Dark Histories Podcast By Ben Cutmore cover art

Dark Histories

Dark Histories

By: Ben Cutmore
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Fortnightly narratives on the unsolved and the unexplained, mysteries, historical true crime, touches of the paranormal and cultural peculiarities.Copyright © Ben Cutmore . All rights reserved. World
Episodes
  • The Witches of Warboys

    The Witches of Warboys
    Mar 17 2026
    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 local gentry began suffering from strange illnesses. Suspicion of witchcraft quickly spread amongst the community, and one neighbouring family found themselves accused by a local population that was searching for explanations in an environment of fear and superstition, forcing ordinary, everyday events to become evidence of something much darker.SOURCES Man, Thomas & Winnington, John (1593) The Most Strange and Admirable Discovery of the Three Witches of Warboys. Widow Orwin, London, UK. Almond, Philip C. (2008) The Witches of Warboys. I. B. Taurus, 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The 19th Century West Ham Vanishings

    The 19th Century West Ham Vanishings
    Mar 3 2026
    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 something much darker. West Ham, and in particular, a single road within the district, became the scene for a series of unusual disappearances that took place over more than a decade, as young girls were vanished away from the streets, never to be seen again. At least until one was found dead and stuffed into a cupboard in an empty house.SOURCES Bondeson, Jan (2016) Rivals of The Ripper: Unsolved Murders of Women in Late Victorian London. Gloucester History Press. UK. London Daily Chronicle (1881) Disappearance Of A Girl. London Daily Chronicle, Thurs 21 April, 1881, p6. London, UK. Tower Hamlets Independent and East End Local Advertiser (1881) Another Mysterious Disappearance. Tower Hamlets Independent and East End Local Advertiser, Sat 23 April, 1881, p3. London, UK. Birmingham Mail (1881) The Mysterious Disappearance Of Girls. Birmingham Mail, Wed 1 June, 1881, p3. Birmingham, UK. Chelmsford Chronicle (1881) Stratford. Chelmsford Chronicle, Fri 13 May, 1881, p3. London, UK. London Evening Standard (1882) Disappearance Of A Girl. London Evening Standard, Tues 31 Jan 1882, p2. London, UK. London Evening Standard (1882) The Missing Girl Carter. London Evening Standard, Tues 7 Feb 1882, p5. London, UK. Selby Times (1882) The Disappearance Of Two Girls From West Ham. Selby Times, Fri 10 Feb 1882, p3. Leeds, UK. Penny Illustrated Paper (1882) The Mysterious Disappearance Of Eliza Carter From West Ham. Penny Illustrated Paper, Sat 18 Feb 1882, p7. London, UK. Daily News (1884) Unpunished Crimes - Disappearance Of Eliza Carter. Daily News, Tues 12 Feb 1884, p3. London, UK. Morning Advertiser (1890) Stratford. Morning Advertiser, Mon 3 Feb 1890, p7. London, UK. Ripon Observer (1890) Opening Of The Inquest. Ripon Observer, Thurs 20 Feb 1890, p6. Ripon, UK. The Guernsey Star (1890) The West Ham Murder. The Guernsey Star, Sat 22 Feb 1890, p2. Guernsey. Illustrated Police News (1890) Horrible Crime At West Ham. Illustrated Police News, Sat 22 Feb 1890, p2. London, UK. Illustrated Police News (1890) The Missing Keys Found. Illustrated Police News, Sat 24 May 1890, p2. 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • George Psalmanazar, The Man From Formosa

    George Psalmanazar, The Man From Formosa
    Feb 17 2026
    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. Calling himself George Psalmanazar, and claiming to be a native of far-off Formosa, where people lived in underground houses and dined on human meat. He translated scriptures into a language no one had ever heard and tutored missionaries in the customs and culture of his country. But the greatest fiction wasn’t his island at all, it was Psalmanazar himself. And for a while, the world believed every dazzling word.SOURCES Psalmanazar, George (1704) An Historical & Geographical Description of Formosa. London, UK. Psalmanazar, George (1764) Memoirs of ****. Commonly Known by the Name of George Psalmanazar, a Reputed Native of Formosa. London, UK. Keevak, Michael (2001) The Pretended Asian. Wayne State University Press. USA Foley, Frederic (1968) The Great Formosan Imposter. St. Louis Jesuit Historical Institute, USA. ------ 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 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
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    49 mins

Featured Article: The Best History Podcasts of All Time


If you’re a history buff looking for a new podcast to check out, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the array of options available. There are literally thousands of podcasts focusing on every corner of history. To help you know where to start, we’ve waded through nearly everything out there and selected just a few of the best of the best in history podcasts. And we've divided them by categories and interests. You’re sure to find your next favorite listen in our list.

Featured Article The Best History Podcasts of All Time
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I LOVE this podcast and listen to episode after episode while I work at the point his voice is my internal narrator. Excellent stories!!

This voice now narrates my dream...

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Not much for podcasts for several reasons, but mostly because so many feel rushed with too many irritating voices that aren't made for radio, much less a podcast. Ben's narration and style is hands down the best I've ever heard on radio or any podcast. He crafts fun, interesting, scary and sometimes macabre stories filled with rich detail that paints a truly vivid picture for some of history's odd yet fascinating tales. His style hearkens back to radio before television, which was long before my time; however I've seen and heard enough about those times to understand the importance of telling a good story. The comfort derived in those days by families and friends gathered around the radio to hear good storytelling is something of a lost art. Podcasting has attempted to bring this back through a different medium, but sadly most fail to deliver anything compelling. And even when it's compelling the person's narrative style or not made for radio or podcasting voice ruins the experience. Obviously Ben has a passion for the subject matter and moreover, telling a good story. He deserves to have an immensely popular podcast given the quality of both content and style. I rarely, if ever, write reviews, but felt I should here, given how much I enjoy it. Since I started following about two months ago, I believe I've listened to almost all of the episodes. Until finding this podcast I've avoided most and had nearly zero interest. Keep up the good work Ben! And although I know it's quite the common phrase in the UK, you should make "let's crack on" your signature line.

Best podcast voice hands down

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Deeply researched, richly presented, intellectual, dark enough for my black heart with wrapups diffusing grimness.

Just Right!

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Always an interesting story here. Interesting also to find how history does seem to repeat itself. Just good stories. Some are just plain creepy.

Great podcast

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Really Love this Podcast…Very interesting and easy to listen to and learn. Podcaster seems real..not as awkward and stiff as some…I feel like I’m listening to my friend tell me a story that I can rely on to be well researched. Awesome podcast Ben Cutmore!!

Awesome

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