The Penny Dreadful Hour; or, A Feast of Early-Victorian Street Literature and Stories (no AI)

SHOW NOTES for EPISODE 23 (Season 5)(March 15, 2026) ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! Each segment is in its own sub-episode. The "Penny Dreadfuls" segment is in this main episode, followed by ...The “Twopenny Torrids” minisode coming this Thursday evening;The “Ha’penny Horrids” minisode coming next Sunday ; and finally—The “Sixpenny Spookies” minisode coming next Thursday . ———— * The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "PENNY DREADFULS" SEGMENT:02:30: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY (March 15): The Victoria Pit Disaster of 1851 happened on this day, killing 61 men and boys who happened to be in the mine when it exploded.05:23: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 45-46: Just as the Rev. Mr. Leigh had got the crowd settled down and preparing to return home, Waggles the beadle recovered his senses and with a roar charged them, staff in hand. In the ensuing melee, the crowd rediscovered its enthusiasm for the job at hand, and started hunting for the graves of the recently inhumed….41:50: BROADSIDE BALLAD: Strange Warning to a Reprobate Publican! A “catchpenny,” that is, a phony story written to try and sell copies; in this case, it’s about a ghostly apparition that appeared to a debauched man and urged him to mend his evil ways. (1850s).GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:ADELPHI AND ADELPHAI: Brothers and sisters. These are the Greek terms, more used by fancy-toff Flash canters like Pierce Egan’s famous Tom and Jerry. CHICKSTER: A flame or a sweetheart, with the implication that she is a little edgy, possibly dangerous or disreputable. CAPTAIN LUSHINGTONS: Spirited fellows who have had too much to drink. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. WAPSTRAWS: Country bumpkins. TOWN TODDLERS: Easy marks, or suckers. SNICKER OF MAX: Glass of gin. WET YOUR OTHER EYE: Take another drink.

SHOW NOTES — for —MINISODE 22 (Season 5)(March 12, 2026)"THE SIXPENNY SPOOKIES"! ———— 00:30: THE TERRIFIC REGISTER: Five sworn witness descriptions of the haunting of the Portadown Bridge in Northern Ireland, the scene of a dreadful massacre of Protestant settlers by Catholic forces.06:45: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: MISS JEROMETTE and the CLERGYMAN, by WILKIE COLLINS, Part 3 of 3 parts: Our clergyman’s sleazy pupil gets a surprise letter, and leaves abruptly for London, claiming he has “business” there. Afterward the maid finds a photograph in his room … of Miss Jeromette. So HE was the unnamed rival, years earlier! But what is he going to do? 26:00: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: “The Woman in White.” A short account of a small child who saw a spectral figure in white come into the garden at the same moment her father drowned, far away, while working in the river.31:30: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:VADE MECUM: Latin for "hand book."JOE MILLER: A player at Drury-lane, in the early 1700s, who was famous for a Leslie Nielsen style of stone-faced comedy. Mr. Miller was always so serious (and don’t call him Shirley) that he was hilarious on stage. When he died leaving some dependents uncared-for, the jestbook was created by Joe’s friends as a sort of inside joke, as a fundraiser to support his bereaved family.PIKE OFF: Run away.RED WAISTCOAT: Uniform apparel of the Bow-street Runners, an early London police force replaced by the New Model Police (who dressed in blue rather than red) in 1839.GAMMONERS: Swindlers or bullshitters.ROMONERS: Gammoners who pretend to have occult powers.SHARPS: Swindlers and confidence men, who prey upon the “flats” (marks). OLD ST. GILES: The most famous slum parish of London, also called "The Holy Land."

SHOW NOTES — for —MINISODE 21 (Season 5)(March 8, 2026)"THE HA’PENNY HORRIDS"! ———— 01:00: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY (MARCH 8, 1734): Judith Dufour, convicted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter to sell her clothes for a quartern of gin. It’s a well-known cautionary tale about the evil influence of alcohol. But, is that all there is to the story? No. No, it is not. Let’s explore “The Rest of the Story” of this Lost Girl. (Art: See pennydread.com/discord)11:25: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapter 90-91: Todd reads the two letters. The first is Colonel Jeffery’s letter, saying he doesn’t find it convenient to prosecute just now, but if Todd ever comes around again, he will. The other letter is from the Hamburg ship line that he’s booked passage on. At Sir Richard’s request, they have sent a letter telling Todd that the ship has been delayed 24 hours. The two letters put Todd into a frightful rage, to Johanna’s great alarm. — Speaking of Johanna: It turns out she’s been recognized in Fleet-street … by Mr. Lupin, the hypocritical drunken Puritan preacher with designs on Johanna. (Art: See ⁠pennydread.com/discord⁠)39:15: HORRID BROADSIDE: The Committal of W. THOMPSON, to the County Gaol at Oxford for the MURDER OF HIS WIFE and THREE CHILDREN on the 12th Inst.! (1840s). A probably-made-up account of a super-heinous murder committed under the influence of Demon Rum (or, more likely, Demon Gin). (Art: See ⁠pennydread.com/discord⁠)GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: (Just two this time.)SCRAGGED: Executed by hanging. QUARTERN: One quarter of an Imperial pint, that is, roughly 5 1/3 ounces. A common measurement of hard liquor.

