History's Greatest Scandals

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Episodes

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Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime minister. In the first series of History’s Greatest Scandals we’re delving into the murky underworld of the Victorians. Join journalist Ellie Cawthorne and historian Professor Rosalind Crone, as they take a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain. They’ll be sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses and paying a visit to an unscrupulous confectioner, to uncover some of the biggest scandals of the day – and explore what they can reveal about Victorian age.

Episodes

Bone-crushing hunger in Britain’s workhouses

We all know the story of Oliver Twist begging for ‘more’ in the workhouse. But were these institutions really as nasty, grim and brutal as Dickens depicts? In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. And in this episode, they revisit an investigation into dire workhouse conditions, exploring what it can reveal about attitudes to the poor at the time. History’s Greatest Scandals ...

Jan 21, 2025•43 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast

‘Little pills of sugared death’

On the day before Halloween in 1858, residents of Bradford flocked to the local market’s sweet stall of to get their hands on Humbug Billy’s peppermint lozenges. But before long, it became clear that something was very wrong with these sweets... In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. This episode revisits one of 19th-century Britain’s worst cases of accidental poisoning, ex...

Jan 14, 2025•42 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast

The mother of all sex scandals

Divorce cases can be messy. But the epic court battle between Caroline and George Norton in 1836 took things to the next level, with salacious accusations of adultery with none other than the prime minister. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. This opening episode delves into the story of one of British history’s most bitter divorce cases, exploring what it can reveal ab...

Jan 07, 2025•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Introducing History's Greatest Scandals: The Victorians

Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister. Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, where we’re delving into the murky underworld of The Victorians.I’m Ellie Cawthorne, and, along with historian Professor Rosalind Crone, I’ll be taking a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain to explore the darker side of Victorian life. We’ll sneaking into private parlours, descending into candlelit mines, frequenting grim workhouses...

Dec 03, 2024•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast