Dark Histories

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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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

In 1933 when a young, London inventor died under suspicious circumstances, his two surviving brothers turned to the talents of spiritualist mediums in the hopes of finding some answers to the many questions they had following the wholly satisfying inquest. Over a period of six months, the two men sat for several well known mediums, but by the end of it all, were given no hard answers to any of the bigger matters; Exactly who had been with him at the time of his death, and how had it come about? If anything, they were only asked a new question; Were any of the details given by the mediums to be trusted at all?SOURCES Gay, Kathleen (1957). The case of Edgar Vandy. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 39, 2-61. London, UK. Mackenzie, Andrew (1970) The unexplained; some strange cases in psychical research. Abelard Schumann, London, UK. ​​Keen, M. (2002). The case of Edgar Vandy: Defending the evidence. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 66, 247-59. London, UK. West Ham & South Essex Mail (1912) Funeral of Mr G.H Vandy. West Ham & South Essex Mail, Fri 7 June 1912, p8.  London, UK. Liverpool Daily Post (1967) The Unexplained. Liverpool Daily Post, Mon 6 Feb 1967, p9. Liverpool, UK. BBC (1975) Leap in the Dark. [Video] https://youtu.be/_9LrYSWaDxY?si=pdJCgxyv7j0ziQTU. BBC, London, UK. Sussex Express (1933) Bathing Fatality At Nutley. Sussex Express, Fri 11 Aug 1933, p5. Sussex, 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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

Happy New Year! Here is part two of the Christmas Campfire for 2025, though I guess it's more of a New Years Campfire! I hope you enjoy it, it's been another great year for the Christmas Campfire and a huge thank you for everyone for taking part and being brave enough to put there stories out there for our entertainment! I'll be back in January for Season 10, but until then, Happy New Year, wishing you all the very best xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Christmas Eve, so it must be time for the Christmas Campfire! Thank you so much to everyone that submitted their stories this year, it's been another great year for entires and there's plenty enough for two episodes. I'll release the second part sometime after Christmas and before the New Year when I return home after visiting family and whatnot. I hope you enjoy this episode, and have a wonderful Christmas! Best wishes to you and all your loved ones! Ben xx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the Christmas of 1716, during a time of political tension and uncertainty in England, strange events began to trouble Epworth Rectory. After nightfall, the home of Reverend Samuel Wesley was disturbed by unexplained sounds. Soft footsteps thumped in hallways, as dull thuds knocked on the  walls and door latches rattled in their housings. The Wesley family spoke cautiously of a presence they called Old Jeffrey, an unseen force that seemed intent on making itself known. Whether trick, imagination, or something darker, the disturbances unsettled the household for only a short time, but held a potential influence that would be felt centuries later, through the beliefs of the son, John Wesley, who would later go on to be a founding member of the Methodist church. SOURCES Southey, Robert (1904) The Life of John Wesley. Hutchinson & Co. London, UK. Tomkins, Stephen (2003) John Wesley: A Biography. Lion Books, Oxford, UK. Wesley, John (1784) The Haunting of Epworth Rectory: An Account of the Disturbances in my Father's House. The Arminian Magazine, No.7, 1784, London, 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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