by a mysterious entity—sometimes violent, sometimes mischievous, even offering marriage advice. Poltergeist? Witch? Hoax? Or pure legend from the beginning?

Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story this week.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast

Real Life Crime in Victorian London Jul 04, 2024

"You've got to pick a pocket or two" says Fagan to Oliver Twist about the foggy streets of Victorian London where poverty and oppression abounded. Today we look at the every day crimes of Victorian London from pickpockets on omnibuses to the trauma of domestic violence with the help of Drew Gray, author of Nether World: Crime and the Police Courts in Victorian London.

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After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast

Public Executions: A Day At London's Hanging Tree Jun 30, 2024

Would you have gone? Would you have drunk with the condemned? Paid your way into their prison the night before? Public executions in London were big business with hundreds of thousands carousing through the streets alongside the condemned as they went from Newgate prison to Tyburn's infamous gallows. It was a grisly performance but one that many revelled in. Perhaps you would have too.

Anthony Delaney takes Maddy Pelling out for a day at the hangings.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

Spooky Origins of the Ouija Board Jun 26, 2024

Do you dare try? The Ouija board was invented in 1890. It was an idea lifted from Spiritualist devices for communicating with the dead. Find out the spooky origin story of the Ouija board and our attempts to pierce the veil between the worlds.

Today's guest is Brandon Hodge - leading expert and collector of talking boards. https://www.mysteriousplanchette.com/

(And here's his candy store! https://www.bigtopcandyshop.com/)

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast

Ghost of Marie Antoinette Jun 24, 2024

What if a leisurely visit to the Palace of Versailles transported you back to the court of Marie Antoinette — would you believe it or question your sanity?

This is the story of two English women from St Hugh's College, Oxford University, who in 1901 believed that they slipped back in time to the 1790s and came face-to-face with one of the most famous figures of history.

Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling the story this week.

Written by Anthony Delaney

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/

Last Witches of England Jun 20, 2024

This is the dark history of the last people to be executed for witchcraft in England. In 1682, Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards, from the town of Bideford in the South-West of England, were tried and hanged as witches. They were convicted on the flimsiest of evidence under the cynical eye of uncaring authorities. Their fates encapsulates the turmoil of the seventeenth century and its deadly consequences.

Our guest today is John Callow, author of "The Last Witches of England" and friend of the podcast - check out John's previous appearance on our episode about the Pendle Witches.

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The ‘Genius’ Killer Jun 17, 2024

The so-called 'Genius' Killer was a murderer who seemed to be both philosopher and psychopath, whose brain was one of the largest ever recorded. But was Edward Rulloff really as smart as all that?

Maddy tells Anthony the story of a husband who murdered his wife and child, killed an innocent shop clerk in a petty theft, and still somehow managed to convince the world he was a 'genius'.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Prison Hulks: Floating Hells for Convicts Jun 13, 2024

Convicts, illegal dissections, disease, all taking place on ships described as "Wicked Noah's Arks" where conditions were even worse than in notorious prisons like Newgate. Transportation to Australia awaited those who survived, and they counted themselves the lucky ones. Today it's the dark history of the Prison Hulks.

Our guest is Dr Anna McKay from the University of Liverpool who researches the lives and experiences of prisoners across the British maritime world. Her essay 'Allowed to die?' won the Royal Historical Society's Alexander Prize and her latest book proposal is shortlisted for the 2023 Ideas Prize. https://www.anna-mckay.com/

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Enfield Poltergeist: 1970's Suburban Horror Jun 10, 2024

The Enfield Poltergeist is Britain's most infamous haunting - set in the late 1970s on the outskirts of London, it continues to be told and retold. Most famously in the film The Conjuring 2.

But this is a real piece of history about a real family and a young girl, Janet, who became the focus of newspapers, paranormal investigators and - if we believe what we're told - a malevolent poltergeist.

Written by Anthony Delaney.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Witch of New York: 1840's Murder Trials of Polly Bodine Jun 06, 2024

On Christmas night 1843 a mother and child were found murdered inside their burned out home. Suspicion fell on one Polly Bodine. Over the next three years, Polly became the most infamous person in America in a blockbuster series of murder trials that gave birth to a monster - tabloid justice.

Our guest today is author Alex Hortis whose book The Witch of New York: The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice is out now.

Edited by Freddy Chick, Produced by Charlotte Long & Freddy Chick.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/

The Real Mutiny on the Bounty: Revenge in Paradise (Part 2) Jun 03, 2024

Mutineers, manhunts, uninhabited tropical islands and...SHIPWRECKS! The second part of the story of the Mutiny of the Bounty is even wilder than the first. This time we follow HMS Pandora as it hunts down the mutineers, and uncover the incredible story of how a group of mutineers and Polynesians escaped to the uninhabited island of Pitcairn.

