Dark Histories

Early America & The Savage Crimes of the Harpe Brothers

In the years following the American Revolution, when the country was still uncertain of itself and the frontier was still a place of violence, two brothers carved out a s

The Grafton, The Invercauld and the The Multiple Wrecks of the Auckland Islands

In the winter of 1864, two ships met their fate on one of the most remote and unforgiving stretches of the Southern Ocean. The Grafton and the Invercauld were wrecked tho

Summer Break - Charlotte Riddell: The Open Door

Hey Everyone! here is a little episode to tide us over til next week when I'll be back to the usual posting schedule. I took a short, mid-season break to sort some bits a

William Heirens & The Lipstick Killer

In the early twentieth century, Chicago was a city already familiar with violence and corruption, but in 1946, a new case hit the headlines that introduced a whole new le

The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley

In an era when medicine was still finding its footing, John Romulous Brinkley built an empire on impossible cures, relentless ambition, and astonishing lack of a moral co

Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers

The early modern period was a rocky time for religion across Europe, fundamental pinnings of everyday life were being questioned and changing, as the reformation shifted

The Unsavoury Tale of the Maryland Snallygaster

In the fall of 1909, a strange fear settled over the hills and farms of Maryland. Newspapers carried reports of a monstrous winged creature said to stalk the countryside

Mary Pearcey & The Hampstead Tragedy

In 1890, the murders of Phoebe Hogg and her infant daughter in Hampstead became one of the most widely reported criminal cases of the Victorian period. The investigation

Amazing Stories & The Shaver Mystery

In 1945, the end of the second world war was approaching, atom bombs were on the way, and science fiction felt more like speculative prophecies than adventure stories. In

BONUS: 10 Year Q+A

Hey everyone! Here is there first of the bonus episodes I have lined up to go along with the 10 year anniversary of Dark Histories! Thanks so much if you asked a question

The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDui

High in the mist-shrouded Cairngorms, where the winter wind bites like a vice, lies the domain of a long-spoken, unsettling presence. For over a hundred years, the climbe

The Ghost Ship Carroll A. Deering

In January 1921, a five-masted schooner was discovered run aground off the coast of North Carolina with no crew aboard and no clear signs of struggle. Personal belongings

The Witches of Warboys

In the late 16th century, in the small village of Warboys, just outside Cambridge, everyday life was unsettled by growing fear and uncertainty, when family members of the

The 19th Century West Ham Vanishings

The East London district of West Ham might be best known globally for the football team of the same name, but in the late 19th century, the area became famous for somethi

George Psalmanazar, The Man From Formosa

In the early 1700s, when maps still had blank spaces and “here be dragons” felt like a reasonable warning, a stranger arrived in Europe with a fantastic story to tell. Ca

George Joseph Smith: The Case of the Brides in the Bath

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

The Curious Case of Edgar Vandy

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 findin

Christmas Campfire 2025 (Part 2)

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 f

Christmas Campfire 2025 (Part 1)

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

The Spirit of Old Jeffery: John Wesley & The Epworth Poltergeist

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 R