Mary Ann, the daughter of a Colliery Sinker, lived a quiet life in the Northeast of England. But when tragedy strikes she will gain the superpower of complete disregard for other human lives!

This is the kind of woman you definitely wouldn't want to bring home to your parents (as they might not survive the experience.)

Guest Host: Jack Heathcote

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People from Yorkshire are as tough as they come, however no one is tough enough to stand up to an onrushing wall of water.

Join us this week as we talk about how two of the biggest dam related disasters in British history are linked by a single family.

Guest Host: Matt Hare

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After civilising (read 'exploiting and ruining') the Gujarat region of India the British you can imagine their indignation when the locals suggested that maybe they could do a better job on their own.

Enter Dadabhai Nasroji, a man who held a mirror up to the hypocrisy of Britain's administration of India, kick-starting the push for home rule and taking his mission all the way to Parliament. He is without a doubt one of the most important men you have (probably) never heard of.

Guest Host: Jack Heathcote

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Join us this week as we learn about how black magic informed laws that are still in force in England to this day!

We talk through two important cases of attempted regicide from two of the worst named magicians in history; John and Roger. Learning how the paranoia of Kings can have unforeseen consequences for centuries.

Guest Host: Matt Hare

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We are sailing into the golden age of Piracy this week with a Welshman who could pirate harder than any pirate had pirated before, and look fabulous while doing it.

Terrorising honest sailors (and less-than-honest sailors) on both sided of the Atlantic Bartholomew Roberts was a force of nature who seemed naturally gifted in the art of taking things that didn't belong to him while floating on a body of water, but he might never have become a pirate in the first place if it wasn't for a lonely Captain who just wanted someone to speak Welsh to.

Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

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Bonus Episode!

It's time to share a transatlantic tale of a malevolent medical misfit with the only American I know. We discuss the life and career of Dr Thomas Neill Cream a man who had a level of ambition and self confidence which was far above his actual abilities. Join us as we see how white male privilege in the Victorian era could literally help you get away with murder.

Guest Host: Ang from Dissecting Medical History - A cool podcast you should definitely check out as soon as you have finished listening to this episode.

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It's our April Fools day episode! (A day late but the Friday scheduling MUST be maintained) So we are telling a tale that starts in Germany and doesn't even have a human protagonist.

Meet Oscar, a cat forced to sea who was going to make sure everyone knew how upset it made him. He was a true agent of chaos who arguably had more of an impact on WWII than entire battalions of soldiers.

Guest Host: Jack Heathcote

PLUS BONUS CAT STORIES AT THE END!

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This week we head off to South America to meet a man who had the audacity to think his British owners might be terrible people (hint: they were!) It's a story of how businessmen have always put profit before human decency and how the British myth of civilising the people they subjugated doesn't stand up to even the most casual analysis.

On the other hand it it harder to become obscenely rich if you have to actually pay your workers.

Guest Host: Matt Hare

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Finally, a person who truly embodies the term 'eccentric' meet Edward Walker. Pilot. Inventor. Avid fan of nudity. A man never afraid to take a risk (or your hand in marriage) we follow Edward as he steers his own course through the 20th century, seeing more than anyone from his parent's generation could ever have imagined. Often quite literally.

Guest Host: Ollie Green (our brother from another mother who hosts History Emporium and Pals Podcast. Check him out for even more history goodness!)

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Maureen O'Sullivan had survived two wars by the time she was in her teens. So naturally when WWII kicked off she had all the skills needed to take on one of the most difficult jobs available.

We'll follow Maureen through five countries and two continents during a whirlwind adventure which proves without a doubt that all the cool spy gadgets in the world are nothing compared to the quiet competence of an unflappable Irish woman.

Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

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