https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tudors-religious-persuit--7317303
This is a narrated history podcast with no host on screen, no studio banter—just the reconstructed final hours of real men and women condemned under the Tudor crown. Each installment tells one complete Tudors story: the letter that begged for help and betrayed a conspiracy, the list shoved through a chapter that cost its author his head, the empty cart that turned ordinary preachers into martyrs overnight. You get names, dates, trial transcripts, and the small human details most history books leave out—the last meal, the final prayer, the executioner who missed his first swing.

Across the series you'll move through the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, from the racks inside the Tower to the block outside its walls. Some episodes trace treason plots unraveling under torture; others follow clerks, teachers, and country gentlemen whose death sentence came down over a single careless word or a stolen piece of parchment. This is Tudors history built from executions, not textbooks—the condemned speaking their last recorded lines, the Tudors' final hours rebuilt minute by minute until the blade falls.

New episodes arrive weekly, each one self-contained, each one ending the same way every true story about the Tudors does. Subscribe now if you want the Tudors the way they actually felt: intimate, brutal, and never quite finished until the axe comes down.]]>enScience FictionCopyright OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENThttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/452bd42f96843935a6984ad1a5303f10.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tudors-religious-persuit--7317303Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:21:55 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTOBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTcreators@obomedia.comTudors: Blood on the Scaffold opens with the creak of a scaffold plank and the low murmur of a crowd that gathered before dawn to watch someone die. That sound is where every episode of this Tudors series begins. This is a narrated history podcast...
This is a narrated history podcast with no host on screen, no studio banter—just the reconstructed final hours of real men and women condemned under the Tudor crown. Each installment tells one complete Tudors story: the letter that begged for help and betrayed a conspiracy, the list shoved through a chapter that cost its author his head, the empty cart that turned ordinary preachers into martyrs overnight. You get names, dates, trial transcripts, and the small human details most history books leave out—the last meal, the final prayer, the executioner who missed his first swing.

Across the series you'll move through the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, from the racks inside the Tower to the block outside its walls. Some episodes trace treason plots unraveling under torture; others follow clerks, teachers, and country gentlemen whose death sentence came down over a single careless word or a stolen piece of parchment. This is Tudors history built from executions, not textbooks—the condemned speaking their last recorded lines, the Tudors' final hours rebuilt minute by minute until the blade falls.

New episodes arrive weekly, each one self-contained, each one ending the same way every true story about the Tudors does. Subscribe now if you want the Tudors the way they actually felt: intimate, brutal, and never quite finished until the axe comes down.]]>falsebffd8440-fb1e-58bb-9c6a-de04e1461b30episodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-registry-documents-he-stole-that-launched-his-rise-and-ruin--74906929
The registry documents he stole that launched his rise and ruin

In this episode, we follow the rapid ascent and collapse of Marie-Joseph Collard, tracing his early theft of Brussels court registry documents, his rise within Rex, and the decisions that put him at the center of collaboration. What drove a young Catholic organizer to compile mass deportation lists and become indispensable to an occupying regime?

Person: Marie-Joseph Collard
Event: Theft of registry documents (12 December 1936) and conviction (May 1937)
Movement: Rex (joined 1936, rejoined September 1942)
Role: Head of political department; managed sixty employees and controlled administration in one in eight francophone municipalities by autumn 1943
Trial: Two death sentences; ninety-seven co-defendants; one hundred and forty-seven witnesses

- He was arrested for stealing documents from the Brussels Criminal Court on December 12, 1936, and convicted the following May.
- By age twenty-one he was Rex party secretary, editing Le Pays Réel and organizing mass rallies across French-speaking Belgium.
- After a quiet civilian period and wartime capture, he rejoined Rex in September 1942 and rapidly moved into the political department.
- By mid-1943 he had bypassed superiors to become the éminence grise of the movement, managing sixty employees and building administrative control.
- In autumn 1943 Rex-controlled administrators governed one in eight municipalities in francophone Belgium, with Collard credited for most of that architecture.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906929Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:01:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA thirty-two-year-old former party secretary is dragged to his execution - how do you fall from that high? The registry documents he stole that launched his rise and ruin In this episode, we follow the rapid ascent and collapse of Marie-Joseph...
The registry documents he stole that launched his rise and ruin

In this episode, we follow the rapid ascent and collapse of Marie-Joseph Collard, tracing his early theft of Brussels court registry documents, his rise within Rex, and the decisions that put him at the center of collaboration. What drove a young Catholic organizer to compile mass deportation lists and become indispensable to an occupying regime?

Person: Marie-Joseph Collard
Event: Theft of registry documents (12 December 1936) and conviction (May 1937)
Movement: Rex (joined 1936, rejoined September 1942)
Role: Head of political department; managed sixty employees and controlled administration in one in eight francophone municipalities by autumn 1943
Trial: Two death sentences; ninety-seven co-defendants; one hundred and forty-seven witnesses

- He was arrested for stealing documents from the Brussels Criminal Court on December 12, 1936, and convicted the following May.
- By age twenty-one he was Rex party secretary, editing Le Pays Réel and organizing mass rallies across French-speaking Belgium.
- After a quiet civilian period and wartime capture, he rejoined Rex in September 1942 and rapidly moved into the political department.
- By mid-1943 he had bypassed superiors to become the éminence grise of the movement, managing sixty employees and building administrative control.
- In autumn 1943 Rex-controlled administrators governed one in eight municipalities in francophone Belgium, with Collard credited for most of that architecture.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1176falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-book-in-french-that-made-her-authority-crumble--74906925
The book in French that made her authority crumble

In this episode, we follow the story of Marguerite Porete, the Beguine whose book challenged institutional religion and whose silence became part of the record. We trace her writing, the academic reviews she sought, and the inquisitorial process that judged her work without her voice - what does that silence mean?

Person: Marguerite Porete
Work: The Mirror of Simple Souls (written in Old French)
Location: Place de Grève, Paris
Date: June 1, 1310 (execution); eighteen months in prison prior
Reviewer: Godfrey of Fontaines (approved the Mirror)

- Marguerite Porete was a Beguine educated beyond what records usually show for women outside convents.
- She wrote The Mirror of Simple Souls in Old French to reach lay readers rather than in Latin for clerical audiences.
- The Mirror argued a perfected soul could attain beatific union in this life and need no external religious compulsion.
- She submitted the work to established theologians and received approval from Godfrey of Fontaines before wider scrutiny.
- While imprisoned, she refused to speak at all to inquisitors as a commission of twenty-one theologians judged fifteen propositions from her book.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906925Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:00:43 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA renowned mystic sits mute in a Paris prison while the church moves against a French book - how do you fall from that high? The book in French that made her authority crumble In this episode, we follow the story of Marguerite Porete, the...
The book in French that made her authority crumble

In this episode, we follow the story of Marguerite Porete, the Beguine whose book challenged institutional religion and whose silence became part of the record. We trace her writing, the academic reviews she sought, and the inquisitorial process that judged her work without her voice - what does that silence mean?

Person: Marguerite Porete
Work: The Mirror of Simple Souls (written in Old French)
Location: Place de Grève, Paris
Date: June 1, 1310 (execution); eighteen months in prison prior
Reviewer: Godfrey of Fontaines (approved the Mirror)

- Marguerite Porete was a Beguine educated beyond what records usually show for women outside convents.
- She wrote The Mirror of Simple Souls in Old French to reach lay readers rather than in Latin for clerical audiences.
- The Mirror argued a perfected soul could attain beatific union in this life and need no external religious compulsion.
- She submitted the work to established theologians and received approval from Godfrey of Fontaines before wider scrutiny.
- While imprisoned, she refused to speak at all to inquisitors as a commission of twenty-one theologians judged fifteen propositions from her book.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1368falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-payroll-book-entry-that-pushed-bradford-from-paymaster-to-pulpit--74906922
The payroll book entry that pushed Bradford from paymaster to pulpit

In this episode, we trace the path recorded in ledgers and colleges that led John Bradford from counting army pay to preaching at the heart of England, then to arrest under Mary I. We follow the practical choices, patrons, and institutions that rerouted his life and ask how a career in numbers became a career in conscience.

Person: John Bradford
Date: born 1510; arrested early in Mary I’s reign (1553)
Location: England - Blackley, Montreuil, Inner Temple, Cambridge, London
Role: Paymaster at the Siege of Montreuil; later Chaplain to Bishop Ridley and Chaplain to King Edward VI
Event: Conversion, study at Catharine Hall, ordination by Nicholas Ridley

- A folded wedding-style shirt handed to Bradford in a cell before dawn on 1 July 1555 sets the opening scene.
- Eleven years earlier Bradford was Paymaster for the English army at the Siege of Montreuil, trusted with large sums and precise accounts.
- Patronage by Sir John Harington of Exton brought Bradford into clerical service and into the administrative networks that made his skill visible.
- Bradford left the Inner Temple after a conversion prompted by an unnamed fellow student and enrolled at Catharine Hall, earning an MA and a fellowship rapidly.
- By 1550-51 he served as Ridley’s chaplain, preached alongside Hugh Latimer, became Chaplain to Edward VI and Prebendary of St Paul’s before Mary’s succession reversed his fortunes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906922Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:00:54 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA former army paymaster turned royal chaplain faces a prison shirt and a stake - how do you fall that far? The payroll book entry that pushed Bradford from paymaster to pulpit In this episode, we trace the path recorded in ledgers and colleges...
The payroll book entry that pushed Bradford from paymaster to pulpit

In this episode, we trace the path recorded in ledgers and colleges that led John Bradford from counting army pay to preaching at the heart of England, then to arrest under Mary I. We follow the practical choices, patrons, and institutions that rerouted his life and ask how a career in numbers became a career in conscience.

Person: John Bradford
Date: born 1510; arrested early in Mary I’s reign (1553)
Location: England - Blackley, Montreuil, Inner Temple, Cambridge, London
Role: Paymaster at the Siege of Montreuil; later Chaplain to Bishop Ridley and Chaplain to King Edward VI
Event: Conversion, study at Catharine Hall, ordination by Nicholas Ridley

- A folded wedding-style shirt handed to Bradford in a cell before dawn on 1 July 1555 sets the opening scene.
- Eleven years earlier Bradford was Paymaster for the English army at the Siege of Montreuil, trusted with large sums and precise accounts.
- Patronage by Sir John Harington of Exton brought Bradford into clerical service and into the administrative networks that made his skill visible.
- Bradford left the Inner Temple after a conversion prompted by an unnamed fellow student and enrolled at Catharine Hall, earning an MA and a fellowship rapidly.
- By 1550-51 he served as Ridley’s chaplain, preached alongside Hugh Latimer, became Chaplain to Edward VI and Prebendary of St Paul’s before Mary’s succession reversed his fortunes.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1352falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-song-that-named-a-minister-toppled-his-protector--74906920
The song that named a minister toppled his protector

In this episode, we trace the morning Víctor Jara was detained after the September 11, 1973 coup and the decisions, songs, and affiliations that made him a target. We follow the steps from his rural upbringing to the moment he folded forty-four lines into a shoe and ask: how did a celebrated artist become the regime’s urgent target?

Person: Víctor Jara
Date: September 11-16, 1973
Location: Stadium holding thousands in Santiago, Chile
Topic: Detention, poem hidden in shoe, killing of Víctor Jara
Related event: Coup against Salvador Allende

- Raised in Ñuble, son of Amanda Martínez, who taught him guitar and song and died when he was fifteen.
- Trained at the University of Chile, joined Cuncumén, met Violeta Parra, and directed politically charged theater.
- Wrote songs like "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" naming officials and composed "Venceremos" for Allende’s 1970 campaign.
- Arrested at the Technical University during the military roundup the morning after the coup and recognized immediately in a crowd.
- On September 16, with broken wrists and split lips, he wrote forty-four lines, hid the paper in a friend’s shoe, and within hours was shot inside the stadium.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906920Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:57 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA famed Chilean folk singer is dragged into a stadium on the morning of the 1973 coup - does a poem hidden in a shoe survive? The song that named a minister toppled his protector In this episode, we trace the morning Víctor Jara was detained...
The song that named a minister toppled his protector

In this episode, we trace the morning Víctor Jara was detained after the September 11, 1973 coup and the decisions, songs, and affiliations that made him a target. We follow the steps from his rural upbringing to the moment he folded forty-four lines into a shoe and ask: how did a celebrated artist become the regime’s urgent target?