Written by Maddy Pelling.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/

Real History of the Knights Templar May 30, 2024

Why are the Knights Templar surrounded by myths and legends? Is there any truth to the tales of the Holy Grail or that the Knights survived? Why does this medieval order, which disappeared in the 14th century, continue to enthral us today?

To uncover the real history of the Knights Templar we are joined by Dan Jones - historian, author, podcaster and host of This Is History, whose new series The Iron King is all about man who destroyed the Templars - King Philip the Fair.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/

Victorian Thames Torso Murders May 27, 2024

At exactly the same time as Jack the Ripper, another serial killer terrorised London. Just like Jack the Ripper, all their victims were women - their dismembered bodies left floating in the Thames. This is the dark history of the Thames Torso Murders, a case which asks questions about what crimes we choose the remember and what ones we try our hardest to forget.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Peter Dennis. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Hidden History of Garden Gnomes May 23, 2024

Garden gnomes have a secret life all of their own. If you don't believe us, then go ask Paris Hilton.

Today we discover the hidden history of garden gnomes and meet the eccentric aristocrat - Sir Charles Isham - who firmly believed that the mountains of the world really filled with little folk with pointy red hats and pickaxes.

Our guest is Twigs Way author of Garden Gnomes: A History.

Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Great Irish Famine: Coffin Ships & the Dark Truth (Part 2) May 20, 2024

1847 was the darkest year in the spiralling horror of the Great Irish Famine. It is known in Ireland as 'Black '47'. The British Government withdrew its support, leaving famine and disease to stalk the land. Those who could leave Ireland did, sailing on board 'Coffin Ships'.

Today Anthony concludes his two-part history of the Great Irish Famine with the help of special guest Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick.

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Oliver Cromwell's Decapitated Head & Charles II's Revenge May 15, 2024

***Warning: today's episode contains graphic description of violence***

In 1661 Oliver Cromwell was hung and beheaded...the only problem was he'd been dead two years already. Charles II had returned and revenge was in the air. It took many strange and gruesome forms.

Anthony and Maddy are joined again today by Ronald Hutton - one of Britain's foremost historians who is working on a three volume biography of Oliver Cromwell. They hear about the strange after life of Cromwell's head and the incredible story of the execution of regicide Thomas Harrison.

Produced and edited by Freddy Chick. Senior producer is Charlotte Long.

The Great Famine: Ireland’s Darkest Chapter (Part 1) May 13, 2024

One million people died. Two million emigrated. The Great Irish Famine was the world turned upside down. The darkest chapter in Ireland's past.

It is not solely Ireland's history to bear. This is a piece of British history as well, one which needs to be faced. What really happened in the Great Irish Famine?

Written by Anthony Delaney with special guest Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick.

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Harry Potter Monsters: The Ancient Origins May 08, 2024

***Spoiler Alert: this episode contains spoilers for the Harry Potter books and films***

Giant snakes, winged horses and hooded demons. The world of Harry Potter is full of bizarre and terrifying beasts... but what are the origins of these mythical creatures? To discuss this, Anthony and Maddy met with Ceri Houlbrook, folklorist and lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire.

Produced and edited by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty (Part 1) May 05, 2024

Violence, sex, betrayal, death and ... SHIPS! This is the story of how a voyage that began with scientific aims and a regimented daily routine ended in all this drama. This is the story of mutiny on the Bounty in 1789.

Maddy tells Anthony the story this week.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Execution of Charles I May 01, 2024

In 1649, Charles I had his head chopped off for treason. It's a unique, divisive moment in English history. Was Charles a tyrant or a martyr? Was his trial justice or a kangaroo court? Did he deserve to die?

Our guest to help tell this truly incredible piece of history is Ronald Hutton - one of Britain's foremost historians who is working on a three volume biography of Oliver Cromwell.

Ronald will be returning next week to help us tell the other half of this story — the Revenge meted out on those responsible after the Restoration of the monarchy eleven years later.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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1811 Ratcliffe Highway Murders: Birth of True Crime Apr 29, 2024

Horror struck the East End of London twice in December 1811. Two brutal sets of murders within a few days of each other. It became ground zero for True Crime as for the first time ever the press helped turn this murder case into a nationwide sensation. The whole country was hysterical and hooked, who was the killer? Would they strike again?

