Dark Histories - podcast cover

Dark Histories

Ben Cutmoredarkhistories.com
Fortnightly narratives on the unsolved and the unexplained, mysteries, historical true crime, touches of the paranormal and cultural peculiarities.
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Episodes

The Curious Case of Edgar Vandy

In 1933 when a young, London inventor died under suspicious circumstances, his two surviving brothers turned to the talents of spiritualist mediums in the hopes of finding some answers to the many questions they had following the wholly satisfying inquest. Over a period of six months, the two men sat for several well known mediums, but by the end of it all, were given no hard answers to any of the bigger matters; Exactly who had been with him at the time of his death, and how had it come about? ...

Jan 20, 202652 minSeason 10Ep. 1

Christmas Campfire 2025 (Part 2)

Happy New Year! Here is part two of the Christmas Campfire for 2025, though I guess it's more of a New Years Campfire! I hope you enjoy it, it's been another great year for the Christmas Campfire and a huge thank you for everyone for taking part and being brave enough to put there stories out there for our entertainment! I'll be back in January for Season 10, but until then, Happy New Year, wishing you all the very best xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...

Dec 31, 202544 minSeason 9Ep. 36

Christmas Campfire 2025 (Part 1)

It's Christmas Eve, so it must be time for the Christmas Campfire! Thank you so much to everyone that submitted their stories this year, it's been another great year for entires and there's plenty enough for two episodes. I'll release the second part sometime after Christmas and before the New Year when I return home after visiting family and whatnot. I hope you enjoy this episode, and have a wonderful Christmas! Best wishes to you and all your loved ones! Ben xx Learn more about your ad choices...

Dec 24, 202555 minSeason 9Ep. 35

The Spirit of Old Jeffery: John Wesley & The Epworth Poltergeist

Over the Christmas of 1716, during a time of political tension and uncertainty in England, strange events began to trouble Epworth Rectory. After nightfall, the home of Reverend Samuel Wesley was disturbed by unexplained sounds. Soft footsteps thumped in hallways, as dull thuds knocked on the walls and door latches rattled in their housings. The Wesley family spoke cautiously of a presence they called Old Jeffrey , an unseen force that seemed intent on making itself known. Whether trick, imagina...

Dec 16, 202555 minSeason 9Ep. 32

The Whaleship Essex & The Real Life Story of Moby Dick

In the summer of 1819, the whaleship Essex set sail from Nantucket, chasing fortune across the vast and indifferent Pacific. What began as a routine whaling voyage soon veered into a nightmare, however, when the hunted became the hunter, and the ship, until now known as one of the luckiest around, was smashed to splinters, leaving her crew adrift in an ocean without mercy. Their struggle was a descent into fear, hunger, and the raw edge of human endurance that would go on to inspire the story of...

Dec 02, 20251 hr 19 minSeason 9Ep. 33

Flying Carrots & Little Divers: The French UFO Wave of 1954

In the autumn of 1954, France found itself gripped by a strange and unnerving spectacle. From quiet rural villages to bustling towns and cities, witnesses reported everything from flying discs, cigars and carrots, to little creatures in diving gear waddling beneath a glowing sphere. Newspapers buzzed with excitement as sightings unfolded night after night, spreading across the country like a raging epidemic. It was the first major group of UFO sightings outside of America, and by the end of the ...

Nov 18, 20251 hr 7 minSeason 9Ep. 32

Yesterday Today - 09/11

In this week's episode of Yesterday Today I had a bit of a dive into teh murder of Mary Jane Kelly and how it was presented in the London papers, along with a few other oddities, like Barnaby and Burgho the bloodhounds and the insistence of drunk people to pretend they were a heavily hunted serial killer... ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/...

Nov 09, 202531 min

The Martins Croft Poltergeist: The Devil of Ylöjärvi

In the frozen landscape of Finnish winter, 1885, the quiet croft of Efraim Martin in Ylöjärvi became the center of local attention thanks to a series of unexplainable events that saw almost the entire neighbourhood crowd into the small farmhouse. Rumours of the devils and demons wound through the township, as neighbors swore they saw an invisible force cause havoc throughout the otherwise peaceful home. The story spread like the winter frost, and soon the authorities themselves were forced to as...

Nov 03, 20251 hr 1 minSeason 9Ep. 30

The Paris Bluebeard: The Life & Lies of Marcel Petiot

In the shadows of war-torn Paris, a charming young doctor lived a double life. Physician by day, and resistance fighter by night, his underground network promised salvation to those desperate to escape the Nazi grip. But in a time where trust was at a premium, the truth was not necessarily as it seemed. When Dr. Marcel Petiot’s home at 21 Rue Le Sueur became a concern to his neighbours as a sickly smelling smoke rose from his furnace, the illusion began to unravel. A resistance fighter, a Gestap...

Oct 21, 20251 hr 30 minSeason 9Ep. 29

Yesterday Today - 05/10

This week we continue to look into the press around the time of Jack the Ripper and dig up a extremely peculiar story that's never really explained at all, about mysterious disappearing bread. Yep. ------ 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 Da...

Oct 05, 202532 minSeason 9Ep. 28

A Time Slip in Versailles: The Moberly-Jourdain Incident

On a warm, overcast summer’s day of 1901, two English school mistresses strolled through the gardens of Versailles, unaware they were about to step into a defining moment in their lives. One minute in the present and the next in the past, Charlotte Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain claimed to have crossed into a spectral vision of the court of Marie Antoinette. What began as a genteel outing quickly turned uncanny, with silent figures, oppressive stillness, and an inexplicable sense of dread cre...