Person: Víctor Jara
Date: September 11-16, 1973
Location: Stadium holding thousands in Santiago, Chile
Topic: Detention, poem hidden in shoe, killing of Víctor Jara
Related event: Coup against Salvador Allende

- Raised in Ñuble, son of Amanda Martínez, who taught him guitar and song and died when he was fifteen.
- Trained at the University of Chile, joined Cuncumén, met Violeta Parra, and directed politically charged theater.
- Wrote songs like "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" naming officials and composed "Venceremos" for Allende’s 1970 campaign.
- Arrested at the Technical University during the military roundup the morning after the coup and recognized immediately in a crowd.
- On September 16, with broken wrists and split lips, he wrote forty-four lines, hid the paper in a friend’s shoe, and within hours was shot inside the stadium.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1232falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-wax-disc-at-his-throat-toppled-a-priest-s-life-and-led-to-the-scaffold--74906919
The wax disc at his throat toppled a priest's life and led to the scaffold

In this episode, we follow the life of John Mayne from his baptism in Devon through Oxford, Douai seminary, and a covert mission back to Cornwall where he served as steward at Golden manor. We trace the choices, loyalties, and legal pressures that turned private devotion into public danger and ask how the Privy Council pushed an execution forward that judges had resisted.

Person: John Mayne
Date: June 8, 1577 (arrest) and November 29, 1577 (execution)
Location: Golden manor, parish of Probus, Cornwall; Launceston marketplace
Event: Arrest for high treason based on a wax Agnus Dei disc found on his person
Education: St Alban Hall; St John’s College, Oxford; English College at Douai

- Mayne trained at Oxford with Edmund Campion and Gregory Martin and later joined Douai to become a seminary priest for the English mission.
- He returned to England in April 1576, served secretly as steward at Francis Tregian’s Golden manor, and celebrated clandestine Mass with forbidden books and vestments.
- At arrest he wore a papally blessed Agnus Dei wax disc under his shirt, a private devotional object that became central to the prosecution.
- Judges expressed doubt about the evidence, but the Privy Council pressed for a capital charge of high treason against Mayne.
- Mayne was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Launceston while the crowd was forbidden from hearing his final words.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906919Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:00:56 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA wax disc at a priest's throat becomes evidence - how does a devotional token become a capital crime in Elizabethan treason law? The wax disc at his throat toppled a priest's life and led to the scaffold In this episode, we follow the life of...
The wax disc at his throat toppled a priest's life and led to the scaffold

In this episode, we follow the life of John Mayne from his baptism in Devon through Oxford, Douai seminary, and a covert mission back to Cornwall where he served as steward at Golden manor. We trace the choices, loyalties, and legal pressures that turned private devotion into public danger and ask how the Privy Council pushed an execution forward that judges had resisted.

Person: John Mayne
Date: June 8, 1577 (arrest) and November 29, 1577 (execution)
Location: Golden manor, parish of Probus, Cornwall; Launceston marketplace
Event: Arrest for high treason based on a wax Agnus Dei disc found on his person
Education: St Alban Hall; St John’s College, Oxford; English College at Douai

- Mayne trained at Oxford with Edmund Campion and Gregory Martin and later joined Douai to become a seminary priest for the English mission.
- He returned to England in April 1576, served secretly as steward at Francis Tregian’s Golden manor, and celebrated clandestine Mass with forbidden books and vestments.
- At arrest he wore a papally blessed Agnus Dei wax disc under his shirt, a private devotional object that became central to the prosecution.
- Judges expressed doubt about the evidence, but the Privy Council pressed for a capital charge of high treason against Mayne.
- Mayne was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Launceston while the crowd was forbidden from hearing his final words.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1282falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-customs-report-that-doubled-ireland-s-revenue-and-toppled-him--74906918
The customs report that doubled Ireland's revenue and toppled him

In this episode, we follow Thomas Wentworth’s rise from Yorkshire lawyer to the king’s most powerful minister and his years governing Ireland. We trace the decisions, reforms and conflicts that increased customs revenue and tightened control-what choices set the fall in motion?

Person: Thomas Wentworth
Date: 12 May 1641 (execution); 23 July 1633 (arrival in Dublin); 13 April 1593 (birth)
Location: Dublin, Ireland; Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire; Tower of London
Event: Customs revenue doubled from £25,000 to £57,000 within five years in Ireland

- Wentworth’s early career: Cambridge, Inner Temple, knighthood (1611), MP for Yorkshire and Pontefract, imprisoned for refusing a forced loan
- Political shift after 1628: from supporting the Petition of Right to declaring royal authority “the keystone” of order and accepting royal offices
- Personal pattern: three marriages, private life kept close, acted on his own timeline and methods
- Irish governance (arrived 23 July 1633): administrative reforms, army building, anti-piracy measures, and imposed Arminian church changes
- Fiscal strategy: targeted customs policy and trade restrictions that doubled Irish customs revenue while subordinating Irish prosperity to English crown interests

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906918Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:57 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA powerful Dublin minister rises to immense power-how does one man climb so high and walk himself to the block? The customs report that doubled Ireland's revenue and toppled him In this episode, we follow Thomas Wentworth’s rise from Yorkshire...
The customs report that doubled Ireland's revenue and toppled him

In this episode, we follow Thomas Wentworth’s rise from Yorkshire lawyer to the king’s most powerful minister and his years governing Ireland. We trace the decisions, reforms and conflicts that increased customs revenue and tightened control-what choices set the fall in motion?

Person: Thomas Wentworth
Date: 12 May 1641 (execution); 23 July 1633 (arrival in Dublin); 13 April 1593 (birth)
Location: Dublin, Ireland; Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire; Tower of London
Event: Customs revenue doubled from £25,000 to £57,000 within five years in Ireland

- Wentworth’s early career: Cambridge, Inner Temple, knighthood (1611), MP for Yorkshire and Pontefract, imprisoned for refusing a forced loan
- Political shift after 1628: from supporting the Petition of Right to declaring royal authority “the keystone” of order and accepting royal offices
- Personal pattern: three marriages, private life kept close, acted on his own timeline and methods
- Irish governance (arrived 23 July 1633): administrative reforms, army building, anti-piracy measures, and imposed Arminian church changes
- Fiscal strategy: targeted customs policy and trade restrictions that doubled Irish customs revenue while subordinating Irish prosperity to English crown interests

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1495falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-purple-robe-that-made-jonathan-a-king-and-sent-him-into-chains--74906916
The purple robe that made Jonathan a king-and sent him into chains

In this episode, we follow Jonathan Apphus from swamp and desert to the citadel of power and the moments that changed his fate. We trace how years of cautious survival, family loss, and political deals led him to accept honors he was never meant to have-and ask how one afternoon in Ptolemais undid so much.

Person: Jonathan Apphus
Event: Invitation to Ptolemais and entrapment
Date: Autumn 143 BCE (conference); 152-150s BCE (rise to High Priest)
Location: Ptolemais; Michmash; the morass of Asphar
Topic: Hasmonean rise from desert rebellion to Seleucid politics

- Jonathan arrived at Diodotus Tryphon’s conference with one thousand men and had dismissed forty thousand more.
- Jonathan was the youngest of five brothers and the last one left alive after successive ambushes and battles.
- After years hiding in swamps and governing from Michmash, Jonathan accepted Seleucid offers that included removal of garrisons and High Priest.
- Alexander Balas sent a purple robe, a golden crown, and the title “High Priest and Friend of the King,” which Jonathan wore during the Feast of Tabernacles.
- Despite surviving seventeen years of rebellion and outlasting multiple campaigns, Jonathan walked into a coastal city where a single afternoon changed everything.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906916Sun, 13 Sep 2026 09:01:15 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTIn Ptolemais a visiting general gives Jonathan a purple robe and crown, elevating a desert priest-then into chains. How do you fall from that high? The purple robe that made Jonathan a king-and sent him into chains In this episode, we follow...
The purple robe that made Jonathan a king-and sent him into chains

In this episode, we follow Jonathan Apphus from swamp and desert to the citadel of power and the moments that changed his fate. We trace how years of cautious survival, family loss, and political deals led him to accept honors he was never meant to have-and ask how one afternoon in Ptolemais undid so much.

Person: Jonathan Apphus
Event: Invitation to Ptolemais and entrapment
Date: Autumn 143 BCE (conference); 152-150s BCE (rise to High Priest)
Location: Ptolemais; Michmash; the morass of Asphar
Topic: Hasmonean rise from desert rebellion to Seleucid politics

- Jonathan arrived at Diodotus Tryphon’s conference with one thousand men and had dismissed forty thousand more.
- Jonathan was the youngest of five brothers and the last one left alive after successive ambushes and battles.
- After years hiding in swamps and governing from Michmash, Jonathan accepted Seleucid offers that included removal of garrisons and High Priest.
- Alexander Balas sent a purple robe, a golden crown, and the title “High Priest and Friend of the King,” which Jonathan wore during the Feast of Tabernacles.
- Despite surviving seventeen years of rebellion and outlasting multiple campaigns, Jonathan walked into a coastal city where a single afternoon changed everything.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1379falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-report-he-wrote-from-the-villages-that-undid-his-rise--74906914
The report he wrote from the villages that undid his rise

In this episode, we follow Parviz Nikkhah’s trajectory from Manchester physicist and student leader to a man who wrote an uncomfortable field report and then stood accused twice by two regimes. The episode traces the decisions, writings, arrests, and moments that set the road to his fate and asks what honest reporting costs in revolutionary times.

Person: Parviz Nikkhah
Date: Arrest April 10, 1965; tribunal March 13, 1979
Location: Tehran; return from England and travels to rural Iran and China
Affiliation: Revolutionary Organization of the Tudeh Party (Maoist splinter)
Occupation: Physics professor at Amir Kabir University

- He chaired the Second and Third Congresses of the Iranian student confederation in 1961-1962 while studying physics at the University of Manchester.
- He traveled to China for ideological and guerrilla training, then returned to Iran in 1964 to teach physics at Amir Kabir University.
- He went into rural communities, wrote a report stating peasants were not preparing for armed struggle, and sent it to comrades organizing from Europe.
- His comrades in Europe reacted badly; Mehdi Khanbaba Tehrani later admitted the movement feared seriously assessing the Shah’s reforms.
- He was arrested after a 1965 assassination attempt on the Shah despite no concrete evidence linking him or his group to the attack.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906914Sat, 12 Sep 2026 09:01:34 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA young Maoist returns to Tehran with a report that contradicts his movement-how do you fall from that high? The report he wrote from the villages that undid his rise In this episode, we follow Parviz Nikkhah’s trajectory from Manchester...
The report he wrote from the villages that undid his rise

In this episode, we follow Parviz Nikkhah’s trajectory from Manchester physicist and student leader to a man who wrote an uncomfortable field report and then stood accused twice by two regimes. The episode traces the decisions, writings, arrests, and moments that set the road to his fate and asks what honest reporting costs in revolutionary times.

Person: Parviz Nikkhah
Date: Arrest April 10, 1965; tribunal March 13, 1979
Location: Tehran; return from England and travels to rural Iran and China
Affiliation: Revolutionary Organization of the Tudeh Party (Maoist splinter)
Occupation: Physics professor at Amir Kabir University

- He chaired the Second and Third Congresses of the Iranian student confederation in 1961-1962 while studying physics at the University of Manchester.
- He traveled to China for ideological and guerrilla training, then returned to Iran in 1964 to teach physics at Amir Kabir University.
- He went into rural communities, wrote a report stating peasants were not preparing for armed struggle, and sent it to comrades organizing from Europe.
- His comrades in Europe reacted badly; Mehdi Khanbaba Tehrani later admitted the movement feared seriously assessing the Shah’s reforms.
- He was arrested after a 1965 assassination attempt on the Shah despite no concrete evidence linking him or his group to the attack.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1282falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-foot-on-the-surveyor-s-chain-that-started-his-downfall--74906913
The Foot on the Surveyor's Chain That Started His Downfall

In this episode, we follow the moment Louis Riel returns to the Red River and confronts Dominion surveyors by placing his foot on their chain. We trace how that single act ignited organized Métis resistance and posed a crisis for Ottawa: what follows from one small, defiant gesture?

Person: Louis Riel
Date: October 11, 1869; November 16, 1885
Location: Red River Settlement; Regina (North-West Mounted Police barracks)
Event: Riel places foot on surveyor’s chain; later tried and hanged for treason
Topic: Métis land rights and Dominion surveying practices

- Riel returns to Red River at age 23 after study in Montreal and two years away, carrying education, grief, and anger.
- Dominion surveyors draw straight grid lines across long, riverfront strip lots that organized Métis life and property.
- On October 11, 1869, Riel quietly places his foot on a surveyor’s chain and declares the survey will stop there; eighteen Métis men stand behind him.
- That image - a foot on a chain - rapidly transforms local collective action into something resembling an organized Métis government.
- Within weeks, armed Métis riders confront incoming Lieutenant Governor William McDougall, turning a survey dispute into a political crisis.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906913Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:00:59 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA foot on a surveyor’s chain stops a government survey; a young Louis Riel stands between his people and a country. How do you fall from that high? The Foot on the Surveyor's Chain That Started His Downfall In this episode, we follow the moment...
The Foot on the Surveyor's Chain That Started His Downfall

In this episode, we follow the moment Louis Riel returns to the Red River and confronts Dominion surveyors by placing his foot on their chain. We trace how that single act ignited organized Métis resistance and posed a crisis for Ottawa: what follows from one small, defiant gesture?

