History's Greatest Scandals
Join Ellie Cawthorne and Professor Hannah Greig as they uncover the secrets of the Georgian era in series two of History's Greatest Scandals. They follow the trail of forgers, expose illicit liaisons, meet cross-dressing celebrity spies, and delve into high-stakes gambling. Each episode explores some of the most salacious stories of the day and reveals what they can tell us about this fascinating period of history.
Episodes
The swashbuckling escapades of a cross-dressing celebrity spy
Professor Hannah Greig and Ellie Cawthorne revisit the remarkable life of the Chevalier D’Eon – whose extraordinary adventures and identity captured the imagination of Georgian Britain
As a celebrity, spy, diplomat and fencing champion, the Chevalier D’Eon had many extraordinary adventures and took on many identities over the course of their long life. But there was one aspect of their story that
A murderous insurance scam that exposed slavery’s horrors
Professor Hannah Greig and Ellie Cawthorne examine the story of the Zong massacre, in which more than 130 enslaved people were murdered – and their deaths claimed on insurance
In the 1780s, an extraordinary insurance claim made its way through Britain’s courts – against the lives of more than 130 enslaved people who had been intentionally thrown overboard a slaving ship in the Caribbean. In this
The crash the bankrupted Britain
Professor Hannah Greig and Ellie Cawthorne revisit the world’s first major financial crash: the South Sea Bubble of 1720
In 1720, would-be speculators were in a frenzy over an irresistible new investment opportunity. Everyone from bankers and barons to ordinary housewives rushed to buy South Sea Company stock, sold on the idea that this was a get-rich-quick scheme that couldn’t go wrong. But, be
High society’s most dangerous liaison
Professor Hannah Greig and Ellie Cawthorne share the story of an illicit romance with royal connections that kicked off one of the messiest divorce cases of the Georgian age
In a tavern in 1769, aristocrat Henrietta Grosvenor was discovered in a comprising position with a man who was not her husband. Her lover was none other than the king’s own brother – and their illicit affair promptly kicked o
The forgers who faked a fortune
Professor Hannah Greig and Ellie Cawthorne follow on the trail of a trio of scammers who fooled Georgian high society using fake bonds
In 1775, a respectable lady, a mild-mannered apothecary and his fast-living identical twin stood accused of pulling off a scam that had earnt them a fortune. But as their trial unfolded, the defendants turned on one another, and the plot thickened – who was the re
History's Greatest Scandals Returns!
Join us for series two of History’s Greatest Scandals, where Ellie Cawthorne and Professor Hannah Greig are uncovering the secrets of the Georgian era.
They’ll be following on the trail of forgers, exposing illicit liaisons, meeting cross-dressing celebrity spies and getting involved in some high-stakes gambling, as they search out some of the most salacious stories of the day, and explore what t
Introducing History's Greatest Battles | New Podcast
Vicious civil wars. Gruelling sieges. Rebellious provinces, galling betrayals and tribes seeking revenge… Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Battles, where we’re heading back to the Roman empire. Emily Briffett is joined by historian Dr Adrian Goldsworthy to look back at five of the most fascinating clashes of this ancient civilisation, taking in the action blow by blow and identif
Corruption down the coalmines
In 1840, an investigation was launched to inspect conditions in Britain’s coalmines. But what the inspectors found down the mines would soon become a national scandal. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. In this episode, they descend into Britain’s dark and dangerous coalp
The dark heart of Victorian London
In July 1885, the Pall Mall Gazette ran an exposé so shocking that ‘squeamish’ readers were encouraged not to read it. It followed undercover journalist WT Stead on a mission to expose child exploitation in London – and, as it turned out, Stead was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to get his story. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawth
Bone-crushing hunger in Britain’s workhouses
We all know the story of Oliver Twist begging for ‘more’ in the workhouse. But were these institutions really as nasty, grim and brutal as Dickens depicts? In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. And in this episode, they revisit an investigation into dire workhouse conditions
‘Little pills of sugared death’
On the day before Halloween in 1858, residents of Bradford flocked to the local market’s sweet stall of to get their hands on Humbug Billy’s peppermint lozenges. But before long, it became clear that something was very wrong with these sweets... In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victor
The mother of all sex scandals
Divorce cases can be messy. But the epic court battle between Caroline and George Norton in 1836 took things to the next level, with salacious accusations of adultery with none other than the prime minister. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. This opening episode delves i
Introducing History's Greatest Scandals: The Victorians
Poisoned sweets. Criminal misdeeds. And a sex scandal involving… the prime-minister.
Join us for the first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, where we’re delving into the murky underworld of The Victorians.I’m Ellie Cawthorne, and, along with historian Professor Rosalind Crone, I’ll be taking a journey through the backstreets of 19th-century Britain to explore the darker side of Victorian lif
