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John Bodkin Adams: The Doctor Who Was Always There at the End

Eastbourne was meant to be a place to grow old quietly.
Neat streets. Polite society. Doctors you trusted with your life.

John Bodkin Adams was one of those doctors.

Over decades, elderly patients under his care died suddenly — often after injections, often without witnesses, and frequently after rewriting their wills. He attended funerals. He comforted grieving families. And, time and again, he benefited.

In this episode of The Eclectic, we examine the life and crimes of Dr John Bodkin Adams, a GP suspected of murdering dozens of patients while hiding behind professional respectability and social privilege. We explore the pattern of deaths, the police investigation that was quietly resisted at the highest levels, and the extraordinary trial that left more questions than answers.

Was Adams a compassionate doctor easing suffering — or one of Britain’s most prolific serial killers, protected by status and silence?

Because sometimes, the most dangerous figures aren’t monsters in the dark — they’re trusted men in plain sight.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts — search “The Eclectic Podcast.”
📌 Follow on Instagram: @theeclecticpodcast & TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast14

John Bodkin Adams - Wikipedia

Randalstown Heritage Tales - Randalstown Arches Association

Adams, John Bodkin | Dictionary of Irish Biography

THE TRIAL OF DR. ADAMS: DRAMA IN THE COURTROOM; OLD BAILEY - The New York Times

Shipman and Bodkin Adams in the dock - The Lancet Psychiatry

John Bodkin Adams | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Scandalous Eastbourne – Travel log lewes

John Bodkin Adams, A Curious And Dubious Doctor - HeadStuff

RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING FOR LISTENERS

• The Trial of John Bodkin Adams — Percy Hoskins
• Bodkin Adams: A Doctor’s Deceit — John Surtees
• BBC Timewatch episode on Adams
• National Archives: DPP files on Operation Standstill

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Mary Tudor: Bloody Queen or Misunderstood Monarch?

Mary Tudor is remembered by history as “Bloody Mary” — England’s first crowned queen, a devout Catholic, and a ruler synonymous with fire, persecution, and fear. But how much of that reputation is truth… and how much is the result of propaganda, politics, and prejudice?

In this episode of The Eclectic, we explore the life and reign of Mary I of England, tracing her journey from a traumatised childhood shaped by Henry VIII’s religious upheaval to her violent and controversial attempt to restore Catholicism to a divided nation. We examine the Marian persecutions, the political pressures she faced, her disastrous marriage to Philip of Spain, and the brutal legacy that earned her one of history’s most infamous nicknames.

Was Mary Tudor uniquely cruel — or simply a ruler shaped by faith, fear, and a Tudor world where power was always paid for in blood?

This episode looks beyond the myth to uncover the woman behind the crown, and the brutal reality of religious rule in sixteenth-century England.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts — search “The Eclectic Podcast Hope.”
📌 Follow on Instagram - @theeclecticpodcast

& TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast14

Sources Used:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-I

https://www.tudorsociety.com/mary-i-turns-back-the-clock-decades/

https://tudorsdynasty.com/queen-and-mother-mary-i-the-woman-behind-the-legend/

https://englishhistory.net/tudor/queen-mary-i-description/

Mary I of England - Wikipedia

Mary I: first crowned Queen of England | Hampton Court Palace | Historic Royal Palaces

The Fitzwilliam Museum - Mary Tudor

https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-8/marian-persecutions/

https://www.tutorchase.com/notes/aqa-a-level/history/15-2-4-persecution-and-opposition-under-mary-i

Mary's Lack of Political Prowess

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Mary Jane Kelly: The Final Victim

Mary Jane Kelly’s murder on 9 November 1888 marked the brutal end of the Jack the Ripper’s known killing spree — and remains the most horrifying crime associated with the case.

Unlike the other canonical victims, Mary Jane was killed indoors, behind the closed door of her room in Miller’s Court. What was discovered there shocked even a city already numbed by violence. The scale of the mutilation, the privacy of the setting, and the unanswered questions surrounding her life and identity have made Mary Jane Kelly one of the most haunting figures in true crime history.

In this episode of The Eclectic, we explore who Mary Jane Kelly may have been, her final days in Spitalfields, and the events leading up to the morning her body was discovered. We examine the crime scene, the medical testimony, and the many theories that surround her murder — including why this killing appears so different from the others.