SHOW NOTES — for —MINISODE 20 (Season 5)(MARCH 5, 2026) ———— EPISODE 5.20: The skeletons in the vault. — A golden age of highway robbery and crime! — A very naughty song about sailing on “The Open C—.” (Segment 2 — The “Twopenny Torrids.”)NOTE: The full show notes, including images and links, can be accessed at https://pennydread.com/discord01:20: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: A little scene-setting of what life was like during the Golden Age of Britain’s criminal underworld, and some theories about what caused such a startling outbreak of violent crime.17:50: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 56-58: The ghostly mystery solved, the two highwaymen start exploring the house. They soon find a locked door that apparently is Sir Ernest’s room; it has a seal stamped over the lock hole with sealing-wax. Somebody really wanted to keep people out of that room … our friends have their work cut out for them, but by the end of the day, they’ve figured out why.46:45: STREET POETRY: From a broadside ballad: “Stock and Wall” and “Low-back’d Car.” (Early 1800s).51:40: TWO RATHER NAUGHTY COCK-AND-HEN-CLUB SONGS: "The C—” (about naughtybits, of course) and “Oh, do it, dear charmer, again.” 54:40: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker" by Martin Merryman, Esq.GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:SWAG: Stolen property. BULLY: In this context, a brothel muscle-man there to protect the girls and make sure they get paid as agreed.FIDDLER: This word was used to mean a sixpence piece, a whip, a con artist, and sometimes a lady’s reproductive bits. FLASH CRIBS: A hospitality house of ill repute, often a brothel. FANCY GIRLS: Sporting ladies, provocatively dressed. KINCHIN: Child. LINK-BOY: A lad with a link or torch, hired to light the way.

SHOW NOTES — for —EPISODES 19-22 (Season 5)(March 1-14, 2026) ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! Each segment is in its own sub-episode. The "Penny Dreadfuls" segment is in this main episode, followed by ...The “Twopenny Torrids” minisode coming Thursday evening, March 5;The “Ha’penny Horrids” minisode on next Sunday evening; March 8; and finally—The “Sixpenny Spookies” minisode, two Thursdays hence, on March 14. ———— THE "PENNY DREADFULS" SEGMENT:For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— 02:20: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY (March 1): It must have seemed like a great idea to embezzle nearly 8,000 quid from a business partner; William Anderson got to feeling differently after his eight-year sentence was handed down. (1854)04:00: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 44: We cut back to the dungeon in which the prisoner is incarcerated. He hears someone running toward the dungeon, and then a tall gaunt man runs in and collapses beside him. He rises from his bed, grapples him by the throat, and cries, “Villain, monster, vampire! I have thee now!” Meanwhile, the mob of villagers, cheated of their prey, start thinking about seeking more vampyres in the graves of the recently deceased ….42:10: BROADSIDE BALLAD: Basically, an early-Victorian episode of Judge Judy, pitting a disgruntled customer against his tailor — who claimed the unwearable pair of “inexpressibles” (trousers) he made for the customer were a new fashion he’d seen Prince Albert wearing. (1840s).__________________GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:HIGH SPICERS: First-class highwaymen. LADYBIRDS: Sweethearts. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. NIPPERKIN: Half a pint. EYE-WATER: Gin. CABBAGE: Fabric used by a tailor to make clothing. KICKSIES: Trousers. ARTFUL CARD: Crafty character. TWIG: Recognize. To twig to something is to figure it out; to twig the prince is to recognize him on the street.KIDDY: Fashionable fellow. FARDEN: Phonetic spelling for the Cockney pronunciation of “farthing,” which was a quarter-penny.SPOOONEY: A silly, stupid fellow. MAG: A ha’penny. * The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.

SHOW NOTES — for —MINISODE 18 (Season 5)(February 25, 2026)"THE SIXPENNY SPOOKIES"!For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠ ———— IN TO-DAY'S "SIXPENNY SPOOKIES" EPISODE:00:45: THE TERRIFIC REGISTER: Screams awakened the traveler, and running to investigate he found the fingers of a corpse, shackled with chains, locked around the throat of his companion!05:15: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: MISS JEROMETTE AND THE CLERGYMAN, by Wilkie Collins, Part 2 of 3 parts: After the narrator’s brother’s love affair with Miss Jeromette has been going on in secret for some time, his dying mother begs him to leave off the law and enter the church, and he promises he’ll do it. Obviously carrying on an extramarital with a secret French girl is one thing for a law student, but quite another for a divinity student. He goes to her house, sadly and regretfully, resigned to break it off….28:30: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: “Head of a Child.” Guests in the manor of Sutton Verney complained they’d wake up in the night with the feeling of a child nestled in bed with them. It got so nobody would stay in that room; finally, the owners demolished that wing … and thereby learned its secret.30:45: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:VADE MECUM: Latin for "hand book."JOE MILLER: A player at Drury-lane, in the early 1700s, who was famous for a Leslie Nielsen style of stone-faced comedy. Mr. Miller was always so serious (and don’t call him Shirley) that he was hilarious on stage. When he died leaving some dependents uncared-for, the jestbook was created by Joe’s friends as a sort of inside joke, as a fundraiser to support his bereaved family.KIDDIES AND KIDDIESSES: Flash fellows — basically, early-1800s hep cats. SHERRY OFF: Run away. FLATS: Suckers. GET FLY TO THE FAKEMENT: Get wise to the swindle. BUMS: Bailiffs. CRAPING COVES: Hangmen. YE OLD STONE PITCHER: Newgate Prison. PADDINGTON FAIR: Execution day at Tyburn, which is in Paddington Parish. Paddington is also a pun, as “pad” was a flash word for “thief” or “robber.” BRUSH OFF: Leave. Note this phrase means something slightly different today.

