Sometimes when you hear about people overcoming adversity, it really makes you feel bad about your own achievements. There are very few however, who could compare to King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem. Despite leprosy and a surprising amount of malaria, he managed to fight against the might of Saladin during the crusades, even leading soldiers into battle, and mostly won... and here's me thinking that editing the podcast on time is an achievement...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week we looked at Jack Sheppard, the wild and roguish folk-hero of 18th Century London. This week we'll be looking at his antagonist, the Thief-Taker General Jonathan Wild. Wild's career was... wild. It's unbelievable quite how much of a stranglehold he had over the criminal underworld of London, while also appearing to be the city's greatest policeman. Here you can find out about his rise and fall, and the lessons in criminal empire management that we can all take home.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may have seen films or TV where people break out of prison using bedsheets as a rope. Did you ever think that was a bit far-fetched? Well, this week on That Time When, Barnaby tells us the story of Jack Sheppard, a young man who repeatedly managed to break free from London prisons in the 18th Century. The real question is: Was Jack Sheppard some kind of specific Marvel mutant whose power was to create files and lockpicks? That's as good an explanation as any for some of Jack's feats.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when you need to get rid of a 'commoner' who is proving troublesome for the future of the monarchy? Accuse her of the greatest name of a crime ever: Treasonable Necromancy! Hell, that sounds cool. The aftermath... not so much.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now you may think that this podcast is in danger of becoming a French Legal History podcast, so now we're veering into conspiracy theories! This week on That Time When, Barnaby tells us about a few of the occasions when governments have conducted dodgy bio-weapons research on their own civilians. Don't worry, it's not as bleak as it sounds, but does provide new opportunities for dodgy lightbulb salespeople.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amelia decided to do her own episode on the French Legal system in the 1500s, and so brings us the story of Martin Guerre. If a man disappears for eight years and then returns, how do you know he's really who he says he is? Sure, he's knowledgeable about the location of his pants, but is that enough? This case is so mad it made Barnaby confuse a man for his wife. Who is really at fault? Was there attempted fraud? Or was it an April Fools joke that got really out of hand?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You might think it would be a low point in your career as a lawyer when you're asked to defend a swarm of rats. Not so for Bartholomew Chassenée, one of the great French lawyers of the 16th Century; for him defending these rats was deadly serious. This week on That Time When, Barnaby tells us about the rats of Autun and their court case, because medieval people really loved the legal system. Also, Amelia tells us about the York cycle and Jesus' court battle with the devil, and how Game of Thrones could have been very different if people were just fined instead of killed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world where we are constantly beset by news stories that make us sad or angry or worried, we might forget there was a time when there was no news... for about fifteen minutes. This week on That Time When, Amelia tells us about the time the BBC admitted there was no news. Was it the result of a government cover-up, a broken ticker-tape machine, or aggressive moralism? Find out on That Time When.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who would have thought that trying to fix your fridge could lead you to going blind? Not Clarence Peddicord, that's for sure. His whole life changed when he attempted a bit of DIY home repair, but he was not going to let this stop him. So how did he end up holding a department store to ransom under the threat of a bomb attack? Find out on That Time When.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behold the power of International Women's Day! It can bring a mighty empire to its knees! No, seriously, that's one of the reasons it is such a big day. Find out why International Women's Day lead to greater union membership, and why poor Greg may not get voted in as president (It'll make sense in the episode, we swear).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.