More than a conclusion, Mary Jane Kelly’s death forces us to confront the human cost of the Ripper story — and the woman whose life ended in silence behind a locked door.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts — search “The Eclectic Hope”
📌 Follow on Instagram @theeclecticpodcast

TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast14

Research

Mary Jane Kelly - Wikipedia

Mary Jane Kelly: Victim of the Ripper's Most Ghastly Murder

Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Mary Jane Kelly

Mary Jane Kelly - Jack the Ripper’s Final Victim? - JTR

Mary Jane Kelly: Jack the Ripper's final victim – Overview & Analysis | Crime+Investigation UK

Mary Kelly - Jack the Ripper's Final Victim.

Mary Jane Kelly, Jack The Ripper's Most Gruesome Murder Victim

Jack the Ripper victim Mary Kelly hunted by Richard III team - BBC News

Mary Jane Kelly — East End Women's Museum

The Murder of Mary Kelly - 9th November 1888

The Women of Whitechapel: Mary Jane Kelly 1888 - Crimes Through Time

casebook.org/ripper_media/book_reviews/non-fiction/garrywroe_full.html

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Step into the life of Catherine Eddowes, a woman whose resilience and spirit defied the harsh realities of Victorian London.

In this episode, we explore her journey marked by intelligence, creativity, and defiance, revealing a legacy overshadowed by the violence that ended her life. Join us as we honour her story, celebrating her strength and humanity.

You can follow us on Instagram @theecelctic podcast

On facebook - The Eclectic

On tik-tok - @eclecticpodcast14

If you have any suggestions for future stories you would like us to cover, you can email us - theeclecticp@gmail.com

You can also find a copy of the Ballad Kate wrote here - A Copy of Verses on the Awful Execution of Charles Christopher Robinson, For the Murder of his Sweetheart, Harriet Segar, of Ablow Street, Wolverhampton, August 26th. · Execution Ballads

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Krampus: The Devil Who Walks At Christmas

Long before Christmas became a season of warmth, lights, and goodwill, something darker stalked the winter nights.

In this episode of The Eclectic, we delve into the chilling folklore of Krampus — the horned figure said to punish the wicked while Saint Nicholas rewarded the good. Rooted in Alpine tradition and pagan mythology, Krampus embodies fear, morality, and the uneasy balance between reward and punishment.

We explore Krampus’s origins, his evolution through European folklore, the rise of Krampusnacht, and how this terrifying figure survived religious suppression to become a modern cultural icon. From ancient winter rituals to masked processions and devilish imagery, this episode asks why societies have always needed monsters — especially at Christmas.

Because sometimes, the most unsettling traditions are the ones meant to keep us in line.

🎧 Listen now on Acast, Spotify & Apple Podcasts
📌 Follow @theeclecticpodcast for more folklore, true crime, and dark history

All sound effects used are from pixabay

Krampus - Wikipedia

The Origin of Krampus, Europe's Evil Twist on Santa | Smithsonian

Meet Krampus, the Christmas Devil Who Punishes Naughty Children | HISTORY

Christmas Traditions: Krampus – The German Christmas Devil

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Elizabeth Stride: The Interrupted Killing

Elizabeth Stride’s murder on 30 September 1888 stands apart from the other canonical victims of Jack the Ripper. Unlike the killings that came before and after, Stride’s body bore none of the extensive mutilations that had come to define the terror stalking Whitechapel.

In this episode of The Eclectic, we examine why.

Was Elizabeth Stride truly a Ripper victim — or was her killer interrupted before he could complete his ritual? We walk through the events of the infamous “Double Event” night, reconstructing Stride’s final movements through Berner Street, the disputed witness sightings, and the political and social tensions surrounding the International Working Men’s Educational Club.

From conflicting testimony and medical evidence to the uneasy atmosphere of East End radicalism, this episode explores how Elizabeth Stride’s case complicates everything we think we know about the Ripper’s pattern.

Because sometimes, what didn’t happen tells the most disturbing story of all.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, and Apple Podcasts — search “The Eclectic Podcast.”
📌 Follow on Instagram & TikTok: @theeclecticpodcast

Princess Alice disaster: The Thames' 650 forgotten dead - BBC News

Elizabeth Stride - Wikipedia

Elizabeth Stride • Jack the Ripper's Berner Street Victim

Elizabeth Stride the Ripper's Third Victim

Torslanda Church - Wikipedia

Microsoft Word - Paradox2008.doc

The-funerals-of-the-victims-of-Jack-the-Ripper-PART-1-December-2018.pdf

Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Elizabeth Stride

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Annie Chapman’s murder on 8 September 1888 didn’t just deepen the terror gripping Whitechapel — it changed the investigation forever. Brutal, swift, and unnervingly precise, her killing marked a shift in the pattern of violence and gave police their first real glimpse into the escalating cruelty of the killer who would become known as Jack the Ripper.

