
Hosted by Genevieve Manion · EN
Here you’ll find mysterious deaths, morbid fascinations, disturbing stories, and otherwise spooky events from the Victorian Era. For ad-free listening, witchy content, Victorian True Crime Extras and Dark Poetry, join The Fan Coven!
If you consider yourself an enthusiast of creepy Victorian history, you probably already know about the age of spiritualism, the grisly murders, the grave robbers, twisted pseudo psychotherapy, and memento mori – But I try to dig a little deeper. This was a time full of lace corsetry, romantic poetry, and a deep reverence and affection for the dead. It was a culture of shared sorrow, ornament and elegance, prudishness and scandal, bone chilling children’s stories, and for whatever reason, I just feel at home there. There’s something strangely comforting about the heebie jeebies this era gives me. If you find yourself equally enchanted by things that most people would find horrifying, this podcast is probably for you. To listen ad-free, visit myvictoriannightmare.com and join my Patreon.

On today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss fascinating superstitions and beliefs that Victorians held about death and cemeteries, as well as some of the origins of those beliefs. And we will discuss how medical science in the 19th century wasn’t just horrific, it was groundbreaking, and not only developed cures, treatments and techniques that we still use today to save lives, but how medical science in the Victorian era led to astounding developments in forensic science that we still use to catch killers, and exonerate the innocent.Thank you to today’s sponsor, Alloy!Get your menopause treatment plan today. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for $20 off your first order! Subscribe to the Newsletter!Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening!Today’s Instagram PostReferences:https://friendsofoakgrovecemetery.org/victorian-funeral-customs-fears-and-superstitionshttps://nashvillehistoricalnewsletter.com/2022/01/16/funeral-customs-of-the-1800shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition_in_Great_Britainhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-People-Throw-Salt-Over-Their-Shoulderhttps://www.mortonsalt.com/article/salt-historyhttps://people.howstuffworks.com/why-do-people-throw-salt-over-shoulders.htmhttps://www.forensicscolleges.com/blog/history-of-forensicshttps://boroughsofthedead.com/poisonous-prohibition-brooklyn-heights/https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/sep/23/forensic-science-murderhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Norris_(medical_examiner)A Dictionary of Superstitions by Iona Pie and Moira TatumThe Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore by Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud

On today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss the elegant and insulting language of flowers, Victorian Floriography and the demonically haunted Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas.Subscribe to the Newsletter!Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening!Today's Instagram PostReferences:A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Chicago : Lewis, 1918https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Dudley_and_Stephenshttps://usghostadventures.com/americas-most-haunted-trending/sallie-house/https://associationofparanormalstudy.com/2023/09/20/the-haunting-of-the-sallie-house/https://strangeandtwisted.com/blogs/stories/the-sallie-house-haunting-america-s-most-scary-paranormal-case?srsltid=AfmBOoo8PtAjh7i2WxK1TFGSPpYOQ080t_ZgT0siw8cPZ3xViOkt2SMFhttps://www.ksgenweb.org/archives/1918ks/biof/finneycc.htmlhttps://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-hauntedatchisonhttps://theclio.com/entry/187138https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_flowershttps://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-language-of-flowers-an-alphabet-of-floral-emblems-1857/

