The Poisoners' Cabinet
Famous poisoners, vicious Victorians and curious cocktails. Join hosts Nick and Sinead every Friday as they investigate history's greatest poisoners and ridiculous crimes on this comedic true crime show, while quaffing a cocktail inspired by the tale that they tell. Remember, your loved ones ARE trying to kill you...Join the chilling chat on TikTok @thepoisonerscabinet, and find us on Patreon (patreon.com/thepoisonerscabinet) for even more episodes.Written, produced and presented by Sinead Hanna and Nick Gordon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Ep 258 - The Batavia & Horrors on the High Seas
Ep 258 is loose! And it's time to make a voyage to the East Indies, but I wouldn't advise boarding the Batavia to get there...What makes this vessel so famous? Why didn't it make it to its destination? And was everyone terrified of the wall…
Ep 257 - Wat Tyler & The Peasants' Revolt
Ep 257 is loose! And the peasants are revolting! Rude...It's time for the tale of the peasants' revolt and the folk hero Wat Tyler.What caused the people to rise up in 1381? Why do we remember Wat Tyler's name? And have you ever tried to im…
Ep 256 - The Body In The Garage
Ep 256 is loose! And we have a dead body on our hands, and a locked....garage!What happened to Vivian Messiter? What happened in that garage in Southampton? And can juries be trusted?The secret ingredient is...a wolf!Get cocktails, poisonin…
Ep 255 - The Fox Sisters' adventures in Spiritualism
Ep 255 is loose! And it's time to gather around the table and see if we can hear any knocks or clicks from the other side...Who were the Fox Sisters? How did they become so famous? And what was up with their toes?The secret ingredient is...…
Ep 254 - King James' Bewitched Voyages
EP 254 is loose! And we're back with our old 'pal' King James VI/I to look at the sea voyages that inspired him to hunt witches en mass across Scotland and England.Why did stormy weather cause such a stir in the monarch? Who was dragged to …
Ep 253 - The Legend of Ma Barker
Ep 253 is loose! And we've got a gang on our hands, lead by the notorious Ma Barker. Or was it...?Who was Ma Barker? How did she get this fearsome reputation? And did we find the perfect summer cocktail?The secret ingredient is...silver nit…
Ep 252 - The Pazzi Conspiracy
Ep 252 is loose! And we're off to 15th century Italy where people are plotting to take down the most powerful family in Florence, the Medici...What was the cause of the Pazzi Conspiracy? What went wrong in the cathedral? And how do you like…
Ep 251 - The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
We're back for season 6 and headed straight to the oooold West with Wyatt, Doc and other people in big hats for one of the most famous fights in history.What caused the famous gunfight? Who was involved in the shootout? And how do you moor …
Bonus Patreon Release - The Many Lives of Julie d'Aubigny
Bonus Patreon release! As we are on our season break, enjoy this free episode from our Patreon files.It's a wild ride with the tale of hard fighting, hard singing, globe trotting and free loving Julie d'Aubigny, the wild woman of 17th cent…
Ep 250 Season 5 Finale: The Disappearance of Agatha Christie
It's our season 5 finale! And we're dealing with the sudden disappearance of the Queen of Crime in 1926...What happened to Agatha Christie for 11 days in December? Is it a conspiracy? Or was someone spreading nasty rumours?The secret ingred…
Ep 249 - The Ouija Board Murders
Ep 249 is loose and this week it's the bizarre, mystical case of murder, artists and Ouija boards.Who would want Clothilde Marchand? Were the spirits whispering warnings or was there a nastier presence at work? And would you take off your c…
Ep 248 - Norman Baker & The Quack's Cure for Everything
Ep 248 is loose! And we have the tale of an inventor, performer, broadcaster and conman Norman Baker.Who was this boisterous chap from Iowa? Did he really have a cure for cancer? And what trained animals do you send through the mail?The sec…
Ep 247 - Du Yuesheng, Kingpin of Shanghai
Ep 247 is loose! And we are off to China for the tale of a notorious mob boss who presided over Shanghai with an iron fist.Who was Du Yuesheng? How did he gain control of the city? And how do you like your twigs serves?The secret ingredient…
Ep 246 - The Earl of Sandwich and His Deadly Love Triangle
Ep 246 is loose and we have the 4th Earl of Sandwich, the beautiful Martha Ray, the pining Rev James Hackman, and two loaded pistols...Did John Montagu really invent everyone's favourite lunch? What led to a bloody showdown at the theatre? …
Ep 245 - Who put Father Casper in the trunk?
