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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 # Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

150 Episodes of Consistently Eccentric History! After nearly four years of talking about the weirder bits of history I have finally relented and agreed to give Emma a full episode of nothing but cats cats cats. Specifically a motley collection of eight moggys who have held the prestigious role of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office over the past nearly 100 years. It is a story full of scandal which is at times equal parts tragedy and farce. We hope you enjoy, and here's to the next 150! Guest Host: Emma Heathcote *This episode was written with the help of Magic Mind productivity shots. To learn more about how Magic Mind can help you increase focus and beat procrastination you can go to: www.magicmind.com* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are looking at how the English were out of sync with the rest of Europe for nearly 200 years because of a refusal to accept that a pope might be right about something. The history of identifying where in the yearly cycle you are is an interesting one and, for the most part, one that has been defined by a move to ever greater accuracy over the centuries. That was until a minor adjustment was suggested by the Vatican, at which point the Anglican Bishops decided that being approximately right was good enough. Join us as we discover how England was finally able to sync up. Why the tax year begins on April 6th and how the hell you actually calculate Easter. Guest Host: Ollie Green This episode was written with the help of Magic Mind, a productivity shot to boost energy and focus and help you to overcome procrastination. To learn more visit www.magicmind.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are talking about a princess born in the midst of a civil war and whose future plans had to change on an almost yearly basis. Despite the constant uncertainty, the potential marriages to foreign princes and the deaths of most of her family members, Elizabeth of York managed to remain in England and eventually managed to help end the war with the power of love.... .... well, arranged marriage at least. Guest Host: Evie Heathcote Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are talking about a man who dealt with his grief in a particularly extreme manner. Former petty London Criminal Edward Low was a man of extremes, which is why he responded to the untimely death of his wife by becoming a pirate and engaging on a three year campaign of death and destruction. Capable of extreme cruelty which he would justify with a very idiosyncratic moral code Ned Low provided the exclamation mark to the end of the golden age of Piracy and has gone down in history as the most bloodthirsty pirate who has ever existed. So join us for a tale of badly named ships, questionable cooking techniques and blood, blood, blood! Guest Host: Emma Heathcote Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are over in the North East of England today to meet a radical preacher and sometime asylum inhabitant, Jonathan Martin. A man who was never backwards in coming forwards about his views on the state of the Christian Church. Born into a nomadic family, Jonathan consoled himself by convincing himself that his life would be in service of a greater purpose. While this allowed him to cope with extreme situations it also lead to him developing a very singular moral compass which at times brought him into direct conflict with the authorities. So join us as we follow him over the high seas and into conflict with multiple long-suffering vicars toward his ultimate, god-directed purpose. Just remember to hid the guns.... Guest Host: Ollie Green Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A day late but with double the content, this week we are discussing two sisters who married the King of England (luckily it was not the same king each time, or we might have needed a Jerry Springer style intervention) in order to shore up the position of their father Charles, the mad king of France. However despite both Isabella and Catherine doing the dutiful thing it was a later decision by Catherine to marry a simple Welsh Knight that would actually have the most long reaching impact on British History. Guest Host: Evie Heathcote Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A day late but with double the content, this week we are discussing two sisters who married the King of England (luckily it was not the same king each time, or we might have needed a Jerry Springer style intervention) in order to shore up the position of their father Charles, the mad king of France. However despite both Isabella and Catherine doing the dutiful thing it was a later decision by Catherine to marry a simple Welsh Knight that would actually have the most long reaching impact on British History. Guest Host: Evie Heathcote Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are delving into the murky world of espionage during the interwar years, with a tale about a man who took advantage of the fact that the emerging intelligence services were not actually sure how to run a spy network effectively. Arthur Owens, a Welshman with a chip on his shoulder, was a man who wanted money and was not in the least bit concerned about the amount of treason he might need to commit to get it. Flip flopping wildly between the British and the Nazi's he somehow managed to convince both sides that he was just about useful enough to not shoot in the face... But was he able to keep up his double dealing once WWII kicked off and the stakes were raised? Guest Host: Emma Heathcote Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our first episode of 2024 we are talking about a son of William the Conqueror who couldn't help but to sabotage his own chances of inheriting all the lands his father had fought for Robert Curthose, the oldest son and heir to William, was a young man with a chip on his shoulder. This was partly due to his derogatory nickname, but also due to the fact that his father made it clear that he wasn't willing to give him any responsibilities. Unfortunately it turned out that his father was right to keep Robert as far away from the administration of his kingdoms as possible... ...but at least he was relatively good at hitting other people with his sword. Guest Host: Ollie Green Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our first episode of 2024 we are talking about a son of William the Conqueror who couldn't help but to sabotage his own chances of inheriting all the lands his father had fought for Robert Curthose, the oldest son and heir to William, was a young man with a chip on his shoulder. This was partly due to his derogatory nickname, but also due to the fact that his father made it clear that he wasn't willing to give him any responsibilities. Unfortunately it turned out that his father was right to keep Robert as far away from the administration of his kingdoms as possible... ...but at least he was relatively good at hitting other people with his sword. Guest Host: Ollie Green Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No official episode this week as we are busy celebrating the holidays. However for those of you who love to know what goes on behind the scenes, please enjoy this bonus conversation with Jack when we stumble upon the story of the first official transatlantic swim attempt. See you for more official new episodes in 2024. Guest Host: Jack Heathcote Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.