The BackTracker History Show

There was an enormous crowd, all eager to get inside and see the new pantomime 'Robinson Crusoe' in one of the best theatres in the country, and as soon as the pit and gallery doors were opened, they all rushed in. Hundreds of people, keen to get a good seat. During the first few minutes, a woman falls over, then another and before long chaos and panic was all around.

the full list of those who sadly perished includes...

• Joseph Smith, 15 years of age, 9, Phoenix-street, Barton-hill, Charles Pring, 17 years of age, Mill-lane, Bedminster.
• Mary Ellen Sherwood, aged 16, domestic servant, of 10, Alfred-hill.
• John Merchant, aged 18, of St. James's-back.
• Eliza Lucas, aged 18, of 2, Marsh-lane, St. Philip's.
• Patrick Donovan, aged 17, of 2, Jacob-street, St. Philip's.
• Alfred William Kew, aged 18, of 11, Clark-street, Philip-street, Bedminster.
• Thomas Pearson, aged about 21, shopman to Mr Seth Thomas, glass and china dealer, of High-street. Pearson had only been in Bristol about a fortnight. He is a native of Blackpool, near Liverpool.
• George Potter, son of Samuel Potter, of Mead-lane, Bedminster.
• Samuel Hill, aged 13, of 21, Lamb-street, St. Jude's.
• Ellen Jones, aged 15, daughter of James Jones, carrier between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, of Regent-street, Weston. Also her sister (aged 19), since dead.
• Sarah Ann Gilby, of West-street, Bedminster.
• A middle-aged man, named Vining, of 41, Stanley-street, Euston-road.
• William Alden, assistant to Mr Thomas, High-street, Bristol. Catherine Brewer, aged 16 years, Kingsland-road, St. Philip's. 'Charles Talbot, aged 10, Hotwells.
• John Davies, aged 13 years, 19, Castle-ditch.
• Elizabeth Hall, aged 59, Croft's-end, St. George's, Gloucestershire.

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.com, 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.

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CONTACT ME…

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Glasgow Herald - Tuesday 28 December 1869

Liverpool Mercury - Tuesday 28 December 1869

Exeter Flying Post - Wednesday 29 December 1869

Leeds Mercury - Thursday 30 December 1869

Glasgow Herald - Friday 31 December 1869

Arthur Lloyd

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Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

22 year old able Seaman Fred Smith admitted murdering his father. He was the only one in the room standing over the body with a razor in his hand. The jury had to listen to the full story before coming to a decision.

The names in this episode have been changed by request of the living relatives.

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.com, 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.

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CONTACT ME…

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

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SOURCES

Western Daily Press - Monday 04 April 1938

Western Daily Press - Thursday 07 July 1938

Western Daily Press - Wednesday 13 April 1938

Liverpool Daily Post - Monday 20 February 1939

Ancestry.

1911 Census

1939 Census

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Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

One afternoon in 1938, a tall, good-looking 22 year old young able Seaman arrived at his parents home in Bristol, on leave from his ship docked in Portsmouth. Two hours later he went quietly with officers to the Central Police Station to face the charge of murdering his Father. 

What reason would this law abiding man have for committing such a heinous crime? Listen to the first part of this two part story to find out.

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

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The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support. 

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SOURCES

Western Daily Press - Monday 04 April 1938

Western Daily Press - Thursday 07 July 1938

Western Daily Press - Wednesday 13 April 1938

Ancestry.

1911 Census

1939 Census

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Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

From 1914 to 1918, Flanders Fields was a major battle theatre on the Western Front during the First World War. A million soldiers from more than 50 different countries were wounded, missing or killed in action here. Entire cities and villages were destroyed, their population scattered across Europe and beyond.

The horror of the war and its aftermath altered the world for decades, and poets responded to the brutalities and losses in new ways. The First World War was “one of the seminal moments of the twentieth century in which literate soldiers, plunged into inhuman conditions, reacted to their surroundings in poems”, writes English lecturer Dr Stuart Lee on Oxford University’s First World War Poetry Digital Archive.

This episode highlights just three poems but there are so many more out there for you to discover. I hope this encourages you to find some more.

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

-

The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support. 