Ep 245 is loose! And there's a strange smell coming from a rented room in a New York apartment...What on earth happened to Father Casper? What was in his secret pouch? And could we drink this week's cocktail?The secret ingredient is...a pri…
Ep 244 - The Murder of Juan Borgia
Ep 244 is loose and we're back with the Borgias for another dive into this famous family's secrets - particularly the death of one sibling...Who would want Juan/Giovanni Borgia dead? Who was sleeping with who? And what did the donkey know?T…
Ep 243 - Luther Jones & His Felonious Foolery
Episode 243 is loose, and we have the little-known tale of Luther Jones, a career criminal! And a bad one at that.Why did Luther turn to a life of crime? Why did he keep making mistakes? And how do you serve your bean beverages?The secret i…
EP 242 - Poison, plots and penance: Terrible Popes Through History
Ep 242 is loose! And we're taking a look at some of the worst popes in history - criminals, plotters, and madmen.Why did so many Popes live debauched lives? Why was a dead pope put on trial at Cadaver Synod? And who was plotting to poison P…
Ep 241 - Who Killed Pamela Werner?
Ep 241 is loose and we're off to China for one of Nick's famous episodes from the Far East. And it's a brutal tale of murder and mystery this time...Who was Pamela Werner? Who would want her dead? And where would you definitely not go cycli…
Ep 240 - Seven Assassins for Queen Victoria
Ep 240 is loose! And this week we look at the multitude of men who seemingly tried to get rid of Queen Victoria.Who were the seven assailants? Did they really want the queen dead? And how do YOU walk around the park?The secret ingredient is…
Ep 239 - Lyda Southard & The Terrible Typhoid
Ep 239 is loose! And we have a good ol' fashioned poisoning story from the deadly Lyda Southard.Who was this flame haired beauty? Why did so many men sign her papers? And will there be an alarm this week...?The secret ingredient is...fever!…
Bonus Episode - 5th Bday Q&A!
A sizzlingly sensational special bumper Q&A episode, to mark 5 years of the Poisoners' Cabinet!Nick and Sinead answer a stack of questions from fans about the show, about life and about snacks. It's a much more relaxed episode with no main …
Ep 238 - Madness, Mayhem & Murder in Ancient Rome
Ep 238 is loose on our 5th birthday - and to celebrate we're going to Rome!We dip our toe into the huge history of the Roman Empire and chat weird facts and crazy stories featuring famous and lesser known figures from the ancient city...Was…
Expert Witness: Cathryn Kemp & A Poisoner's Tale
Was Giulia Tofana a murderer...or a saviour?This is the question posed by Cathryn Kemp in her new historical fiction novel, A Poisoner's Tale - a retelling of the legend of Giulia and her poison, Aqua Tofana.Cathryn kindly joined us to talk…
Ep 237 - Stephen Ballew & The Quincy Fiend
Ep 236 is loose! And we're headed to Quincy, Illinois where a dashing young man has arrived at his extended family's farm with big tales and big promises...Who was Stephen Ballew? What business did he really do? And how do you like your sil…
Ep 236 - Polly Bodine & The Murderous Media
Ep 236 is loose and we're looking at the case of Polly Bodine, the Witch of New York accused of a horrific murder and tried by the press for it...Who was Polly? Why would she want her sister-in-law dead? And where do you put your granite to…
Special Episode - The Strange Story of Phineas Gage
It's a special episode from our Patreon files! And we tell the incredible story of Phineas Gage...Originally broadcast on Patreon in October 2024, this Deadly Nightcaps episode follows on from Ep 217 and delves deeper into the pseudoscience…
Ep 235 - The Secret Murder of Jane Stanford
Ep 235 is loose and we're off to the hallowed halls of Stanford University to discover what really happened to one of its founders...Who was Jane Stanford? Why would anyone want her out of the way? And what do you shout out on dates?The sec…
EP 234 - Elizabeth Duncan & Motherly Love
Ep 234 is loose and we're telling the story of how having a mother-in-law can quite literally can be murder...Who was Elizabeth Duncan? Why was she so obsessed with keeping her son close? And which friend would you ask to help plan a crime?…
Ep 233 - The Deadly Work of The Radium Girls
Ep 233 is loose! And this week we have the terrifying tragic tale of the Radium Girls and their fight for justice.Why was radium all the rage in the early 1900s? Why were so many women working with poison daily? And where do you put your to…
Revisited: Ep 2 & The Bradford Sweets Poisoning
It's the second of our Revisited episodes where we take another look at the story of the Bradford Sweets Poisoning!Revisited are new bonus episodes where we re-record and refresh early episodes of The Poisoners' Cabinet to improve quality a…
Expert Witness: Poisons of Japan with TK from For The Love Of History
How do you like your tea? Deadly?In this instalment of Expert Witness, Sinead speaks to the wonderful TK from For the Love of History podcast about the popular poisons from days gone by in Japan. Expect ninja, curious teapots and early vers…
Revisited: Ep 1 & Deadly Dr Lamson
It's time to go back to the beginning and take another look at the story of Dr Lamson and the Dundee Cake!Revisited are new bonus episodes where we re-record and refresh early episodes of The Poisoners' Cabinet to improve quality and offer …
Ep 232 Christmas Special - Kate Dungey & The Henley Mystery
Ep 232 is loose and it's our Christmas episode! A terrible crime has been committed on a dark December night up at the big house...What happened to Kate Dungey? What secrets did the house hold? And how do you season your sticks?The secret i…
Ep 231 - The Life & Legend of Gráinne O'Malley
Ep 231 is loose! And we have another badass seafaring woman from history this week, the private queen Gráinne O'Malley!Who was this fearsome Irish woman? Why DO people call her Grace? And where do you keep your leprechauns?The secret ingred…
Ep 230 - The Belews & The Bitter Rivalry
Ep 230 is loose! And there's trouble at the Belew house as something bad seems to be in the morning mush...Why was a hard-working household targeted? What dish was to blame? And how high can a horse get?The secret ingredient is...stables! G…
Ep 229 Jeanne de Clisson, Lioness of Brittany
Ep 229 is loose! And we're going back to the 14th century to hear the story of Jeanne de Clisson - wife, mother and lioness of the sea.Who was this French noblewoman? What set her on a course for revenge? And which way does the port go?The …
EP 228 - Henri Landru & The Horrors of Bluebeard
Ep 228 is loose, and this week, we mix fairytales with murder as we tell the tale of the Bluebeard of Gambais.Do you know the story of Bluebeard? Who was mysterious Henri? And what DO you use to get blood from a key?The secret ingredient is…
Ep 227 - Dr Haugh & The Wright and Wrong Path
Ep 227 is loose and we're off to Ohio to hear the bizarre story of Dr Oliver Cook Haugh.Who was this difficult doctor? What does he have to do with the Wright brothers? And this cocktail....wooooahhh....The secret ingredient is...cocaine!Al…
Ep 226 - The Torment of the Lipstick Killer
Ep 226 is loose, and this week it's a dark and troubling tale of murder in Chicago and suspect William Heirens raises a few eyebrows...Who was the Lipstick Killer? Were all his crimes really related? And does anyone have any sage?The secret…