George Joseph Smith: The Case of the Brides in the Bath

George Joseph Smith: The Case of the Brides in the Bath

Author: Ben Cutmore February 3, 2026 Duration: 1:21:32
At the turn of the twentieth century, a pattern of unusual deaths began to surface, when three unrelated women were found drowned in their bathtubs, following a fit or a feinting. The cases seemed unconnected, scattered across towns and surnames, until the similarities grew too precise to ignore. At the center of the widening suspicion was a man named George Joseph Smith, though very few actually knew him by that name until reports of his crimes began to filter into the newspapers, and purely by chance, people around the country began connecting the dots. SOURCES Robins, Jane (2010) The Magnificent Spilsbury & The Case of the Brides in the Bath. F. A. Thorpe, Leicestershire, UK. Kentish Express (1912) Drowned In A Bath. Kentish Express, Sat 20 July 1912, p5. Kent, UK. Weekly Dispatch (1914) Bride’s Death In Bath. Weekly Dispatch, Sun 27 Dec 1914, p13. London, UK. Coleraine Chronicle (1915) The Execution of Smith. Coleraine Chronicle, Sat 21 Aug 1915, p4. Londonderry, UK. ------ 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/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

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Dark Histories
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