Dark Histories cover art

Dark Histories

Dark Histories

By: Ben Cutmore
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Fortnightly narratives on the unsolved and the unexplained, mysteries, historical true crime, touches of the paranormal and cultural peculiarities.Copyright © Ben Cutmore . All rights reserved. World
Episodes
  • The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley

    The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley
    Jun 30 2026
    In an era when medicine was still finding its footing, John Romulous Brinkley built an empire on impossible cures, relentless ambition, and astonishing lack of a moral compass. In a shocking display of charm and manipulation, he managed to sell his patients on a cure for diseases they didn’t even know they had, frequently involving the surgical insertion of a goats testicle into their body. His rise to fame was inspired, and for a while, his power was almost unstoppable, until one man on a crusade took it upon himself to prove otherwise. SOURCES Brock, Pope (2008) Charlatan: The Fraudulent Life of John Brinkley. Orion Publishing, London, UK. Griffenhagen, George B. & Young, James (1959) Old English Patent Medicines in America. Contributions from The Museum of History and Technology: Paper 10. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers

    Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers
    Jun 15 2026
    The early modern period was a rocky time for religion across Europe, fundamental pinnings of everyday life were being questioned and changing, as the reformation shifted authority away from the church. Thoughts on death and the afterlife were turned upside down, and in villages across England, restless spirits were making a comeback. To confront these supernatural intruders, communities turned to their local clergy to carry out the practice of ghost-laying, an exorcism ritual that sought to bind and banish the dead. At least, that’s what Victorian authors would have liked to believe. Part religion, part folklore, and part fear, the subject of ghost-laying is fairly well complicated, and defining just how much of it is actually true, even more so. SOURCES Walsh, Brendan C. (2023) ‘He Could Raise and Lay Ghosts at His Will’: Victorian Folklorists and the Creation of Early Modern Clerical Ghost-Laying. Folklore, 134:3, 281-303, DOI: 10.1080/0015587X.2023.2187157 Bottrell, William (1870) Traditions & Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall. Beare & Son, Penzance, UK. Hawker, Robert Steven (1870) Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall. James C. Commin, Exeter, UK. Andrews, William (1898) The Church Treasury of History, Custom, Folk-Lore, etc. London, UK. Bond, Thomas (1823) Topographical and Historical Sketches of the Boroughs of East and West Looe, in the County of Cornwall. J. Nichols & Son, London, UK. Hunt, Robert (1865) Popular Romances of the West of England, Or, The Drolls, Traditions and Superstitions of Old Cornwall. John Camden Hotten, London, UK. Courtney, Margaret Anne (1973) Cornish Feasts & Folklore. EP Publishing Ltd. UK. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • The Unsavoury Tale of the Maryland Snallygaster

    The Unsavoury Tale of the Maryland Snallygaster
    Jun 2 2026
    In the fall of 1909, a strange fear settled over the hills and farms of Maryland. Newspapers carried reports of a monstrous winged creature said to stalk the countryside with a host of bizarre descriptions pouring out from witnesses, including glowing eyes, huge claws, and boiling brimstone dripping from its snout. The creature became known as the Snallygaster, and for a time, its legend gripped entire communities until its rapid demise. More than twenty years later, in 1932, the panic returned, proving that some stories refuse to stay buried. But was everything as it seemed? Or were there far uglier things at play than flying monsters?SOURCES Boyton, Patrick (2011) Snallygaster: The Lost Legend of Frederick County. Self Published Bridgeton Evening News (1909) The Devil Runs Rampant. Bridgeton Evening News, Fri 22 Jan, p3. NJ, USA Sheperdstown Register (1909) After The Colored People. Shepherdstown Register, Thu 4 Feb, p3. WV, USA. The Tennesseasn (1887) The Devil Of Leeds. The Tennessean, Sun 16 Oct, p12. TN, USA. Chicago Tribune (1909) Devil Which Alarms Jersey Likely To Be Captured Soon. Chicago Tribune, Fri 22 Jan 1909, p5. IL, USA. The Evening Sun (1932) Bovalopus Snallygaster Swoops Down On Village. The Evening Sun, Fri 25 Nov 1932, p50. MD, USA. The Evening Sun (1932) John Barleycorn Ends Career Of Snallygaster. The Evening Sun, Thurs 1 Dec 1932, p3. MD, USA. The News (1932) Snallygaster Captured: Huge Owl Is Shot Down. The News, Thurs 1 Dec 1932, p1. MD, USA. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
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Great podcast, been listening for more than a year. Fascinating, creepy tales all told so well

love this podcast

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Ben is a first class researcher, always passionate and excited about the subjects he's covering. the detail in building the story and setting the scene is always very done and whilst some people might not appreciate this, I love that he provides context and background to the stories. To some that find the narration a little flat, I would say give it time. When the podcast started out the narration did seem a little unnatural to me but as with everything, you learn as you progress and Ben's narration grows with him as the years have progressed. A five star listen, with some weird and wonderful tales, some familiar to me, others brand new and very intriguing.

Wonderfully researched

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Really love this podcast. Ben is really engaging and all the stories are well researched. Great listening!

Love it!!

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I'm picky when it comes to podcasts and Ben has the perfect voice. I use this podcast to fall asleep at night because Ben's voice is so relaxing. Thank you, Ben!.

Sound of voice

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A while ago I'd bookmarked a few history podcasts for a rainy day, and I'm glad I did!
Ben is a very passionate and personable storyteller, who meticulously researches all of his subjects. I enjoy all the dark, twisted and spooky stories and also the calmness of his voice. Keep up the great work, Ben!

Hooked!

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