In this episode of The Eclectic, we follow Annie’s final hours, explore the cramped courtyards and lodging houses of Spitalfields, and break down the evidence left behind in Hanbury Street. We look at who Annie was beyond the headlines: her struggles, her relationships, and the socio-political world that shaped her life and her death.

From eyewitness contradictions to the medical testimony that shocked Victorian London, we examine how Annie Chapman’s case reshaped public panic, press frenzy, and the police strategy moving forward.

Because to understand the Ripper’s shadow, we must first understand the woman caught within it.

(All sources are historical and publicly accessible.)

🔍 Primary Historical Sources

• The Times Digital Archive (1888) – Reports on Annie Chapman’s murder and the Ripper investigation.
• The Illustrated Police News (1888) – Contemporary newspaper accounts and illustrations.
• Metropolitan Police Files – Statements from officers including Inspector Abberline and Dr. George Bagster Phillips.
• Coroner Wynne Baxter’s Inquest Proceedings (1888) – Testimony of witnesses and medical examiners.

🔍 Secondary Sources

• Begg, Paul — Jack the Ripper: The Facts
• Sugden, Philip — The Complete History of Jack the Ripper
• Evans, Stewart P. & Rumbelow, Donald — Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates
• Marriott, Trevor — Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation

🔍 Academic & Contextual Materials

• Walkowitz, Judith — City of Dreadful Delight: Narratives of Sexual Danger in Late-Victorian London
• Whitechapel Society Articles & Historical Briefings
• The National Archives (UK) — Victorian policing and social context

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Before Jack the Ripper became a legend, Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols was a mother, a daughter, a wife, and a woman fighting to survive the brutal realities of Victorian London. In this deeply human opening to our Whitechapel series, we walk with her through workhouses, lodging houses, and the shadowed streets of 1888 — not to sensationalise her death, but to reclaim her life.
This episode honours her story with empathy, truth, and the recognition she was denied for more than a century.

PRIMARY SOURCES (Historical Records & Documents)

1. Coroner Wynne Edwin Baxter’s Inquest Report (1888)

• Proceedings from the official inquest into the death of Mary Ann Nichols
• Includes witness statements from Charles Cross, Robert Paul, Inspector Spratling, and others
• Accessible via:
  • The National Archives
  • The British Newspaper Archive
  • casebook.org (transcriptions)

2. Metropolitan Police Files (MEPO Series)

• Original police reports about the Buck’s Row murder
• Notes from Inspector Abberline and Superintendent Arnold
• Available at The National Archives (Kew), MEPO 3 and MEPO 6

3. 1881 Census & Parish Records

• Confirm addresses, employment, and the Nichols family composition
• Accessed via:
  • Ancestry
  • FindMyPast

4. Lambeth & Mile End Workhouse Admission/Discharge Books

• Records of Mary Ann Nichols’ stays in various workhouses
• Available via London Metropolitan Archives:
  https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/archives-and-city-history/london-metropolitan-archives

“The Complete Jack the Ripper” — Donald Rumbelow

A foundational text on the murders, with extensive research on the victims and the social conditions of Whitechapel.

“The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” — Hallie Rubenhold

A groundbreaking, empathetic work focusing on the victims’ lives—not the killer.
Heavily informs the emotional framing and social context of this script.

“Jack the Ripper: The Facts” — Paul Begg

Provides detailed analysis of the police investigation, timelines, and victim biographies.

“Jack the Ripper and the London Press” — L. Perry Curtis Jr.

Examines Victorian newspaper sensationalism and the framing of the murders.

“Life and Labour of the People in London” — Charles Booth (1889–1903)

Maps and commentary on poverty in Whitechapel; used for socio-economic context.

“The Hooligan Nights” — Clarence Rook (1899)

A period account of life among the poorest Londoners.

1. Casebook: Jack the Ripper

https://www.casebook.org

2. The Whitechapel Society

https://www.whitechapelsociety.com

3. The National Archives (UK)

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

4. British Newspaper Archive

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

5. Victorian London.org

http://www.victorianlondon.org

6. Charles Booth’s Poverty Maps

https://booth.lse.ac.uk

7. The Workhouse: The Story of an Institution

https://www.workhouses.org.uk