Tales From Antiquaria: 19th Century Folklore & Legends

A little while ago I mentioned that I was receiving emails with questions and comments about the show and that if I got enough, I could pull them all together and produce an episode around them. Well, this is that episode, our Summer Listener Special! Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of...

Medieval miracles, Cheshire dragons and the strange tale of a haunted farm house!  This time we're live from The Grange School in Hartford, Cheshire with a recording of Eli's lecture for Northwich and Distrcit Heritage Society from the 21st May, 2026 - The Real Folklore of Cheshire (Decoding Cheshire's Historic Ballads). The stories featured in the lecture are taken from his new boo...

Voices from the sea, druidical sacrifice and the incredible story of the enchanter  of Pengerswick! Its time for part two of Popular Romances of the West of England by Robert Hunt, published by John Camden Hotton of London in 1865. 'On moonlight nights the air has often seemed to be full of sound, and yet the lady's voice was seldom louder than that of a warbling bird. On these occasions...

Nightriders, spriggans and the Mermaid of Padstow! We're back in Cornwall with part one of our wander through Popular Romances of the West of England by Robert Hunt, published by John Camden Hotton of London in 1865. 'When calms rest upon the ocean, and the waves can scarcely form upon the resting waters, still wailings creep along the coast. These are the wailings of this wandering soul...

Preternatural shapeshifters, plague stones and the Grey Man of Bellister! Tonights highlights come from The Denham Tracts , a publication by David Nutt for the Folklore Society in 1895 which brought together a wonderful collection of local pamphlets and tracts published by Michael Aislabie Denham during the middle of the nineteenth century. 'The belief of our credulous ancestry in a female ri...

Local superstitions, magical hands and the witches of the Northwest; its our second part exploring Lancashire Folklore, the collection wrote in collaboration between John Harland & T.T. Wilkinson, published in 1867. 'The cows of her neighbours were constantly milked by her - the pitcher in which she conveyed the stolen milk away, walking before her in the shape of a goose. Under this disg...

Boggarts, ancient cyphers and miraculous footprints! Welcome to episode 13, part one of our journey through Lancashire Folklore , written by John Harland and Thomas Turner Wilkinson and published by Frederick Warn & Co of Covent Garden in 1867. 'The boys at the Burnley Grammar School are said to have succeeded on one occasion in raising the Devil. They repeated the Lord's Prayer back...

The Banshee, the dance of the dead and eagles that fly you to the moon! Its the final part of three with Lady ‘Speranza’ Wilde's 1887 work, Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland. 'Sometimes the Banshee assumes the form of some sweet singing virgin of the family who died young. Or she may be seen at night as a shrouded woman, crouched beneath the trees, lamenting wit...

Leprechauns, midnight rides and the doom of the priests! Its part two of our journey across Ireland with Lady ‘Speranza’ Wilde's 1887 work, Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland. 'But as to the pot of gold, from that day to this not one of the family, father, or son, or any belonging to them, ever set eyes on it. However, the little Leprechaun still sits under the d...

Horned witches, friendly werewolves and vengeful fairies! We're off to Ireland and the first of three episodes we'll be spending there exploring Lady ‘Speranza’ Wilde's 1887 work, Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland. 'And so the knocks went on, and the call was heard, and the witches entered, until at last twelve women sat round the fire; the first with...

Fields of fire, witchcraft and a fortune found in the fairy realm! It's part two of Sidney Oldall Addy's 1895 folk tale collection, Household Tales and Traditional Remains. 'Now when the weaver came back from Newark the children told him about the cat. So he watched all night in an old lumber-room, for the cat came in and went out through a broken pane in the window. One night the c...

Enchanted mountains, the bewitching of puddings and high jinks in the Bonehouse - we've not covered anything quite like this yet! It's Sidney Oldall Addy's 1895 folk tale collection, Household Tales and Traditional Remains. 'Now Kate knew that if you put the ball inside the ring and wished something your wish would be granted. When the giant had got well into the water, Kate sl...

Sword dancers, shapeshifting goblins and an ancient mythological worm! What a way to bring in the year! This time it's Sir Cuthbert Sharp's 1834 collection The Bishoprick Garland of Durham. 'This poor goblin, whose pranks were otherwise perfectly harmless, was at length banished by the usual expedient of presenting him with a suit of clothes. A green cloak and a hood were laid befor...

King Arthur, Christian saints and very un-christian Druids! Let's explore our earliest collection to date, George W Manby's 1801 work, The History and Antiquities of the Parish of St Davids. 'Although the life of Saint David will come within the class of its bishops, yet it may not be improper, in this place, to give some few features of this venerable, august , and renowned charact...

A little festive themed episode to see out 2025 with some Lancashire traditions of Christmas and New Year taken from Lancashire Folklore by John Harland & T.T. Wilkinson, published in 1867 by Frederick Warne & Co of Covent Garden. There will be two full episodes on this title later in the new year. Wishing all listeners a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! See you in 2026! Tales Fr...

Goblins, fairies and haunted Tudor manors! This is part two of Charlotte Sophia Burne's 1883 collection, A Sheaf of Gleanings . ' Dun you mean little things as come in the night-time, and sing, and whistle, and make music, and dance on the commons and such places? Fairies, they call 'em. I’ve heard o’them, but I never knew any one see ’em.' Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast de...

Giants, Divination and Witchcraft! Welcome to part one of Charlotte Sophia Burne's 1883 collection, A Sheaf of Gleanings . 'Lasses still use it to discover true lovers, thus, place a key in a Bible at the text Ruth 15–16, tie it firmly with the inquirer's left garter, let two persons rest the projecting ends of the key on their forefingers, and both book and key will turn over when...

Divine intervention, low moral tones and the King of England! Welcome to Bygone Derbyshire , the 1892 work by William Andrews. 'The old judicial superstitions that the wounds of a murdered man shed forth fresh gore at the touch of the murderer, doubtless terrified many a guilty wretch into the confession of his crime'. Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy...

Lost cities, mermaids, haunted houses and a whole swathe of superstition! This episode is Cornish Feasts and Folklore from Margaret Ann Courtney, published in 1890. 'The pellars wore formerly magical rings, with a blue stone in them, said to have been formed by snakes breathing on hazel-twigs. Our country-people often searched for these stones.' Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicat...

Spectacular natural phenomena, sundials made of ice and stories of a headless horseman! John Sleigh’s 1862 collection, A History of the Ancient Parish of Leek is the subject of our maiden episode! ‘An old witch of the Frith used to transform herself into the shape of a hare, and allow Mr. Wood’s dogs to course her, for the sake of a small gratuity usually given to her husband, who would discreetly...