The BackTracker History Show

The Sinking of the SS Stella (Part Two)

Season: 7 Episode: 24

Often called the "Titanic of the Channel Islands", the SS Stella met a tragic end when it struck the Casquets reef in thick fog on Easter Thursday 1899. In Part Two, we move beyond the disaster itself to explore the remarkable personal stories of those who lived through it, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. From the courage of stewardess Mary Ann Rogers, who gave her life helping others, to the extraordinary accounts of survivors whose lives were changed forever, these are the human stories behind one of Britain's greatest maritime tragedies.

CAST

Character - Actor

William McGonagall - Martin Palmer

The Times - Cerise Reed

The Spectator - Joe Wilson

Greta Williams - Sam Roberts

W.P. Harwood - Guy Pass

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Western Mail - Saturday 01 April 1899

Western Daily Mercury - Tuesday 04 April 1899

The Sketch - Wednesday 12 April 1899

Manchester Evening News - Friday 14 April 1899

Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph - Saturday 03 June 1899

Jersey Express and Channel Islands Advertiser - Friday 14 July 1899

Southampton Tourists Guide Association

Southampton Museum

Guernsey Museum

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

The Sinking of the S.S Stella (Part One)

Season: 7 Episode: 23

On Easter Thursday 1899, the SS Stella set sail from Southampton bound for Guernsey. Just hours later, in thick fog, the luxury passenger steamer struck the notorious Casquets reef and sank within minutes, claiming more than 100 lives in one of Britain's worst Victorian maritime disasters.

CAST

Mr James Parton - Steve Sheperd

Man in Dinghy - Guy Pass

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Western Mail - Saturday 01 April 1899

Western Daily Mercury - Tuesday 04 April 1899

Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph - Saturday 03 June 1899

Southampton Tourists Guide Association

Southampton Museum

Guernsey Museum

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Postman's Park

Season: 7 Episode: 22

Postman’s Park is a peaceful green oasis in the heart of the City of London, free for everyone to enjoy. Tucked away from the surrounding busy streets, it is best known for its moving Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice, which honours ordinary people who lost their lives while saving others.

CAST

George Watts - Steve Sheperd

Alice's Memorial - Sam Roberts

Mandell Creighton - Martin Palmer

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Holy Sepulchre London

Windsor Local History Group

Kentish Mercury - Friday 01 May 1885

South London Observer - Saturday 09 May 1885

Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette - Saturday 09 May 1885

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

The Tragic Murder of Alice Hole

Season: 7 Episode: 21

The murder of Alice Hole sent shockwaves through Bristol, becoming one of the city's most talked-about crimes of the Victorian era. As news of the killing spread through the narrow streets of Temple, horror quickly turned to fascination. By morning, crowds had gathered, rumours were rife, and newspapers carried lurid accounts of the tragedy. Behind the headlines lay a story of heartbreak, decline, and a brutal act that left an entire city stunned.

CAST

William Hole - Guy Pass

Alice Hole - Kate Kendell

Home Secretary - Steve Sheperd

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

South Staffordshire Examiner - Saturday 05 September 1874

Ancestry

Executed Today

Monmouthshire Beacon - Saturday 10 April 1875

Western Daily Press - Monday 26 April 1875

Morning Advertiser - Tuesday 27 April 1875

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Victorian Street Sweepers

Season: 7 Episode: 20

Before modern roads and pavements, crossing a busy city street could be filthy, dangerous, and sometimes impossible without help. In the crowded towns and cities of the 19th century, horse-drawn traffic left roads thick with mud, waste, and grime, creating an opportunity for one of Victorian Britain’s most overlooked jobs, the crossing sweeper.

CAST

Richard Rowe - Steve Sheperd

Parson - Joe Wilson

Henry Mayhew - Guy Pass

Sam Scrape - Martin Palmer

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Mayhew, Henry (2009). "London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. II

The Dictionary of Victorian London.

London Labour and the London Poor, p. 259

Cheltenham Chronicle - Thursday 25 January 1844

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Christina Keith: Frontline Teacher

Season: 7 Episode: 19

She crossed into a shattered world few dared to witness.

In the final days of the First World War, Scottish academic and author Christina Keith travelled to France, not as a soldier, but as a lecturer sent to inspire weary troops standing in the shadow of history’s bloodiest conflict. But what she encountered would stay with her forever.

As Europe struggled to emerge from the horror of war, Keith and a close companion became two of the first women to venture deep into the devastated battlefields left behind by the Armistice. They walked through ruined villages, scarred landscapes, and the silent aftermath of unimaginable destruction, scenes still haunted by the echoes of millions lost.

Her extraordinary memoir captured a world suspended between relief and ruin, offering a rare and deeply human glimpse into the emotional wreckage left behind by the Great War.

