Stuff You Missed in History Class

In the 1950s, two men tried to corner the market on onions on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and manipulate futures contracts. Then Congress took up legislation to expressly forbid contracts for the sale of onion futures.

Research:

• Butz, Earl L. “VINCENT W KOSUGA, SAM S. SIEGEL, AND NATIONAL PRODUCE DISTRIBUTORS, INC.” Docket 73. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. CEA Cases. 6/18/1956. https://www.cftc.gov/sites/default/files/idc/groups/public/@lrceacases/documents/ceacases/kosuga-jun1956-644.pdf
• Chicago Tribune. “Chicago Onion Dealer Named for Price Fix.” 6/22/1956. Page 43.
• Chicago Tribune. “Siegel Denies Manipulating Onion Futures.” 6/22/1956. Page 43.
• Commodity Exchange Authority. “Futures Trading in Onions.” United States Department of Agriculture. December 1956.
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “History of the CFTC.” https://www.cftc.gov/About/HistoryoftheCFTC/history_precftc.html
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “VINCENT W. KOSUGA, SAM S. SIEGEL, AND NATIONAL PRODUCE DISTRIBUTORS, INC.” Decision and Order. 6/3/1960. https://www.cftc.gov/sites/default/files/idc/groups/public/@lrceacases/documents/ceacases/kosuga-jun1960-555.pdf
• Lambert, Emily. “The Futures: the Rise of the Speculator and the Origins of the World’s Biggest Markets.” Basic Books. 2011.
• Miller, Rena S. “Introduction to Derivatives and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.” U.S. Congress. Report. 3/13/2025. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48451
• Mininger, Wayne. “Public Comment: Agricultural Commodity Definition, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Final Rule: Pages 25-26.” SEC. https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-16-11/s71611-13.pdf
• NPR Planet Money. “Episode 657: The Tale Of The Onion King.” 10/14/2015. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/14/448718171/episode-657-the-tale-of-the-onion-king
• Romer, Keith and Robert Smith. “The tale of the Onion King (Update).” NPR Planet Money. 6/22/2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/22/1106861476/the-tale-of-the-onion-king-update
• Romer, Keith. “The Great Onion Corner And The Futures Market.” NPR Planet Money/Morning Edition. 10/22/2015. https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-corner-and-the-futures-market
• S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. “Vincent W. Kosuga, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Jack H. Kelly, Defendant-appellant, 257 F.2d 48 (7th Cir. 1958).” October 13, 1958. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/257/48/78496/
• S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. “Chicago Mercantile Exchange v. Tieken, 178 F. Supp. 779 (N.D. Ill. 1959).” 12/2/1959. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/178/779/1642330/
• S. Supreme Court. “Kelly v. Kosuga, 358 U.S. 516 (1959).” 2/24/1959. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/358/516/
• Warwick Valley Dispatch. “Vince Kosuga to be Named Pine Island Citizen of the ” 10/14/1987. https://www.pineislandny.com/Scrapbook/0048_sp_sm.pdf
• Binghamton Press Bureau. “Both Engines Are Torn Off as Ship Makes Forced Landing.” Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin. Page 1. 9/7/1948.
• Roesch, Roberta Fleming. “Couple’s Success Recipe: ‘We Know Our Onions.’” Wilkes-Barre Record. Page 9. 10/23/1964.

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This 2022 episode covers Helen Duncan, sometimes described inaccurately as Scotland’s last witch, or the last person imprisoned for witchcraft in Britain, or the last person to be tried under the UK’s 1735 Witchcraft Act.

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Tracy shares her surprise at discovering some of the details of Montague Summers's life. Holly talks about bickering within the Society for Psychical Research.

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Major Edward Moor reported strange bell ringing at his home in Great Bealings in 1834. Was it a poltergeist, a hoax, or something else?

Research:

• Briggs, Stacia, and Siofra Connor. “Weird Suffolk: Poltergeist activity at Great Bealings.” East Anglia Daily Times. Feb. 1, 2019. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21445662.weird-suffolk-poltergeist-activity-great-bealings/
• Britannica Editors. "Mysore Wars". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Mysore-Wars
• Cohen, Daniel. “In Search of Ghosts.” Dodd, Mead. 1972. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL5708323M/In_search_of_ghosts.
• Hall, Trevor Henry. “New Light on Old Ghosts.” London. Gerald Duckworth & Co. 1965.
• Moor, Edward. “Hindu Infanticide.” London. J. Johnson. 1811. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=W7YIAAAAQAAJ&rdid=book-W7YIAAAAQAAJ&rdot=1
• Moor, Edward. “The Hindu Pantheon.” London. 1810. Accessed online: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu58661581&seq=7
• Moor, Edward. “Suffolk Words and Phrases: Or, An Attempt to Collect the Lingual Localisms of that County. 1823. J. Loder. London. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6BMLAAAAQAAJ&rdid=book-6BMLAAAAQAAJ&rdot=1
• Moor, Edward. “Bealings Bells: The Suffolk Poltergeist Mystery.” Woodbridge. John Loder. 1841. (Reprint.)
• Moor, Edward. “To the Editor of the Ipswich Journal.” Ipswich Journal. March 1, 1834. https://www.newspapers.com/image/390311876/?match=1&terms=Bealings&search-id=adc3c27c-67f1-4077-9a3e-ee9434b6159f&search-rank=6
• Podmore, Frank. “On Poltergeists.” Journal of Society for Psychical Research. June 1899. https://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/zPodmore1899JSocPsyRes2.pdf
• Stephen, Leslie, ed. “Dictionary of National Biography.” Volume 38. 1885-1900. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati38stepuoft
• “To the Editor of the Ipswich Journal.” Ipswich Journal. March 8, 1834. https://www.newspapers.com/image/390311986/?match=1&terms=Bealings&search-id=89f037b5-7abe-4ea6-a92e-093ecb6de2e6&search-rank=2
• Willin, M. “Trevor Hall.” Psi Encyclopedia. 2021. https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/trevor-hall

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Montague Summers wrote numerous books on witches, werewolves, vampires, black magic, and ghosts, and he edited and published numerous works and claimed to be a clergyman. But who was he, really?

