Consistently Eccentric History

It has been a long time, but we are back to the world of true crime this week with the tale of Catherine Hayes, a disgruntled wife who saw a convenient solution to all of her marital problems.... Murder.Hatching a plot alongside not one, but two lovers, Catherine figured that the bustle of London would allow her to get away with bumping off her husband. Just as long as they could quickly get rid of the evidence. After all, no body no crime, right?But even without a formal police force, would Catherine's plan succeed, would she finally get to enjoy her husband's money in the thruple of her dreams? And how exactly do you figure out who a head belongs to before photographs were a thing?Guest Host: Ollie Green

This week we are talking about one of the longest lived of all royals as part of our ongoing series focused on queen consorts of England and the UK. When little Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born at the dawning of the 20th century it would have seemed practically impossible to her family that she would also see the beginning of the 21st, while being one of the most recognisable people in the entire country.It is a story of not following conventions and updating the image of the royal family into the recognisable state it is today, and is one of the few stories we cover where my lifetime overlaps with the subject (which amazed Evie no end.)Guest Host: Evie Heathcote

This week we are meeting Mary Willcocks, a young woman from a poor family who didn't want to accept her lot as a future housewife scraping an existence in a tiny rural village.Armed only with her own sense of self importance and a gift for making up stories, she left for London, determined to make her fortune. Free to reinvent her past she began presenting herself first as a globetrotter and then as a foreigner with a persona that drifted further and further from Britain as time passed.The end result was Princess Caraboo, member of a Javanese royal family who excited the nobility of the small village of Almondsbury.Would Mary be able to keep up her deception? What was her end game? And did she finally get to travel the world as she always wanted? We answer these questions and more.Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

This week we are heading Stateside with a young Welshman who was determined to prove that the continent had been discovered by a Welsh Prince. Convinced that somewhere in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains was a Tribe of Welsh native Americans, John Smith headed out into the wilds with only the clothes on his back and less than two dollars in his pocket. Did he find the tribe? Did he even survive? And what legacy did his adventures leave. Join us to find out.Guest Host: Pamela Lotterle (who you can find on instagram: @porters_rest) a fellow history buff.# Apologies for the sound quality on the episode, we hope the story more than makes up for it #

Deciding what to do with your retirement is always difficult. But for Arthur English an advertisement from Canada provided him with a chance to fulfil a lifelong dream at the age of 48.That lifelong dream was to become an executioner. Donning a fake name and a sharp suit he became the go to guy for hanging prisoners throughout the 1910s and roaring 20s. But would even a former soldier be able to cope with such a stressful job into his old age? It was all likely to be fine, just so long as his wife didn't find out what he was actually doing on his trips away...Guest host: Ollie Green

This week we are discussing a woman who broke multiple glass ceilings in the world of Victorian Science.The daughter of a Jewish Watchmaker, Phoebe Marks couldn't have expected to climb too far socially, however her intelligence, tenacity (and the fact that her aunts just so happened to run a school) allowed her to pursue her love of science and mathematics all the way to Cambridge university.An inventor, a suffragette, and a woman responsible for saving countless thousands of lives on the front lines of WWI. Hertha was a force to be reckoned with no matter what she turned her mind to.Guest Host: Evie Heathcote

Science! This week we are discussing the life and times of one of the most influential scientists of the Georgian era. Henry Cavendish was a man who liked playing with acid much more than spending time with people, and was fortunately rich enough to dedicate his entire life to scientific discovery. Pausing only for his weekly dinner with the Royal Society Henry spent over half a decade dedicating himself to scientific discovery, and was so prolific in his work that he often forgot to write things down.Was he able to avoid ever seeing his housekeeper? What happened if someone wanted to ask him a question? And just how does one go about weighing planet Earth? These questions and more will be answered.Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

All aboard! This week we are going to be sailing with one of the lesser known of Queen Elizabeth's sea dogs. Sir George Somers, a boyhood friend of Sir Walter Raleigh, was a man with almost obscene amounts of luck. Everything he tried his hand at seemed to go well and by his 50s he was a rich and successful landowner, MP and Mayor. However when his old buddy Walter needed someone to lead a fleet to save the Jamestown colony, George answered the call, taking to the seas one last time......what could possibly go wrong?Guest Host: Ollie Green

No more cats! This week we are discussing an inventor/adventurer from Devon whose large family meant he had to get experimental to find ways of feeding them. Originally a wool trader, and probably aware of just how many ships were sinking as global trade increased, John Lethbridge realised that the sea floor was now awash with free money. If only there was a way of getting to it.With a simple plan and more bravery that engineering know how John set out to begin harvesting the ocean floors for profit. Just watch out for the leaks.]Guest Host: Evie Heathcote