Dark Histories

Latest Episodes:

Yesterday Today - 07/09 Sep 07, 2025

Show notes

This week we look into some of the press reports from the second Jack the Ripper Murder, as well as some highlights of Hitchcock's Psycho release, from 1960. There's also sea serpents, haunted houses, and wise words that mean absolutely nothing, as far as I can tell...

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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.

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A Boy’s Best Friend is his Mother: The Horrors of Ed Gein Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

Behind the doors of an isolated farmhouse on the outskirts of Plainfield, Wisconsin, a trove of macabre secrets were stashed out of sight of the locals that blurred the line between reality and nightmare. Unearthed in 1957, the world of quiet, shy farmer, Edward Theodore Gein, revealed a bizarre story of grave robbing, body parts fashioned into household items, and a fascination with death that was almost unparalleled in its depravity. A psychiatrist's examination stated plainly that, “The overall picture was not that of a well person,” which was, perhaps, one of the greatest understatements in medical and criminal history.
SOURCES

Schechter, Harold (1998) Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, Original Psycho. Pocket Books, USA.

Borowski, John (2016) The Ed Gein FIle: A Psycho’s Confession & Case Documents. Waterfront Productions, Chicago, USA.

Chicago Tribune (1957) Tell Gein’s Crime Motive. Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov 1957, p1. Chicago, USA.

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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠

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

Introducing: CONSPIRACY THEORIES, CULTS, AND CRIMES Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

From Jonestown to Heaven’s Gate, to the Octopus Murders and the Waco Siege, the world is full of deception, manipulation, and destruction. Listen to Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes every Wednesday as we explore the real people at the center of the world’s most shocking secrets and nefarious organizations.

Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes is a Crime House original powered by PAVE Studios. Follow the show now so you don’t miss a single story.

Follow and listen here: https://link.podtrac.com/ksd4p9a9

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The Literary Miracles of Patience Worth Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

In 1913, a St. Louis housewife named Pearl Curran sat down at a Ouija board and claimed to make contact with a spirit called Patience Worth—a seventeenth-century Englishwoman who spoke in archaic language and spun tales with uncanny speed. What began as a parlor amusement soon erupted into a literary mystery: novels, poems, and dialogues flowed effortlessly through Pearl, though she had no known training in such artistry. Was this the voice of a forgotten soul, the hidden genius of an unlikely medium, or just a big hoax, either for profit, or simply to cure boredom?

SOURCES

Litvag, Irving (1972) Singer in the Shadows: The Strange Story of Patience Worth. Macmillan, NY, USA.

Yost, Casper S. (1916) Patience Worth: A Psychic Mystery. Henry Holt & Co. NY, USA.

Prince, Walter Franklin (1927) The Case of Patience Worth. Boston Society for Psychic Research, Boston, USA.

St. Louis GLobe Democrat (1915) The Mystery of Patience Worth. St. Louis Globe Democrat, Sun 7 Feb 1915, p41. USA.

St. Louis GLobe Democrat (1915) The Mystery of Patience Worth. St. Louis Globe Democrat, Sun 14 Feb 1915, p41. USA.

St. Louis GLobe Democrat (1915) The Mystery of Patience Worth. St. Louis Globe Democrat, Sun 21 Feb 1915, p41. USA.

St. Louis GLobe Democrat (1915) The Mystery of Patience Worth. St. Louis Globe Democrat, Sun 28 Feb 1915, p41. USA.

The New York Times (1916) Patience Worth A Psychic Mystery. The New York Times, Sun 27 Feb 1916, p69. NY, USA.

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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠

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

Yesterday Today - 10/08 Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

This week we're taking a quick look at the end of the second World War in teh Pacific, as well as rummaging through a host of summer ghost stories from the 19th century. There's also a small story that would go on to foreshadow the "autumn of fear" in London, 1888.

