In 1854, the twenty-five year old aristocrat Roger Tichborne, heir to an impressive fortune, died in a shipwreck ....Or did he? His mother, certain of her son’s survival, advertised extensively with a tantalising reward for her son’s return. Twenty years later a rough, corpulent butcher from Australia named Arthur Orton arrived in Europe and declared himsel ... Show More
Oct 18
715. King Arthur: The Mysteries of Merlin (Part 3)
What are the origins of Merlin, the powerful wizard and King Arthur’s advisor? Who was Geoffrey of Monmouth, and what role did he play in evolving the tales of Arthur and the Round Table? And, was Merlin based on a real historical figure from the Saxon invasion of Britain in the ... Show More
1h 4m
Oct 11
713. King Arthur: The Once & Future King (Part 1)
What is the historical truth behind the tales of King Arthur, Britain’s greatest myth? When did these stories begin, and with whom? And, is Arthur’s apocalyptic last battle based on an English historical reality from the 15th century? Join Tom and Dominic as they launch into one ... Show More
1h 11m
May 2016
A Victorian murder and a ship that made history
Kate Summerscale, author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, tells us about her new book, which investigates another shocking 19th-century crime. Meanwhile, Andrew Lambert guides us around the famous clipper Cutty Sark, a ship that raced around the world as part of the lucrative Vic ... Show More
59m 51s
Dec 2024
The Case of the Missing Aristocrat | Mother Knows Best | 1
It’s 1865, and butcher Arthur Orton is living in poverty in Australia. Then he hears about a reward for information on England’s ninth richest nobleman, Sir Roger Tichborne, who's been missing for several years. So Arthur comes up with an audacious plan. All he has to do is fool ... Show More
51m 59s
Jul 2022
Haunting Tales of a Victorian Crime- The Ghost of Fanny Adams
<p>Alton in Hampshire, England, is home to a particular tragic and haunting story. A story that captured newspapers and imaginations at the time and would go on to create macabre words and phrases that are still used today but for whom few know the dark, etymological root. < ... Show More
14m 22s
Nov 2024
Lord Lucan: the vanishing earl
On 7 November, 1974, nanny Sandra Rivett was found murdered in the affluent London neighbourhood of Belgravia. The prime suspect? The father of her young charges, Lord Lucan. But before the aristocrat could be questioned, he vanished, sparking one of the greatest cause célèbres o ... Show More
34m 35s
Nov 2019
E172: “The 4 Euston Square Mystery” Pt. 1
On May 9, 1879, a body is found in the coal cellar of a boarding house at 4 Euston Square in London. The investigation into the body's identity takes detectives on a long, twisted journey into the dark underbelly of the victim’s former life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi ... Show More
38m 53s
Sep 2020
E214: Edward & Richard, The Two Princes in the Tower Pt. 1
In 1483, two princes got caught in the center of a bloody war for the throne of England—and became one of the biggest murder mysteries in British history. After the princes' uncle realized they were the only thing standing between him and his life-long quest for the crown, he loc ... Show More
42m 55s