Maddy tells Anthony the story this week.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

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Cannibalism in Scotland: Legend of Sawney Bean Apr 24, 2024

According to legend, Sawney Bean and Agnes "Black" Douglas raised a clan of cannibals in a remote Scottish cave. They killed and ate unlucky travellers on lonely roads. This went on for decades with more than a thousand perishing. Who invented this gruesome story? Why? And why has Sawney Bean become a kind of cult hero in Scotland itself?

Cat Byers is our guest today, a writer and historian based in Paris currently finishing a PhD on the Paris Morgue.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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What is the Yeti? Apr 22, 2024

Did you know legendary mountaineer Edmund Hillary found evidence of the Yeti? Or that David Attenborough is on board with the idea it exists? Today we explore the history of the hunt for the Yeti.

We're delighted to be joined by Pranaya Rana, a writer based in Kathmandu whose blog is at https://recordnepal.substack.com/

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Georgian Husband with Fourteen Wives Apr 17, 2024

Charles Hamilton allegedly had fourteen wives according to the newspapers, but the headline was that Charles used to be called Mary. In the 18th century newspaper stories about 'female husbands' were not uncommon; people assigned female at birth who assumed the legal, social and economic position reserved for men.

Today we explore two stories with Jen Manion, author of Female Husbands: A Trans History.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Bigfoot: the Origin Story Apr 15, 2024

Our second episode examining the very real history of Bigfoot. This time we're looking at ancient Native American rock art and meeting the extinct (or is it?) giant ape Gigantopithecus.

Our returning guest is the wonderful Dan Schreiber - host of We Can Be Weirdos and co-host of No Such Thing As a Fish.

Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

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Deadly Dancing Plague of 1518 Apr 10, 2024

When people think of Medieval diseases, hysterical dancing is not usually what first comes to mind. Yet in 14th and 15th century Germany, dozens of ordinary people claimed to be infected by the ‘dancing plague’. What was this mysterious phenomenon? What caused it? And was it even a real disease?

Anthony and Maddy are joined by Dr. Eleanor Janega, co-host of History Hit podcast 'Gone Medieval'.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long.

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Bigfoot: Hunt for the Truth Apr 08, 2024

Does Bigfoot really walk among us? Today we start a three-part mini-series exploring the very real histories of Bigfoot and the Yeti.

We begin with Bigfoot and the 1967 home-movie that lit the spark. Maddy & Anthony are joined by the one-and-only Dan Schreiber - host of podcast 'We Can Be Weirdos' and of co-host of 'No Such Thing As A Fish'. There can be no better guide into the world of weirdness.

Edited and Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Jack the Ripper Apr 04, 2024

What is it about this case that holds the imagination after all these years? When did that fascination with it begin? How early on did the myths of Jack the Ripper evolve?

Anthony and Maddy look at how the newspapers and showmen were quick to pounce on this case, turning these tragic murders into the most infamous true crime story of all.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Medieval Mass Murdering Monk: Malmesbury Abbey Apr 01, 2024

Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire was an institution of national significance from the late seventh century until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. It was home to eminent writers and had strong royal connections. It housed the tomb of Æthelstan, first king of all England, and Queen Matilda, wife of Henry I, took a close interest in its affairs. But it was also home to arguably the most immoral abbot of the Middle Ages, the mass-murdering monk John of Tintern.

Today we're bringing you an episode of our sister podcast Gone Medieval, where host Matt Lewis finds out more from guest Tony McAleavy, author of the first full-length study of the history of Malmesbury Abbey - ' Malmesbury Abbey 670-1539' - which brings to life its colourful cast of characters.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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The Murdering Midwife of Covent Garden Mar 28, 2024

‘If only walls could talk’ is a phrase which feels particularly relevant to mysterious murder cases throughout history. And in today’s episode, walls do have a story to tell. To celebrate Maddy’s book about Eighteenth-Century graffiti coming out this week, she’s sharing two intriguing murder cases where graffiti played an integral role. First case is a murderous midwife in London, followed by the mystery of the body discovered floating in a Bristol estuary.

To find out more about Maddy’s new book, Writing on the Wall: Graffiti, Rebellion and the Making of Eighteenth-Century Britain, click here.

Please be aware there is discussion of murder and suicide in this episode

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Producer is Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Who is the Real Dracula? The Bloody History Mar 25, 2024

This is the incredible history of Dracula, from medieval ruler Vlad the Impaler, to Bram Stoker and the Victorian theatre world. Get ready for a very bloody history indeed!

Anthony tells Maddy the story this week.

Written by Anthony Delargy. Edited by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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England's Worst Witch Trial: Pendle Witches Mar 21, 2024

Inside the heavy walls of Lancaster Castle, the darkest & deadliest of English witch trials played out in 1612 - the Pendle Witch Trials. By the end ten people would be executed and many more lives ruined. At their heart was a little girl, Jennet Device, and a book, Daemonologie by King James VI & I.

Maddy and Anthony's guest today is John Callow, historian and author of The Last Witches of England and Witchcraft in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Europe.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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St Patrick: Pirates, Snakes and Goatees Mar 17, 2024

He wasn't Irish. He didn't wear green. There were no snakes. So who was the real St Patrick? How did his myth grow? And how did he invent the goatee?

Podcaster and comedian Alison Spittle joins Maddy and Anthony today as we head back to 4th/5th century Ireland. Alison's tour dates (including Leake!) are here: http://alisonspittle.com/gigs/

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Medieval Torture: The Dark History Mar 14, 2024

This episode contains descriptions of execution and torture.

To be Hanged, Drawn & Quartered. Put on the Rack. Impaled on a spike. This list paints a very dark picture. What was the reality of execution and torture in the Medieval world? Was it as bad as we think? Worse?

Guiding us through this very grim history is Matt Lewis host of the History Hit podcast 'Gone Medieval'.

Produced by Annie Coloe. Edited by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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'Black Widow': Serial Killer of Victorian England Mar 11, 2024

Mary Ann Cotton is known as the first British female serial killer. A trail of bodies, many her own children, followed her through life. Bodies she happened to have insurance policies out on. Arsenic appears to have been her poison. How very Victorian.

But Mary Ann Cotton was only proved to be guilty of killing one of her alleged victims. So was she really a serial killer? How hard could life be for working class women in Victorian society?

Maddy tells Anthony the story.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Pirate Queens: Mary Read & Anne Bonny Mar 06, 2024

Mary Read and Anne Bonny are legendary female pirates from the golden age of piracy. Raised as boys, they sailed with captain Calico Jack and fought their enemies bare-breasted, if legends are to be believed. How much of it is true? How much piracy did they actually accomplish? And why do their breasts feature quite so often in this history?

Anthony and Maddy are joined by Francesca de Tores author of a new book Saltblood which tells the story from Mary Read's perspective and is published by Bloomsbury in April.

Edited by Ella Blaxill. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The First Alien Abduction Mar 03, 2024

In 1961 Betty and Barney Hill became the first people ever to be abducted by aliens. Their story of being taken and examined by extraterrestrials on board a spaceship became the blueprint that others would follow. Whether you believe it or not, their account would go on to change our world...

Maddy tells Anthony the story this week.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Paris Morgue's Dark Story Feb 29, 2024

Citizens of Paris in the 19th century could stroll down to the Morgue to try to identify the unknown dead or to gawp at celebrity murder victims. Though its most famous resident of all was perhaps not dead at all...

Our guest today is the marvellous Cat Byers, who is a writer, photographer and historian based in Paris. She’s currently finishing a PhD on the nineteenth-century morgues of Paris and New York. Get ready for a story full of poignant humour, Donald Trump, and party hats.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Do Mermaids Exist? Historical Sightings & Myths Feb 25, 2024

Did you know Benjamin Franklin began his career reporting mermaid sightings? Or that there's a mermaid on every cup of Starbucks coffee?

Join us as we search the oceans for history's greatest mermaid stories. Anthony tells Maddy this story with special help from children from year 5 of Harris Primary Academy Coleraine Park.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Earliest Evidence of Ghosts Feb 22, 2024

The earliest evidence of human belief in ghosts comes from 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Who were these first ghosts? What was the underworld they lived in like? What do these most ancient ghosts tell us about today?

Maddy and Anthony's guest today, Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper of Ancient Mesopotamian script, languages and cultures in the Department of the Middle East in the British Museum and author of 'The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies'

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick.

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The Real Hannibal Lecter Feb 18, 2024

At the tender age of 23, Thomas Harris, author of The Silence of the Lambs, was sent to interview a convicted murderer inside a Mexican prison. What happened that day lived rent free in his mind for the rest of his life.

Anthony tells Maddy this story of murder and of love that blurs the lines between truth and fiction.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Murder in Henry VIII's England Feb 15, 2024

In a world before police, what happened when someone was murdered? How were murderers caught? How did the wheels of justice turn?

We talk to Steven Veerapen, author of Of Blood Descended, about murder under the bloodiest King of all, Henry VIII.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Mystery of the Medieval Green Children Feb 12, 2024

Two green children walked into the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England, sometime in the 12th century. They said they were from a magic land where everything was as green as they were. What on earth was going on?

Maddy tells Anthony this story that has drawn in curious minds for hundreds of years.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Dragons: From the Ancient World to the Hobbit Feb 07, 2024

Take dinosaur bones, snake poison, volcanic lava, fear of the unknown. Mix it all together and you have a dragon!