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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

The Murderous Mannings & The Bermondsey Horror Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

In the summer of 1849, Patrick O’Connor, a prosperous London customs officer, vanished without warning. His trail ended in a quiet Bermondsey house, home to Frederick and Maria Manning—a married couple bound to him by secrets and suspicion. When O’Connor’s body was found buried beneath their kitchen floor, whispers of greed, betrayal, and hidden passions spread across London.

SOURCES

Buckley, Angela(2024) The Bermondsey Murder: Scotland Yard’s First Great Challenge and Dickens’ Inspiration. Pen & Sword, Barnsley, UK.

Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper (1849) Murder In Bermondsey. Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, Sun 19 Aug 1849, p12. London, UK.

The Sun (1849) An Account Of The Alleged Murderer And His Wife, And Their Antecedents. The Sun, Mon 20 Aug 1849, p8. London, UK.

Newcastle Guardian & Tyne Mercury (1849) Trial of the Mannings. Newcastle Guardian & Tyne Mercury, Sat 27 Oct 1849, p8. Newcastle, UK.

The Tipperary Vindicator (1849) Trial Conviction And Passing Of Sentence Of The Mannings For The Murder Of Mr O’Connor. The Tipperary Vindicator, Wed 31 Oct 1849, p1. Tipperary, Ireland.

John Bull (1849) Execution Of The Mannings. John Bull, Mon 19 Nov 1849, p13. London, UK.

John Bull (1849) Confession Of Frederick Manning. John Bull, Sat 17 Nov 1849, p13. London, UK.

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For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠darkhistories.com ⁠

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

Summer Holiday & Introducing: Macabrium Lore & Legends Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

It's that time of year where the sun is out for more than 10 minutes a day over here in England, so that must mean it's summer holiday! I'll be off for just a short two weeks, but until then, I thought I'd introduce a podcast to you. It's a great, Dark History podcast, which I shall leave to their own words:

Macabrium Lore & Legends

Subscribe here: https://podfollow.com/1695858163

“The 13th Child: The Jersey Devil”

In the New Jersey Pine Barrens, where the trees grow dense and the roads give way to tangled wilderness, something stirs. The locals say you can hear it on the coldest nights—a high-pitched shriek, something not quite human, not quite beast.

The stories go back centuries. Some say it was a curse, an omen of misfortune that slithered into this world on a storm-wracked night. Others claim it was the child of a mother who, in her desperation or her rage, called upon the Devil himself. The details shift with time, but the warning remains the same: stay out of the pines after dark.

Because if you listen closely, past the rustling leaves and the distant howl of the wind, you might just hear the beat of leathery wings.
And by then, it’s already too late.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday Today - 06/07 Jul 06, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Dark Histories and Yesterday Today, where this week we're going all the way back to 1776 to have a quick look at the declaration of independence, before zipping ahead to 1947 and the weird reprts coming from Roswell of Flying Saucers!

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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

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

Murder, Madness and The Unusual Life of William Minor Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

When you pick up a dictionary and look up a word, have you ever stopped to consider who it was that compiled such meticulous work? Was it a scholar, or group of scholars, holed up in a musty backroom somewhere dedicating their lives to the task, or a wide group of volunteers, crowdsourcing an otherwise unthinkable workload? Or was it perhaps, a madman and murderer, working at leisure from the comfort of his asylum cell? In the case of the infamous Oxford English Dictionary, it was all of the above.

SOURCES

Wichester, Simon (2005) The Professor and the Madman. Harper Collins, London, UK.

Johnson, Samuel (1755) A Dictionary of the English Language. W. Strahan, London, UK.

Evening Mail (1872) Murder In Lambeth. Evening Mail, Mon 19 Feb 1872, p7. London, UK.

South Wales Daily Telegram (1872) The Late Shocking Tragedy At Lambeth. South Wales Daily Telegram, Fri 5 April 1872, p4, Wales, UK.

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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

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

Yesterday Today - 22/06 Jun 22, 2025

Show notes

Back with another off-shoot episode of Dark Histories, this time digging up some old ghost stories, the Queen's coronation, and some rather solid advice from Beatrice Fairfax, an advice columnist from 1914.

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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

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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