Research:

• "(Alphonsus) (Joseph-Mary Augustus) Montague Summers." Merriam Webster's Biographical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 1995. Gale OneFile: Fine Arts, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1680086368/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=03e855eb. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.
• Babcock, R.W. “The Reverend Montague Summers as Editor of Otway.” PMLA, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Sep., 1933). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/458356
• Batley, Rebecca. “A Sacred Order for Sexual Outsiders.” G&LR. March-April 2025. https://glreview.org/article/a-sacred-order-for-sexual-outsiders/
• Britannica Editors. "Oxford movement". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/event/Oxford-movement. Accessed 8 October 20
• Davies, Robertson. "Summers, (Augustus) Montague [name in religion Alphonsus Joseph-Mary] (1880–1948), literary scholar, occultist, and eccentric." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 04, 2012. Oxford University Press. Date of access 7 Oct. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-39387
• De Beer, E.S. “Mr. Montague Summers and Dryden's Essay of Dramatic Poesy.” The Review of English Studies , Oct., 1932, Vol. 8, No. 32 (Oct., 1932). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/508177
• Doherty, Bernard. “From Decadent Diabolist to Roman Catholic Demonologist: Some Biographical Curiosities from Montague Summers’ Black Folio.” Literature & Aesthetics 30 (2) 2020.
• Frank, Frederick S., editor. “Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait.” Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait. 1988.
• Hillard, David. “UnEnglish and Unmanly: Anglo-Catholicism and Homosexuality.” Victorian Studies, Winter, 1982, pp. 181-210. https://anglicanhistory.org/academic/hilliard_unenglish.pdf
• Hume, Robert D. “The Uses of Montague Summers: A Pioneer Reconsidered.” Restoration: Studies in English Literary Culture, 1660-1700, Fall 1979. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43291376
• Learning Services Team. “The Mysterious Montague Summers.” London Borough of Richmond and Thames Libraries. 10/31/2017. https://libraryblog.lbrut.org.uk/2017/10/montague-summers/
• Montague Summers Papers, GTM-110501. Georgetown University Manuscripts. https://findingaids.library.georgetown.edu/repositories/15/resources/12229 Accessed October 07, 2026.
• O'Sullivan, Gerard. “The Manuscripts of Montague Summers, Revisited.” Antigonish Review, Fall 2009, Issue 159.
• Sugg, Richard. “Blood Libel: The Origins of a Conspiracy Theory.” History Today. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/blood-libel-origins-conspiracy-theory
• Summers, Montague. “The Vampire In Europe True Tales Of The Undead.” With foreword by Father Brocard Sewell. University Books. 1968.
• Summers, Montague. “The Vampire, His Kith and Kin.” New Hyde Park, N.Y., University Books. 1960.
• "The mysterious Montague Summers." Bristol Post [Bristol, England], 14 Apr. 2020, p. 8. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675410096/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=28734f51. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.
• Weeks, Jeffrey. “Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain from the Nineteenth Century to the Present.” London. Quartet Books. 1977.
• Workman, Richard et al. “British Sexological Society: An Inventory of Its Records at the Harry Ransom Center.” Harry Ransom Center. https://research.hrc.utexas.edu/fasearch/findingAid.cfm?eadID=01214

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This 2021 episode covers William Palmer, who was convicted in 1855 as a poisoner though there wasn't any hard evidence.

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Tracy talks about the frequency of news from research institutions getting reported years after the fact. She also clears up a misunderstanding Holly had about a painting that was discussed this week.

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Part two of the autumn 2026 edition of Unearthed! kicks off with the catch-all potpourri category, then covers edibles and potables, shipwrecks, art, and Halloween-appropriate topics.

Research:

• Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “Henry VIII’s dissolution enforcer stashed Catholic manuscript – its lost pages have just been rediscovered.” EurekAlert. 9/16/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142736
• Anderson, Sonja. “Archaeologists Excavating a Roman-Era Cemetery in Poland Were Surprised to Stumble Upon a 5,000-Year-Old Necklace Made of 42 Teeth.” Smithsonian. 9/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-roman-era-cemetery-in-poland-were-surprised-to-stumble-upon-a-5000-year-old-necklace-made-of-42-teeth-180989471/
• Arnold, Paul. “Human blood may have helped preserve ancient Chinese rock art for 2,000 years.” PhysOrg. 8/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-human-blood-ancient-chinese-art.html
• Arnold, Paul. “Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mathematician-year-legend-parthenon-optical.html
• Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Ceramic vessels reveal how social inequalities were also cooked into 19th-century Brazil.” Phys.org. 7/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ceramic-vessels-reveal-social-inequalities.html
• Bourigault, Frederic. “'Their story is our story': Pigeons and humans, 3,500 years together.” Phys.org. 7/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-story-pigeons-humans-years.html
• Bronic, Antonio. “Byzantine gold objects help archaeologists uncover past of ship wrecked off Croatia.” Reuters. 7/23/2026. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/byzantine-gold-objects-help-archaeologists-uncover-past-ship-wrecked-off-croatia-2026-07-23/
• Clark, Gaby. “Aboriginal artists painted giant ancestral beings as colonization arrived, study finds.” PhysOrg. 8/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aboriginal-artists-giant-ancestral-colonization.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Chinese label once tied to Boston Tea Party reveals 19th-century Pacific trade.” Phys.org. 8/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chinese-boston-tea-party-reveals.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Indigenous Australian population was much larger than previously thought and decimated after First Fleet's arrival.” Phys.org. 9/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-indigenous-australian-population-larger-previously.html
• Curtin University. “Shipwreck cargo reveals surprising global trade secrets of the 1600s.” Phys.org. 7/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shipwreck-cargo-reveals-global-secrets.html
• Harley, Sadie. “Expert pieces together puzzle from fragments of 1,600-year-old Roman text.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-expert-pieces-puzzle-fragments-year.html
• Hashemi, Sara. “Hunter-Gatherers Brought Trout to a Norwegian Mountain Lake 7,000 Years Ago, the Earliest Known Example of Humans Translocating Fish.” Smithsonian. 7/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/
• Historic England. “Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Repaired and Removed from Heritage at Risk Register.” 6/27/2026. https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/in-your-area/london/crystal-palace-dinosaurs-removed-from-heritage-at-risk-register/
• Killgrove, Kristina. “'Nothing short of a minor miracle': 'Rusty treasure' found in the Danube is full of 2,200-year-old iron bars that could equip an entire army with weapons.” LiveScience. 9/20/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/nothing-short-of-a-minor-miracle-rusty-treasure-found-in-the-danube-is-full-of-2-000-year-old-iron-bars-that-could-equip-an-entire-army-with-weapons
• Kuta, Sara. “Smallpox Scabs That British Doctors Used to Inoculate Patients May Have Introduced the Deadly Disease to Australia, New Research Suggests.” Smithsonian. 7/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Uffizi Removes Famed Caravaggio After Flash Flood Soaks Gallery.” ArtNet. 9/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/uffizi-caravaggio-flood-2813002
• Learn, Joshua Rapp. “Ancient Pottery Reveals the Earliest Known Traces of Chocolate East of the Mississippi, Painting a Picture of Connection in the Americas.” Smithsonian. 10/2/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-pottery-reveals-the-earliest-known-traces-of-chocolate-east-of-the-mississippi-painting-a-picture-of-connection-in-the-americas-180989559/
• net. “Medieval Leprosy Hospital Discovered in Copenhagen.” 9/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/09/medieval-leprosy-hospital-discovered-in-copenhagen/
• Mondal, Sanjukta. “Archaeologists investigate a feared young woman's 17th century vampiric grave in Poland.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-archaeologists-young-woman-17th-century.html
• Oster, Sandee. “400-year-old shipwreck found during pipeline survey in Germany's Bay of Greifswald.” Phys.org. 9/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-year-shipwreck-pipeline-survey-germany.html
• Oster, Sandee. “A museum-shelf mystery reveals 6,500-year-old human tooth pendant in Serbia.” Phys.org. 8/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-museum-shelf-mystery-reveals-year.html
• Oster, Sandee. “Centuries of child labor left lasting spinal damage in Dutch children, study finds.” Phys.org. 8/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-centuries-child-labor-left-spinal.html
• Paul, John. “Third Circuit denies rehearing in Philadelphia's fight over President's House slavery exhibit.” 9/4/2026. https://6abc.com/post/third-circuit-denies-rehearing-philadelphias-fight-presidents-house-slavery-exhibit/19785869/
• Public Library of Science. “We may soon be able to read long-lost ancient scrolls damaged by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-lost-ancient-scrolls-eruption-mount.html#google_vignette
• Royal Astronomical Society. “First ever solar eclipse film brought back to life.” https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/first-ever-solar-eclipse-film-brought-back-life
• Shell, Gabby. “Archaeologists Unearth the 2,400-Year-Old School Where Aristotle Taught Alexander to Be Great.” Smithsonian. 9/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-the-2400-year-old-school-where-aristotle-taught-alexander-to-be-great-180989581/
• “Scientists discover genetically distinct avocados in Nicaragua that people transported from South America thousands of years ago.” EurekAlert. 7/22/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136257
• Sneling, Emily. “Rare medieval manuscript fragments reveal Guernsey's lost literary history.” University of Kent. 8/25/2026. https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/creativity-culture-and-heritage/38343/rare-medieval-manuscript-fragments-reveal-guernseys-lost-literary-history
• Solly, Meilan. “This Ship Sank in the Baltic Sea With Presents Bound for a Romanov Czar. Its Cargo Included Champagne, Luxury Mineral Water and Rare Meteorites.” Smithsonian. 7/27/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-ship-sank-in-the-baltic-sea-with-presents-bound-for-a-romanov-czar-its-cargo-included-champagne-luxury-mineral-water-and-rare-meteorites-180989198/
• Squires, Kirsty et al. “The Real Mummy’s Curse: Health Risks Associated with the Sale and Trade of Mummified Remains.” International Journal of Cultural Property 33 (2026): e22. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-cultural-property/article/real-mummys-curse-health-risks-associated-with-the-sale-and-trade-of-mummified-remains/FCE6E950ED8A6BEF310766AF1CF53DB4
• Staffordshire University. ‘‘Real mummy’s curse’ behind sale and trade of mummified remains exposed.” EurekAlert. 8/13/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140009
• The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. “Ancient dental calculus reveals diverse diets of commoners in premodern Osaka, Japan, the 'Kitchen of the Realm'.” 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-dental-calculus-reveals-diverse.html
• The History Blog. “Gold jewelry, signet ring found on Byzantine shipwreck.” 7/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76601
• The History Blog. “Medieval ship’s hull reused as ceiling in Constance.” 8/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76799
• The History Blog. “Name of 8th c. Maya astronomer deciphered.” 7/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76531
• Thorsberg, Christian. “An English King’s Bones Were Moved Over Centuries and Eventually Lost. One Researcher Claims He Discovered Their Location—Under a Parking Lot.” Smithsonian. 7/14/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “One of Italy’s Most Popular Attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Reveals Plans for a Major Renovation Over the Next Two Years.” Smithsonian. 8/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “This Dutch Painting Showed a 17th-Century Drinking Game Until Someone Smudged Out a Player, Spoiling the Fun. A Museum Just Restored the Imbibing Soldier.” Smithsonian. 8/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/
• Tondo, Lorenzo. “Roman shipwreck with 500 amphorae found off coast of Sicily.” The Guardian. 8/10/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/10/roman-shipwreck-with-500-amphorae-found-off-coast-of-sicily
• University College Dublin. “‘Kerry Cow’ bones revealed as ancient bear remains, challenging long-held theory on farming’s arrival in Ireland and Great Britain.” EurekAlert. 8/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140552
• University College Dublin. “Hidden DNA in medieval gospels reveals history of deadly livestock virus.” Phys.Org. 9/2/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hidden-dna-medieval-gospels-reveals.html
• University of Copenhagen. “Plague was killing entire families thousands of years before the Black Death.” Science Daily. 9/14/2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260913082203.htm
• University of Córdoba. “Diet reveals what life was like 2,700 years ago in an Italian community: Gender inequality, social status and migration.” Phys.org. 7/27/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-diet-reveals-life-years-italian.html
• University of Oxford. “Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal’s Alpine crossing route?” EurekAlert. 7/6/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1134397
• University of York. "This 4,000-year-old city defied the rules of history." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 July 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260729010730.htm
• Wexler, Ellen. “A Landlord Found a Peculiar Print Hanging in a Vacant Apartment. It Turned Out to Be an Original Picasso That Had Been Missing for Eight Years.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Divers Discovered a 162-Year-Old Bottle of Guinness Brewed During the Reign of Queen Victoria—and They Want to Take a Swig.” Smithsonian. 8/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Hunters Discover the Ruins of a British Destroyer That Split in Half During a Tragic Peacetime Accident 118 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 8/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/
• Whiddington, Richard. “Marble Sculpture by Baroque Master Found at U.K. Salvage Yard.” Artnet. 9/30/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pietro-bracci-pope-clement-xii-2818087
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Expedition captures first detailed imagery of Robert Falcon Scott’s last ship, Terra Nova, using cutting-edge Canadian Voyis 3D technology.” https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/terranova/
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow.” EurekAlert. 7/9/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shackleton-ship-longer-sonar-shadow.html