Today we're finding out about the ancient origins of dragons and why there used to be a much wider variety of dragon types than we see today. Our guide is dragon expert Jasmine Elmer. Jasmine's new documentary "Dragons: Myth & Reality" is out now on History Hit.

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Fairy Hoax That Fooled the World Feb 04, 2024

In 1920 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published a story more explosive than any adventure of Sherlock Holmes. He claimed that photographic evidence had emerged that proved the existence of fairies.

The photos were taken by two young girls, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, in Cottingley, North Yorkshire. How did their charming art project end up fooling the creator of the greatest detective that ever lived?

Maddy tells Anthony the story.

Special thanks to James Carter as the voice of Conan Doyle.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The American Ripper Feb 01, 2024

Who was the American Ripper? How many people died at his hands? What on earth is a 'murder castle'? Anthony and Maddy head down a rabbit hole on the hunt for a man who is as much myth as real life monster.

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Stuart Beckwith, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Alaskan Stories: Sedna the Sea-Goddess & Myth of Last Frontier Jan 28, 2024

We are the stories we tell. In Alaska the Inupiaq people tell the story of Sedna the goddess of the sea. They understand that the land they live on is a complex web of physical and spiritual beings.

But the colonisers of Alaska tell a different set of stories about the same landscape. They tell stories of Wilderness and of the Last Frontier.

Our guest today is Tia Tidwell (@tiaannamarie) professor of Alaska Native Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She belongs to the Nunamiut people of Anaktuvuk Pass.

Tia’s recommendations:

Alaska is the Center of the Universe (Audible exclusive podcast)

The Alaska Myth https://www.thealaskamyth.com/

Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Mythical Origins of Britain Jan 25, 2024

The British Isles were once thought of as the edge of the Ancient World, a land of giants and other mysteries. According to these myths, survivors of the Trojan War set sail to establish a kingdom here which was destined to rule one day rule the world...

In today's episode Anthony and Maddy are joined by Dr. Amy Jeffs author of Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain" to explore the mythological origins of the British Isles...

Edited by Tom Delargy produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Real Dick Turpin Jan 21, 2024

"Your money or your life!"

Those are the immortal words ascribed to this famous outlaw. Terror of the rich. Hero to the poor. Charmer of ladies. The galloping figure on Black Bess. The imagery surrounding him is iconic... but who was the real Dick Turpin? Anthony and Maddy discuss his story in today's episode.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Many Murders of Alexander the Great Jan 18, 2024

Alexander the Great - conqueror, legend, murderer. After ascending to the throne at aged 20 in 336BCE, his rule started with mass executions and political assassinations - themes that would follow throughout his tumultuous reign. But why was Alexander's reign so bloody, and what does it tell us about Hellenistic society at the time?

In today's episode Anthony and Maddy are joined by Tristan Hughes, host of History Hit's 'The Ancients'. Together they delve into the violent rule of Alexander the Great, discussing funerals riddled with assassinations, murderous brawls, and asking whether Alexander was truly dead when they started the embalming process...

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Ghost Ship: The Mary Celeste Jan 15, 2024

In 1872 the ghost ship Mary Celeste is found sailing across the Atlantic without a single crew member left on board. Theories over what happened on the Mary Celeste range from insurance fraud to a violent mutiny... this week, Maddy and Anthony discuss what they think happened to the ship's crew.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Myths of King Arthur: Origins, Creepy Sex & Magic Swords Jan 11, 2024

King Arthur. Merlin. The Knights of the Round Table and the Sword in the Stone. We think we know these stories but they've changed a lot since they were first told... In this episode, Maddy and Anthony are joined by History Hit's very own Dr. Eleanor Janega, host of the Gone Medieval podcast, to tell us about the rather creepy origins of the Arthurian legend.

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Ireland's Bloodiest Murders: Maamtrasna Murders Jan 08, 2024

One summer night in 1882 the Maamtrasna Valley in the West of Ireland became forever notorious when three generations of the Seoige (Joyce) family were brutally murdered.

What followed was a trial so full of colonial injustice that it turned a story of gory murder into something of national significance. From all the blood and cruelty, a man called Maolra Seoighe (Myles Joyce in English) emerges as a figure embodying the tensions and injustices of Ireland in this time.

Anthony tells Maddy the story this week.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Medieval Werewolves, Ghosts & Zombies Jan 04, 2024

How did Medieval people fight against the Undead? What motivated their Ghosts? And why do stories of Werewolves persist until today?

Anthony and Maddy are joined today by Matt Lewis, host of History Hit podcast "Gone Medieval", and by Paul Sinclair whose film Wolflands is available on Amazon.

