Dark Histories

Dark Histories

Author: Ben Cutmore Language: English Episodes: 50
Every two weeks, Ben Cutmore invites you into the shadowy corners of our past, where facts blur with folklore and case files remain stubbornly open. Dark Histories is less a lecture and more an exploration, weaving meticulous research into compelling narratives that linger long after the episode ends. You’ll hear detailed accounts of events that defy easy explanation, from long-forgotten crimes and bizarre hoaxes to oddities that shaped societies. The focus is always on the human stories within these enigmatic tales, told with a careful balance of skepticism and an appreciation for the strange. This isn't just about ghosts or monsters, but the very real, often unsettling peculiarities documented throughout history. Each installment of this podcast feels like piecing together a puzzle where some pieces are forever missing, offering no easy answers but plenty to ponder. It’s for anyone who finds themselves drawn to the edges of the map, where the documented record meets the unexplained. Settle in for a journey through the archives of the bizarre and the unresolved, where every story is a reminder that the past is rarely as simple as it seems.
Episodes
The Willie Starchfield Murder Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:12
On a cold, grey January afternoon in 1914, a railway carriage travelling through north London shuttled along its route, carrying a grim secret. Beneath a third-class carriage seat lay the body of five-year-old Willie Sta…
Early America & The Savage Crimes of the Harpe Brothers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:03
In the years following the American Revolution, when the country was still uncertain of itself and the frontier was still a place of violence, two brothers carved out a story of fear across the wilderness. When their sto…
Summer Break - Charlotte Riddell: The Open Door [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:38
Hey Everyone! here is a little episode to tide us over til next week when I'll be back to the usual posting schedule. I took a short, mid-season break to sort some bits and pieces out and enjoy a bit of the summer weathe…
William Heirens & The Lipstick Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:57
In the early twentieth century, Chicago was a city already familiar with violence and corruption, but in 1946, a new case hit the headlines that introduced a whole new level of shock and scandal to the hardened city resi…
The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:07
In an era when medicine was still finding its footing, John Romulous Brinkley built an empire on impossible cures, relentless ambition, and astonishing lack of a moral compass. In a shocking display of charm and manipula…
Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:50
The early modern period was a rocky time for religion across Europe, fundamental pinnings of everyday life were being questioned and changing, as the reformation shifted authority away from the church. Thoughts on death…
The Unsavoury Tale of the Maryland Snallygaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:05
In the fall of 1909, a strange fear settled over the hills and farms of Maryland. Newspapers carried reports of a monstrous winged creature said to stalk the countryside with a host of bizarre descriptions pouring out fr…
Mary Pearcey & The Hampstead Tragedy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:45
In 1890, the murders of Phoebe Hogg and her infant daughter in Hampstead became one of the most widely reported criminal cases of the Victorian period. The investigation quickly centred on Mary Pearcey, whilst the public…
Amazing Stories & The Shaver Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:35
In 1945, the end of the second world war was approaching, atom bombs were on the way, and science fiction felt more like speculative prophecies than adventure stories. In the pages of pulp magazine, claims that ancient c…