Alexander Selkirk: Who was the real Robi...

This 2022 episode covers Helen Duncan, sometimes described inaccurately as Scotland’s last witch, or the last person imprisoned for witchcraft in Britain, or the last person to be tried under the UK’s 1735 Witchcraft Act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Tracy shares her surprise at discovering some of the details of Montague Summers's life. Holly talks about bickering within the Society for Psychical Research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Major Edward Moor reported strange bell ringing at his home in Great Bealings in 1834. Was it a poltergeist, a hoax, or something else? Research: Briggs, Stacia, and Siofra Connor. “Weird Suffolk: Poltergeist activity at Great Bealings.” East Anglia Daily Times. Feb. 1, 2019. htt ... Show More

Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe is one of the most widely published books in history. This story of a man stranded alone on an island is said to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. But who was Defoe’s inspiration for creating one of the best-known ... Show More

<p>Was Robinson Crusoe real? According to the book it was 'written by himself'.</p><p>To establish the facts, Matthew Parris is joined by two notable desert island survivors to discuss Crusoe’s life and strange adventures, during 28 years on an uninhabited island near the mouth o ... Show More

This is a taster episode from our sister show, Short History Of… which is also hosted by John Hopkins. Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe is one of the most widely published books in history. This story of a man stranded alone on an island is said to be second only to the ... Show More

<p>Today we dive into the little-known true story of American castaways abandoned on the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812 ― a tale of treachery, shipwreck, isolation and a desperate struggle for survival.</p><br><p>In this fascinating episode, best-selling author Eric Jay ... Show More

William Kidd, a respectable Scottish privateer during the late 17th century, tasked with hunting down pirates on the orders of a murky cabal of British aristocrats, but with the crown’s blessing, finds himself and his crew frustrated by the absence of pirates in the waters off Ma ... Show More

Captain Every led his men in a revolt that brought them to the far side of the world. Now it was time to make their fortune — and escape before England caught up with them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

In December 1900 three lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace from a deserted island in Scotland. To this day no one knows exactly what happened to them. Find out all about this strange situation in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence impoverished in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar? Listen and find out. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpo ... Show More

In 1808, an American merchant ship happened upon an uncharted island in the South Pacific and unwittingly solved the biggest nautical mystery of the era: the whereabouts of a band of fugitives who, after seizing their vessel, had disappeared into the night with their Tahitian com ... Show More