Sep 29, 202549 minSeason 9Ep. 27

Ringcroft of Stocking & The Mackie Poltergeist

In 1695, a small rural, farming community of southwest Scotland was shaken by strange events at the farmhouse of Ringcroft of Stocking. What began with the shuffling around of livestock, soon escalated into unexplained noises, stones thrown through the air and voices that no one could trace. Neighbors and ministers all flocked to witness the disturbances, but none could find a cause and no amount of prayers could bring peace to the household, who lived under siege for almost an entire month, bef...

Sep 16, 202547 minSeason 9Ep. 26

Yesterday Today - 07/09

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... ------ 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 ...

Sep 07, 202526 minSeason 9Ep. 22

A Boy’s Best Friend is his Mother: The Horrors of Ed Gein

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 overa...

Sep 02, 20251 hr 7 minSeason 9Ep. 22

Introducing: CONSPIRACY THEORIES, CULTS, AND CRIMES

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.podtr...

Aug 20, 202510 min

The Literary Miracles of Patience Worth

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 ...

Aug 20, 20251 hr 18 minSeason 9Ep. 23

Yesterday Today - 10/08

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. ------ 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 Earl...

Aug 10, 202529 minSeason 9Ep. 22

The Murderous Mannings & The Bermondsey Horror

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...

Aug 03, 20251 hr 21 minSeason 9Ep. 18

Summer Holiday & Introducing: Macabrium Lore & Legends

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...

Jul 14, 202541 minSeason 9Ep. 17

Yesterday Today - 06/07

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! ------ 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://ww...

Jul 06, 202530 minSeason 9Ep. 19

Murder, Madness and The Unusual Life of William Minor

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 abo...

Jun 30, 202557 minSeason 9Ep. 18

Yesterday Today - 22/06

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. ------ 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 Histori...

Jun 22, 202522 minSeason 9Ep. 17

The Judica-Cordiglia Brothers & The Lost Cosmonauts of the Cold War

In the murky-corners of Cold War history, beneath layers of radio static, the chilling tale of the Judica-Cordiglia brothers emerges. Armed with makeshift radio equipment and relentless curiosity, they claimed to capture ghostly transmissions from doomed Soviet cosmonauts, voices never acknowledged by any official record. Were these lost transmissions evidence of a buried truth, or the echoes of a grand conspiracy? ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Su...

Jun 16, 202550 minSeason 9Ep. 16

Yesterday Today - 08/06

This week, I'm back with another episode of Yesterday Today. We have storiesmarking the original publication or Orwells 1984, the strange resurrection of a murderer and the bizarre concept of mailing babies. ------ 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 Histor...

Jun 08, 202528 minSeason 9Ep. 15

The Strange Incident of the Coogee Aquarium Shark

In the 1920’s and 30s, shark attacks off the coast of New South Wales, Australia were not an especially uncommon event. In 1935, however, Sydney’s peaceful coastal charm was shattered by a grotesque discovery at the Coogee Aquarium that was anything but normal. A captured tiger shark, put on public display, vomited up a human arm—severed, tattooed, and unmistakably out of place. What began as a curiosity quickly spiraled into a chilling murder mystery involving gangsters, betrayal, and a body th...

Jun 02, 20251 hr 16 minSeason 9Ep. 18

Yesterday Today - 18/05

Hi everyone, I'm back with another mini-episode of Yesterday Today, where this week we dig into the first ever non-stop Transatlantic Flight, the first ever sightings of the Loch Ness Monster and a delightfully weird romance story from teh pages of yesterdays papers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 18, 202528 minSeason 9Ep. 13

The Woman in Black & The Cheltenham Ghost Scare of 1886

In the quiet elegance of 1880s Cheltenham, a spectral presence stirred unease in a grand old family mansion in the centre of town. The ghost—described as a tall, veiled woman in black—appeared repeatedly to the daughters of the Despard family, moving silently through the house and vanishing without trace. Witnessed by multiple family members over several years, the haunting became one of Britain’s most documented supernatural cases, thanks to the efforts of the newly founded Society for Psychica...

May 13, 20251 hr 4 min

Yesterday Today - 04/05

Back with another episode of Yesterday Today, the shoot off podcast for Dark Histories. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: http://author.to/darkhistories Dark Histories merch is available here: https://bit...

May 04, 202532 min

The Strange Discovery of the Hexham Heads

In 1971, in the quiet town of Hexham, England, two small stone heads were unearthed — and with them, a series of strange and unsettling events began to unfold. Shadows moved where none should be, and visitors spoke of an unseen presence lingering in the air. Were the heads simple curiosities, ancient artifacts, or did they hold a deeper, forgotten power? Or were they simply modern toys, made by a doting father looking to entertain his young daughter? As questions grew and answers slipped further...

Apr 28, 20251 hr 8 min

Yesterday Today - 20/04

Back with another episode of Yesterday Today, the shoot off podcast for Dark Histories. This week we're looking at one of the more epic boxing matches of the past, a few adverts for wind pills and hair tonics, and a couple of ghost stories dug from deep in the19th century. ------- For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and ...

Apr 20, 202531 minSeason 9Ep. 8
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