Person: Louis Riel
Date: October 11, 1869; November 16, 1885
Location: Red River Settlement; Regina (North-West Mounted Police barracks)
Event: Riel places foot on surveyor’s chain; later tried and hanged for treason
Topic: Métis land rights and Dominion surveying practices

- Riel returns to Red River at age 23 after study in Montreal and two years away, carrying education, grief, and anger.
- Dominion surveyors draw straight grid lines across long, riverfront strip lots that organized Métis life and property.
- On October 11, 1869, Riel quietly places his foot on a surveyor’s chain and declares the survey will stop there; eighteen Métis men stand behind him.
- That image - a foot on a chain - rapidly transforms local collective action into something resembling an organized Métis government.
- Within weeks, armed Métis riders confront incoming Lieutenant Governor William McDougall, turning a survey dispute into a political crisis.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1511falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-single-unrequested-cruelty-he-ordered-that-made-a-king-turn-on-him--74906912
The single unrequested cruelty he ordered that made a king turn on him

In this episode, we follow Jöran Persson’s climb from a priest’s son in Sala to the king’s most feared legal instrument, and the single unrequested cruelty that broke his relationship with the monarch. We trace his education, rise in the royal household, and the rapid trial that ended with him on a breaking wheel, asking how much of the cruelty was his choice and how much flowed from the crown’s deteriorating judgment.

Person: Jöran Persson
Birthplace: Sala, central Sweden
Education: University of Wittenberg
Position: Secretary to King Gustav I; prosecutor on the Konungens nämnd
Event: Execution on a breaking wheel, 18 September 1568

- Born around 1530 to Per Joensson, a parish priest in Sala, Persson rose from modest clerical standing.
- Studied at Wittenberg in the early 1550s and returned to Sweden by 1555, entering royal service and receiving a pension.
- Served as personal secretary to Gustav I, then entered Prince Eric’s household after a 1556 mission cataloguing church properties.
- Ennobled in 1560 by Eric XIV as Tegel, granted Trögds härad, and placed at the junction of royal will and legal power.
- As a member of the Konungens nämnd he acted as both prosecutor and the king’s representative while three hundred death sentences were issued.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906912Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:01:07 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA king’s chief legal officer watches his prisoner suffer because of one decision Persson made - and the king responds in a small Swedish town? The single unrequested cruelty he ordered that made a king turn on him In this episode, we follow...
The single unrequested cruelty he ordered that made a king turn on him

In this episode, we follow Jöran Persson’s climb from a priest’s son in Sala to the king’s most feared legal instrument, and the single unrequested cruelty that broke his relationship with the monarch. We trace his education, rise in the royal household, and the rapid trial that ended with him on a breaking wheel, asking how much of the cruelty was his choice and how much flowed from the crown’s deteriorating judgment.

Person: Jöran Persson
Birthplace: Sala, central Sweden
Education: University of Wittenberg
Position: Secretary to King Gustav I; prosecutor on the Konungens nämnd
Event: Execution on a breaking wheel, 18 September 1568

- Born around 1530 to Per Joensson, a parish priest in Sala, Persson rose from modest clerical standing.
- Studied at Wittenberg in the early 1550s and returned to Sweden by 1555, entering royal service and receiving a pension.
- Served as personal secretary to Gustav I, then entered Prince Eric’s household after a 1556 mission cataloguing church properties.
- Ennobled in 1560 by Eric XIV as Tegel, granted Trögds härad, and placed at the junction of royal will and legal power.
- As a member of the Konungens nämnd he acted as both prosecutor and the king’s representative while three hundred death sentences were issued.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1291falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-lit-fire-that-a-reluctant-man-refused-toppled-rowland-taylor--74906911
A lit fire that a reluctant man refused toppled Rowland Taylor

In this episode, we set the scene of February 9, 1555 at Aldham Common and trace how Rowland Taylor's rise inside England’s Reformation put him suddenly at the mercy of a reversed regime. We follow his career, local ties in Hadleigh, and the moment a nameless man refused to ignite the pyre - what does that refusal reveal about the world collapsing beneath Taylor?

Person: Rowland Taylor
Date: February 9, 1555
Location: Aldham Common
Age: approximately 45
Position: Rector of Hadleigh; archdeacon; Six Preacher; chancellor to Bishop Nicholas Ridley

- Taylor earned a Bachelor and Doctor of Laws at Cambridge and ran Burden Hostel before moving into church offices.
- He served as chaplain to Hugh Latimer and then as chaplain to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, shaping Protestant policy.
- Over the 1540s-1550s he accumulated posts: canon of Rochester, archdeacon of Bury St Edmunds and Exeter, Six Preacher of Canterbury, and diocesan commissions.
- He held the parish of Hadleigh from April 16, 1544, where records show sustained mutual loyalty between him and the congregation.
- On the execution day every preparation was made, a designated man refused to light the fire, two bystanders stepped forward, and a guard named Warwick struck Taylor with a halberd.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906911Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:01:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA reluctant commoner is ordered to light the stake as Rowland Taylor is bound; one refusal changes the moment-what will happen? A lit fire that a reluctant man refused toppled Rowland Taylor In this episode, we set the scene of February 9, 1555...
A lit fire that a reluctant man refused toppled Rowland Taylor

In this episode, we set the scene of February 9, 1555 at Aldham Common and trace how Rowland Taylor's rise inside England’s Reformation put him suddenly at the mercy of a reversed regime. We follow his career, local ties in Hadleigh, and the moment a nameless man refused to ignite the pyre - what does that refusal reveal about the world collapsing beneath Taylor?

Person: Rowland Taylor
Date: February 9, 1555
Location: Aldham Common
Age: approximately 45
Position: Rector of Hadleigh; archdeacon; Six Preacher; chancellor to Bishop Nicholas Ridley

- Taylor earned a Bachelor and Doctor of Laws at Cambridge and ran Burden Hostel before moving into church offices.
- He served as chaplain to Hugh Latimer and then as chaplain to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, shaping Protestant policy.
- Over the 1540s-1550s he accumulated posts: canon of Rochester, archdeacon of Bury St Edmunds and Exeter, Six Preacher of Canterbury, and diocesan commissions.
- He held the parish of Hadleigh from April 16, 1544, where records show sustained mutual loyalty between him and the congregation.
- On the execution day every preparation was made, a designated man refused to light the fire, two bystanders stepped forward, and a guard named Warwick struck Taylor with a halberd.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1295falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-kaaba-model-he-built-inside-his-house-toppled-his-life--74906908
The Kaaba model he built inside his house toppled his life

In this episode, we follow the life and decisions of al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj and the moments that made him visible to friends and enemies alike. We trace his spiritual training, public preaching, and the private ritual that would become a political flashpoint - what choices led him to this point?

Person: al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj
Date: executed 26 March 922
Location: Baghdad
Event: built a model Kaaba inside his home
Topic: declaration "Ana'l-Haqq" ("I am the Truth")

- Born around 858 in al-Bayda and raised in a family that moved from Zoroastrianism to Islam over three generations
- Memorized the Quran before age twelve, studied in Wasit, and adopted Arabic as his sole literary language
- Received the Sufi habit in Basra, then split with teachers after marrying and later abandoned the cloak to preach publicly
- Led roughly four hundred disciples on a pilgrimage, traveled to India and Turkestan, and adopted unorthodox devotional practices
- Returned to Baghdad after a third pilgrimage and taught that circling the Kaaba of the heart, aided by a private model Kaaba, could substitute for physical pilgrimage

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906908Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:01:31 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA mystic in Baghdad builds a model Kaaba inside his house and speaks words that split faith and power - how do you fall from that high? The Kaaba model he built inside his house toppled his life In this episode, we follow the life and decisions...
The Kaaba model he built inside his house toppled his life

In this episode, we follow the life and decisions of al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj and the moments that made him visible to friends and enemies alike. We trace his spiritual training, public preaching, and the private ritual that would become a political flashpoint - what choices led him to this point?

Person: al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj
Date: executed 26 March 922
Location: Baghdad
Event: built a model Kaaba inside his home
Topic: declaration "Ana'l-Haqq" ("I am the Truth")

- Born around 858 in al-Bayda and raised in a family that moved from Zoroastrianism to Islam over three generations
- Memorized the Quran before age twelve, studied in Wasit, and adopted Arabic as his sole literary language
- Received the Sufi habit in Basra, then split with teachers after marrying and later abandoned the cloak to preach publicly
- Led roughly four hundred disciples on a pilgrimage, traveled to India and Turkestan, and adopted unorthodox devotional practices
- Returned to Baghdad after a third pilgrimage and taught that circling the Kaaba of the heart, aided by a private model Kaaba, could substitute for physical pilgrimage

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1413falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bandaged-neck-that-kept-him-from-outrunning-a-firing-squad--74906907
The bandaged neck that kept him from outrunning a firing squad

In this episode, we follow the last days of Joseph Plunkett: his illness, his role in planning the Easter Rising, and the decisions that led to a seven-hour marriage before his execution. What choices did a dying man make to put himself at the center of a revolution?

Person: Joseph Plunkett
Date: 3-4 May 1916 (marriage and execution)
Location: Dublin (prison chapel; prison courtyard; General Post Office)
Topic: Easter Rising military planning, German negotiations, tuberculosis surgery
Association: Irish Republican Brotherhood; friendship with Thomas MacDonagh

- Grace Gifford buys a wedding ring on the afternoon of 3 May 1916 knowing the next morning’s fate.
- Plunkett signed the Proclamation of the Irish Republican and authored much of the military plan for the Rising.
- He negotiated with German officials for arms while already weakened by tuberculosis.
- Plunkett had been operated on for tuberculosis days before the uprising and wore bandages around his neck.
- Educated in Catholic schools and Stonyhurst Officers' Training Corps, he combined poetic study with military training.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906907Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:01:35 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA poet with a bandaged neck marries at dawn; seven hours later a firing squad waits outside Dublin prison - how do you fall from that high? The bandaged neck that kept him from outrunning a firing squad In this episode, we follow the last days...
The bandaged neck that kept him from outrunning a firing squad

In this episode, we follow the last days of Joseph Plunkett: his illness, his role in planning the Easter Rising, and the decisions that led to a seven-hour marriage before his execution. What choices did a dying man make to put himself at the center of a revolution?

Person: Joseph Plunkett
Date: 3-4 May 1916 (marriage and execution)
Location: Dublin (prison chapel; prison courtyard; General Post Office)
Topic: Easter Rising military planning, German negotiations, tuberculosis surgery
Association: Irish Republican Brotherhood; friendship with Thomas MacDonagh

- Grace Gifford buys a wedding ring on the afternoon of 3 May 1916 knowing the next morning’s fate.
- Plunkett signed the Proclamation of the Irish Republican and authored much of the military plan for the Rising.
- He negotiated with German officials for arms while already weakened by tuberculosis.
- Plunkett had been operated on for tuberculosis days before the uprising and wore bandages around his neck.
- Educated in Catholic schools and Stonyhurst Officers' Training Corps, he combined poetic study with military training.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1383falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sentence-boethius-spoke-in-verona-that-killed-him--74906906
The sentence Boethius spoke in Verona that killed him

In this episode, we follow Boethius from elite Roman pedigree to the peak of Gothic-era administration and into a council chamber in Verona where a single utterance becomes the pivot of his fate. We track his education, offices, and the political moves that put him in direct conflict with royal ministers - but did he speak to save Rome or to seal his doom?

Person: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
Date: 522-524 AD
Location: Verona, Italy
Position: magister officiorum; former consul
Family: sons Symmachus and Boethius the younger; father Manlius Boethius; patron Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus

- Born c. 480 into the Anicii, raised into Symmachus’s household and married to Rusticiana, tying him into Rome’s top aristocratic networks.
- Mastered Greek and set out to translate Plato and Aristotle into Latin; completed key logical works that became foundational for six centuries.
- Rose to senator, consul (510), and magister officiorum by 522, with the Byzantine emperor surrendering his consulship so Boethius’s two sons could hold it.
- Acted against Gothic officials-confronting steward Triguilla, opposing Cunigast’s extractions, and blocking food diversions during famine-framing him as protector of the Senate.
- Entered a Verona council chamber in 523 and spoke a single sentence that led to an accusation of treason and a royal order for execution within a year.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906906Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:01:46 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Roman consul confronts royal power in a Verona council chamber with one sentence that will cost him everything - how do you fall from that high? The sentence Boethius spoke in Verona that killed him In this episode, we follow Boethius from...
The sentence Boethius spoke in Verona that killed him

In this episode, we follow Boethius from elite Roman pedigree to the peak of Gothic-era administration and into a council chamber in Verona where a single utterance becomes the pivot of his fate. We track his education, offices, and the political moves that put him in direct conflict with royal ministers - but did he speak to save Rome or to seal his doom?

