Margery Jourdemayne was a seer. She was a necromancer to the Dutchess wife of the king’s brother. Accused of witchcraft, Margery's life was in peril. Hear the story of Old Mother Madge in our Women and Witchcraft Podcast: tinyurl.com/2d4a7y2k #history #witches #witchcraft #sourcery
Born #OTD 1702 Jack Sheppard. The orginal “Jack the Lad”. His escapes from the infamous Newgate Prison were legendary and he became a London celebrity. But could he evade the noose at Tyburn? Find out, in our dramatic podcast: tinyurl.com/48dr483b #history #london #prison
#OTD 1943, during air raids in London, people hurried to the shelter at Bethnal Green Tube. There was no raid, but what happened was one of the greatest wartime civil tragedies. We tell the story in our Blitz Podcast tinyurl.com/mrx4huz4 #history #ww2 #blitz #london
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was rebuilt after the Fire of London. Famous as a literary pub - regulars included Dickens, Conan Doyle and PG Wodehouse. But its most famous resident was Polly the Parrot. Hear the story in our History of London Pubs Podcast: tinyurl.com/nhjf7sdj #history #pubs #parrots
In 1665 William Mompesson was the vicar of Eyam. When the plague arrived at his remote village, he closed the town. The villagers could not leave - and nobody was allowed in. The decision brought him personal tragedy. Hear the story in our Plague Village Podcast: tinyurl.com/2hhejvpw #history
In the 1800s Wombwell’s menagerie travelled England. One performance at Smithfield in London included an elephant that fired a gun. Hear more in our Strange Animal Stories Podcast: tinyurl.com/2mcp4ww5 #history #animals #lions #unicorn
Westminster Abbey was consecrated in 1065. Among its treasures is a mysterious 800-year-old mosaic which predicts the date for the end of the world. Hear about the strange doomsday prophesy Westminster Abbey podcast: tinyurl.com/ke5r2ftp #history #westminsterabbey #doomsday
Samuel Pepys was born #OTD 1633. He witnessed the Great Fire of London and recorded the tumultuous event in his diary. Hear the story in our Great Fire Podcast at: tinyurl.com/33vfpwds #history #london
There have been cats serving at Number 10 Downing Street for over 100 years. Churchill’s Nelson, Harold Wilson’s Nemo, Margaret Thatcher’s Wilberforce and the current feline - the legend that is Larry. Hear the story in our pawesum podcast: tinyurl.com/3ht44vek #cats #history #caturday #felines
Born #OTD 1847 William Terris, the star of the Adelphi Theatre plays. Bit-part actor Richard Prince hated the matinee idol. We bring to life a story that haunts London’s West End in our Murder at the Theatre Podcast: tinyurl.com/56nnmbfp #history #theatre #london #actors
Tom was a decoy goose. He fell in love with a goosy girlfriend and followed her to London. But ended up at Leadenhall poultry market. Would he survive? Find out in our Strange Animal Stories Podcast: tinyurl.com/2mcp4ww5 #history #london #animals #goose #leadenhall
England’s early one pound coin was worth both more and less than £1, was stamped with an elephant, made Samuel Pepys furious and was a problem solved by Issac Newton. All in our History of Money Podcast: tinyurl.com/yc7hpckb #money #numismatics #NumismaticHistory #history #money
Pecunia Non Olet or Money does not stink - the words of Emperor Vespesian. When he put a tax on urine,
Romans started called public pisspots Vespesians. Hear the story in our History of Sewage Podcast available at: tinyurl.com/2ys6jpf3 #history #sewage #ancientrome
In the 1700s men wore wigs that signalled status, style and rank. They got taller and more flamboyant, until foppish men were tottering around in absurd giant periwigs. Hear the story in our Men’s Fashion Podcast: tiny.cc/3anu001 #history #fashion #menswear #periwigs #clothes
Born #OTD 1748 Jeremy Bentham. On his death in 1832, the philosopher left instructions for his body to be preserved. But what happened to his head? Hear the story in our Heads Podcast: tinyurl.com/hw5zwfdm #history #philosophy #britishhistory #universityoflondon