SHOW NOTES — for —MINISODE 17 (Season 5)(February 22-25, 2026)"THE HA'PENNY HORRIDS"!For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠pennydread.com/discord. ———— IN TODAY'S "HA'PENNY HORRIDS" EPISODE:00:45: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY (February 24): A real downer, you might want to skip this one. But on Feb. 24, 1823, a 54-year-old closeted gay man named William North, outed by the discovery of some love letters, was hanged for “an unnatural crime.” 07:45: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapter 89: Todd has escaped through the neighbor’s house, terrifying them in the process. But now he has a problem — the heat is going to be on! And Sir Richard Blunt has a problem: He doesn’t want Todd to go dark quite yet, he’s working on a plan to catch him red-handed. How can he reassure Todd enough to keep him in England for another day — and make sure Johanna is safe in his shop?23:00: HORRID BROADSIDE: “Life, Trial, Confession & Execution of JAMES GREENACRE, for the EDGEWARE ROAD MURDER!” (1836). Truly a nasty crime, in which Mr. Greenacre killed and dismembered his fiancée on Christmas Eve, the night before their wedding.GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:SCRAGGED: Hanged. BULLY ROCKS: Swaggering braggadocios.

SHOW NOTES — for —MINISODE 16 (Season 5)(February 23, 2026)THE "TWOPENNY TORRIDS"!For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see pennydread.com/discord. ———— IN TODAY'S "TWOPENNY TORRID" MINISODE:01:00: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: The short and merry life of one of history’s most gifted con artistes — Mary Carleton, a.k.a. The German Princess.12:15: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 54: Dick finishes telling the story of how he acquired his mare. By the time he’s done, morning has broken; so the two highwaymen set out to explore their new temporary digs. But just as they do, an unearthly scream rings out in their ears …24:45: STREET POETRY: From a yard-long collection of street ballads: “Henry’s Cottage Maid,” and “Single Life for Me!” (Early 1800s).28:00: A RATHER NAUGHTY COCK-AND-HEN-CLUB SONG: "The Lady’s Wound” (about how Simple Simon learned on his wedding night that that, um, wasn’t a wound down there.)30:00: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker" by Martin Merryman, Esq.GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE — just two this time:ARCH DOXY: High-ranking female criminal or underworld figure. CUT AWAY: Fled.

(ART: The angry mob and Dr. Chillingworth, from this episode’s chapter of Varney the Vampyre.)SHOW NOTES — for —EPISODES 15-18 (Season 5)(February 22-25, 2026) ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! Each segment is in its own sub-episode. The "Penny Dreadfuls" segment is in this main episode, followed by ...The “Twopenny Torrids” minisode coming Monday evening;The “Ha’penny Horrids” minisode on Tuesday evening; and finallyThe “Sixpenny Spookies” minisode on Wednesday. ———— THE "PENNY DREADFULS" SEGMENT:For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "PENNY DREADFULS" SEGMENT:02:50: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY (February 22): Lord Bellamont, the “Hybernian Seducer,” took a pistol ball to the groin in a duel with Lord Townshend. (1773)04:10: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 40: The mob of angry villagers arrive at Sir Francis Varney’s house, with Dr. Chillingworth in front, importuning them to turn back the whole way. They form up in front of Ratford Abbey and thunderously demand admittance to the place. Upon getting in, they search it; Varney is not there. Then a shepherd tells them he saw Varney heading towards the duelling-spot, and they race thither, hot on the vampyre’s track … how do you suppose our bold, bad eldritch anti-hero will get out of this one?41:05: BROADSIDE BALLAD: “SECRETS for ladies during courtship! TEASING MADE EASY!” (Mid-1800s).GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:WOOD PECKERS: Jokers, with the implication that they favor dry humour. WATER PADS: Highway robbers of the river — freshwater pirates, basically. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. TARTARS: Stern and disapproving old ladies. AUTEM DIPPERS: Hard-shell Baptists. FLICKER: Drinking glass. BLUE JACKY: Gin. * The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.

