Consistently Eccentric History

This week we are heading back to the world of the Women's Suffrage movement to discuss how a clerical error gave one shopkeeper a chance to vote in a General Election. Having worked her way up to the point where she met the property threshold for a vote (had she been a man) Lilly Maxwell found herself added to the electoral roll for a hastily arranged by-election in Manchester in November 1867. En...

This week we are delving into the world of early Victorian pseudo-medicine with a man who can literally be described as 'a bit of a character.' Born into obscurity near Manchester (possibly), young John Smith (at least we assume that was his name) dreamed of becoming famous throughout the British Isles and beyond. To this end he reinvented himself as 'Baron Spolasco', a doctor who could cure absol...

This week we are viewing the events of 1756 through the editorial decisions of The Gentleman's Magazine. One of the premier publications of Georgian London. Join us as we discuss the criminal inclinations of butchers, the impact of war with France, and the potential pitfalls of bigamy. Guest Hosts: Emma Heathcote & Ollie Green Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are following a tale of transcontinental industrial espionage from the Victorian Era. Robert Fortune was a poor Scots horticulturalist who just so happened to have been born at a time when plant hunting was deemed to be of vital importance to the British Empire. Determined that his last name would not be his only fortune Robert agreed to travel to China to steal the secrets of their t...

This week we have an extra special episode, researched and presented by the birthday girl, Pamela Loetterle. We are talking all about Dr John Donne. Born a Catholic and a child genius, we follow his career, love-life and eventual conversion (by Royal Decree) to become the most famous Anglican preacher of his day... ...who also liked to write saucy poetry. Far more than just the bloke who wrote; 'F...

This week we are talking about a King who was immortalised by Disney, and who was given the nickname 'The Lionheart' due to his prowess in battle. Unfortunately being a king isn't all about battles, and in every other aspect it could be argued that Richard I was sadly lacking. So join us for a story of battles and poor decision making as we discuss the life and times of Richard the Lionheart! (and...

This week we are learning about what happens when a magician tries to apply his skillset in an active war zone with the tale of Jasper Maskelyne. Determined to serve during WWII, Jasper ended up in Cairo where the British were facing off against the tactical might of Rommel in the deserts surrounding the Nile Delta. What follows is a story of increasingly sophisticated (and almost unbelievable) de...

This week Emma is taking the lead to tell the tale of how two brothers took a failing drinking chocolate business from the brink of bankruptcy and made it into a chocolate colossus that still exists to this day. Following their father losing his interest in the Cadbury's factory following the death of his wife, his two young sons George and Richard decided that they would take up the reins and try...

We are back with another episode written and researched by the extremely knowledgeable Pamela Loetterle who wanted to shine a light on one of the forgotten nobles from the Elizabethan / Stuart era, Sir Julius Caesar. The son of immigrants Julius was determined that he would become a man of power, wealth and influence within Court, setting his sights on the position of 'Master of the Rolls.' But as...

This week we are talking about a rare event in British history, a spree shooting. Though it could easily have been two. Barry Williams was a man who struggled to see other people as anything other than objects, and who had a fascination with guns, which is not the best combination. So when he began to get annoyed with his neighbours in the middle 70s, it was only a matter of time before he decided...

This week we are talking about a woman who was forced by circumstance to live in a cave, and made it work. Denounced by her neighbours as a witch, Mother Shipton leaned into the role in order to survive and did such a good job that she is still remembered nearly 500 years later. But what parts of her story are true? Was she actually able to tell the future? And why did it take so long after her de...

We are delving into the world of Elizabethan espionage this week to discuss a displaced Jewish doctor who realised that the way he communicated with his fellow exiles across Europe could just so happen to be turned into a readymade spy network for profit. Quickly rising in influence after leaving his home of Portugal in his 30s, Dr Lopez managed to reach the dizzying heights of personal physician...

For our first 2025 episode we are discussing two separate occasions when whisky* related disasters caused death and destruction within the British Isles. With a brief history of whisky production over the years, explaining how a monopoly of larger distillers was encouraged by the government and how this may have contributed to setting the conditions for the disasters that followed, it is a story o...