Person: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
Date: 522-524 AD
Location: Verona, Italy
Position: magister officiorum; former consul
Family: sons Symmachus and Boethius the younger; father Manlius Boethius; patron Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus

- Born c. 480 into the Anicii, raised into Symmachus’s household and married to Rusticiana, tying him into Rome’s top aristocratic networks.
- Mastered Greek and set out to translate Plato and Aristotle into Latin; completed key logical works that became foundational for six centuries.
- Rose to senator, consul (510), and magister officiorum by 522, with the Byzantine emperor surrendering his consulship so Boethius’s two sons could hold it.
- Acted against Gothic officials-confronting steward Triguilla, opposing Cunigast’s extractions, and blocking food diversions during famine-framing him as protector of the Senate.
- Entered a Verona council chamber in 523 and spoke a single sentence that led to an accusation of treason and a royal order for execution within a year.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1389falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hyena-of-brescia-s-yellow-mustache-drove-him-under-a-london-bed--74906905
The Hyena of Brescia's yellow mustache drove him under a London bed

In this episode, we trace the path that led Julius Jacob von Haynau from battlefield notoriety to being dragged from beneath a bed in a south London pub. We outline the revolutions, the decisions and the orders that made him infamous and ask how public punishment became public spectacle.

Person: Julius Jacob von Haynau
Event: Executions at Arad
Date: October 6, 1849
Location: Borough High Street, London
Related Figure: Lajos Kossuth

- A three-hour speech by Lajos Kossuth in March 1848 sparked the Hungarian revolution that briefly created a constitutional government.
- By August 1849 Hungary’s army surrendered at Világos, Kossuth fled into exile, and command controversies began between Kossuth and Artúr Görgei.
- An Austrian tribunal condemned thirteen Hungarian generals; on October 6, 1849, ten were hanged and three shot at Arad.
- Julius Jacob von Haynau, already nicknamed the Hyena of Brescia, signed orders linked to the Arad executions and later earned the label Hangman of Arad.
- In September 1850 Haynau toured London and was famously found hiding under a pub bed as a crowd of five hundred sought him on Borough High Street.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906905Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:01:49 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA celebrated Austrian general with a yellow mustache hides under a London pub bed - how did he become the Hyena of Brescia? The Hyena of Brescia's yellow mustache drove him under a London bed In this episode, we trace the path that led Julius...
The Hyena of Brescia's yellow mustache drove him under a London bed

In this episode, we trace the path that led Julius Jacob von Haynau from battlefield notoriety to being dragged from beneath a bed in a south London pub. We outline the revolutions, the decisions and the orders that made him infamous and ask how public punishment became public spectacle.

Person: Julius Jacob von Haynau
Event: Executions at Arad
Date: October 6, 1849
Location: Borough High Street, London
Related Figure: Lajos Kossuth

- A three-hour speech by Lajos Kossuth in March 1848 sparked the Hungarian revolution that briefly created a constitutional government.
- By August 1849 Hungary’s army surrendered at Világos, Kossuth fled into exile, and command controversies began between Kossuth and Artúr Görgei.
- An Austrian tribunal condemned thirteen Hungarian generals; on October 6, 1849, ten were hanged and three shot at Arad.
- Julius Jacob von Haynau, already nicknamed the Hyena of Brescia, signed orders linked to the Arad executions and later earned the label Hangman of Arad.
- In September 1850 Haynau toured London and was famously found hiding under a pub bed as a crowd of five hundred sought him on Borough High Street.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1473falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-knight-s-cross-ceremony-that-turned-a-career-into-kill-orders--74906903
The Knight's Cross Ceremony That Turned a Career into Kill Orders

In this episode we follow the military career and decisions of Hartwig von Ludwiger and trace how institutional advancement and battlefield habits led to bureaucratic requests for mass executions in occupied Serbia. What does it take for a decorated officer to turn procedures into death orders?

Person: Hartwig von Ludwiger
Date: born 29 June 1895; Knight's Cross awarded 15 July 1941; Oak Leaves 23 December 1942
Location: Serbia (mass shootings), Eastern Front (Moscow, Kerch Peninsula)
Event: 500 civilians executed over 60 days in 1943 as reprisal for eight German soldiers killed

- Early service: called up August 1914, commissioned July 1915, fought Champagne, Arras, the Somme, Flanders, the Maas.
- Interwar career: retained in the Reichswehr, fought in suppression of the Silesian Uprisings, steady promotions to battalion and regimental command.
- WWII rise: commanded 83rd Infantry Regiment from 1 March 1940, fought in France then on the Eastern Front; received Knight's Cross in July 1941.
- Operational habit: framed orders as professional problems; routed requests and authorizations through formal channels with signatures.
- Reprisal system: between spring and summer 1943, formalized execution requests led to 500 civilians taken from Serbian villages and shot in retaliation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906903Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:19:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA celebrated Knight's Cross general orders mass reprisal shootings in 1943 Serbia - how does a decorated career make kill orders? The Knight's Cross Ceremony That Turned a Career into Kill Orders In this episode we follow the military career and...
The Knight's Cross Ceremony That Turned a Career into Kill Orders

In this episode we follow the military career and decisions of Hartwig von Ludwiger and trace how institutional advancement and battlefield habits led to bureaucratic requests for mass executions in occupied Serbia. What does it take for a decorated officer to turn procedures into death orders?

Person: Hartwig von Ludwiger
Date: born 29 June 1895; Knight's Cross awarded 15 July 1941; Oak Leaves 23 December 1942
Location: Serbia (mass shootings), Eastern Front (Moscow, Kerch Peninsula)
Event: 500 civilians executed over 60 days in 1943 as reprisal for eight German soldiers killed

- Early service: called up August 1914, commissioned July 1915, fought Champagne, Arras, the Somme, Flanders, the Maas.
- Interwar career: retained in the Reichswehr, fought in suppression of the Silesian Uprisings, steady promotions to battalion and regimental command.
- WWII rise: commanded 83rd Infantry Regiment from 1 March 1940, fought in France then on the Eastern Front; received Knight's Cross in July 1941.
- Operational habit: framed orders as professional problems; routed requests and authorizations through formal channels with signatures.
- Reprisal system: between spring and summer 1943, formalized execution requests led to 500 civilians taken from Serbian villages and shot in retaliation.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1382falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-lie-simon-girty-spoke-as-the-fire-took-him--74906902
The lie Simon Girty spoke as the fire took him

In this episode, we follow William Crawford from his Scots-Irish origins through decades of frontier warfare, friendship with George Washington, and a life built of forts and farm. The story culminates in the 1782 Sandusky expedition and the startling moment a man Crawford had known for years spoke to him as he burned; what choices led him to march into that final campaign?

Person: William Crawford
Date: June 11, 1782
Location: Ohio frontier / Sandusky region
Topic: Crawford’s military career and final expedition
Person: Simon Girty

- Crawford survived Braddock’s defeat, Fort Duquesne, Pontiac’s War, Dunmore’s War, and served as a colonel in the Revolutionary War.
- He built forts, petitioned Congress for frontier funds, and retired in 1781 before being persuaded to return for a raid on Indian towns.
- General William Irvine assembled ~500 volunteers for a fast strike on Delaware and Wyandot villages along the Sandusky River.
- Crawford brought his son, nephew, and son‑in‑law with him on the expedition despite having signed his will beforehand.
- As Crawford burned, a man he’d known-Simon Girty-told him his son‑in‑law was alive and captive, a claim that Crawford accepted as the fire reached him.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906902Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:58 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA revered frontier colonel walks into a punitive expedition - and a single whispered lie as the fire reaches him. How do you fall from that high? The lie Simon Girty spoke as the fire took him In this episode, we follow William Crawford from his...
The lie Simon Girty spoke as the fire took him

In this episode, we follow William Crawford from his Scots-Irish origins through decades of frontier warfare, friendship with George Washington, and a life built of forts and farm. The story culminates in the 1782 Sandusky expedition and the startling moment a man Crawford had known for years spoke to him as he burned; what choices led him to march into that final campaign?

Person: William Crawford
Date: June 11, 1782
Location: Ohio frontier / Sandusky region
Topic: Crawford’s military career and final expedition
Person: Simon Girty

- Crawford survived Braddock’s defeat, Fort Duquesne, Pontiac’s War, Dunmore’s War, and served as a colonel in the Revolutionary War.
- He built forts, petitioned Congress for frontier funds, and retired in 1781 before being persuaded to return for a raid on Indian towns.
- General William Irvine assembled ~500 volunteers for a fast strike on Delaware and Wyandot villages along the Sandusky River.
- Crawford brought his son, nephew, and son‑in‑law with him on the expedition despite having signed his will beforehand.
- As Crawford burned, a man he’d known-Simon Girty-told him his son‑in‑law was alive and captive, a claim that Crawford accepted as the fire reached him.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1370falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-salute-that-sent-a-lifetime-of-obedience-to-the-gallows--74906900
The salute that sent a lifetime of obedience to the gallows

In this episode, we follow the life and habits that led a fifty-five-year-old man from daily morning runs to Piazzale Loreto in April 1945. The episode traces his transformation from accountant to decorated soldier to the party official who remade Italy’s rituals, asking how discipline and obedience built over decades produced that final act. What happens when a lifetime of drilled loyalty meets a collapsing regime?

Person: Achille Starace
Date: April 29, 1945
Location: Milan, Piazzale Loreto
Period: 1914-1945
Event: Starace seized by partisans and executed after saluting at a public hanging

- Born August 18, 1889, in Gallipoli, trained as an accountant before enlisting in the Bersaglieri in 1909.
- The Bersaglieri ingrained a running discipline that Starace kept as a daily ritual for decades, including the morning he was seized.
- In August 1914 he walked alone into a pacifist demonstration at Milan’s Caffè Biffi and fought the demonstrators without orders.
- Decorated in World War I with one silver and four bronze medals, he joined a Masonic lodge in 1917 and entered Fascism in 1920.
- Rose to be secretary of the National Fascist Party from December 1931 for eight years, known for organizing party rituals while Mussolini called him “a cretin, but obedient.”

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906900Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:54 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA decorated Bersaglieri and Fascist secretary meets partisans in Milan-facing Mussolini’s fate, he raises the salute-how does he get there? The salute that sent a lifetime of obedience to the gallows In this episode, we follow the life and...
The salute that sent a lifetime of obedience to the gallows

In this episode, we follow the life and habits that led a fifty-five-year-old man from daily morning runs to Piazzale Loreto in April 1945. The episode traces his transformation from accountant to decorated soldier to the party official who remade Italy’s rituals, asking how discipline and obedience built over decades produced that final act. What happens when a lifetime of drilled loyalty meets a collapsing regime?

Person: Achille Starace
Date: April 29, 1945
Location: Milan, Piazzale Loreto
Period: 1914-1945
Event: Starace seized by partisans and executed after saluting at a public hanging

- Born August 18, 1889, in Gallipoli, trained as an accountant before enlisting in the Bersaglieri in 1909.
- The Bersaglieri ingrained a running discipline that Starace kept as a daily ritual for decades, including the morning he was seized.
- In August 1914 he walked alone into a pacifist demonstration at Milan’s Caffè Biffi and fought the demonstrators without orders.
- Decorated in World War I with one silver and four bronze medals, he joined a Masonic lodge in 1917 and entered Fascism in 1920.
- Rose to be secretary of the National Fascist Party from December 1931 for eight years, known for organizing party rituals while Mussolini called him “a cretin, but obedient.”

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1416falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-small-hole-in-the-canvas-toppled-the-reputation-that-protected-him--74906897
The small hole in the canvas toppled the reputation that protected him

In this episode, we follow the life of Georges Mandel from a tailor's son in Chatou to a central political figure who refused to ignore France's collapse. The episode traces his career, choices, and the decisions that set him on a collision course with forces beyond his control - what happens when precision and refusal to compromise meet history in motion?

Person: Georges Mandel
Date of birth: 5 June 1885
Painting: Portrait of a Seated Woman (c. 1850-1855)
Location: Chatou, France
Event: Identification of stolen painting in 2019

- Born Louis George Rothschild in Chatou to a Jewish tailor's family, his relatives chose France over Alsace-Lorraine after 1870.
- At 17 he joined L'Aurore, worked under Georges Mandel, and became known for ruthless precision and loyalty to mission.
- He changed his surname to Mandel to reduce antisemitic political vulnerabilities while remaining openly Jewish.
- Elected to parliament for Gironde (1919), lost and regained the seat (1924, 1928), and chaired the committee on universal suffrage in 1932.
- As Minister of Posts and Telegraph from 1934 he ran France's first official television broadcast and warned against concessions to Mussolini and appeasement of Hitler.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906897Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:50 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA small hole in a canvas reopens a vanished life and the reputation that protected him - how do you fall from that high? The small hole in the canvas toppled the reputation that protected him In this episode, we follow the life of Georges Mandel...
The small hole in the canvas toppled the reputation that protected him

In this episode, we follow the life of Georges Mandel from a tailor's son in Chatou to a central political figure who refused to ignore France's collapse. The episode traces his career, choices, and the decisions that set him on a collision course with forces beyond his control - what happens when precision and refusal to compromise meet history in motion?