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SOURCES

The Great War 1914-1918

Poetry Foundation

In Flanders Fields Museum

The Isaac Rosenberg Collection

Guelph Museums

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

1914 & Other Poems by Rupert Brooke, Sidgwick & Jackson

The Spectator Rupert Brooke and Skyros. By Stanley Casson. 6 Aug 1921 -

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Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

Observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of the WW1 to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919 & evolved out of Armistice Day.

The initial Armistice Day was observed at Buckingham Palace, commencing with King George V hosting a "Banquet in Honour of the President of the French Republic", during the evening hours of 10 November 1919. The first official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace the following morning. During the Second World War, many countries changed the name of the holiday. Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations adopted Remembrance Day, while the US chose Veterans Day.

In this special episode, you'll hear the stories of people who lived through World War 2 as we honour all those who survived the wars.

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

-

The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support. 

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SOURCES

Bradley Stoke Radio

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

HMP Gloucester has a long and chilling history with many of the executed criminals remain buried in the grounds of the prison. Some of the most infamous serial killers have been incarcerated within the walls of Gloucester Prison. 

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

-

The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support. 

-

SOURCES

Inside Time  the national newspaper for prisoners and detainees

Cardiff Times - Saturday 15 April 1882

Haunted Happenings

Stroud News & Journal

Aberdeen Press and Journal - Saturday 27 October 1906

Peterhead Sentinel and General Advertiser for Buchan District - Saturday 03 November 1906

National Archives

Gloucester Citizen - Thursday 15 July 1937

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Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

HMP Gloucester has a long and chilling history with many of the executed criminals remains buried in the grounds of the prison. Some of the most infamous serial killers have been incarcerated within the walls of Gloucester Prison.

The prison formally closed on 31 March 2013 but the suffering and torment is deeply etched within the fabric of this foreboding location.

Join me as I dare to spend a night locked away on the prison grounds, searching for residents from the past.

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

-

The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support. 

-

Special Thanks

A huge thanks to all at Haunted Happenings for their help in making this happen. It was a joy to meet such wonderful people and the experience was great.

I would also like to thank Paul Cowmeadow and Ed Francis of The Gloucester Paranormal Investigation Services (GPIS) for kindly answering my questions and sending in some of their work.

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

Charles Hamilton was every young girl's dream. Handsome and dashing, he could have his pick  of the eligible ladies for his wife.

And he did.

Not once.

But 14 times!

Leaving each one once he'd taken what he wanted. But that wasn't the most sensational aspect of the tale...

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

SOURCES

Derby Mercury - Friday 07 November 1746

The Times. 17 January 1829.

Newcastle Chronicle - Saturday 02 July 1887

Weekly Times (London) - Sunday 18 January 1829

Chester Courant - Tuesday 17 February 1829

Ancestry

London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936

"Sexuality and Locality in the Trial of Mary Hamilton, 'Female Husband'". King's Law Journal. Derry, Caroline (2008)

"Henry Fielding's The Female Husband: Fact and Fiction" Baker, Sheridan (1959).

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Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

Mary Ann French was a mother of three children. She worked as an ironer and liked a drink. Trouble was, when she drank, she became aggressive, and you din't want to get in her way!

Unfortunately for Alice Dyer, Mary Ann had just moved into the same lodging house as her family, and drank at the same pubs, so it was difficult to avoid this violent angry woman!

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

-

The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support. 

-

SOURCES

1851 Census

1861 Census

Western Daily Press - Thursday 09 October 1862

Western Daily Press - Friday 19 December 1862

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021

He remains one of the Southwest of England’s most intriguing mysteries. What happened to Owen on that Summer's day when he was left out in the garden to get some fresh air?

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.com, 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

Twitter: @BackTrackerUK

-

The BIG Bristol to London Stroll

If you wish to donate and sponsor our endeavours to raise money for the Suicide Prevention Bristol charity, then go to our dedicated Justgiving page. This walk and the money raised is dedicated to Sara, who sadly passed away in March this year. Remember, if you feel low, there's always someone you can talk to and you are more important than you probably know.

Thanks in advance for your support. 

-

SOURCES

Bristol Mercury - Monday 05 December 1892

https://www.historicmysteries.com/owen-parfitt/

The strange story book by Lang, Mrs; Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912

Good Morning - Thursday 02 December 1943

DOWNSIDE ABBEY ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY

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Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk 

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2021