SHOW NOTES — for —EPISODE 14(The fourth of four linked episodes aired February 15, 2026) ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch, for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!* ———— "THE SIXPENNY SPOOKIES" segment (No. 4 of 4):00:30: THE TERRIFIC REGISTER: God’s judgement on a bishop who became cruel to his congregation.02:05: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: MISS JEROMETTE AND THE CLERGYMAN, by WILKIE COLLINS, Part 1 of 3 parts: We open on our narrator’s brother reading a book about famous criminal trials, when his brother, a clergyman, sees the one he’s reading about. The defendant was acquitted in the trial — but the brother knows with absolute certainty that the man was guilty of the charge. How so, the narrator asks? Instead of answering, the brother asks if the narrator believes in ghosts … and then agrees to tell his story if the brother will promise to let the story be revealed only after his death.On his deathbed, then, he beckons to the narrator and tells him he may now share his strange tale ….19:15: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: “Here I am again!” — a story of a most persistent, if rather ineffectual, haunt.25:25: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:VADE MECUM: Latin for "hand book."JOE MILLER: A player at Drury-lane, in the early 1700s, who was famous for a Leslie Nielsen style of stone-faced comedy. Mr. Miller was always so serious (and don’t call him Shirley) that he was hilarious on stage. When he died leaving some dependents uncared-for, the jestbook was created by Joe’s friends as a sort of inside joke, as a fundraiser to support his bereaved family.TIP YOUR RAGS A GALLOP: Run away as fast as you can.GRABS: Police and magistrates.THE TOUCH: Getting arrested.HELL CATS: Dangerous ladies who frequent the “hells” (gambling dens).BLACKLEGS: Professional gamblers who cheat to win.SPEELING-CRIB: A gambling den. RUM TE TUM WITH THE CHILL OFF: Most emphatically excellent.————* The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.

SHOW NOTES — for —EPISODES 11-14(The third of four episodes aired February 15, 2026) ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London! ———— "THE HA'PENNY HORRIDS" (Segment 3 of 4):00:30: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY (February 15, 1688): On this day, Philip Stansfield was hanged for murdering his father. And yeah, he probably did it — there was a lot of circumstantial evidence — but the clincher was an account of how, when the body was found and Philip helped retrieve it, it bled on him. Which, the prosecutor said, “he must ascribe to the wonderful Providence of God, who in this manner discovers murder.” Divine forensics!04:55: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapter 88: Todd, stuck on the roof, jumps across to the next house and makes his way out through it. As he leaves, he overhears Colonel Jeffery giving a letter to his footman to carry to Sir Richard Blunt … Todd follows him, wondering what’s in that letter … and making plans to find out!19:25: HORRID BROADSIDE: The confession and execution of William Corder, who murdered his onetime sweetheart Maria Martin (1828).GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:PADDINGTON FAIR: Hanging day at the old Tyburn Tree gallows, which was located in Paddington Parish. Many of the convicts hanged there were “pads,” that is, thieves. ————*The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.

SHOW NOTES — for —EPISODES 12(The second of four aired on February 15, 2026) ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London! ———— "THE TWOPENNY TORRIDS" SEGMENT:00:40: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: The affair of Count Koenigsmark, a feisty Swedish nobleman who in 1682 tried to murder his way into the good graces of a 13-year-old heiress, and barely got out of the country unhanged ….12:13: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 54: Turpin continues the story of his first heist. After it was over, he tried to go back to honest work; but he found nobody would hire him, so back he went upon the road! Also, Dick tells how he became the owner of his amazing mare, Black Bess.24:20: STREET POETRY: From a broadside ballad: The Young Woman’s ABC (a delightfully flirty bit of fun in the vein of Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5”) on the same page as a deeply moving ballad of a Maryland man whose (free) Black wife was kidnapped by a gang of “fugitive slave catchers.” (1860).30:45: A RATHER NAUGHTY COCK-AND-HEN-CLUB SONG: "The Metal Spoon-makers” (about sex, of course; what else?)33:00: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker" by Martin Merryman, Esq.GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:KNIGHT OF THE BLADE: A swaggering braggadocio. BLUNT: Money, with the implication that there is a lot of it. RHINO: Same as “blunt.” BULLY ROCKS: Cheap muscle, usually a reference to “protection” men in a whorehouse. BOLT THE MOON: Fly by night. * The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.

SHOW NOTES — for —EPISODE 11(One of four aired on February 15, 2026) ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London! ———— * The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.————SEGMENT 1 of 4: “THE TWO-BOB BLOOD-AND-THUNDERS.”02:10: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY: The story of a man garrotted and robbed at Leeds; but he survived to identify his attackers! (Feb. 15, 1853)03:45: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 39: It’s dueling time! But only Henry fires his pistol. It’s a clean miss, apparently. Varney raises his pistol … and fires at the sky. Henry demands another fire, as Marchdale and the Admiral urge him to call it good. But just then Mr. Chillingworth arrives … with a mob of villagers equipped with torches and pitchforks, chanting “Down with the vampire!”31:00: BROADSIDE STREET BALLAD: Opening the Exhibition! A fantastic example of street-poet John Morgan writing about the exhibition at the Crystal Palace in 1854. It was the event of the century!GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:CONVEYANCERS: Highway robbers and thieves. CAPER MERCHANTS: Dancing instructors. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. HENS: Married ladies, usually of middle age. JET AUTEMS: Preachers and parsons. WHITE TAPE: Gin. SLUICE YOUR GOB: Take a big drink.

Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!———PART I: “THE HA’PENNY HORRIDS”: 01:44: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY: On Feb. 8, 1804, 23-year-old Miss Ann Hurle was launched into eternity for a forgery/counterfeiting con so audacious that it’s hard to believe she worked it alone. (https://capitalpunishmentuk.org/ann-hurle-hanged-for-forgery-in-1804/)08:15: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapter 85-87: Once Mrs. Lovett is gone, Todd sits down to think. He decides the next day’s dawn must find him on his way, and his shop in flames. He makes himself a little to-do list: First, go find and murder Tobias; then, pack all his things off to the wharf to be shipped to Hamburg; third, arrange combustibles to fire the building; fourth, murder “Charley Green”; and fifth, post a letter to Sir Richard Blunt accusing Mrs. Lovett….48:39: HORRID BROADSIDE: A double-sided summary of the crime, trial, and execution of the “London Burkers of 1831” — John Bishop, Thos. Williams and James May, who in that year murdered an “Italian Boy” and cashed him in at the nearest medical college! This broadside was selected because J. Draper just released a fantastic London History Show episode on resurrection-men. Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXyUCPek6EYPART II: "THE TWOPENNY TORRIDS":1:00:30: LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: In the “golden age of highway robbery” in England, money wasn’t the only thing bold bad men were after. Well, actually it was; but, some of them thought they could acquire it by kidnapping and forcibly marrying wealthy heiresses. 1:07:00: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 51-53: Tom King tells Dick Turpin the story of the mansion. It was owned by a debauched old baronet named Sir Ernest Dane, who at his death was nearly 60, and four years into a marriage that had been forced upon the beautiful daughter of a neighbor, a 17-year-old maiden named Kate Enderby. Kate had already been betrothed to a sailor named Ralph Anderdon; but her father insisted, and she was forced to the altar with this old roue instead….1:37:15: STREET POETRY: From a broadside ballad: “The Very Pretty Maid and the Amorous ‘Squire”! (Circa 1860).1:39:45: A RATHER NAUGHTY COCK-AND-HEN-CLUB SONG: “The Landlady’s ‘Count” (about a little risque confusion engendered by a gentleman’s thick French accent).1:43:30: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker" by Martin Merryman, Esq.*The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:CROWDSMAN: xxx. GIN SPINNER: xxx. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. MACE GIRL: Female swindler or con artiste. SHERRY OFF: Run away.There are more! But we’re out of space here. A full glossary of all the flash-cant terms used in this episode is at ⁠https://pennydread.com/discord⁠ in the "#season-5-episodes" thread.

Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!PART I: “THE PENNY DREADFULS”: 04:15: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY (FEB. 1): Two young men were playing at fencing with real swords … when one of them slipped. (1855)05:45: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 38: Dr. Chillingworth, who is Henry’s second for the duel, and Jack Pringle, who is the admiral’s, both arrive at Ratford Abbey at the same time. The arrangements are duly made, although they are a little odd. On the way home, they meet Marchdale, who offers to step in as Henry’s second so that Dr. Chillingworth will not suffer the various sanctions that would fall to him, as a professional man, if he were found to have been directly involved in a duel. Everything is building to a showdown …43:16: BROADSIDE BALLAD: The Lord Mayor’s Day in old London-town! (1850).PART II: "THE SIXPENNY SPOOKIES":48:15: TERRIFIC REGISTER ARTICLE: A freak lightning-strike that left the dead looking uncommonly alive … and a child born with three eyes.50:15: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, TO-WIT: Shadow of a Shade, by Tom Hood, Part 2 of 2 parts: One has to admire the creation of Vincent Grieve, as a villain. He is sketched with a deft hand, kind of just shy of unbelievable reprehensibleness. There can be little doubt in anyone’s mind but that he murdered George to get to Lettie, and no one will be the least surprised when, in this concluding segment, he starts showing up and trying to renew his unwelcome and repellant effort to court her. But, there’s something not quite right, and it soon becomes clear that there are powerful supernatural forces at work on the case … forces that cast, behind Grieve, a second shadow.1:07:21: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: The Telephone at the Oratory. Ghosts usually don’t use the telephone, but apparently this one did!1:16:30: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."*The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:OWLERS: Smugglers. MALTY COVES: Beer drinkers. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. GENTRY COVES: Gentlemen. LAWFUL BLANKETS: Wives. NIPPERKIN: Half a pint. OLD TOM: Top-shelf gin. BADGE COVES: Poor men who are being subsidized by the parish for charity. CROSS-COVES: Swindlers and other criminals. SHEEP’S JEMMIES: Roasted sheep’s head. SPOONEY: Foolish fellow. MORRIS OFF: Run away. BEAKS ON THE NOSE: Police detectives or magistrates on an investigation. HELL CATS: Racy ladies who haunt gambling-hells. BLACKLEGS: Card-sharpers and other professional gamblers who cheat. SPICE ISLANDERS: Swindlers. SPEELING-CRIB: Gambling den.RUM TE TUM WITH THE CHILL OFF: Most emphatically excellent.

Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!PART I: "THE HA’PENNY HORRIDS”:01:20: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY: The story of a colonial governor hanged in 1803 for murder after he had seven employees whipped so severely that three of them died. If you’re into schadenfreude, this is your week.06:50: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapter 83-84: The two ladies, Mrs. Ragg and her friend (Martha Jones), bustle back to the Temple and set themselves up in the office of Martha’s employer, an attorney named Mr. Juggas, and starts plying Mrs. Ragg with Mr. Juggas’ old ale. Todd follows them up the stairs, listens at each door till he finds the right one, and overhears some very interesting news ….35:00: BROADSIDE BALLAD: A sad account of a pair of convicts sacrificed to the old English “bloody code” on the scaffold, one for burglary and one for arson. Reading this one, I had to wonder if the spectacle the arsonist made in struggling for his life helped turn public opinion against this barbarity.PART II: "THE TWOPENNY TORRIDS”:43:50: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: Meet William “Swift Nick” Nevison, one of the northlands’ most notorious high spicers. The tale is that he was friends with King Charles II himself.50:30: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 49-50: Dick picks the lock on the front gate and the two bandits make their way through the park and up to the front door of the house. There they find it’s very secure; heavy shutters cover all the windows, the door is fast as a rock. But, of course, no place is burglar-proof to a sufficiently resourceful burglar, right?1:19:00: SOME STREET POETRY from an 1830s “broadside”: "The Bonny Blue Handkerchief” and “The Jolly Rover.”1:23:00: A SUBTLY NAUGHTY COCK-AND-HEN-CLUB SONG: "Cowslip and the Gardener’s Leek.” (about a little misunderstanding of what was meant by “prithee sow your seed in my bed, kind sir.”)1:27:00: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker."*The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a wood west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:• COUNT CARDS: Fine fellows. • FAMILY COVES: Members of the “family” of thieves and other cross-men (criminals). • KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. • CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). • CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. • HIGH SPICERS: Well-mounted highwaymen. • SHERRY OFF: To run away at top speed. Adopted from the nautical term "to sheer off."• FLATS: Suckers. • FLY TO: Wised-up about, aware of.• FAKEMENT: Plot or scheme.• BUMS: Bailiffs.• CRAPPING COVES: Pronounced "crêpe-ing," it means hangmen, who cause the widows of the criminals they execute to wear crêpe in mourning.• THE OLD STONE JUG: Newgate Prison, or prisons in general.• PADDINGTON FAIR: Execution day at Tyburn Tree gallows, which was in Paddington parish; during the years when the “Bloody Code” was in effect, and one could get “scragged” for stealing less than 10 modern dollars’ worth of goods, it was also a blackly humourous pun, as “pad” was Flash slang for “thief” or “robber.”

Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!PART I: “THE PENNY DREADFULS”: 02:50: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 37: As soon as he can get away, Henry goes next door and challenges Varney to a duel, following a very unsatisfactory conversation about the disposition of Charles Holland, which Varney claims ignorance of, but Henry frankly accuses him of lying. No sooner is Henry home than Admiral Bell sallies forth on a similar errand….36:15: SPORTY STREET BROADSIDE: “Landlord fill a flowing bowl,” a zesty drinking song, presented alongside “The Fire King,” a poem in praise of stage magician and fire-eater J.X. Chabert.42:45: TERRIFIC REGISTER ARTICLE: A wicked archbishop who called his parishioners vermin was, according to this legend, chased down and devoured by a horde of rats.PART II: “THE SIXPENNY SPOOKIES”:45:45: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, TO-WIT: SHADOW OF A SHADE, by Tom Hood, Part 1 OF 2: We are introduced to Lettie, the narrator’s sister, and her fiancé, George Mason, a merchant-marine officer who is about to set out on an expedition to find Sir John Franklin’s missing North Pole expedition. A younger brother has painted a portrait of George, which Lettie really likes, and has it hung in the living room to remind her of her loved one. George’s fellow officer, Vincent Grieve, comes to dinner before the expedition began, and all but follows Lettie around with his tongue hanging out — seeming to be trying to cut in on her. On his last visit, he tells Lettie he was in love with her, and should she ever break it off with George, he hopes she’ll have him instead. Outraged, Lettie orders him out of the house.The ship sails. Then, some weeks later, a chill arctic wind seemed to blow through the room, despite it being summer; and when our narrator looks at the painting of George, it looks like the head has become a skull! Upon approaching, the illusion passed; but our narrator very much fears it was an omen …1:03:00: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: The tale of a ghostly butler who still walks the halls of an ancient hall in Yorkshire.1:11:15: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."*The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a deep forest glade west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) Actually it is a good 3,000 miles west of Arkham. It is not to be confused with Dunwich, the English seacoast town that fell house by house into the sea centuries ago, or Dunsany, the home until 1957 of legendary fantasy author Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany.GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:BLACKLEGS: Crooked gamblers. CAPTAIN TOBERS: Top-tier highwaymen. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. TARTARS: Feisty old ladies. AUTEM DIPPERS: Preachers from Protestant denominations that emphasize baptism by immersion.NOGGEN OF LIGHTNING: Quartern of gin. SUGAR-CANE JUICE: Rum. MORRIS OFF: Flee or run away. BEAKS ON THE NOSE: Magistrates or police detectives on an active investigation.DIDDLE COVES: Bartenders at a dram shop or gin palace.DAFFY DOXIES: Spicy ladies who drink gin (daffy is gin).CAPTAIN LUSHINGTONS: Drunken fellows.There are more! But we’re out of space here. A full glossary of all the flash-cant terms used in this episode is at ⁠https://pennydread.com/discord⁠ in the "#season-5-episodes" thread.

Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!PART I: "THE HA’PENNY HORRIDS":01:10: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY: Convicted of murder, George Foster was hanged 223 years ago today … and then handed over to the Regency equivalent of Herbert West, Reanimator. (More info from executedtoday.com) (With art, posted on Discord.)09:50: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapter 81-82: Upon hearing that Sweeney Todd has withdrawn all the money, Mrs. Lovett, of course, flies into a rage, and Mr. Brown narrowly escapes getting beaned with a heavy inkstand. Then she storms out of the building, into the hackney-coach (which she almost forgot she’d hired) and has the jarvey bring her to Fleet-street. Full of rage, she storms into Sweeney Todd’s shop ready for a fight … how do you think Sweeney Todd will handle this? (Art on ⁠Discord⁠.)36:30: BROADSIDE BALLAD: A lament from a maiden in love with a young man who’s decided to enter the priesthood, and the ballad of a maid betrayed and her disconsolate lover joining her in the grave. (Art on ⁠Discord⁠.)42:15: LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: Stories of the men and women who made the Romantic Age spicy! Meet Claude DuVal, the original sharp-dressed “gentleman robber of the high road.” (More info from stand-and-deliver.com.org.uk) (Art on ⁠Discord⁠.)PART II: "THE TWOPENNY TORRIDS":51:30: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 48: Turpin and King make their way south through the woods, hoping to reach the sea, from which, if things are too hot, they hope to slip away to the Continent to lie low. After a lengthy bushwhack, they emerge on a hillside overlooking the Channel and drink in the beauty of the scene. The centerpiece of it is a great Gothic mansion alone on a promontory surrounded by chestnut trees. Tom knows there’s a story about that mansion — a sinister mystery connected with it … 1:09:25: SOME STREET POETRY from an 1830s “broadside”: What happens when a gifted Romantic-Age poet comes across a love letter from a sailor’s lass to her briny beau? High art, that’s what! (Art on ⁠Discord⁠.)1:14:25: A RATHER NAUGHTY COCK-AND-HEN-CLUB SONG: "Jack Junk On Board of Molly Brown” — it’s actually not what you probably think from that title!1:19:40: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker."GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:CROSS-COVES: Swindlers and con artists. HELL CATS: Dangerous ladies who hang out in gambling hells. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. BEAKS: Magistrates. LAMBSKIN MEN: Judges. CULLS: Contemptible men. TRAINOR: Member of a trainband. TRAINBAND: A home-guard neighborhood militia of the 1600s and 1700s. HALF-PAY: Navy officers got put on half-pay when the Navy was not using their services. It was well known that most officers on half-pay were low-quality men who for social reasons could not be fired; so the idea of a captain on half-pay having “ships at sea” was a joke contemporary readers would have understood. PINS: Legs, here being punned on “bowling pins” given that bowling balls and cannonballs are rather similar in form and weight. PIKE OFF: To run away at top speed. FLATS: Suckers. SPOONEYS: Slow, stupid fellows. FLY TO: Wised-up about, aware of.FAKEMENT: Plot or scheme.MAUNDERS: Beggars. NIMMERS: Thieves of the lowest order. THE HOLY LAND: St. Giles Parish. The joke is that St. Giles was the Patron Saint of Thieves because if so, his parish was thoroughly infested with his acolytes. There are more! But we’re out of space here. A full glossary of all the flash-cant terms used in this episode is at ⁠https://pennydread.com/discord⁠ in the "#season-5-episodes" thread.

NOTICE/APOLOGY: There are a couple fairly egregious editing errors in this episode caused by my ill-advised attempt at multitasking. I haven't time to re-compile it, but please accept my assurances that I will be more careful in future! — The CORINTHIAN.Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!PART I: “THE PENNY DREADFULS”: 01:50: DICKENS’ DREADFUL ALMANAC for today: An attorney who took to the road and became a highwayman Bonnie-and-Clyde style was hanged with his highwaywoman sweetheart, 288 years ago today.04:50: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 35-36: The other men of the household also emerge from the house, and run about trying to figure out where Varney ran off to. After they’re gone, he coolly steps back into the summer house to resume his conversation with Flora. He assures her that after they leave the hall, she will be reunited with Charles; and then he buggers off. They don’t catch him, of course, and next day the whole family gets together to try and figure out what to do next ….33:58: BROADSIDE BALLAD: A couple jolly drinking songs: Bacchus and Time and Heigh-ho Says Thimble!38:24: TERRIFIC REGISTER ARTICLE: They accused her of theft — but learned, after it was too late, who the real thief was: A magpie!PART II: "THE SIXPENNY SPOOKIES": 41:10: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, TO-WIT: No Living Voice, by Thomas Street Millington: Stuck in a boring border town while he waits for his passport to be fixed, an English travler named Mr. Brown takes to exploring the scenery and ruins of the picturesque Neopolitan countryside. One day, darkness catches him still far from town. But a passing shepherd guides him to a rustic country inn, where he can get a good meal and a bed, saving him from the discomfort of being stuck outside all night. A lucky break for Mr. Brown — or is it? Because there’s something about that country inn that’s not quite right ….1:05:30: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax: The family had no end of trouble from ghostly manifestations in a particular room in the house… then, when they demolished that room to expand the staircase, they found a coffin under the floorboards.1:15:30: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum."GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:CONVEYANCERS: Burglars or thieves. CHICKSTERS: Prostitutes. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. GUNPOWDER: Proper old lady. IRON DOUBLET: Fire-and-brimstone preacher. BRUSHER: Large glass. STRIKE-ME-DEAD: New gin, hot off the still, also known as kill-devil. HEDGE BIRDS: Scoundrels. CAKES: Soft-headed fellows. SLIPPERY BLADE: A crafty gentleman. JARVEY: Hackney-coach driver. VADE MECUM: Latin for "hand book."JOE MILLER: A player at Drury-lane, in the early 1700s, who was famous for a Leslie Nielsen style of stone-faced comedy. Mr. Miller was always so serious (and don’t call him Shirley) that he was hilarious on stage. When he died leaving some dependents uncared-for, the jestbook was created by Joe’s friends as a sort of inside joke, as a fundraiser to support his bereaved family.EXIT PURSUED BY A BEAR: The most famous stage direction in all of Shakespeare’s work. Appears seemingly out of the blue in The Winter’s Tale.There are more! But we’re out of space here. A full glossary of all the flash-cant terms used in this episode is at ⁠https://pennydread.com/discord⁠ in the "#season-5-episodes" thread.

Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of old London!PART I: "THE HA’PENNY HORRIDS," 0:00 — 39:30:01:20: DICKENS' DREADFUL ALMANAC for today: A desperate butler tried to save his job by pretending to have been jumped by robbers … it didn’t work.03:20: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY: On January 16, 1813, 14 Luddites were scragged in a dreadful mass hanging, their punishment for having allegedly broken some machinery on purpose. It was the high-water mark of the “Bloody Code” under which one could be hanged for stealing a quartern loaf of bread! For more about this mass execution: https://ludditebicentenary.blogspot.com/2013/01/16th-january-1813-14-convicted-luddites.html and https://www.executedtoday.com/2013/01/16/1813-14-luddites-at-york/09:30: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapter 80: Mrs. Lovett now decides the best policy is to flee the country at once. So she decides she is going to visit the stockbroker with whom her joint resources with Todd are deposited, withdraw them all (including Todd’s half, of course!) and, without returning to the pie shop or making any other delay, go straight from there to a seaport and quit the country before Todd even knows she’s gone. But when she gets to the stockbroker’s place, there is a nasty surprise awaiting her …26:45: BROADSIDE BALLAD: An account, and long poem, about Ann Williams, a young maiden who in 1823 was murdered by her so-called sweetheart, William Jones, after that worthy learned he had gotten her pregnant.31:30: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: Jack “Mul-Sac” Cottington was the only highway robber to have cried “Stand and Deliver” to Oliver Cromwell himself! His was a short life and a merry one; but not as short as you might expect.PART II: "THE TWOPENNY TORRIDS," 40:30 — 1:18:00:42:00: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 46-47: Turpin and King turn at bay under the shelter of the fallen oak tree. It’s the best possible place they could have found to fend off attack; but it’s eight to two, and one of the two can barely walk. Is this curtains for our felonious friends?1:04:30: SOME STREET POETRY from an 1830s “broadside”: "The Bloom is on the Rye” and “The Cheerless Soul.”1:07:45: A MILDLY NAUGHTY COCK-AND-HEN-CLUB SONG: “Cobbing a Stiff-un.”1:12:00: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker."*The Barony of Dunwitch is located in a wood west of Arkham (where, as H.P. Lovecraft put it, “the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut; there are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight.”) GLOSSARY OF FLASH TERMS USED IN THIS EPISODE:HIGH SPICERS: Highway robbers. ACK PIRATES: Thieves who operate on the river. KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. SCRAGGED: Hanged. BEAKS: Judges and magistrates. BIRDS OF PREY: Lawyers and prosecutors. JARVEYS: Hackney-coach drivers. GRAVEL TAX: The contribution levied at pistol-point by a highwayman. BRUSH OFF: Leave quickly. DARBIES: Handcuffs or manacles. BUMMED: Arrested (a “bum” is a gaoler/jailer or turnkey). IN DURANCE VILE: In prison or gaol. CHARLEYS: Watchmen. SCREWS: Gaolers or turnkeys. BOARDING-SCHOOL: Prison. There are more! But we’re out of space here. A full glossary of all the flash-cant terms used in this episode is at ⁠https://pennydread.com/discord⁠ in the "#season-5-episodes" thread.