Person: Georges Mandel
Date of birth: 5 June 1885
Painting: Portrait of a Seated Woman (c. 1850-1855)
Location: Chatou, France
Event: Identification of stolen painting in 2019

- Born Louis George Rothschild in Chatou to a Jewish tailor's family, his relatives chose France over Alsace-Lorraine after 1870.
- At 17 he joined L'Aurore, worked under Georges Mandel, and became known for ruthless precision and loyalty to mission.
- He changed his surname to Mandel to reduce antisemitic political vulnerabilities while remaining openly Jewish.
- Elected to parliament for Gironde (1919), lost and regained the seat (1924, 1928), and chaired the committee on universal suffrage in 1932.
- As Minister of Posts and Telegraph from 1934 he ran France's first official television broadcast and warned against concessions to Mussolini and appeasement of Hitler.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1422falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-wound-he-ignored-that-sent-him-back-to-the-front-and-ruined-his-future--74906896
The wound he ignored that sent him back to the front and ruined his future

In this episode, we trace the life of Endre Bajcsy‑Zsilinszky from a church registry entry in 1720 to a March 19, 1944 shootout with Gestapo agents in Budapest. The episode follows his education, military service, political rise and the decisions that pushed him back into combat - and asks how those choices led to that doorway being closed.

Person: Endre Kálmán Bajcsy‑Zsilinszky
Date: March 19, 1944; born June 6, 1886; hanged December 24, 1944
Location: Budapest; grew up in Békéscsaba; born in Szarvas
Event: Shot at Gestapo in his apartment; wounded and taken
Background: Volunteer in First Imperial and Royal Hussars; wounded September 1916; returned to front in early 1917

- Born into a family whose name appears in a 1720 Evangelical Lutheran church registry in Békéscsaba.
- Excelled academically, earned a doctorate in law at age 22, studied in Kolozsvár, Leipzig and Heidelberg.
- Volunteered for the Second Imperial and Royal Hussars in 1909-10, commissioned as a reserve officer by 1910.
- Wounded on the Eastern Front in September 1916, recuperated in hospital, then personally requested to return to the front in early 1917.
- Co‑founded the Hungarian National Defense Association (MOVE), emigrated to Vienna, then returned as a nationalist convinced of Hungary’s need for uncompromising voices.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906896Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:46 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Hungarian MP fires at the Gestapo in his Budapest apartment; how does a decorated veteran become that man? The wound he ignored that sent him back to the front and ruined his future In this episode, we trace the life of Endre Bajcsy‑Zsilinszky...
The wound he ignored that sent him back to the front and ruined his future

In this episode, we trace the life of Endre Bajcsy‑Zsilinszky from a church registry entry in 1720 to a March 19, 1944 shootout with Gestapo agents in Budapest. The episode follows his education, military service, political rise and the decisions that pushed him back into combat - and asks how those choices led to that doorway being closed.

Person: Endre Kálmán Bajcsy‑Zsilinszky
Date: March 19, 1944; born June 6, 1886; hanged December 24, 1944
Location: Budapest; grew up in Békéscsaba; born in Szarvas
Event: Shot at Gestapo in his apartment; wounded and taken
Background: Volunteer in First Imperial and Royal Hussars; wounded September 1916; returned to front in early 1917

- Born into a family whose name appears in a 1720 Evangelical Lutheran church registry in Békéscsaba.
- Excelled academically, earned a doctorate in law at age 22, studied in Kolozsvár, Leipzig and Heidelberg.
- Volunteered for the Second Imperial and Royal Hussars in 1909-10, commissioned as a reserve officer by 1910.
- Wounded on the Eastern Front in September 1916, recuperated in hospital, then personally requested to return to the front in early 1917.
- Co‑founded the Hungarian National Defense Association (MOVE), emigrated to Vienna, then returned as a nationalist convinced of Hungary’s need for uncompromising voices.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1285falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-confession-that-turned-england-s-staunchest-bishop-into-a-heretic--74906894
The confession that turned England's staunchest bishop into a heretic

In this episode, we follow the moments that shift Hugh Latimer from a farming son to a Cambridge scholar and influential preacher, tracing the private conversation and public choices that set him on a collision course with authority. What happened in a single, unrecorded confession that changed the direction of his life and faith?

Person: Hugh Latimer
Location: Cambridge; Broad Street, Oxford
Date: 16 October 1555 (execution); confession and sermons in the 1520s-1530s
Event: Private confession by Thomas Bilney; subsequent preaching and meetings at the White Horse Tavern
Status: From orthodox Catholic scholar to outspoken advocate for English Scripture

- Raised in Thurcaston, Latimer began Latin at age four and entered Cambridge at fourteen, progressing to fellow of Clare College and university preacher.
- In 1524 Latimer publicly argued against Philipp Melanchthon and declared himself “as obstinate a papist as any in England” in an academic disputation.
- After Thomas Bilney privately confessed to Latimer, their continued meetings led Latimer to adopt reformed doctrines and attend the White Horse Tavern gatherings with Bilney and Robert Barnes.
- Latimer openly defended William Tyndale’s English New Testament and preached the Advent 1529 “Sermons on the Card” at St Edward’s, moving from private conviction to public declaration.
- The precise words Bilney spoke in that confession are unrecorded; the single private exchange precipitated Latimer’s public transformation and the chain of events that followed.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906894Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:42 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA celebrated bishop in Cambridge makes a private confession that unravels his life: how does an obstinate papist become the heretic he once condemned? The confession that turned England's staunchest bishop into a heretic In this episode, we...
The confession that turned England's staunchest bishop into a heretic

In this episode, we follow the moments that shift Hugh Latimer from a farming son to a Cambridge scholar and influential preacher, tracing the private conversation and public choices that set him on a collision course with authority. What happened in a single, unrecorded confession that changed the direction of his life and faith?

Person: Hugh Latimer
Location: Cambridge; Broad Street, Oxford
Date: 16 October 1555 (execution); confession and sermons in the 1520s-1530s
Event: Private confession by Thomas Bilney; subsequent preaching and meetings at the White Horse Tavern
Status: From orthodox Catholic scholar to outspoken advocate for English Scripture

- Raised in Thurcaston, Latimer began Latin at age four and entered Cambridge at fourteen, progressing to fellow of Clare College and university preacher.
- In 1524 Latimer publicly argued against Philipp Melanchthon and declared himself “as obstinate a papist as any in England” in an academic disputation.
- After Thomas Bilney privately confessed to Latimer, their continued meetings led Latimer to adopt reformed doctrines and attend the White Horse Tavern gatherings with Bilney and Robert Barnes.
- Latimer openly defended William Tyndale’s English New Testament and preached the Advent 1529 “Sermons on the Card” at St Edward’s, moving from private conviction to public declaration.
- The precise words Bilney spoke in that confession are unrecorded; the single private exchange precipitated Latimer’s public transformation and the chain of events that followed.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1241falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-last-line-long-live-the-communist-party-that-made-him-shoot-himself--74906892
The last line "Long live the Communist Party" that made him shoot himself

In this episode, we trace the last hours and lifelong choices of Mykola Khvylovy, the Ukrainian writer who ended his life after penning a final, paradoxical declaration of loyalty. We follow his upbringing, revolutionary service, cultural work in Kharkiv, and the arrests and confiscations that shadowed his last pages-what drove him to that gun on a sunny May morning?

Person: Mykola Khvylovy (born Mykola Hryhorovych Fitiliov)
Date: May 13, 1933
Location: Kharkiv, Soviet Ukraine
Age: 39
Event: Final note, suicide; arrest of Mykhailo Yalovy; confiscation of second part of The Woodsnipes

- Born December 1, 1893 in Trostianets; raised bilingual in a household split between Russian literary tradition and Ukrainian language.
- Expelled twice from gymnasiums for organizing Ukrainian revolutionary circles and socialist associations.
- Fought in World War I (1915-circa 1917) and later led a unit of Free Cossacks, joining the Ukrainian SRs, then the Bolsheviks by 1919.
- Arrived in Kharkiv in early 1921 intent "to conquer it," becoming a prominent Ukrainian prose writer and cultural organizer in the Soviet capital of Ukraine.
- In May 1933 he wrote a note including "The arrest of Yalovy is the murder of an entire generation" and the closing line "Long live the Communist Party," then shot himself; his friend Mykhailo Yalovy was among 1,111 executed at Sandarmokh and the second half of his novel The Woodsnipes remains missing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906892Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:38 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA writer in Kharkiv writes "Long live the Communist Party," then shoots himself-how does a committed communist reach that final moment? The last line "Long live the Communist Party" that made him shoot himself In this episode, we trace the last...
The last line "Long live the Communist Party" that made him shoot himself

In this episode, we trace the last hours and lifelong choices of Mykola Khvylovy, the Ukrainian writer who ended his life after penning a final, paradoxical declaration of loyalty. We follow his upbringing, revolutionary service, cultural work in Kharkiv, and the arrests and confiscations that shadowed his last pages-what drove him to that gun on a sunny May morning?

Person: Mykola Khvylovy (born Mykola Hryhorovych Fitiliov)
Date: May 13, 1933
Location: Kharkiv, Soviet Ukraine
Age: 39
Event: Final note, suicide; arrest of Mykhailo Yalovy; confiscation of second part of The Woodsnipes

- Born December 1, 1893 in Trostianets; raised bilingual in a household split between Russian literary tradition and Ukrainian language.
- Expelled twice from gymnasiums for organizing Ukrainian revolutionary circles and socialist associations.
- Fought in World War I (1915-circa 1917) and later led a unit of Free Cossacks, joining the Ukrainian SRs, then the Bolsheviks by 1919.
- Arrived in Kharkiv in early 1921 intent "to conquer it," becoming a prominent Ukrainian prose writer and cultural organizer in the Soviet capital of Ukraine.
- In May 1933 he wrote a note including "The arrest of Yalovy is the murder of an entire generation" and the closing line "Long live the Communist Party," then shot himself; his friend Mykhailo Yalovy was among 1,111 executed at Sandarmokh and the second half of his novel The Woodsnipes remains missing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1521falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-prison-manuscript-frith-handed-over-that-bought-his-death--74906891
A prisoner in the Tower of London picks up a pen and writes a theological manuscript in chains, then hands it to a man he trusts to carry it to safety. Instead, the manuscript goes straight to the prosecutor building the case against him. Why would someone who could see exactly what was coming choose to write it anyway, and hand it over with his eyes open?

In this episode, we trace John Frith's path from a Kent innkeeper's son to a prisoner writing his own indictment inside the Tower of London, asking what it means to hold a belief so completely that surrendering it is never actually an option.

Person: John Frith
Location: Tower of London and Smithfield, London
Date: July 4, 1533
Case: a theological manuscript on the Eucharist, written in chains and handed to William Holt
Status: condemned by church examiners and executed by the civil authority

- Born in 1503 in Westerham, Kent, and baptised in the fourteenth-century stone font of St Mary the Virgin, still in parish use today
- Selected personally by Cardinal Wolsey in 1525 for his new Cardinal College at Oxford, then imprisoned roughly eight months in a fish cellar with nine others over banned books
- Captured in disguise at Milton in October 1532 and held in the Tower of London for about eight months, where he wrote the manuscript known as the Bulwark
- Offered a pardon on two questions concerning purgatory and transubstantiation, which he declined to answer as required
- Executed at Smithfield on July 4, 1533, alongside apprentice tailor Andrew Hewet; one week later King Henry VIII was excommunicated by the Pope
- Twenty years on, Thomas More's Forty-Two Articles of 1553 formally denied purgatory, the position for which Frith had been condemned

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906891Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:34 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Prison Manuscript Frith Handed Over That Bought His Death A prisoner in the Tower of London picks up a pen and writes a theological manuscript in chains, then hands it to a man he trusts to carry it to safety. Instead, the manuscript goes...
A prisoner in the Tower of London picks up a pen and writes a theological manuscript in chains, then hands it to a man he trusts to carry it to safety. Instead, the manuscript goes straight to the prosecutor building the case against him. Why would someone who could see exactly what was coming choose to write it anyway, and hand it over with his eyes open?

In this episode, we trace John Frith's path from a Kent innkeeper's son to a prisoner writing his own indictment inside the Tower of London, asking what it means to hold a belief so completely that surrendering it is never actually an option.