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Part one of this autumn edition of Unearthed! covers updates, medical finds, animals, and lots books and letters.

Research:

• Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “Henry VIII’s dissolution enforcer stashed Catholic manuscript – its lost pages have just been rediscovered.” EurekAlert. 9/16/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142736
• Anderson, Sonja. “Archaeologists Excavating a Roman-Era Cemetery in Poland Were Surprised to Stumble Upon a 5,000-Year-Old Necklace Made of 42 Teeth.” Smithsonian. 9/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-roman-era-cemetery-in-poland-were-surprised-to-stumble-upon-a-5000-year-old-necklace-made-of-42-teeth-180989471/
• Arnold, Paul. “Human blood may have helped preserve ancient Chinese rock art for 2,000 years.” PhysOrg. 8/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-human-blood-ancient-chinese-art.html
• Arnold, Paul. “Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mathematician-year-legend-parthenon-optical.html
• Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Ceramic vessels reveal how social inequalities were also cooked into 19th-century Brazil.” Phys.org. 7/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ceramic-vessels-reveal-social-inequalities.html
• Bourigault, Frederic. “'Their story is our story': Pigeons and humans, 3,500 years together.” Phys.org. 7/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-story-pigeons-humans-years.html
• Bronic, Antonio. “Byzantine gold objects help archaeologists uncover past of ship wrecked off Croatia.” Reuters. 7/23/2026. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/byzantine-gold-objects-help-archaeologists-uncover-past-ship-wrecked-off-croatia-2026-07-23/
• Clark, Gaby. “Aboriginal artists painted giant ancestral beings as colonization arrived, study finds.” PhysOrg. 8/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aboriginal-artists-giant-ancestral-colonization.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Chinese label once tied to Boston Tea Party reveals 19th-century Pacific trade.” Phys.org. 8/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chinese-boston-tea-party-reveals.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Indigenous Australian population was much larger than previously thought and decimated after First Fleet's arrival.” Phys.org. 9/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-indigenous-australian-population-larger-previously.html
• Curtin University. “Shipwreck cargo reveals surprising global trade secrets of the 1600s.” Phys.org. 7/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shipwreck-cargo-reveals-global-secrets.html
• Harley, Sadie. “Expert pieces together puzzle from fragments of 1,600-year-old Roman text.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-expert-pieces-puzzle-fragments-year.html
• Hashemi, Sara. “Hunter-Gatherers Brought Trout to a Norwegian Mountain Lake 7,000 Years Ago, the Earliest Known Example of Humans Translocating Fish.” Smithsonian. 7/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/
• Historic England. “Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Repaired and Removed from Heritage at Risk Register.” 6/27/2026. https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/in-your-area/london/crystal-palace-dinosaurs-removed-from-heritage-at-risk-register/
• Killgrove, Kristina. “'Nothing short of a minor miracle': 'Rusty treasure' found in the Danube is full of 2,200-year-old iron bars that could equip an entire army with weapons.” LiveScience. 9/20/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/nothing-short-of-a-minor-miracle-rusty-treasure-found-in-the-danube-is-full-of-2-000-year-old-iron-bars-that-could-equip-an-entire-army-with-weapons
• Kuta, Sara. “Smallpox Scabs That British Doctors Used to Inoculate Patients May Have Introduced the Deadly Disease to Australia, New Research Suggests.” Smithsonian. 7/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Uffizi Removes Famed Caravaggio After Flash Flood Soaks Gallery.” ArtNet. 9/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/uffizi-caravaggio-flood-2813002
• Learn, Joshua Rapp. “Ancient Pottery Reveals the Earliest Known Traces of Chocolate East of the Mississippi, Painting a Picture of Connection in the Americas.” Smithsonian. 10/2/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-pottery-reveals-the-earliest-known-traces-of-chocolate-east-of-the-mississippi-painting-a-picture-of-connection-in-the-americas-180989559/
• net. “Medieval Leprosy Hospital Discovered in Copenhagen.” 9/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/09/medieval-leprosy-hospital-discovered-in-copenhagen/
• Mondal, Sanjukta. “Archaeologists investigate a feared young woman's 17th century vampiric grave in Poland.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-archaeologists-young-woman-17th-century.html
• Oster, Sandee. “400-year-old shipwreck found during pipeline survey in Germany's Bay of Greifswald.” Phys.org. 9/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-year-shipwreck-pipeline-survey-germany.html
• Oster, Sandee. “A museum-shelf mystery reveals 6,500-year-old human tooth pendant in Serbia.” Phys.org. 8/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-museum-shelf-mystery-reveals-year.html
• Oster, Sandee. “Centuries of child labor left lasting spinal damage in Dutch children, study finds.” Phys.org. 8/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-centuries-child-labor-left-spinal.html
• Paul, John. “Third Circuit denies rehearing in Philadelphia's fight over President's House slavery exhibit.” 9/4/2026. https://6abc.com/post/third-circuit-denies-rehearing-philadelphias-fight-presidents-house-slavery-exhibit/19785869/
• Public Library of Science. “We may soon be able to read long-lost ancient scrolls damaged by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-lost-ancient-scrolls-eruption-mount.html#google_vignette