In this gripping episode, discover the remarkable story of Christina Keith, the fearless woman who stepped into the ruins of war and lived to tell the tale.

CAST

Christina Keith - Cerise Reed

Edinburgh Evening News - Martin Palmer

Friend - Sam Roberts

The Scotsman Newspaper 1 - Joe Wilson

The Scotsman Newspaper 2 - Simon Criddle

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Flora Johnston. (Stories from Scotland and beyond)

Edinburgh Evening News - Thursday 05 April 1906

The Scotsman - Wednesday 22 May 1963

The Scotsman - Thursday 23 May 1963

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Capt. Bertram Dickson: Aviating Pioneer

Season: 7 Episode: 18

Captain Bertram Dickson FRGS, RHA, was one of the great daredevils of the early flying age, a pioneering Scottish aviator who became the first British serviceman to earn a pilot’s licence. At a time when flight was still dangerous and experimental, Dickson thrilled crowds with his fearless displays in fragile aircraft of wood and canvas. His dramatic aerial demonstrations, watched by Winston Churchill and Lord Kitchener, helped awaken Britain to the military potential of aviation and played an important role in the creation of the Royal Flying Corps.

CAST

Capt. Bertram Dickson - Joe Wilson

Memorial Stone - Guy Pass

Chelmsford Chronicle - Sam Roberts

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Wells Journal - Thursday 16 December 1909

Morning Post - Tuesday 11 October 1910

Ross-shire Journal

Aberdeen Press and Journal - Thursday 22 September 1994

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Inverness

Season: 7 Episode: 17

In this week's show, we’re heading to the Scottish Highlands, to the city of Inverness and its striking landmark, Inverness Castle. Overlooking the River Ness, this historic site has witnessed centuries of power struggles, royal intrigue, and legend. From medieval beginnings to its place in stories like that of Macbeth, Inverness and its castle hold a rich and dramatic past waiting to be explored.

CAST

Mary Queen of Scots - Rose Hales

George Buchanan - Martin Palmer

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Coventry, Martin. Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans (2010)

Historic Environment Scotland – Inverness Castle Official Site: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/inverness-castle/

Gifford, John. Highland and Islands (The Buildings of Scotland series, 1992) – Architectural history of Inverness Castle and other Highland structures.

Calendar State Papers Scotland. Vol. 1. p. 651. Bain, Joseph, ed. (1898)

Tabraham, Chris. Scotland’s Castles (1997)

MacGibbon, David and Ross, Thomas. The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland (1887–92) –

Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre

Prebble, John. Culloden (1961; revised editions 1991, 2002)

Lenman, Bruce. The Jacobite Risings in Britain 1689–1746 (1980)

Duffy, Christopher. The ‘45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Untold Story of the Jacobite Rising (2003) –

Historic Environment Scotland – Culloden Battlefield Official Site: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/culloden/

Mackillop, Andrew. More Fruitful Than the Soil: Army, Empire, and the Scottish Highlands, 1715–1815 (2000)

BBC

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

The Horfield Horror

Season: 7 Episode: 16

In 1841, Horfield was rocked by the violent murder of Martha Shedden, a crime that drew intense attention across the country. Suspicion fell on a young former servant, and the case quickly became tangled in conflicting witness accounts and uncertain evidence. As the investigation unfolded, it raised more questions than answers, leaving the truth of what happened that day deeply uncertain.

CAST

Charles Rudge - Guy Pass

Alexander Sheddon - Steve Sheperd

Mrs Rudge - Kate Kendell

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Gloucestershire, England, Prison Records, 1728-1914

London Evening Standard - Thursday 28 January 1841

London Courier and Evening Gazette - Friday 29 January 1841

English Chronicle and Whitehall Evening Post - Tuesday 13 April 1841

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026

Titanic’s Bristolians (pt2)

Season: 7 Episode: 15

In Part One of this tale, we covered the life and death of Rev. Robert Bateman. A man born in Bristol who emigrated to America and used his skills as a preacher and stonemason to help make a difference in the lives of many people.

In this episode, we cover the tale of his Sister-in-Law, Ada Balls, who was encouraged to travel with him to America on a journey that would change her life.

As a special extra for podcast listeners, there's also an extra tale about another survivour who lived in Bristol, Alice Louch.

CAST

Revd Robert James Bateman - Guy Pass

Ada Balls - Sam Roberts

Minister - Martin Palmer

Dr. W.A. Hobson - Steve Sheperd

Bruce Bateman - Tony Allen

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 with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

-

SOURCES

Find-A-Grave

Encyclopedia Titanica

Ancestry

Family Search

Titanic Archive

‘A Night to Remember’ by Walter Lord

(1912) Record of Bodies and Effects (Passengers and Crew S.S. Titanic)

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2026