This week on Consistently Eccentric we are discussing the life of a poor Georgian woman who enjoyed 15 minutes of fame due to a sensational biography and her willingness to wear pants. When she was abandoned by her husband Hannah Snell decided that she was not going to take it lying down. So (according to her) she borrowed a set of her brother-in-law's clothes and headed off in hot pursuit as 'Jam...

This week we are heading to the Cornish coast to discuss a history of shipwrecks that culminated in a lifeboat disaster that still holds a grim record in the UK. From the initial wreckers of the middle ages, through early attempts to formalise a system of help for stricken sailors, two world wars and the creation of the RNLI. Guest Host: Ollie Green If you like the episode you can support us via K...

This week we are joined by Ang from 'Dissecting Medical History' to discuss the origins of the Third Plague Pandemic, and how everything was made worse by the British. When the plague was threatening the colony of Hong Kong the British Colonial Government had a chance to take decisive action to stop the outbreak in its tracks. All they would have to do would be to impose some restrictions... ... u...

Welcome to season 3 of Consistently Eccentric History! We are coming in hot with the story of Thomas Day and his 'experiment' to try and raise a girl to become his perfect wife. Taking Sabrina from an orphanage at age 12 (under false pretences) he spent the next 6-7 years trying to mould her into becoming the kind of woman that he would want to spend the rest of his life with. Would he succeed? Wh...

This week we are discussing a woman whose advocacy for the wellbeing of children should be much better known; Lady Allen of Hurtwood. Starting out with a passion for plants and a plan to make a career creating beautiful gardens, Marjory Allen became convinced that gardens and green spaces should be a tool for improving the lives of all of the people living in Britain. Becoming one of the leading l...

When setting up a brand new colony it is important to ensure that you have a long term plan. Unfortunately for the convicts being sent to Botany Bay in Australia, it seemed that their ongoing welfare was more of an afterthought. And when the first Governor left and placed the leader of the New South Wales Corps in temporary charge things went downhill fast. Which is always a likely outcome when al...

To commemorate Remembrance Sunday this week we are talking about a man who gave more than most to the British Army, during a career that spanned both world wars. Despite being born in Belgium, Adrian Carton de Wiart's desire to see excitement saw him lying about both his age and nationality in order to fight for the land of his grandmother against the Boers in South Africa. This was the start of a...

This bonus episode is coming to you from long time listener, two time guest host and now first time main host Pamala Loetterle. Because we at Consistently Eccentric are always looking to encourage other people to start their own podcasts and become more successful than we are! A mystery involving animal bones buried in a coffin in London. Pamala has been investigating the why, the who on a tale th...

How frustrated would you feel if you were the first King of a united England, but practically no one knows who you were? This week we will be trying to do our part to address this injustice by talking about the life and times of King Athelstan. A man who took the chances that were presented to him in order to create a brand new country. With a good quota of vikings, many a fortunate death along th...

This week we are discussing the origins and eventual demise of the most successful women's football team of the 20th century. Starting as a way to keep workers motivated in a munitions factory in Preston, the Dick Kerr Ladies quickly developed a reputation as the best team in the country (and specifically as a better team that the French could muster). Their charitable aims and massive crowds shin...

What would you do for love? This week we are discussing a man who had an extreme answer to this question, Samuel Bellamy. When he was told that he was too poor to marry a Cape Codder by the name of Goodie Hallett, Sam decided that he would just have to get rich as quickly as possible. Which (considering his only skill was sailing) naturally led him down the road to piracy. But would he be good at...

When we found out that some people believe the subject of our most recent episode was Jack the Ripper, we at Consistently Eccentric HQ knew that we needed to come together to decide for ourselves if we would be adopting this theory moving forwards. So enjoy a bonus conversation between Joe, Ollie and Emma to determine if cotton merchant James Maybrick was indeed the most notorious criminal of the...