The BackTracker History Show

The SS Great Western Season:  5 Episode: 19 ​The SS Great Western was at the time the fastest way to cross the Atlantic Ocean. This meant that passengers could get from England to New York much faster. Thus emigrating to America would have been quicker for our ancestors. Now, there's a £20m scheme to bring the SS Great Western back to life! THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited...

Bristol's Last Execution Season:  5 Episode: 18 On December 17, 1963, the last judicial execution in our city marked the conclusion of a lengthy era of local executions. Russell Pascoe, aged 23, met his fate at Horfield Prison, Bristol, whilst his accomplice Dennis Whitty, 22, was simultaneously executed at Winchester prison. Their crime was a senseless murder of reclusive farmer William Garf...

Bristol's WW1 Heroes Season:  5 Episode: 17 World War I commenced on July 28, 1914, spanning four years of intense conflict. and many men in Bristol and the surrounding area enlisted to help the cause but because this war ushered in a new era of warfare, marked by the utilisation of advanced weaponry and machinery across land, sea, and air, there was an unprecedented number of casualties and...

The Lemonade Murder Season:  5 Episode: 16 Kind and generous Ethel Worth was alone at home when Edward Woodfield came over. She thought he was going to repay her the money she'd loaned him, but he had other ideas. Find out more about this opportunist crime and what happened next. CAST J. D. Casswell. K.C (Defence) - Steve Sheperd Edward Isaac Woodfield - Steve Yeo Mr John Maude. K.C (Prosecut...

St Peter's Hospital: Workhouse and Asylum Season:  5 Episode: 15 Situated between St Peter's churchyard and the River Avon, the building occupied a strategic location. Tragically, on the fateful night of November 24, 1940, the entire area fell victim to devastating bombing raids. If you'd walked the narrow roads before the raids though, you would have come across a 14th century manor house. t...

James Holloway & The Rye House Plot Season:  5 Episode: 14 In May 1684, authorities in Bristol received a package from London. They never dreamed that it would be the head dismembered body of a Bristolian linen draper. James was hard working and strove to make the most of his business but during his endeavours, he begad mixing with a crowd who had other plans on their minds. That of removing...

The Stroud Paricide Season:  5 Episode: 13 The murder of James Wyndham on October 19th 1893, shocked the local community and garnered significant media attention due to the family's prominent position in the area. What made it even more sensational was the fact that he was murdered by his own son. CAST Clerk of Arraigns - Joe Wilson Frederick Wyndham - Steve Yeo Mr. Justice Cave (Judge) - Ste...

Samuel Plimsoll: The Sailor's Friend Season:  5 Episode: 12 Samuel Plimsoll was a British politician and social reformer who lived from 1824 to 1898. He is primarily remembered for his efforts to improve the safety of seafaring vessels and the conditions of sailors during the 19th century. CAST Samuel Plimsoll - Molly Jefferies Vanity Fair Article - Sam Roberts THIS PODCAST This podcast has b...

The Murdering Cousin Season:  5 Episode: 11 Cyril Victor Tennyson Saunders a former lance corporal in the Royal Engineers and he had been in a relationship with his cousin, Dorothy May Saunders, nicknamed Bubbles, for two years and they had plans to marry. After a pregnancy scare and the death of her father, Dorothy changed her mind about marriage. Cyril was devastated and vowed to get her to...

R.N.L.I: Celebrating 200 Years Season:  5 Episode: 10 In Part Two of our celebration of this national institution, we take a look at some of the biggest rescues they have been a part in, the SS Suevic in 1907 and the S.S Rohilla in 1914. We also take a look at the latest statistics released as well as talk to current volunteers from the Portishead Lifeboat station. CAST 'Little Ships of Dunki...

200th Anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Season:  5 Episode: 9 In total, across the UK and Ireland, 146,452 lives have been saved by the RNLI – this equates to an average of two lives saved every day for 200 years.  Founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks, the R...

The Babbacombe Murder Mystery (Part Two) Season:  5 Episode: 8 Saturday, the 15th February 1884 saw the fateful murder of 68 year old, Emma Anne Whitehead Keyse at The Glen in Babbacombe in Devon. All the evidence pointed to just one suspect, 21 year old John Henry George Lee, the Butler and general handyman. Listen to the account of his trial and discover what made this particular crime stan...