• Royal Astronomical Society. “First ever solar eclipse film brought back to life.” https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/first-ever-solar-eclipse-film-brought-back-life
• Shell, Gabby. “Archaeologists Unearth the 2,400-Year-Old School Where Aristotle Taught Alexander to Be Great.” Smithsonian. 9/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-the-2400-year-old-school-where-aristotle-taught-alexander-to-be-great-180989581/
• “Scientists discover genetically distinct avocados in Nicaragua that people transported from South America thousands of years ago.” EurekAlert. 7/22/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136257
• Sneling, Emily. “Rare medieval manuscript fragments reveal Guernsey's lost literary history.” University of Kent. 8/25/2026. https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/creativity-culture-and-heritage/38343/rare-medieval-manuscript-fragments-reveal-guernseys-lost-literary-history
• Solly, Meilan. “This Ship Sank in the Baltic Sea With Presents Bound for a Romanov Czar. Its Cargo Included Champagne, Luxury Mineral Water and Rare Meteorites.” Smithsonian. 7/27/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-ship-sank-in-the-baltic-sea-with-presents-bound-for-a-romanov-czar-its-cargo-included-champagne-luxury-mineral-water-and-rare-meteorites-180989198/
• Squires, Kirsty et al. “The Real Mummy’s Curse: Health Risks Associated with the Sale and Trade of Mummified Remains.” International Journal of Cultural Property 33 (2026): e22. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-cultural-property/article/real-mummys-curse-health-risks-associated-with-the-sale-and-trade-of-mummified-remains/FCE6E950ED8A6BEF310766AF1CF53DB4
• Staffordshire University. ‘‘Real mummy’s curse’ behind sale and trade of mummified remains exposed.” EurekAlert. 8/13/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140009
• The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. “Ancient dental calculus reveals diverse diets of commoners in premodern Osaka, Japan, the 'Kitchen of the Realm'.” 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-dental-calculus-reveals-diverse.html
• The History Blog. “Gold jewelry, signet ring found on Byzantine shipwreck.” 7/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76601
• The History Blog. “Medieval ship’s hull reused as ceiling in Constance.” 8/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76799
• The History Blog. “Name of 8th c. Maya astronomer deciphered.” 7/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76531
• Thorsberg, Christian. “An English King’s Bones Were Moved Over Centuries and Eventually Lost. One Researcher Claims He Discovered Their Location—Under a Parking Lot.” Smithsonian. 7/14/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “One of Italy’s Most Popular Attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Reveals Plans for a Major Renovation Over the Next Two Years.” Smithsonian. 8/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “This Dutch Painting Showed a 17th-Century Drinking Game Until Someone Smudged Out a Player, Spoiling the Fun. A Museum Just Restored the Imbibing Soldier.” Smithsonian. 8/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/
• Tondo, Lorenzo. “Roman shipwreck with 500 amphorae found off coast of Sicily.” The Guardian. 8/10/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/10/roman-shipwreck-with-500-amphorae-found-off-coast-of-sicily
• University College Dublin. “‘Kerry Cow’ bones revealed as ancient bear remains, challenging long-held theory on farming’s arrival in Ireland and Great Britain.” EurekAlert. 8/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140552
• University College Dublin. “Hidden DNA in medieval gospels reveals history of deadly livestock virus.” Phys.Org. 9/2/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hidden-dna-medieval-gospels-reveals.html
• University of Copenhagen. “Plague was killing entire families thousands of years before the Black Death.” Science Daily. 9/14/2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260913082203.htm
• University of Córdoba. “Diet reveals what life was like 2,700 years ago in an Italian community: Gender inequality, social status and migration.” Phys.org. 7/27/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-diet-reveals-life-years-italian.html
• University of Oxford. “Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal’s Alpine crossing route?” EurekAlert. 7/6/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1134397
• University of York. "This 4,000-year-old city defied the rules of history." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 July 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260729010730.htm
• Wexler, Ellen. “A Landlord Found a Peculiar Print Hanging in a Vacant Apartment. It Turned Out to Be an Original Picasso That Had Been Missing for Eight Years.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Divers Discovered a 162-Year-Old Bottle of Guinness Brewed During the Reign of Queen Victoria—and They Want to Take a Swig.” Smithsonian. 8/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Hunters Discover the Ruins of a British Destroyer That Split in Half During a Tragic Peacetime Accident 118 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 8/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/
• Whiddington, Richard. “Marble Sculpture by Baroque Master Found at U.K. Salvage Yard.” Artnet. 9/30/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pietro-bracci-pope-clement-xii-2818087
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Expedition captures first detailed imagery of Robert Falcon Scott’s last ship, Terra Nova, using cutting-edge Canadian Voyis 3D technology.” https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/terranova/
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow.” EurekAlert. 7/9/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shackleton-ship-longer-sonar-shadow.html