Edited by Tom Delargy and Freddy Chick. Produced by Annie Coloe and Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Exploding Kings & Red Hot Pokers: Gruesome Deaths of Monarchs Jan 01, 2024

Edward II died by red-hot poker. William the Conqueror exploded on his way into the coffin. Mary II went down covered in so many pustules she was unrecognisable.

Kings and Queens are more much more likely than the rest of us to meet a grizzly end. Sometimes it's because they're murdered. Sometimes it's that we try too hard to keep them alive. And sometimes it's because we don't stick them in the ground soon enough once they've gone.

Edited by Tean Stewart-Murray, Produced by Stuart Beckwith and Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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Blood Countess of Hungary: Sixteenth Century Serial Killer Dec 28, 2023

The inspiration behind countless gothic novels, Countess Elizabeth Báthory is said to be one of the most prolific serial killers of all time, accused of the murder of 600 girls during the late 16th century. Maddy and Anthony talk to Professor Kimberly Craft, a legal historian who has spent over a decade researching the life and trial of Countess Báthory and over a year translating original source material into English. Where does the truth lie, a conspiracy started by her enemies or a psychopathic vampire?

Edited by Ella Blaxill, Produced by Beth Donaldson and Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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Christmas Day Strangler: the murder of Gwen Ellen Jones Dec 25, 2023

On Christmas Day 1909, Gwen Ellen Jones was murdered by William Murphy in the Welsh town of Holyhead. Anthony and Maddy tell the story with an appearance from Dr Hazel Pierce at the end. The episode was based on Hazel's wonderful work.

Hazel is part of the pan-Wales History Points project (https://historypoints.org/). Her first book was about Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury 1473-1541. Her new book is coming next year on the life of Katherine Courtenay, daughter of King Edward IV, and her son and daughter in law, Henry and Gertrude Courtenay, both of whom fell foul of King Henry VIII.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Editing and Sound Design by Anisha Deva. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Charles Dickens' Christmas Ghosts Dec 20, 2023

Like Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve, we are visited by three Dickensian ghosts today. One rattling chains, one made out of dark memories, and one tapping out messages on a train. Did Dickens himself believe in ghosts? What do his ghost tales tell us about the beliefs in the supernatural that were swirling around the world he lived in?

Maddy and Anthony talk to Dr Frankie Kubicki, Deputy Director of the Charles Dickens Museum in London. Recorded on location in Charles Dickens' drawing room! To find out more visit: https://dickensmuseum.com/

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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Palmer the Poisoner: Victorian England's Doctor of Death Dec 18, 2023

In a century of poisoners, William Palmer stands out as the prince of them all. Charles Dickens called him "the greatest villain that ever stood in the Old Bailey".

Maddy tells Anthony the story this week, whisking us back to Victorian England and the Staffordshire town of Rugeley where Palmer plied his trade. A town where Maddy's ancestor happened to be working as the chemist at the time....

Edited by Tean Stewart-Murray, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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Why Do People Kill at Christmas? Dec 13, 2023

Why do people kill in the season of goodwill? Why are we fascinated when they do? And what does it say about us?

Professor David Wilson, leading criminologist and bestselling author, joins Maddy and Anthony for this Christmas Special edition.

David's latest book is "Murder at Home: how our safest space is where we're most in danger".

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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Ghost That Solved Its Own Murder: Red Barn Murder Dec 10, 2023

The Red Barn Murder in 1827 was ground zero for true crime podcasts. It become one of the first cases to explode in the media and caused a national sensation. It had everything - sex, murder and a ghost that revealed the location of its own corpse. What more could Britain's budding army of armchair detectives want?

Huge thanks to Una McIlvenna for her beautiful (and historically accurate) recording of the ballad the 'Murder of Maria Marten'. Una is Australian Research Council Future Fellow and Senior Lecturer in English at Australian National University. Her book Singing the News of Death: Execution Ballads in Europe 1500-1900 won the Katherine Briggs prize for folklore this year. You can find out more about her work at https://www.unamcilvenna.com/

Edited and Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Ghost of Anne Boleyn Dec 07, 2023

We talk the ghost of Anne Boleyn, Queen of England before Henry VIII chopped off her head, with the marvellous Tracy Borman.

Where can Anne Boleyn's ghost be seen? What form does it take? And why does she haunt us so? Get ready for carriages pulled by headless horses, spooky palaces, a weird floating cylinder thing...and a single moment in history that has haunted England, and now Britain's, imagination for hundreds of years.

Tracy's new book "Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History" is out now.

Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Hellfire Club: Sex, Scandal & Satanism in Georgian England Dec 04, 2023

Sex, Satanism and Scandal surrounded the Hellfire Club that operated out of a network of caves in the country estate of 18th century aristocrat Francis Dashwood. The most powerful men in the country came to Dashwood's underground lair. Rumours swirled of everything from orgies to human sacrifice and Satanic spirits. But was it all as diabolical as it seemed?

Maddy tells Anthony the story this week.

Produced by Freddy Chick and Charlotte Long. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Amelia Dyer: Victorian Baby Farm Killer Nov 29, 2023

Some estimates have it that Amelia Dyer killed more than 400 babies. It's hard to say for sure because so few victims were recovered. She was a phantom that grew up in a very dark corner of Victorian society where helpless mothers were given with no better options but to give their babies to 'baby farmers'.

Anthony tells Maddy this painful history.

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Real Origins of Witches Nov 27, 2023

Have you ever wondered what the ancient origins of witchcraft is? How did the black-hat-broomstick stereotype emerge? And what causes the waves of witch trials throughout history, right up to the present day?

Ronald Hutton is back on After Dark to discuss the history of the witch, in an episode from our sister podcast, Betwixt the Sheets.

This podcast was mixed and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Victorian Death Photography: Postmortem Posers Nov 23, 2023

The Victorians created the unsettling art of death photography - posing their deceased love ones in family portraits as if they were alive. How did they manage to make corpses strike poses? Why did they want to?

Maddy and Anthony are joined by Brandy Schillace, author of Death’s Summer Coat - What Death and Dying Cal Tell Us about Life and Living to flick through the strangest, and most moving, of family photo albums.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Mother Shipton: Tudor Prophetess of England's Doom Nov 20, 2023

Did a Tudor prophetess correctly predict the English Civil War, the Crimean War, the sinking of the Titanic, World War One and the end of days? And what does she have to do with turning teddy bears into stone?

Find out as Maddy and Anthony discuss Mother Shipton's life, legend and legacy.

Written by Maddy Pelling

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Real Witch Hunts: Persecution & Panic Nov 16, 2023

Witch hunts blazed across Europe from the 1400s right into the 1700s. Their terror has been burned into the collective memory. But how accurate are the pictures we have in our heads?

For this episode, Anthony and Maddy are joined by Suzannah Lipscomb, host of Not Just the Tudor. She helps them delve deep into the realities of witches and witch trials in Early Modern Europe.

Edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Annie Coloe and Rob Weinberg

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The Man Who Hanged Nazis: Albert Pierrepoint Nov 12, 2023

For Albert Pierrepoint, execution was a family affair. His father and uncle were hangmen and from the 1940s until the late 1950s Albert was Britain's "Number One" executioner. Which meant he was the one sent to hang the Nazis who ran the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the end of the war.

Who was Albert Pierrepoint? What does it take to be able to execute hundreds of people? And what is 'The Drop'?

Edited and produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Ghost Fetishes: From Ancient World to Victorians Nov 09, 2023

What is spectrophilia? Well, it's a fetish for ghosts (as well as mirrors), so being turned on by anything lurking in the non-physical realm. What are the historic origins of this fetish and phenomenon? And what real life stories can be told of it?

Maddy and Anthony talked with Kate Lister, wonderful host of our sister podcast Betwixt the Sheets.

This podcast was edited by Siobhan Dale and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Origins of the Loch Ness Monster Nov 06, 2023

What lurks beneath the dark waters of Loch Ness? The legendary monster? A piece of Celtic folklore? A warning of the Nazis' rise to power? A fraudster?

Today Anthony and Maddy are examining grainy photographs, picking over descriptions of monsters and trying to work out what it all means.

Written by Anthony Delaney

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

This episode contains sound effects from Zapsplat.

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Guy Fawkes & the 1605 Gunpowder Plot Nov 01, 2023

Other countries celebrate their victories and independence. But in Britain, we celebrate a bungling terrorist from the 17th century. Why? Who was Guy Fawkes? What was the Gunpowder Plot? And why must we Remember, Remember the 5th of November?

Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney are joined by historian and author Steven Veerapen - author of (among other titles) Of Blood Descended: An Anthony Blanke Tudor Mystery: https://birlinn.co.uk/product/of-blood-descended/

Produced by Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Hammersmith Ghost: How to Murder a Poltergeist Oct 29, 2023

Can it be murder if you think you're killing a ghost? In 1804 the London suburb of Hammersmith was being terrorised by a ghost. One man set out to hunt down whoever, or whatever, this was. He almost swung from the end of a rope for his troubles.

Join Anthony and Maddy for this ghostly Halloween episode.