Person: John Frith
Location: Tower of London and Smithfield, London
Date: July 4, 1533
Case: a theological manuscript on the Eucharist, written in chains and handed to William Holt
Status: condemned by church examiners and executed by the civil authority

- Born in 1503 in Westerham, Kent, and baptised in the fourteenth-century stone font of St Mary the Virgin, still in parish use today
- Selected personally by Cardinal Wolsey in 1525 for his new Cardinal College at Oxford, then imprisoned roughly eight months in a fish cellar with nine others over banned books
- Captured in disguise at Milton in October 1532 and held in the Tower of London for about eight months, where he wrote the manuscript known as the Bulwark
- Offered a pardon on two questions concerning purgatory and transubstantiation, which he declined to answer as required
- Executed at Smithfield on July 4, 1533, alongside apprentice tailor Andrew Hewet; one week later King Henry VIII was excommunicated by the Pope
- Twenty years on, Thomas More's Forty-Two Articles of 1553 formally denied purgatory, the position for which Frith had been condemned

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1284falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-severed-head-that-refused-to-decay-forced-the-king-to-drown-it--74906890
London Bridge, summer 1535. A severed head sits on a pole for two weeks, and instead of blackening and rotting like every head before it, it stays ruddy, lifelike, wrong. The crowds won't stop gathering to see it — so what does a king do when even death won't cooperate with his plans?

In this episode, we trace the life of John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, from a Cambridge scholarship at age twelve to a scaffold on Tower Hill, asking what it costs a man to hold one unbending principle against the full machinery of a king.

Person: John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester
Location: London, England
Date: June 22, 1535
Case: the execution and display of Fisher's head on London Bridge
Status: canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935 and commemorated by the Church of England in 1980

- Born around October 19, 1469 in Beverley, Yorkshire, son of mercer Robert Fisher
- Served as Bishop of Rochester, England's poorest diocese, for thirty-one years by choice
- Called "incomparable for uprightness of life, for learning and for greatness of soul" by Erasmus
- Convicted largely on Richard Rich's account of a private conversation in his Tower cell, dated May 7, 1535
- Created Cardinal Priest of San Vitale by Pope Paul III in May 1535, a title Henry VIII refused to let enter England
- Executed on Tower Hill on June 22, 1535, at age sixty-five; his head was removed from London Bridge after two weeks and thrown into the Thames

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906890Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:30 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe severed head that refused to decay forced the king to drown it London Bridge, summer 1535. A severed head sits on a pole for two weeks, and instead of blackening and rotting like every head before it, it stays ruddy, lifelike, wrong. The crowds...
London Bridge, summer 1535. A severed head sits on a pole for two weeks, and instead of blackening and rotting like every head before it, it stays ruddy, lifelike, wrong. The crowds won't stop gathering to see it — so what does a king do when even death won't cooperate with his plans?

In this episode, we trace the life of John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, from a Cambridge scholarship at age twelve to a scaffold on Tower Hill, asking what it costs a man to hold one unbending principle against the full machinery of a king.

Person: John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester
Location: London, England
Date: June 22, 1535
Case: the execution and display of Fisher's head on London Bridge
Status: canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935 and commemorated by the Church of England in 1980

- Born around October 19, 1469 in Beverley, Yorkshire, son of mercer Robert Fisher
- Served as Bishop of Rochester, England's poorest diocese, for thirty-one years by choice
- Called "incomparable for uprightness of life, for learning and for greatness of soul" by Erasmus
- Convicted largely on Richard Rich's account of a private conversation in his Tower cell, dated May 7, 1535
- Created Cardinal Priest of San Vitale by Pope Paul III in May 1535, a title Henry VIII refused to let enter England
- Executed on Tower Hill on June 22, 1535, at age sixty-five; his head was removed from London Bridge after two weeks and thrown into the Thames

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1472falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-confession-cromwell-forced-that-cost-elizabeth-barton-her-head--74906887
On London Bridge in 1534, one severed head stood apart from all the rest—not for the crime it represented, but for something no other head there had ever been. Nine years earlier, its owner had been a servant girl in Kent claiming visions that cardinals and kings came to hear. What was it about her words that made a king's chief minister decide the woman had to die, and her writings had to vanish entirely?

In this episode, we trace Elizabeth Barton's rise from a farmhouse in Aldington to audiences with Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII, and her fall through forced confession, a bill of attainder, and execution, asking what it means that the machinery of her destruction survives in full while her own words do not.

Person: Elizabeth Barton
Location: Kent and London, England
Date: April 20, 1534
Case: the confession Thomas Cromwell extracted from Elizabeth Barton before any trial
Status: executed at Tyburn; her head placed on London Bridge, the only recorded instance of a woman receiving that punishment in English history

- Elizabeth Barton surfaces in the record in 1525 as a nineteen-year-old servant in the household of Thomas Cobb, working for Archbishop William Warham
- A commission led by Benedictine monk Edward Bocking examined her visions and ruled in her favor, leading to her placement at St Sepulchre's Priory in Canterbury
- She met Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1528 and Henry VIII twice, before later prophesying he would die within months of remarrying
- Cromwell prosecuted her via a bill of attainder, the Treason of Elizabeth Barton Act of 1533, rather than a treason trial, avoiding the need to present evidence
- Robert Redman's 1527 pamphlet collecting her prophecies circulated for six years in roughly 700 copies; Cromwell's agents confiscated them and not one survives
- Five men were executed alongside her on April 20, 1534: Edward Bocking, John Dering, Henry Gold, Hugh Rich, and Richard Reynolds

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906887Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe confession Cromwell forced that cost Elizabeth Barton her head On London Bridge in 1534, one severed head stood apart from all the rest—not for the crime it represented, but for something no other head there had ever been. Nine years earlier,...
On London Bridge in 1534, one severed head stood apart from all the rest—not for the crime it represented, but for something no other head there had ever been. Nine years earlier, its owner had been a servant girl in Kent claiming visions that cardinals and kings came to hear. What was it about her words that made a king's chief minister decide the woman had to die, and her writings had to vanish entirely?

In this episode, we trace Elizabeth Barton's rise from a farmhouse in Aldington to audiences with Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII, and her fall through forced confession, a bill of attainder, and execution, asking what it means that the machinery of her destruction survives in full while her own words do not.

Person: Elizabeth Barton
Location: Kent and London, England
Date: April 20, 1534
Case: the confession Thomas Cromwell extracted from Elizabeth Barton before any trial
Status: executed at Tyburn; her head placed on London Bridge, the only recorded instance of a woman receiving that punishment in English history

- Elizabeth Barton surfaces in the record in 1525 as a nineteen-year-old servant in the household of Thomas Cobb, working for Archbishop William Warham
- A commission led by Benedictine monk Edward Bocking examined her visions and ruled in her favor, leading to her placement at St Sepulchre's Priory in Canterbury
- She met Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1528 and Henry VIII twice, before later prophesying he would die within months of remarrying
- Cromwell prosecuted her via a bill of attainder, the Treason of Elizabeth Barton Act of 1533, rather than a treason trial, avoiding the need to present evidence
- Robert Redman's 1527 pamphlet collecting her prophecies circulated for six years in roughly 700 copies; Cromwell's agents confiscated them and not one survives
- Five men were executed alongside her on April 20, 1534: Edward Bocking, John Dering, Henry Gold, Hugh Rich, and Richard Reynolds

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1481falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-whispered-name-she-refused-to-give-that-doomed-four--74906885
Three stakes stood in Smithfield on a July morning in 1546, built to hold four condemned bodies. Days earlier, in a locked room of the Tower, a twenty-five-year-old woman had been stretched on a rack until her joints came out of their sockets, while four of the most powerful men in England waited for her to speak a single name. What was that name worth, and why would four people let it die with them?

In this episode, we trace the political machine built around Anne Askew's interrogation and torture, and the silence of the four who burned at Smithfield, asking what a name whispered to power could have bought, and what it cost to withhold it.

Person: Anne Askew
Location: Smithfield, London
Date: 16 July 1546
Case: the burning of four condemned Protestants at three stakes
Status: executed after refusing to name names sought by the crown's inner circle

- Four people were executed by burning at three stakes on 16 July 1546 in Smithfield, including John Adams.
- Anne Askew was arrested three times, with her final arrest in May 1546 ending in imprisonment rather than release.
- On 19 June 1546, Anne Askew was interrogated over two days in the Tower of London by Thomas Wriothesley, Stephen Gardiner, John Dudley, and Sir William Paget.
- Anne Askew smuggled a written account of her examinations out of the Tower of London.
- The inquest sought names connected to Archbishop Thomas Wriothesley, including Askew's brother Edward, who served in his household.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906885Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:23 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe whispered name she refused to give that doomed four Three stakes stood in Smithfield on a July morning in 1546, built to hold four condemned bodies. Days earlier, in a locked room of the Tower, a twenty-five-year-old woman had been stretched on...
Three stakes stood in Smithfield on a July morning in 1546, built to hold four condemned bodies. Days earlier, in a locked room of the Tower, a twenty-five-year-old woman had been stretched on a rack until her joints came out of their sockets, while four of the most powerful men in England waited for her to speak a single name. What was that name worth, and why would four people let it die with them?

In this episode, we trace the political machine built around Anne Askew's interrogation and torture, and the silence of the four who burned at Smithfield, asking what a name whispered to power could have bought, and what it cost to withhold it.

Person: Anne Askew
Location: Smithfield, London
Date: 16 July 1546
Case: the burning of four condemned Protestants at three stakes
Status: executed after refusing to name names sought by the crown's inner circle

- Four people were executed by burning at three stakes on 16 July 1546 in Smithfield, including John Adams.
- Anne Askew was arrested three times, with her final arrest in May 1546 ending in imprisonment rather than release.
- On 19 June 1546, Anne Askew was interrogated over two days in the Tower of London by Thomas Wriothesley, Stephen Gardiner, John Dudley, and Sir William Paget.
- Anne Askew smuggled a written account of her examinations out of the Tower of London.
- The inquest sought names connected to Archbishop Thomas Wriothesley, including Askew's brother Edward, who served in his household.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1626falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-countess-s-message-betrayed-two-friars-and-cost-them-their-lives--74906882
Two men hung from a tree outside the gates of Kilmallock for fourteen days, their bodies left in the open August heat while soldiers of a Tudor garrison used them for target practice. Days earlier, a Countess had given them food and shelter for a single night — and then sent word that turned them into prisoners. What made a scholar who had spent seventeen years training in Rome, Spain, and Paris choose that tree over the bishopric he was offered instead?

In this episode, we trace Patrick O'Hely's path from a small friary above the river at Dromahair through Rome, Castile, and the Sorbonne to his final weeks in Munster, asking what a man owes to a faith the law has made a crime.

Person: Patrick O'Hely, Bishop of Mayo
Location: Kilmallock, County Limerick, Ireland
Date: August 11, 1579
Case: the capture, torture, and execution of two Franciscan friars after a warning sent from Askeaton Castle
Status: both men hanged, their bodies left on display for fourteen days before burial was arranged by the Earl of Desmond

- O'Hely signed a surviving 1575 letter, now held at the Archivo General de Simancas, as "fray Patricio Oheli de Petra"
- His companion, Conn O'Rourke, was born around 1549, the son of Brian, Lord of Breifne
- Lord Justice Sir William Drury, who interrogated them at Kilmallock, recorded executing four hundred people in a single year
- Drury offered O'Hely a bishopric within the Church of Ireland in exchange for taking the Oath of Supremacy; O'Hely refused
- Pope John Paul II beatified O'Hely and O'Rourke on September

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906882Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:18 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Countess's message betrayed two friars and cost them their lives Two men hung from a tree outside the gates of Kilmallock for fourteen days, their bodies left in the open August heat while soldiers of a Tudor garrison used them for target...
Two men hung from a tree outside the gates of Kilmallock for fourteen days, their bodies left in the open August heat while soldiers of a Tudor garrison used them for target practice. Days earlier, a Countess had given them food and shelter for a single night — and then sent word that turned them into prisoners. What made a scholar who had spent seventeen years training in Rome, Spain, and Paris choose that tree over the bishopric he was offered instead?

In this episode, we trace Patrick O'Hely's path from a small friary above the river at Dromahair through Rome, Castile, and the Sorbonne to his final weeks in Munster, asking what a man owes to a faith the law has made a crime.

Person: Patrick O'Hely, Bishop of Mayo
Location: Kilmallock, County Limerick, Ireland
Date: August 11, 1579
Case: the capture, torture, and execution of two Franciscan friars after a warning sent from Askeaton Castle
Status: both men hanged, their bodies left on display for fourteen days before burial was arranged by the Earl of Desmond

- O'Hely signed a surviving 1575 letter, now held at the Archivo General de Simancas, as "fray Patricio Oheli de Petra"
- His companion, Conn O'Rourke, was born around 1549, the son of Brian, Lord of Breifne
- Lord Justice Sir William Drury, who interrogated them at Kilmallock, recorded executing four hundred people in a single year
- Drury offered O'Hely a bishopric within the Church of Ireland in exchange for taking the Oath of Supremacy; O'Hely refused
- Pope John Paul II beatified O'Hely and O'Rourke on September

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1251falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-teacher-s-pupil-climbed-the-bridge-and-took-his-head-down--74906880
A head is mounted on a pole atop a house on a bridge in Derby, and in the dead of night three armed men walk past the town watchmen to reach it. Not one watchman raises an alarm. What made a group of men risk everything to bring down what the law had put up as a warning?