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This 2015 kickoff to the Six Impossible Episodes series features Stagecoach Mary, Edward Mordrake, Robert the Haunted Doll, the London Beer Flood, the Lost Army of Cambyses and La Maupin.

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Holly shares an odd detail about the red barn murder case. She and Tracy also discuss the way Forrest Mars may have affected the way his father's life is described.

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This installment of the eponymous foods series covers candy bars, including Snickers, Mars Bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and some side mentions of other candies.

Research:

• “Behind the Bar.” Snickers. https://www.snickers.com/our-story
• Brenner, Joel Glenn. “Life on Mars: The Mars family saga has all the classic elements.” Independent. July 25, 1992. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/life-on-mars-the-mars-family-saga-has-all-the-classic-elements-1535722.html
• “Forrest Mars Sr., Candy Bar Titan Famed for Snickers.” The Plain Dealer. July 3, 1999. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1071308390/?match=1&terms=%22Forrest%20Mars%2C%20sr.%22&search-id=695f29a8-5f65-43f4-8445-637d2758eb9e&search-rank=1
• “Frank C. Mars Buys Trotters.” The Lexington Herald. May 30, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/684730957/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22%20Pulaski&search-id=b3e1ac20-1b03-4d55-8bb0-bf38efd85070&search-rank=7
• “Frank C. Mars Dies of Heart Attack.” The Atlanta Constitution.” April 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/398152288/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22%20Pulaski&search-id=b3e1ac20-1b03-4d55-8bb0-bf38efd85070&search-rank=8
• “Frank C. Mars Is Victim of Death.” The Decatur Daily. April 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/534932502/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22%20Pulaski&search-id=b3e1ac20-1b03-4d55-8bb0-bf38efd85070&search-rank=4
• “Frank C. Mars Taken By Death.” Tacoma Daily Ledger. April 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/725917256/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22&search-id=3bd9eccf-f65f-485c-ac5b-70d3f755a3fc&search-rank=6
• “Frank C. Mars.” Candy Hall of Fame. https://candyhalloffame.org/inductee/frank-c-mars/
• “Frank Mars.” Oak Park River Forest Museum. https://oprfmuseum.org/people/frank-mars
• “The H.B. Reese Candy Company Story.” The Daily News. June 9, 1956. https://www.newspapers.com/image/517725214/?match=1&terms=%22H.B.%20Reese%22&search-id=a96c9fd5-6131-45ad-91a5-d3390afd07b1&search-rank=9
• “H.B. Reese Company Housed in Large, Modern Building.” The Patriot-News. Nov. 27, 1957. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1094489845/?match=1&terms=%22H.B.%20Reese%22&search-id=cc48e553-f70b-43c6-a7b2-c7374b30be88&search-rank=1
• “Harry Burnett ‘H.B.’ Reese.” Candy Hall of Fame. https://candyhalloffame.org/inductee/harry-burnett-h-b-reese/
• Lieberman, Hallie. “Was It Hershey or Reese That Made Peanut Butter Cups Great?” Atlas Obscura. October 27, 2016. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/was-it-hershey-or-reese-that-made-peanut-butter-cups-great
• Mari, Christopher. “H.B. Reese.” EBSCO. 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/h-b-reese/
• “Mars Family.” Forbes. June 29, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/profile/mars-1/?list=families
• “Mars, Incorporated: History in the Making.” https://www.mars.com/about/history
• “The Milky Way: How Frank Mars started a candy bar empire in Minnesota.” Fox9 KMSP. March 30, 2022. https://www.fox9.com/news/the-milky-way-how-frank-mars-a-minnesotan-created-a-candy-bar-empire
• “Snickers History: The Horse, the War, and the World’s Top Candy Bar.” Moss & Fog. Oct. 25, 2023. https://mossandfog.com/the-history-of-snickers-the-worlds-most-popular-candy-bar/
• “Sons, Daughters Willed H.B. Reese Property.” The Patriot-News. May 25, 1956. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1094130007/?match=1&terms=%22H.B.%20Reese%22&search-id=a96c9fd5-6131-45ad-91a5-d3390afd07b1&search-rank=8
• “Table Data - Automobile Registrations, Passenger Cars, Total for United States.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/A01108USA258NNBR
• Upton, Emily. “The Fascinating Rise of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.” Business Insider. June 30, 2013. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-fascinating-rise-of-reeses-peanut-butter-cups-2013-6

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In the spring of 1828, a news story broke in Suffolk, England about the horrific murder of Maria Marten. Her paramour was the only suspect, but he evaded authorities for some time before he was captured and put on trial.