Written by Maddy Pelling.

Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Hauntings, Hangings & a Beast: Bodmin Jail Oct 26, 2023

Bodmin Jail can claim to be one of the most haunted buildings in Britain. Perhaps that's because of all the hangings that took place here. Or the postmortem punishment the jail dolled out to prisoners. Or perhaps it is because it's in Cornwall - land of giants, beasts and all things otherworldly.

Maddy and Anthony are joined by Jess Marlton, manager of Bodmin Jail, to talk about life, death and afterlife at this unique 18th century prison. Plus we have a bonus interview about the Beast of Bodmin with Ross Barnett, author of The Missing Lynx.

Produced by Stuart Beckwith and Freddy Chick, Edited by Tom Delargy, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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Last Witch of Scotland Oct 23, 2023

In 1727, Janet Horne of the Highland community of Dornoch became the last person in Britain to be tried and executed for witchcraft.

As the poet Edwin Morgan put it; They tarred her and feathered her, bound her and barrelled her burning in the peat-smoke, while the good folk of Dornoch paused briefly for a look.

But maybe the events aren’t quite as black and white as they seem?

Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story this week.

Written by Maddy Pelling.

Edited by Freddy Chick. Produced by Charlotte Long.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AFTERDARK. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Banshees: Ireland's Harbinger of Death Oct 19, 2023

Today Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls) joins Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling for the story of the Banshee. In Irish folklore the Banshee heralds the death of a family member, usually by shrieking, or keening. Anthony tells us a story about one dying man - Charles Bunworth d.1772 - who was called to his death by a Banshee's wailing cries.

Written by Anthony Delaney.

Edited by Tom Delargy.

Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Written by Anthony Delaney.

Edited by Tom Delargy.

Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AFTERDARK. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

HMS Terror: Cursed Arctic Expedition Oct 16, 2023

Was ever a ship more aptly named? In 1845, HMS Terror (and its forgettably named sister ship HMS Erebus) set off from Victorian Britain. Their quest was to discover the fabled Northwest passage through the Arctic ice. The crew were heroes in waiting. Yet by the end the rules that govern life on board Royal Navy vessels collapsed into chaos and cannibalism.

Maddy tells Anthony this story about life in the Royal Navy, Arctic winters, badly written poetry, and the thin line that separates us from horror.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Mixed by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AFTERDARK. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Burke & Hare: Scotland’s Most Notorious Serial Killers Oct 16, 2023

They’re the most famous grave-robbers in the world…except they never actually robbed any graves. Discover the true story of Burke and Hare’s murderous rampage through the streets of Edinburgh, all to serve the needs of the city’s scientific minds.

Anthony tells Maddy the unnerving details about the infamous 19th century serial-killing duo.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy. Producer is Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AFTERDARK. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Goriest Murders in Ancient Rome Oct 16, 2023

This episode is a bloody delight: from flesh-eating fish and humiliating deaths inside sacks, to a deadly re-enactment of the Icarus myth. For a culture that is seen as an emblem of civilisation (whatever that means), the Romans expended a lot of creative energy on inventing new ways to kill people. And our guest today knows them all!

Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling are joined by the one and only Emma Southon author of A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Her new book is A History of Rome in 21 Women.

Mixed by Tom Delargy. Producer is Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AFTERDARK. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

The Origins of Halloween Oct 16, 2023

From its prehistoric origins until today, Halloween has always had the Shiver of Terror running through it. First as a pagan festival of Winter-the-Bringer-of-Death. Then as a Catholic holy day dedicated to lost Souls in purgatory. Now as a celebration of horrifyingly bad fancy dress!

Maddy and Anthony speak to the one-and-only Professor Ronald Hutton, a national treasure who is the author of too many wonderful books to list here. His latest is Queens of the Wild: Pagan Goddesses in Christian Europe.

Producer is Stuart Beckwith. Edited by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AFTERDARK. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

The Murders That Shocked Georgian London Oct 16, 2023

Laundress-turned-murderess, Sarah Malcolm horrified Georgian London in 1733 when she was found guilty of killing three women she worked for while they slept. For wealthy Georgians this was a nightmare come true: a servant killing the household they served. Sarah became a celebrity killer and was painted by none other than William Hogarth while she sat in jail.

Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling this dark history.

Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AFTERDARK. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Welcome to After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal Oct 13, 2023

Introducing After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal, the podcast that takes you to the shadiest corners of the past, unpicking history’s spookiest, strangest, and most sinister stories.

Meet your hosts, historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, who will be taking a look at the darker side of history. From haunted pubs and Houdini, to witch trials and weird UFO sightings.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday, from Monday 16th October.

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal - a podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.

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