In this episode, we trace the life of a schoolmaster-turned-priest from an Oxford oath he refused to sign through the English Mission to his execution in Derby, asking what a teacher's ordinary work in a small schoolroom can set in motion decades later.

Person: Nicholas Garlick
Location: Derby, England
Date: July 24, 1588
Case: the head of executed priest Nicholas Garlick, mounted on a house on St Mary's Bridge
Status: taken down and buried in secret; exact burial place never confirmed

- Garlick left Oxford in 1575 after six months without a degree rather than sign the Oath of Supremacy
- He was ordained a priest at Rheims at the end of March 1582 and returned to England on January 25, 1583
- Arrested and banished with seventy-two other priests in 1585, he returned to France on October 17 and went back to England just two days later
- George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, raided the FitzHerbert house at Padley on July 12, 1588, capturing Garlick and fellow priest Robert Bagshaw
- Tried on July 23, 1588 and executed the next morning at St Mary's Bridge, Garlick, Bagshaw, and Richard Simpson were beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 22, 1987

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906880Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:14 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe teacher's pupil climbed the bridge and took his head down A head is mounted on a pole atop a house on a bridge in Derby, and in the dead of night three armed men walk past the town watchmen to reach it. Not one watchman raises an alarm. What...
A head is mounted on a pole atop a house on a bridge in Derby, and in the dead of night three armed men walk past the town watchmen to reach it. Not one watchman raises an alarm. What made a group of men risk everything to bring down what the law had put up as a warning?

In this episode, we trace the life of a schoolmaster-turned-priest from an Oxford oath he refused to sign through the English Mission to his execution in Derby, asking what a teacher's ordinary work in a small schoolroom can set in motion decades later.

Person: Nicholas Garlick
Location: Derby, England
Date: July 24, 1588
Case: the head of executed priest Nicholas Garlick, mounted on a house on St Mary's Bridge
Status: taken down and buried in secret; exact burial place never confirmed

- Garlick left Oxford in 1575 after six months without a degree rather than sign the Oath of Supremacy
- He was ordained a priest at Rheims at the end of March 1582 and returned to England on January 25, 1583
- Arrested and banished with seventy-two other priests in 1585, he returned to France on October 17 and went back to England just two days later
- George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, raided the FitzHerbert house at Padley on July 12, 1588, capturing Garlick and fellow priest Robert Bagshaw
- Tried on July 23, 1588 and executed the next morning at St Mary's Bridge, Garlick, Bagshaw, and Richard Simpson were beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 22, 1987

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1158falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-six-horses-he-brought-that-sparked-a-riot-and-cost-him-his-head--74906879
On the afternoon of April 3rd, 1591, a man was dragged out of Glasgow in the middle of a riot, while ships along the west coast were looted and crewmen lay dead in the streets. The cause of it all was an Irish lord who had arrived two months earlier carrying six horses and four dogs as gifts for a king who would never agree to see him. What legal precedent would his case set — and what would it cost him?

In this episode, we trace the thirty-year arc of Brian O'Rourke, lord of West Bréifne, from his rise over the O'Rourke clan through knighthood, rebellion, exile, and extradition, asking whether a Gaelic Irish lord could be made to answer in an English court for conduct on Irish soil.

Person: Brian O'Rourke, lord of West Bréifne
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, and Tyburn, London
Date: November 1591
Case: six Irish hobbies and four dogs brought to Scotland as gifts for King James VI
Status: convicted of treason and executed by hanging and quartering

- O'Rourke assumed leadership of the O'Rourke clan in the mid-1560s after the deaths of his elder brothers
- His son, the Franciscan friar Conn Ó Ruairc, was tortured and executed outside Kilmallock in 1579 and later beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1992
- He sheltered roughly eighty Spanish Armada survivors, including officer Francisco de Cuellar, in the winter of 1588
- Scotland handed him to England under the Treaty of Berwick after English assurances of clemency that were never honored
- His indict

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906879Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:10 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe six horses he brought that sparked a riot and cost him his head On the afternoon of April 3rd, 1591, a man was dragged out of Glasgow in the middle of a riot, while ships along the west coast were looted and crewmen lay dead in the streets. The...
On the afternoon of April 3rd, 1591, a man was dragged out of Glasgow in the middle of a riot, while ships along the west coast were looted and crewmen lay dead in the streets. The cause of it all was an Irish lord who had arrived two months earlier carrying six horses and four dogs as gifts for a king who would never agree to see him. What legal precedent would his case set — and what would it cost him?

In this episode, we trace the thirty-year arc of Brian O'Rourke, lord of West Bréifne, from his rise over the O'Rourke clan through knighthood, rebellion, exile, and extradition, asking whether a Gaelic Irish lord could be made to answer in an English court for conduct on Irish soil.

Person: Brian O'Rourke, lord of West Bréifne
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, and Tyburn, London
Date: November 1591
Case: six Irish hobbies and four dogs brought to Scotland as gifts for King James VI
Status: convicted of treason and executed by hanging and quartering

- O'Rourke assumed leadership of the O'Rourke clan in the mid-1560s after the deaths of his elder brothers
- His son, the Franciscan friar Conn Ó Ruairc, was tortured and executed outside Kilmallock in 1579 and later beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1992
- He sheltered roughly eighty Spanish Armada survivors, including officer Francisco de Cuellar, in the winter of 1588
- Scotland handed him to England under the Treaty of Berwick after English assurances of clemency that were never honored
- His indict

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1412falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-empty-cart-that-turned-preachers-into-martyrs--74906877
On the nineteenth of July, 1591, two men climbed onto an unattended cart in the middle of Cheapside and told the crowd that the man waiting in a nearby lodging house was Jesus Christ, returned to judge the living and the dead. Within nine days, that man would face the crown's justice at nearly the same spot, and his two prophets would meet two starkly different fates. What happened inside those nine days, and inside the lodging house near Broken Wharf, that made three men stake everything on a claim the historical record has never fully explained?

In this episode, we trace William Hacket's path from an illiterate maltster in Northamptonshire to the center of a Cheapside proclamation of divinity, asking how absolute religious conviction formed among three men in a London lodging house, and why the official pamphlet documenting it all vanished without a trace.

Person: William Hacket
Location: Cheapside, London
Date: July 19, 1591
Case: the empty cart proclamation declaring Hacket the returned Christ
Status: resolved by trial and execution within nine days, with his two followers meeting separate fates

- Hacket was born in Oundle, Northamptonshire, received no formal education, and never learned to read or write
- He worked as a serving-man for Northamptonshire gentry including Sir Thomas Tresham and Sir Charles Morrison before becoming a maltster through marriage to Anna Moreton
- On July 19, 1591, Edmund Coppinger and Henry Arthington proclaimed Hacket as Christ from an unattended cart in Cheapside
- Hacket was tried on July 26, 1591, pleaded guilty to declaring the queen was not queen of England, and was hanged, drawn, and quartered on July 28, 1591 near the Cross in Cheapside
- Coppinger starved himself to death in Bridewell Palace; Arthington claimed he had been a victim of witchcraft, submitted a written apology, and was released in 1592
- The pamphlet "A Life, Arraignment, Judgement, and Execution of William Hacket," licensed for publication on the day of the execution, has not survived in any copy

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906877Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:06 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Empty Cart That Turned Preachers Into Martyrs On the nineteenth of July, 1591, two men climbed onto an unattended cart in the middle of Cheapside and told the crowd that the man waiting in a nearby lodging house was Jesus Christ, returned to...
On the nineteenth of July, 1591, two men climbed onto an unattended cart in the middle of Cheapside and told the crowd that the man waiting in a nearby lodging house was Jesus Christ, returned to judge the living and the dead. Within nine days, that man would face the crown's justice at nearly the same spot, and his two prophets would meet two starkly different fates. What happened inside those nine days, and inside the lodging house near Broken Wharf, that made three men stake everything on a claim the historical record has never fully explained?

In this episode, we trace William Hacket's path from an illiterate maltster in Northamptonshire to the center of a Cheapside proclamation of divinity, asking how absolute religious conviction formed among three men in a London lodging house, and why the official pamphlet documenting it all vanished without a trace.

Person: William Hacket
Location: Cheapside, London
Date: July 19, 1591
Case: the empty cart proclamation declaring Hacket the returned Christ
Status: resolved by trial and execution within nine days, with his two followers meeting separate fates

- Hacket was born in Oundle, Northamptonshire, received no formal education, and never learned to read or write
- He worked as a serving-man for Northamptonshire gentry including Sir Thomas Tresham and Sir Charles Morrison before becoming a maltster through marriage to Anna Moreton
- On July 19, 1591, Edmund Coppinger and Henry Arthington proclaimed Hacket as Christ from an unattended cart in Cheapside
- Hacket was tried on July 26, 1591, pleaded guilty to declaring the queen was not queen of England, and was hanged, drawn, and quartered on July 28, 1591 near the Cross in Cheapside
- Coppinger starved himself to death in Bridewell Palace; Arthington claimed he had been a victim of witchcraft, submitted a written apology, and was released in 1592
- The pamphlet "A Life, Arraignment, Judgement, and Execution of William Hacket," licensed for publication on the day of the execution, has not survived in any copy

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1408falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-letter-that-begged-for-help-and-betrayed-a-conspiracy--74906876
On the third of September 1586, officers rode into Dethick Manor in Derbyshire and found the house nearly empty—just two sisters, a two-year-old child whose name was never recorded, and a wife who had vanished. The man they had come for was already in the Tower, and days before his execution he wrote a farewell letter to the friend who had, in fact, delivered him there. What made a twenty-four-year-old address his betrayer as "sweet" in the last letter he would ever write?

In this episode, we trace the documented steps from Babington's upbringing at Dethick Manor and service in the household of the Earl of Shrewsbury to his role as courier, his aborted passport attempt, and the relationship with Robert Poley that proved fatal, asking how personal trust became state evidence.

Person: Anthony Babington
Location: Dethick Manor, Derbyshire
Date: 3 September 1586
Case: the letter to Robert Poley beginning "farewell sweet Robyn"
Status: executed for treason at St Giles' Field, 20–21 September 1586

- Babington was born on 24 October 1561 at Dethick Manor and was placed as a page in the household of George Talbot, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, keeper of Mary Queen of Scots.
- He married Margery Draycot in 1579 and later served as a courier for Catholic exile networks after meeting Thomas Morgan around 1580.
- Robert Poley, an agent for Sir Francis Walsingham, was trusted by Babington to secure a passport to France but almost certainly delayed or failed to obtain it.
- Babington's letter proposing the assassination plan was sent on 6 July 1586; Mary's reply came on 17 July, and a postscript asking him to name six conspirators was later added by Walsingham's cipher secretary, Thomas Phelippes.
- Fourteen men were convicted of high treason, with seven executed on 20 September and seven more on 21 September 1586 at St Giles' Field near Holborn; Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906876Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:18:03 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Letter That Begged for Help—and Betrayed a Conspiracy On the third of September 1586, officers rode into Dethick Manor in Derbyshire and found the house nearly empty—just two sisters, a two-year-old child whose name was never recorded, and a...
On the third of September 1586, officers rode into Dethick Manor in Derbyshire and found the house nearly empty—just two sisters, a two-year-old child whose name was never recorded, and a wife who had vanished. The man they had come for was already in the Tower, and days before his execution he wrote a farewell letter to the friend who had, in fact, delivered him there. What made a twenty-four-year-old address his betrayer as "sweet" in the last letter he would ever write?

In this episode, we trace the documented steps from Babington's upbringing at Dethick Manor and service in the household of the Earl of Shrewsbury to his role as courier, his aborted passport attempt, and the relationship with Robert Poley that proved fatal, asking how personal trust became state evidence.

Person: Anthony Babington
Location: Dethick Manor, Derbyshire
Date: 3 September 1586
Case: the letter to Robert Poley beginning "farewell sweet Robyn"
Status: executed for treason at St Giles' Field, 20–21 September 1586

- Babington was born on 24 October 1561 at Dethick Manor and was placed as a page in the household of George Talbot, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, keeper of Mary Queen of Scots.
- He married Margery Draycot in 1579 and later served as a courier for Catholic exile networks after meeting Thomas Morgan around 1580.
- Robert Poley, an agent for Sir Francis Walsingham, was trusted by Babington to secure a passport to France but almost certainly delayed or failed to obtain it.
- Babington's letter proposing the assassination plan was sent on 6 July 1586; Mary's reply came on 17 July, and a postscript asking him to name six conspirators was later added by Walsingham's cipher secretary, Thomas Phelippes.
- Fourteen men were convicted of high treason, with seven executed on 20 September and seven more on 21 September 1586 at St Giles' Field near Holborn; Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1687falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-parchment-from-london-that-stole-clandeboye-and-cost-him-his-head--74906875
Picture a lord who spent a decade winning knighthoods and alliances with the English Crown, only to end up excluding abbeys and priories while burning down every other building on a peninsula with his own hands. He wasn't attacking his enemies — he was destroying his own territory's buildings on purpose. Why would a man who fought for the Crown turn around and torch the ground beneath his own people's feet?