Research:

• Curtis, J. “AN AUTHENTIC AND FAITHFUL HISTORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER OF MARIA MARTEN, WITH A FULL DEVELOPMENT OF ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF HER BODY IN TO WHICH IS ADDED, THE TRIAL OF WILLIAM CORDER, TAKEN AT LARGE IN SHORT HAND SPECIALLY FOR THIS WORK, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF HIS EXECUTION, DISSECTION, &c. AND MANY INTERESTING PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE VILLAGE OF POLSTEAD AND ITS VICINITY; THE PRISON CORRESPONDENCE OF CORDER, AND FIFTY-THREE LETTERS, IN ANSWER TO HIS ADVERTISEMENT FOR A WIFE.” London. Thomas Keity. 1828. https://archive.org/details/b20443237
• Devlin, Laura. “Who was the murderer whose skin binds a book?” BBC. April 22, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0wrdleer2o
• Harding, J. “Celebrated Trials of All Countries, and Remarkable Cases of Criminal Jurisprudence.” 1847. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=pj3FyXaS91YC&rdid=book-pj3FyXaS91YC&rdot=1
• “Horrible Murder.” Bristol Mirror. April 19, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/970366046/?match=1&terms=%22Maria%20Marten%22&search-id=6e26d629-68a9-4c86-a81d-4164828d99b9&search-rank=1
• “Horrible Murder.” The Morning Chronicle. April 24, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/392094838/?search-id=6e26d629-68a9-4c86-a81d-4164828d99b9&search-rank=3
• “Horrid Murder. North Wales Chronicle. May 1, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1367388437/?match=1&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=15f8324b-4277-49e4-ade3-f37de505ca71&search-rank=4
• Langbein, John H. “THE PROSECUTORIAL ORIGINS OF DEFENCE COUNSEL IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: THE APPEARANCE OF SOLICITORS.” Cambridge Law Journal. 58(2), July 1999, pp.314-365. https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/Faculty/Langbein_Prosecutorial_Origins_of_Defence_Counsel.pdf
• “Murder in Suffolk.” Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal, Isle of Ely Herald and Huntingdonshire Gazette. May 2, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/785569973/?match=20&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=15f8324b-4277-49e4-ade3-f37de505ca71&search-rank=2
• “Murder in Suffolk.” Birmingham Journal. May 3, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/784498364/?match=1&terms=%22William%20Corder%22&search-id=9a769e68-25cc-42f4-b01d-1bca08e64ac6&search-rank=38
• “The Red Barn Murder.” St. Edmundbury Chronicle. http://www.stedmundsburychronicle.co.uk/rbpeople.htm
• “Sanguinary and Atrocious Murder.” Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic. May 1, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/786265260/?match=3&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=15f8324b-4277-49e4-ade3-f37de505ca71&search-rank=1
• “William Corder.” Lancaster Gazette. May 24, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/395993259/?match=1&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=a5f1199d-5191-413d-943a-1cbabcb0a368&search-rank=16

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This 2022 episode covers Giordano Bruno, a mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, occultist, and according to the Catholic church of 16th-century Italy, a heretic. He met a bad end because of his views, but he started out as a friar.

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Tracy ponders how Sara Weiss knew some of the things she knew and whether her husband characterized her as less informed than she was. Holly talks about a possible relative of Theophilus Brome.

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Screaming skull lore is something that is unique to Britain, though specific skull lore varies. The first episode has roots in the English Civil war, and the second is tied to colonialism in the Caribbean and the slave trade.

Research:

• Berry, Helen. “Exclusion Crisis: Challenging James II’s Right to Rule.” History Today. May 5, 2026. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/exclusion-crisis-challenging-james-iis-right-rule
• “The Bettiscombe Skull – Pinney Family.” Bridport and Lyme Regis News. March 25, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325106358/?match=18&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=1
• Collinson, John. “The history and antiquities of the county of Somerset, collected from authentick records, and an actual survey made by the late Mr. Edmund Rack. Adorned with a map of the county and engravings of Roman and other reliques, town seals, baths, churches and gentlemen’s seats.” Vo. II. Bath. R. Crutwell. 1791. https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_the-history-and-antiquit_collinson-john_1791_2/page/n1/mode/2up?q=horrid
• Cooper, W.J. “Bridport’s Most Exciting Day 280 Years Ago.” Bridport and Lyme Regis News. June 11, 1965. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325206100/?match=2&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=2
• Davey, Tim. “A Slave to History.” Evening Post. Sept. 28, 1999. https://www.newspapers.com/image/909493603/?match=7&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=10
• Frere, Sheppard Sunderland, et al. "United Kingdom". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Sep. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom
• “Higher Farmhouse.” Historic England. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1296177?section=official-list-entry
• Hubbard, Vincent K. “Swords, Ships & Sugar: History of Nevis to 1900.” Premiere Editions. 1996.
• Ingram, John H. “The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain.” London.Gibbings. 1901. https://archive.org/details/hauntedhomesand01ingrgoog
• Kelly’s Directory of Liverpool & Birkenhead, 1894. [Part 2: Birkenhead and Trade & Court Directories]. Kelly & Co. Ltd, 1894. JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.30135909
• Prickett, Katy. “The Macabre Tale of Oliver Cromwell’s Head.” BBC. Nov. 17, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j8vn2ne70o
• “Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe.” Dorset Echo. Aug. 14, 1963. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325267462/?match=1&terms=Bettiscombe%20skull&search-id=0ee431ba-ab8d-4d60-a29c-7ac53b535399&search-rank=1
• Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. “Strange Pages from Family Papers.” LONDON. SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY. 1895. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17050/pg17050-images.html#CHAPTER_II
• Underwood, Peter. “Ghosts of Somerset.” Bossiness Books. 2011.
• Weaver, Frederic William, M.A., ed. “Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset. Vol. II.” Sherbourne. J.C. and A.T. Sawtell. 1891. https://archive.org/details/notesqueriesfors02brid/page/n3/mode/2up
• “A West Dorset Legend.” Dorset Echo. July 24, 1953. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1194417076/?match=7&terms=Bettiscombe%20Skull&search-id=f5da8122-4471-4f76-bbb5-a9d54fce9cc6&search-rank=11
• West, John. “Britain’s Haunted Skulls.” Psychic News. October 2021. https://pocketmags.com/us/psychic-news-magazine/october-2021/articles/britain-s-haunted-skulls?srsltid=AU7gw4XzpYKPL3Gr5erHXG9udfTa62VhFURg_DaM9wBGEqMGPwm4YI-G

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Sara Weiss wrote a lengthy account of life and afterlife on Mars, a place she said she visited through psychic travels starting in 1892.

