The Forensic Files 1840 to 1934 - True Crime

The Forensic Files 1840 to 1934 - True Crime News of the Times | Episode 647 | 1840 - 1934 When murder began to leave evidence behind, everything changed. For centuries, investigators relied largely upon witnesses, confessions and suspicion. But during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a new kind of detective entered the murder investigation: science. A trace of arsenic. A suspicious wound. A body in a bath. Human remains scattered through a lonely bungalow. Suddenly, the dead themselves could begin to tell investigators what had happened. In this special four-hour edition of News of the Times, we explore seven extraordinary British and historical murder cases through the pioneers who helped transform forensic investigation — from James Marsh and his revolutionary test for arsenic, through Victorian toxicologist Alfred Swaine Taylor, to Britain's legendary forensic pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury. Along the way we encounter poisoned husbands, two mysteriously poisoned children, the disturbing death of a doctor's wife, murder for burial-club money, the infamous Brides in the Bath, the horrifying Crumbles Murder, and a hotel fire that concealed something far more sinister. The cases range from 1840 to 1929 and reveal just how dramatically the investigation of murder changed in less than a century. But forensic science brought a new problem with it. What happens when a courtroom begins to trust the scientist — and what happens when the scientist gets it wrong? Using original contemporary newspaper reports and accounts, we follow the evidence, the investigations and the remarkable men whose discoveries helped create modern forensic science. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:12 The Marsh Test 00:03:04 Case 1 – Marie & Charles Lafarge 00:30:31 Alfred Swaine Taylor 00:31:45 Case 2 – Elizabeth Wheeldon 00:50:39 Case 3 – Ellen Warder 01:37:20 Sir Bernard Spilsbury 01:38:57 Case 4 – Mary May 02:24:55 Case 5 – The Brides in the Bath 03:02:34 Case 6 – The Crumbles Murder 03:45:31 Case 7 – Sidney Fox 04:10:55 Conclusion 🕵️ Hosted by Robin Coles ❤️ Support Independent History If you enjoy our ad-free, archive-based storytelling, help us keep the lantern lit: 👉 *Patreon* – Full archive, early access, bonus compilations (and it keeps us independent):   / newsofthetimeshistoricalcrime   ☕ Prefer a one-off thank-you? We LOVE a posh coffee indulgence! We tip our top hats: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/newsofthetd 🕯 About the Channel We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true crime. Each episode is based entirely on archival material — from coroners’ inquests to forgotten newspaper columns. If you like your true crime thoughtful, atmospheric, and rooted in real records — welcome to the vault. 🎩 — RC & Team #TrueCrimeDocumentary #HistoricalCrime #BritishHistory #VictorianCrime #CrimeHistory #CourtroomDrama #Education #NewsoftheTimes