Consistently Eccentric History

We are heading into the skies this week to talk about Sir Thomas Sopwith, a man who had a natural talent for two things. Engines and business.

Luckily for him he was born just in time for the dawning of powered flight. Slightly less luckily he was also in prime position to influence he development of British fighter planes during both world wars.

So join us as we shamelessly name drop some of the most important men in aviati...

This week we are delving into the brief period when Britain was a republic, and when anything seemed possible...

At least it did to Gerrard Winstanley, a failed businessman who took the promise of more equality to the extreme when he founded a commune in Surrey with the belief that God had told him to prove to the people of England that private property was against the teachings of Jesus.

Regardless of if this was true or not...

We are treading the boards this week as we investigate a series of theatre disasters that took place across Britain, but always in a building named the Theatre Royal.

Starting with the most famous theatre fire in 1613 we discuss how, over the next 400 or so years, theatre owners never seemed to learn the lesson that basic safety precautions are never too expensive in the long run (also, buildings insurance seems to be a worthwhi...

This week we are are dipping our toes into medical history, discussing the life and times of the fastest surgeon (possibly) ever. A native Scotsman, Robert Liston was already an accomplished surgeon while still in his teens. But while his talent was great, his ego appeared to be even greater.

After annoying his colleagues in Edinburgh for over a decade, Robert found himself being passed over for plumb positions to the point that...

This week we are heading back to the world of the Women's Suffrage movement to discuss how a clerical error gave one shopkeeper a chance to vote in a General Election.

Having worked her way up to the point where she met the property threshold for a vote (had she been a man) Lilly Maxwell found herself added to the electoral roll for a hastily arranged by-election in Manchester in November 1867.

Encouraged to use this mistake ...

This week we are delving into the world of early Victorian pseudo-medicine with a man who can literally be described as 'a bit of a character.'

Born into obscurity near Manchester (possibly), young John Smith (at least we assume that was his name) dreamed of becoming famous throughout the British Isles and beyond.

To this end he reinvented himself as 'Baron Spolasco', a doctor who could cure absolutely anything, provided you ...

This week we are viewing the events of 1756 through the editorial decisions of The Gentleman's Magazine. One of the premier publications of Georgian London.

Join us as we discuss the criminal inclinations of butchers, the impact of war with France, and the potential pitfalls of bigamy.

Guest Hosts: Emma Heathcote & Ollie Green

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

This week we are following a tale of transcontinental industrial espionage from the Victorian Era.

Robert Fortune was a poor Scots horticulturalist who just so happened to have been born at a time when plant hunting was deemed to be of vital importance to the British Empire.

Determined that his last name would not be his only fortune Robert agreed to travel to China to steal the secrets of their their most valuable commodity...

This week we have an extra special episode, researched and presented by the birthday girl, Pamela Loetterle.

We are talking all about Dr John Donne. Born a Catholic and a child genius, we follow his career, love-life and eventual conversion (by Royal Decree) to become the most famous Anglican preacher of his day...

...who also liked to write saucy poetry.

Far more than just the bloke who wrote; 'For whom the bell tolls', D...

This week we are talking about a King who was immortalised by Disney, and who was given the nickname 'The Lionheart' due to his prowess in battle.

Unfortunately being a king isn't all about battles, and in every other aspect it could be argued that Richard I was sadly lacking.

So join us for a story of battles and poor decision making as we discuss the life and times of Richard the Lionheart! (and his tangental influence on ...

This week we are learning about what happens when a magician tries to apply his skillset in an active war zone with the tale of Jasper Maskelyne.

Determined to serve during WWII, Jasper ended up in Cairo where the British were facing off against the tactical might of Rommel in the deserts surrounding the Nile Delta.

What follows is a story of increasingly sophisticated (and almost unbelievable) deceptions which, according to ...

This week Emma is taking the lead to tell the tale of how two brothers took a failing drinking chocolate business from the brink of bankruptcy and made it into a chocolate colossus that still exists to this day.

Following their father losing his interest in the Cadbury's factory following the death of his wife, his two young sons George and Richard decided that they would take up the reins and try to turn things around.

With ...

We are back with another episode written and researched by the extremely knowledgeable Pamela Loetterle who wanted to shine a light on one of the forgotten nobles from the Elizabethan / Stuart era, Sir Julius Caesar.

The son of immigrants Julius was determined that he would become a man of power, wealth and influence within Court, setting his sights on the position of 'Master of the Rolls.' But as his family were new money rath...

This week we are talking about a rare event in British history, a spree shooting. Though it could easily have been two.

Barry Williams was a man who struggled to see other people as anything other than objects, and who had a fascination with guns, which is not the best combination.

So when he began to get annoyed with his neighbours in the middle 70s, it was only a matter of time before he decided he needed to take steps to g...

This week we are talking about a woman who was forced by circumstance to live in a cave, and made it work.

Denounced by her neighbours as a witch, Mother Shipton leaned into the role in order to survive and did such a good job that she is still remembered nearly 500 years later.

But what parts of her story are true? Was she actually able to tell the future? And why did it take so long after her death for anyone to write her b...

We are delving into the world of Elizabethan espionage this week to discuss a displaced Jewish doctor who realised that the way he communicated with his fellow exiles across Europe could just so happen to be turned into a readymade spy network for profit.

Quickly rising in influence after leaving his home of Portugal in his 30s, Dr Lopez managed to reach the dizzying heights of personal physician to Queen Elizabeth herself.

B...

For our first 2025 episode we are discussing two separate occasions when whisky* related disasters caused death and destruction within the British Isles.

With a brief history of whisky production over the years, explaining how a monopoly of larger distillers was encouraged by the government and how this may have contributed to setting the conditions for the disasters that followed, it is a story of profit over safety...

Lucki...

This week on Consistently Eccentric we are discussing the life of a poor Georgian woman who enjoyed 15 minutes of fame due to a sensational biography and her willingness to wear pants.

When she was abandoned by her husband Hannah Snell decided that she was not going to take it lying down. So (according to her) she borrowed a set of her brother-in-law's clothes and headed off in hot pursuit as 'James Grey'... A name which was als...

This week we are heading to the Cornish coast to discuss a history of shipwrecks that culminated in a lifeboat disaster that still holds a grim record in the UK.

From the initial wreckers of the middle ages, through early attempts to formalise a system of help for stricken sailors, two world wars and the creation of the RNLI.

Guest Host: Ollie Green

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