In this episode, we trace Sir Brian McPhelim Bacagh O'Neill's path from Crown ally to hanged opponent of the Ulster plantations, asking what happens when a loyal subject's calculated alliance collides with an empire's paper claim to his ancestral land.

Person: Sir Brian McPhelim Bacagh O'Neill
Location: Lower Clandeboye, north-east Ireland (present-day County Down and County Antrim)
Date: November 1574
Case: the English Crown's land grant to Sir Thomas Smith for the territory of Clandeboye
Status: hanged in County Dublin for opposing the plantations, with no trial on record

- Sir Brian assumed the lordship of Lower Clandeboye in 1556 at approximately thirty-six years old, inheriting land his family had held for two centuries
- He was knighted in 1568 for fighting alongside William Piers against Shane O'Neill of Tyrone
- In 1571, Sir Thomas Smith obtained an English grant for the entire territory of Clandeboye, based on the Crown's claim to the land following the death of the last Earl of Ulster in the fifteenth century
- Sir Brian responded by systematically burning buildings across the northern Ards peninsula, deliberately sparing abbeys and priories, to deny incoming settlers shelter
- Thomas Smith (the son) was killed in Ireland in 1573 by his own Irish servants
- Walter Devereux, first Earl of Essex, took over the plantation scheme in 1573 and was eventually reduced to a grant for the Islandmagee peninsula alone
- Sir Brian was hanged in County Dublin in November 1574, at approximately fifty-four years old, with the record citing only opposition to the plantations
- In 1584, Lord Deputy Sir John Perrot formally partitioned Clandeboye among competing O'Neill claimants, including Sir Brian's son Shane McBrian O'Neill

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906875Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:17:58 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe parchment from London that stole Clandeboye and cost him his head Picture a lord who spent a decade winning knighthoods and alliances with the English Crown, only to end up excluding abbeys and priories while burning down every other building...
Picture a lord who spent a decade winning knighthoods and alliances with the English Crown, only to end up excluding abbeys and priories while burning down every other building on a peninsula with his own hands. He wasn't attacking his enemies — he was destroying his own territory's buildings on purpose. Why would a man who fought for the Crown turn around and torch the ground beneath his own people's feet?

In this episode, we trace Sir Brian McPhelim Bacagh O'Neill's path from Crown ally to hanged opponent of the Ulster plantations, asking what happens when a loyal subject's calculated alliance collides with an empire's paper claim to his ancestral land.

Person: Sir Brian McPhelim Bacagh O'Neill
Location: Lower Clandeboye, north-east Ireland (present-day County Down and County Antrim)
Date: November 1574
Case: the English Crown's land grant to Sir Thomas Smith for the territory of Clandeboye
Status: hanged in County Dublin for opposing the plantations, with no trial on record

- Sir Brian assumed the lordship of Lower Clandeboye in 1556 at approximately thirty-six years old, inheriting land his family had held for two centuries
- He was knighted in 1568 for fighting alongside William Piers against Shane O'Neill of Tyrone
- In 1571, Sir Thomas Smith obtained an English grant for the entire territory of Clandeboye, based on the Crown's claim to the land following the death of the last Earl of Ulster in the fifteenth century
- Sir Brian responded by systematically burning buildings across the northern Ards peninsula, deliberately sparing abbeys and priories, to deny incoming settlers shelter
- Thomas Smith (the son) was killed in Ireland in 1573 by his own Irish servants
- Walter Devereux, first Earl of Essex, took over the plantation scheme in 1573 and was eventually reduced to a grant for the Islandmagee peninsula alone
- Sir Brian was hanged in County Dublin in November 1574, at approximately fifty-four years old, with the record citing only opposition to the plantations
- In 1584, Lord Deputy Sir John Perrot formally partitioned Clandeboye among competing O'Neill claimants, including Sir Brian's son Shane McBrian O'Neill

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1423falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bible-she-read-that-made-her-laugh-at-judges--74906874
A heavy iron chain is fastened around a woman's neck at seven in the morning, and she looks down at it and smiles. She has no university training, no patron, no institutional protection — only a Bible she taught herself to read and a plough she once drove through her father's fields. How did a farmer's daughter from a Suffolk village end up facing down the trained ecclesiastical lawyers of the Chancellor of Norwich, and what happened when they could not make her yield?

In this episode, we trace Alice Driver's path from a haystack in Grundisburgh to a courtroom exchange that silenced a priest and outmaneuvered a Chancellor, asking how an untrained woman managed to defeat, argument for argument, some of the most educated men in Marian England.

Person: Alice Driver
Location: Ipswich and Grundisburgh, Suffolk
Date: November 4, 1558
Case: her arrest for reading an English Bible, sheltering a fugitive, and refusing the Roman Mass under Queen Mary's restored Catholic church
Status: condemned for heresy after her examination by the Chancellor of Norwich, executed at the Cornhill in Ipswich alongside Alexander Gooch

- Born around 1528 in or near Grundisburgh, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, to a farming family
- Captured with Alexander Gooch hiding in a haystack after Justice Noone's men searched it with pitchforks
- Held at Melton Gaol,

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906874Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:17:54 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Bible she read that made her laugh at judges A heavy iron chain is fastened around a woman's neck at seven in the morning, and she looks down at it and smiles. She has no university training, no patron, no institutional protection — only a...
A heavy iron chain is fastened around a woman's neck at seven in the morning, and she looks down at it and smiles. She has no university training, no patron, no institutional protection — only a Bible she taught herself to read and a plough she once drove through her father's fields. How did a farmer's daughter from a Suffolk village end up facing down the trained ecclesiastical lawyers of the Chancellor of Norwich, and what happened when they could not make her yield?

In this episode, we trace Alice Driver's path from a haystack in Grundisburgh to a courtroom exchange that silenced a priest and outmaneuvered a Chancellor, asking how an untrained woman managed to defeat, argument for argument, some of the most educated men in Marian England.

Person: Alice Driver
Location: Ipswich and Grundisburgh, Suffolk
Date: November 4, 1558
Case: her arrest for reading an English Bible, sheltering a fugitive, and refusing the Roman Mass under Queen Mary's restored Catholic church
Status: condemned for heresy after her examination by the Chancellor of Norwich, executed at the Cornhill in Ipswich alongside Alexander Gooch

- Born around 1528 in or near Grundisburgh, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, to a farming family
- Captured with Alexander Gooch hiding in a haystack after Justice Noone's men searched it with pitchforks
- Held at Melton Gaol,

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1360falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-list-he-shoved-through-the-chapter-that-cost-him-his-head--74906872
A man stands motionless inside a fire on a market square in Wales, having promised a bystander moments earlier that any flinch would discredit everything he believed. He got there through three decades of ordinations, arrests, a marriage, a diocese, and a fifty-six-article indictment filed by his own clergy. What actually cost him his life — a doctrinal question, an old institutional grudge, or something else entirely?

In this episode, we trace Robert Ferrar's path from an unrecorded Yorkshire birth through Cambridge and Oxford, into a bishopric he tried to reform by force, and into the Marian trial that ended it, asking how a man's own certainty can become the exact instrument used to destroy him.

Person: Robert Ferrar, Bishop of St Davids
Location: Carmarthen, Wales
Date: March 30, 1555
Case: the fifty-six articles of indictment filed against him by his own cathedral canons
Status: condemned for heresy and executed by burning

- Ordained deacon on September 24, 1524, and interpreted the vow of chastity as personal celibacy
- Studied at Cambridge and Oxford from roughly 1525 to 1534, in the same circle as Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Thomas Bilney
- Appointed Bishop of St Davids by Edward VI on September 9, 1548, and married Elizabeth that same year
- His own canons brought a fifty-six-article indictment against him in the autumn of 1551
- An examination in Carmarthen from May 3 to 7, 1552, questioned roughly 124 witnesses while Ferrar was held in London
- Sentenced to death on March 13, 1555, and burned in Nott's Square, Carmarthen, on March 30, 1555, where Richard Gravell struck him down with a staff during the execution

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906872Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:17:50 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe list he shoved through the chapter that cost him his head A man stands motionless inside a fire on a market square in Wales, having promised a bystander moments earlier that any flinch would discredit everything he believed. He got there...
A man stands motionless inside a fire on a market square in Wales, having promised a bystander moments earlier that any flinch would discredit everything he believed. He got there through three decades of ordinations, arrests, a marriage, a diocese, and a fifty-six-article indictment filed by his own clergy. What actually cost him his life — a doctrinal question, an old institutional grudge, or something else entirely?

In this episode, we trace Robert Ferrar's path from an unrecorded Yorkshire birth through Cambridge and Oxford, into a bishopric he tried to reform by force, and into the Marian trial that ended it, asking how a man's own certainty can become the exact instrument used to destroy him.

Person: Robert Ferrar, Bishop of St Davids
Location: Carmarthen, Wales
Date: March 30, 1555
Case: the fifty-six articles of indictment filed against him by his own cathedral canons
Status: condemned for heresy and executed by burning

- Ordained deacon on September 24, 1524, and interpreted the vow of chastity as personal celibacy
- Studied at Cambridge and Oxford from roughly 1525 to 1534, in the same circle as Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Thomas Bilney
- Appointed Bishop of St Davids by Edward VI on September 9, 1548, and married Elizabeth that same year
- His own canons brought a fifty-six-article indictment against him in the autumn of 1551
- An examination in Carmarthen from May 3 to 7, 1552, questioned roughly 124 witnesses while Ferrar was held in London
- Sentenced to death on March 13, 1555, and burned in Nott's Square, Carmarthen, on March 30, 1555, where Richard Gravell struck him down with a staff during the execution

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1530falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rack-that-broke-askew-s-silence-and-unraveled-a-chain--74906871
She is carried to the stake in a chair because her own joints will no longer hold her upright, chained at the waist, and yet when the sermon beside her turns to what she judges false doctrine, she speaks anyway. Three other people burn with her that morning, and one of them, John Adams, leaves behind almost nothing but his presence at the fire. Why did a state that documented every interrogation, every faction, every diplomatic calculation, fail to preserve who he was?

In this episode, we walk through the morning at Smithfield and the Tudor political world that produced it. You will hear what the record preserves about the burning, the interrogations and the factional moves around Henry VIII's court, and why Anne Askew's testimony becomes the key to understanding the fate of all four - but who was John Adams?

Person: Anne Askew
Location: Smithfield, London
Date: 16 July 1546
Case: the burning of four condemned heretics, one carried to the stake in a chair
Status: all four executed; Askew's own written account of her interrogation survived her

- Anne Askew was interrogated on 19 June 1546 by Thomas Wriothesley, Stephen Gardiner, John Dudley, and Sir William Paget over two days.
- She was racked in the lower room of the White Tower, lifted roughly five inches above the bed of the device, and fainted twice before being revived.
- Anthony Knyvett, Lieutenant of the Tower, refused to continue turning the rack and sought the king's pardon for stopping; Wriothesley and Rich then took the handles themselves.
- Gunpowder was tied to the bodies of the condemned at Smithfield to shorten their suffering, according to John Foxe's account.
- Anne Askew wrote her own account of her examinations from prison, later published first by John Bale and then by John Foxe in Acts and Monuments in 1563.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74906871Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:17:46 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Rack That Broke Askew's Silence and Unraveled a Chain She is carried to the stake in a chair because her own joints will no longer hold her upright, chained at the waist, and yet when the sermon beside her turns to what she judges false...
She is carried to the stake in a chair because her own joints will no longer hold her upright, chained at the waist, and yet when the sermon beside her turns to what she judges false doctrine, she speaks anyway. Three other people burn with her that morning, and one of them, John Adams, leaves behind almost nothing but his presence at the fire. Why did a state that documented every interrogation, every faction, every diplomatic calculation, fail to preserve who he was?

In this episode, we walk through the morning at Smithfield and the Tudor political world that produced it. You will hear what the record preserves about the burning, the interrogations and the factional moves around Henry VIII's court, and why Anne Askew's testimony becomes the key to understanding the fate of all four - but who was John Adams?

Person: Anne Askew
Location: Smithfield, London
Date: 16 July 1546
Case: the burning of four condemned heretics, one carried to the stake in a chair
Status: all four executed; Askew's own written account of her interrogation survived her

- Anne Askew was interrogated on 19 June 1546 by Thomas Wriothesley, Stephen Gardiner, John Dudley, and Sir William Paget over two days.
- She was racked in the lower room of the White Tower, lifted roughly five inches above the bed of the device, and fainted twice before being revived.
- Anthony Knyvett, Lieutenant of the Tower, refused to continue turning the rack and sought the king's pardon for stopping; Wriothesley and Rich then took the handles themselves.
- Gunpowder was tied to the bodies of the condemned at Smithfield to shorten their suffering, according to John Foxe's account.
- Anne Askew wrote her own account of her examinations from prison, later published first by John Bale and then by John Foxe in Acts and Monuments in 1563.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1585falsefull