In 1605, a merchant paid St Sepulchre's Church to buy a handbell. At midnight, the day before an execution, the parish clerk rang the bell outside Newgate Jail's condemned man's cell. Hear the story in our Newgate Jail podcast: tinyurl.com/ycyp92cs #history #jail #london #justice
Pilliwinks were thumbscrews. Used to squeeze out “witch” confessions in the 1600s. A brutal reminder of fear dressed up as justice. Hear the story in our Women and Witchcraft Podcast: tinyurl.com/mrxbuh8w #history #witches #torture #historypodcast #britishhistory
In 1699 Sir Isaac Newton was made Master of the Mint. In charge of England's currency, he became a private investigator, visiting criminal haunts to gather evidence on coin clippers and forgers. Hear the story in our History of Money Podcast: tinyurl.com/yc7hpckb #history #newton #money #coins
Elizabeth Siddal died #OTD 1862. The artist and model was buried in Highgate Cemetery. Her husband, painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, placed an original poetry manuscript in her coffin. What happened when he wanted it back? Find out in our Death and Burial podcast: tinyurl.com/4k9sfdpu #history
In 1463 there was an outbreak of valgas buns. English lords had taken to strutting around in carrot shaped pointy shoes that grew longer, and longer. The king had to intervene. Hear this story in our History of Men’s Fashion podcast: tinyurl.com/mrhnfmtc
#history #fashion #shoes #clothes
What is the oldest pub name in Britain? And the most popular pub name? The strangest name? We go on a national pub crawl to find out in our latest History of Beer podcast. Listen at: tinyurl.com/47yrta2v #history #pubs #beer #ale
Born #OTD 1812 Charles Dickens. Age 12 he was sent to work in a rat-infested riverside factory - and it seemed his future was ruined. Hear his life story in our dramatized podcast: Dickens - How One Writer Changed Britain: tiny.cc/t769001 #dickens #history #literature
Our new podcast is out. From wooden money to “elephant” coins, from shops minting their own money to protesters storming the bank of England, and the troubled origins of paper money. All in our latest History of Money Podcast: tinyurl.com/2f4nazcj #history #money #banks
Born #OTD 1921 Violette Szabo, the second British woman to be awarded the George Cross. On a mission behind enemy lines she saved the life of an allied agent, was captured and murdered in a German camp. Hear her story in our Women and War podcast: tinyurl.com/3r73h9da #history #WW2 #spy
Born #OTD in 1868, Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to the UK Parliament. She refused to take her seat. Find out why in our Women and Protest podcast: tinyurl.com/2p8fek9r #history #radical #politics #protest #ireland #parliament
Tales of dirty history. One of the most coveted jobs for a noble in the court of Henry VIII was the “position” of Groom of the Stool. The man charged with cleaning the king’s substantial posterior. Hear the story in our History of Sewerage Podcast: tinyurl.com/2ys6jpf3 #history #toilets #tudors
Medieval ales were flavoured with wild plants. One was henbane - which is a hallucinogen. Why did they put this in ale? To find out listen to our History of Beer podcast: tinyurl.com/52v2mcuf #history #beer #ale #medievalhistory #herbs #apothecary
Mary Shelley Died #OTD 1851. She endured the death of her mother, children and husband. Her legacy is one of the greatest books of world literature: Frankenstein. Hear the story in our Women and Writing podcast: tinyurl.com/jrcjkwwc #history #writing #frankenstein
Sagacious Pigs were an 18th century sensation. Performing at taverns, side shows and fairs, they would do arithmetic, spell out names and read minds. Hear the story in our Strange Animal Stories Podcast: tinyurl.com/2mcp4ww5 #history #animals #pigs
Charles I was beheaded #OTD 1649. The crowd on Whitehall was shocked into silence. Some dipped their handkerchiefs in the king’s blood. But what happened to the monarch’s head after it was cut off? Find out in our Executed Heads Podcast: tinyurl.com/bde7huj3 #history