Check out Hidden History! In this preview, Dr. Harini Bhat discusses the Dancing plague of 1518. The city of Strasbourg was overtaken by one of the strangest epidemics in recorded history. It wasn't the plague, it wasn't a war, it was dancing. Dr. Harini Bhat is a clinical pharmacist and storyteller obsessed with the moments in history that still can't be fully explained. Every week she investigates real events that defy easy explanation. Mass hysterias. Vanished civilizations. Medical oddities. Strange signals. Unexplained phenomena that keep repeating across centuries, as if history is trying to tell us something. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss the case of the Hammersmith Ghost, The Hope Street Body Snatching Scandal of 1826, as well as little-known, strange, disturbing and silly Victorian fads. Thank you to today’s sponsors! Go to Omahasteaks.com/VICTORIAN at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply. Go to Biologica.com/VICTORIAN and get up to 32% off your first subscription order today! Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://myvictoriannightmare.myflodesk.com/myukzmys04 Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening! https://www.patreon.com/cw/MyVictorianNightmare/membership Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYDovdijHeP/?igsh=MWxsbDFiazRudTU0Ng== References: https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/10/the-case-of-a-ghost-haunted-england-for-over-two-hundred-years/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammersmith_Ghost_murder_case https://www.icysedgwick.com/hammersmith-ghost/ https://mymacabreroadtrip.com/the-hope-street-body-snatching-affair-liverpool/ https://bodyartforms.com/blog/victorian-nipple-rings?srsltid=AfmBOorl2S_72ZTUej_m4alj0heFYvEp7RVnseQtTwzaCBwsdCOIb8Tg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_headless_portrait https://medium.com/promptly-written/the-victorians-wore-nipple-rings-4589a9b69bd4 https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/zander-gym/m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss the terrifying Victorian St. Mark’s Eve practice of waiting for wraiths (the ghosts of future dead people) to reveal themselves and walk through church doors at midnight. She will also discuss haunted and cursed objects like the Delhi Purple Sapphire, The Conjured Chest and the lost Franklin Exhibition-inspired painting, “Man Proposes, God Disposes.” Thank you to today’s sponsors! Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/victorian Get your menopause treatment plan today. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for $20 off your first order! Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://myvictoriannightmare.myflodesk.com/myukzmys04 Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening! https://www.patreon.com/cw/MyVictorianNightmare/membership Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXxFY1iEbTa/?igsh=MXdjZDcyMnZpaDk3Yw== References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Eve https://www.telelib.com/authors/I/IrvingWashington/prose/bracebridgehallvol1/bracebridgehall021.html https://www.vice.com/en/article/doomed-to-die-on-st-marks-eve/ https://allpoetry.com/St.-Mark's-Eve---A-Fragment https://whatliesbeyond.boards.net/thread/10973/watching-nearly-departed-marks-eve https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cursed-amethyst-natural-history-museum https://history.ky.gov/news/new-details-about-the-cursed-chest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Proposes,_God_Disposes https://stephenliddell.co.uk/2018/09/10/the-tale-of-the-cursed-amethyst-at-the-natural-history-museum-in-london/ http://heronallensociety.co.uk/the-purple-sapphire-mystery-solved.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss the numerous failed assassination attempts made on Queen Victoria’s life, and the simply horrifying history of Griffith Park in Los Angeles California Thank you to today’s sponsors! Go to Biologica.com/VICTORIAN and get up to 32% off your first subscription order today! Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://myvictoriannightmare.myflodesk.com/myukzmys04 Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening! https://www.patreon.com/cw/MyVictorianNightmare/membership Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXhG6GbDhz8/?igsh=MWc3eGg3cnlmMHZtYw== References: https://www.ebiketoursla.com/blog/zovbltqpf6w9m8nsgs9vbjmyz9kfgm https://laghosttour.com/the-old-zoo-at-griffith-park/ https://patch.com/california/northhollywood/griffith-park-haunted-cursed-heart-los-angeles https://pepperbough.com/uncategorized/2019/12/17/the-strange-case-of-griffith-park/ https://laghosttour.com/the-spirits-of-griffith-park/ https://creepyla.com/2016/10/04/haunted-curse-ghosts-monsters-griffith-park/ https://vintagelosangeles.org/griffithpark/ https://revolutionsnewsstand.com/2025/04/16/mass-murder-in-griffith-park-by-jennie-grey-from-western-worker-vol-2-no-42-october-16-1933/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.latirnes.com/news/local/la-me-haunted30oct30/ https://www.revolt.tv/article/2022-08-09/185295/burning-body-found-hanging-from-a-tree-in-los-angeles?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Queen-Victoria-Eight-Assassination-Attempts/ https://www.history.com/articles/eight-times-queen-victoria-survived-attempted-assassinations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a sneak peek of the Victorian True Crime Extras episodes that Patreon subscribers receive each week! To receive My Victorian Nightmare ad-free, and receive Victorian True Crime Extras, visit Patreon to find out how! In this episode, we will have a tale of ghostly revelations, prophetic dreams, jailbird snitches, dogs digging up bones and a twist you won’t see coming. This is the murder case of Russell Colvin in 1812. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss the dark history of Cleopatra’s Needle and the most haunted cemetery in Edinburgh, Greyfriars Kirkyard. Thank you to today’s sponsors! Go to LumiGummies.com and use code VICTORIAN for 30% off your first order. Get your menopause treatment plan today. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for $20 off your first order! #AgeGracefully Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://myvictoriannightmare.myflodesk.com/myukzmys04 Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening! https://www.patreon.com/cw/MyVictorianNightmare/membership Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXQD1g_DF_i/?igsh=cHpxb3ZzbXo2NnN3 References: https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2022/06/07/the-curse-of-cleopatras-needle/ https://greyfriarskirk.com/community/history-heritage/ https://eatdrinktravel.com/most-haunted-graveyard/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Kirkyard https://edinburgh.org/blog/tales-from-beyond-the-grave-in-edinburgh/ https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/greyfriars-kirkyard/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Porteous_(soldier) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147056916/george-lockhart https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/apr/24/ukcrime.scotland?utm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, Genevieve will discuss the terribly haunted Cheesman Park in Denver, Colorado, and the unthinkable murder of Emily Harrison Coombes, otherwise known as The Plaistow Horror. Thank you to today’s sponsors! Go to OmahaSteaks.com and use promo code VICTORIAN at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply. Get your menopause treatment plan today. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for $20 off your first order! #AgeGracefully Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://myvictoriannightmare.myflodesk.com/myukzmys04 Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening! https://www.patreon.com/cw/MyVictorianNightmare/membership Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9y8-Tkbb9/?igsh=MTRtcDg2YXV0anMxMw== References: https://denverterrors.com/cheesman-park/ https://visitdenver.com/blog/post/haunted-cheesman-park/ https://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-cheesemanpark/ https://www.denverpost.com/2010/11/01/four-preserved-skeletons-unearthed-at-denvers-cheesman-park-once-a-cemetery/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Coombes_(murderer) https://www.historicmysteries.com/major-crimes/robert-coombes/34645/ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/may/05/the-wicked-boy-the-mystery-of-a-victorian-child-murderer-kate-summerscale-review https://www.murdermayhem.uk/p/the-boy-murderer-who-became-a-war https://www.jack-the-ripper-tour.com/generalnews/matricide-in-plaistow-1895/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, Genevieve will take us back to creepy field trips of yore: the murder scenes, spooky cemeteries and cult compounds of episodes past, and give a little more dimension to each episode where we took these trips. Thank you to today’s sponsors! Go to LumiGummies.com and use code VICTORIAN for 30% off your first order. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/VICTORIAN, and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Visit Rula.com/VICTORIAN — mental healthcare that’s actually built to last. Subscribe to the Newsletter! https://myvictoriannightmare.myflodesk.com/myukzmys04 Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening! https://www.patreon.com/cw/MyVictorianNightmare/membership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices