Consistently Eccentric History

This week we are heading to my hometown of Southport to discuss Dr Robert Clements. A man who saw marriage as a means of improving his bank balance, and who was willing to 'divest' himself of his wife as soon as the money ran out.While you would think that this would arouse suspicion, Dr Clements was able to point to the death certificates, which stated that his wives just kept dying of obscure medical conditions, as proof that he was just unlucky in love... Of course he did sign those death certificates himself, but that is beside the point.So join us for a tale of greed, abuse of power and murder most foul from the first half of the 20th century.Guest Host (and Southport resident): Jack HeathcoteJack also has a book out: INKLING, which can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4335276473/inkling-collectors-1st-edition-bundle

This week we are getting spooky in Scotland, with the tale of how a volcanic eruption may have contributed to the country's last mass witchcraft trial.When little Christian Shaw began experiencing fits, she was soon able to convince her parents that the cause was infernal, leading to every odd character in the area falling under suspicion of working for the devil.But surely no one was actually going to be killed based on the say so of an 11 year old girl... Right?Guest Host: Ollie Green

Get ready for another extra special episode from friend of the show Pam Loetterle!This time she is bringing us the tale of John St. John Long, a handsome Irishman who decided that actually studying medicine should not be a requirement for becoming a doctor.Instead he swapped a promising career illustrating medical books for one as a top medical professional in London. Though to be fair he did streamline his approach by offering only one cure regardless of what ailment he was faced with.So join us as we discuss his rise to fame, his patented panacea, and how the side effects eventually landed him in a spot of bother.Guest Presenter: Pam Loetterle

This week (on the hottest day of the year) we are talking about Joseph Pocklington. A man with a dream to become an architect, and who was fortunate enough to have enough money to make that dream a reality despite a complete lack of skill.Creating a series of questionable buildings across Nottinghamshire, Joseph then set his sights on the Lake District. However, he found that the locals were a bit less tolerant of his 'beautification' of the area.Given the moniker: 'The Man With No Taste', Joseph knew he needed to do something big to win over the people of Cumbria......But fortunately he had already built a fort complete with a gun battery on his own personal island, so the solution seemed obvious.Guest Host: (A very hot) Emma Heathcote

As we end our series on Robert Clive we discuss his second attempt to break into UK politics and the results of his governorship of Bengal... It turns out that trying to reform corrupt business practices is much harder if everyone knows that those practices are precisely how you made your fortune. But as the EIC responsibilities in India grew way beyond what they were capable of managing and profits began to drop (along with up to 1/3 of the population of Bengal) there was a growing call for someone to take the blame.Would Clive be able to survive with his fortune in tact, and how would he be remembered to history?Guest Host: Ollie Green

This week we are taking a quick break from Robert Clive to mark the beginning of Wimbledon by talking about the most interesting of the early champions, Charlotte 'Lottie' Dod. Due to the success of her father's cotton business Lottie knew that she would never have to work a day in her life, and didn't particularly need a husband. With the freedom to do whatever she chose, Lottie decided to focus all her energy on the world of Sport, spending three decades of her life competing at the highest level.But while most people would be content to be a champion in one sport, Lottie was always ready to try something new, resulting in a multi-sport career that will potentially never be matched.Guest Host: Evie Heathcote

Strap in for the first ever Consistently Eccentric episode written and hosted by Evie!We are heading back to the Georgian era to discuss the life and achievements of Anna Atkins, a botanist with a passion for reproducing what she saw in the natural world, first as illustrations and then with chemicals.Just be careful not to tire yourself out, as apparently that can be rather dangerous.Guest Presenter: Evie Heathcote

We are returning to our tale of Robert Clive, picking back up with his return to England as a celebrity and the way he managed to blow through a fortune in only two years.Luckily the East India Company were more than happy to welcome him back with open arms, provided he agree to settle down into the life of an administrator in Madras......so naturally part two features pirates, political coups and lots of battles, fought in the traditional Robert Clive manner: All attack, all the time.But will Robert be able to revive his fortune? Will he finally lose a fight? And how big a bribe should you extort from your puppet rulers?We answer all these questions and more!Guest Host: Ollie Green

We are heading back to the Georgian era this week to begin the tale of a man who is arguably the single person most responsible for the British taking control of the Indian subcontinent for nearly 200 years.But how did the son of a minor country gentleman end up wielding such enormous power and influence? In this first part of the story of Robert Clive we will reflect on the trauma of his childhood and how this influenced his worldview. And how he found himself in the perfect place to quickly rise in the military ranks. Guest Host: Ollie Green