Research:

• Calanchi, A. (2024). “Renewed in health”: Meeting Giordano Bruno on planet Mars. Between, 14(27), 93-109. https://doi.org/10.13125/2039-6597/5444
• Crossley, Robert. “Mars and the Paranormal.” Science Fiction Studies , Nov., 2008, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Nov., 2008). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25475179
• Daly, Liza. “Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).” 2/23/2022. https://lizadaly.com/utopian-novels/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/
• Daly, Liza. “Sara Ditto Weiss.” https://ayonmuya.org/21-biography.html
• Dickey, Colin. “Sara Weiss’ Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).” The Public Domain Review. 2/3/2026. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/
• “Funeral of Mrs. S. Weiss.” The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, Mo.), March 25, 1904. Page 14.
• Hennesy, Roger. “The Martian Century.” History Today. 7/7/1998. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/martian-century
• Hyslop, James H. “Journeys to the Planet Mars.” Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 7, Issue 5. 1913.
• Lane, K. Maria D. “Mapping the Mars Canal Mania: Cartographic Projection and the Creation of a Popular Icon.” Imago Mundi, 2006, Vol. 58, No. 2 (2006). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40234145
• Mason, Brian D. “The Navy’s Greatest Refractor Turns 150.” Astronomy. February 2023.
• “Mrs. Sara Weiss Passes Away.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 1. 3/23/1904.
• Myers, F.W.H. “The Subliminal Self.” Chapter VIII. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 11. 1895. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Society_for_Psychical/iuZAAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
• Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “26-inch ‘Great Equatorial’ telescope.” https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/The-26-inch-Great-Equatorial-telescope/
• Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “Our Telescopes.” https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/
• “Romance, Philosophy, Morals.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 11. 1/15/1904.
• “Spirit Bands In Mars.” Boston Evening Transcript. January 06, 1904. Page 16.
• Louis Post-Dispatch. “A St. Louis Woman’s Journey to Mars.” Page 52. Dec 20, 1903.
• Louis Post-Dispatch. “St. Louis Woman Draws Under Spirit Influence.” 6/2/1901.
• The St Louis Republic. “What the Spirits Say of Mars.” Page 41. 4/9/1899.
• The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 12 Dec. 1903, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1903-12-12/ed-1/.
• The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 25 Mar. 1904, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1904-03-25/ed-1/.
• “The ‘Weiss’ Books.” Reason. August 1910.
• “WEISS.” Obituary. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Page 7. 3/24/1904.
• Weiss, Sara. “Journeys to the planet Mars, or, Our mission to Ento.” The Bradford Press. 1903.

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This 2021 episode covers Colchester, who claimed to be psychic and may have warned President Abraham Lincoln that he was going to be assassinated.

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Tracy talks about how the beer riots may sound silly, but were underpinned by serious issues. Holly talks about the Elizabeth Fry’s daughters polishing their mother’s image when publishing her diaries.

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Elizabeth Fry is lauded as an early 19th century prison reformer. But she had no formal background or training in prison or social work.

Research:

• BREED, ANNA. “ELIZABETH FRY.” Advocate of Peace (1847-1884), vol. 13, no. 3, 1882, pp. 21–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27906270
• Britannica Editors. "Elizabeth Fry". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Fry
• Britannica Editors. "Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sir-Thomas-Fowell-Buxton-1st-Baronet
• Buxton, Thomas Fowell. “An inquiry, whether crime and misery are produced or prevented, by our present system of prison discipline.” London. J. and A. Arch. 1818. https://archive.org/details/b33283333/page/14/mode/2up
• Cooper, Robert Alan. “THE ENGLISH QUAKERS AND PRISON REFORM 1809-23.” Quaker History, vol. 68, no. 1, 1979, pp. 3–19. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41946871
• Cooper, Robert Alan. “Jeremy Bentham, Elizabeth Fry, and English Prison Reform.” Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 42, no. 4, 1981, pp. 675–90. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2709127
• Corder, Susanna. “Life of Elizabeth Fry.” Philadelphia. H. Lonstreth. 1853. https://archive.org/details/lifeofelizabethf00cordiala/page/n9/mode/2up
• Craig, Russell L. “Correctional Education Historical Vignette: WOMEN IN CORRECTIONS: Elizabeth Gurney Fry.” Journal of Correctional Education, vol. 57, no. 2, 2006, pp. 141–44. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23282705
• Crawford, William, and Whitworth Russell. “Extracts from the second report of William Crawford and Whitworth Russell, Esqs., the Inspectors of Prisons for the Home District ; addressed to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Home Department.” National Library of medicine. Philadelphia : Republished by the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons, 1838. https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/catalog/nlm:nlmuid-101596454-bk
• Foxhall K. From convicts to colonists: the health of prisoners and the voyage to Australia, 1823-53. J Imp Commonw Hist. 2011;39(1):1-19. doi: 10.1080/03086534.2011.543793
• Griffiths, Arthur. “The Chronicles of Newgate.” LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL
(Limited). 1884. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46746/46746-h/46746-h.htm
• Kent, John. “Elizabeth Fry.” London. B. Batsford. 1962.
• Rose, June. “Elizabeth Fry.” New York. St. Martin’s Press, 1981.

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