The Babbacombe Murder Mystery (Part One) Season:  5 Episode: 7 Emma Anne Whitehead Keyse was a single lady of 68 years old. She was born in Edmonton, London, in 1816. She lived at The Glen with four helpers. One of them was John Lee, who did various jobs. Elizabeth Harris was the cook, and she had asked Emma to give her half-brother, John Lee, a job a few months before. The other helpers were...

Valentine's Day Special Season:  5 Episode: 6 Valentine's Day is steeped in history, but what exactly do you know about it? In this special episode, we take a look at this unusual holiday and an even closer look at the Valentine card, commonly used to express love and affection. Did you know that there used to be an alternate though? CAST Duke of Orleans - Steve Sheperd Ophelia - Sam Roberts...

Reginald Burt: A Soldier's Regret Season:  5 Episode: 5 Whilst he was away serving in the army, Reginald Burt’s wife, Lily, was having a baby by another man. He did everything to save his marriage, offering to adopt the baby, but in the end, something snapped. CAST Reginald John Frederick Burt - Joe Wilson Mr Justice Morris (Judge) - Steve Sheperd Mr Norman Skelton (Defence) - David Haile Ins...

The Amazing Victoria Drummond (Part Two) Season:  5 Episode: 4 Victoria Drummond was the first female marine engineer in the UK and the first British woman to serve as chief engineer with the Merchant Navy, but all this was earned through sheer determination and a driving force to spend her life doing what she loved, regardless of the perceived boundaries. In this episode, we look at how she...

The Amazing Victoria Drummond (Part One) Season:  5 Episode: 3 Drummond was the first woman to qualify as a marine engineer and she managed to have a successful career at sea despite encountering prejudice and discrimination. In this episode, we look at her early life and the difficulties she had trying to start her chosen career in marine engineering. CAST Victoria Drummond - Rose Hayles Mr....

The Murderous Bank Robber Season:  5 Episode: 2 It was a normal Friday afternoon in Knowle, Bristol, when a man was spotted acting suspiciously near the Lloyds Bank. Little did they know that the day would end with a robbery of £1,444 which would spark a nationwide manhunt, and a murder still unsolved 66 years later CAST John Rowe - Tony Allen Murderer - Joe Wilson Chief Det. Supt F. Carter -...

New Year's Day Special Season:  5 Episode: 1 In this episode, we take a look at what has happened on New Year’s day in the past. The events that have shaped history and changed our world THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.  If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show w...

Christmas 2023 Season:  4 Episode: 42 To celebrate the festive season, we delve into a few things that only seem to appear at this time of year. We discover what's so special about mistletoe? Why are they called Mince pies and the special ingredients in a Christmas pudding? THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.  If you li...

Crossroad Burials Season:  4 Episode: 41 William Birt was supposed to be the first man hanged on the gatehouse of the new Gloucester Prison, but he had other ideas. Find out more about William's story and the custom of burials at crossroads. THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.  If you liked it please leave a rating...

Emmeline Pethick Lawrence: The Bristol Suffragette Season:  4 Episode: 40 Bristol born Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence was one of the leaders of the ‘suffragette’ campaign. Imprisoned six times, she was treasurer of Mrs Pankhurst’s Women’s Social and Political Union and jointly edited ‘Votes for Women’ magazine.  In this episode, we delve into the life and accomplishments of this remarkable wo...

The Bristol Blitz Season:  4 Episode: 39 Bristol was bombed heavily between June 1940 and May 1944. The longest period of regular bombing, known as the ‘Bristol Blitz’ began in autumn 1940 and ended the following spring. The first bombs of the Bristol Blitz fell at around 6 pm on Sunday 24 November 1940. A further six bombing raids took place until the last major attack in April 1941. The cit...

Murder in Austria Season:  4 Episode: 38 It was a marriage made in hell. The 35 year old Montague Cyril Williams and the 21 year old Private Margaret Laughlan Williams spent more time drinking and fighting than anything else. She had never wanted to get married but couldn't find. way out. Things had to change and on 4th July 1949, they did. THIS PODCAST This podcast has been specially edited...

Remembrance Day Special 2023 Season:  4 Episode: 37 Remembrance day is a time to reflect on the lives of those who gave their today's for our tomorrows. I always try to respectfully highlight  the achievements of some of those whom you may never have heard of. Here we have just three, Thomas Edward Rendle, Walter Ayles and Clifford Granville Shaw. If you can help with tracing Clifford’s...