After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
Hosted by Anthony Delaney
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling revisit the 1845 Franklin Arctic expedition, examining the disappearance of HMS Terror and HMS Erebus along with new DNA identifications announced in 2026. The hosts detail the journey of 134 men attempting to find the Northwest Passage, the tragic abandonment of the ships in the pack ice after becoming trapped, and the desperate march across King William Island. Drawing on historical documents like the Victory Point Note, Inuit accounts gathered by explorers like John Ray, and 20th-century archaeological findings of knife marks on bones, they discuss how the mission descended into starvation and cannibalism. They also highlight recent 2026 University of Waterloo research that successfully identified four crew members using descendant DNA matching.
Anthony and Maddy introduce their new History Hit documentaries and tease the episode’s focus on the HMS Terror mystery.
Hosts explain the launch of HMS Terror and Erebus, their mission to find the Northwest Passage, and the eventual disappearance of 129 men.
Details of the expedition’s crew composition, key figures like Captain Franklin and Crozier, and the ships’ hybrid design are discussed.
Narration of the journey to Greenland, early letters, and the first indications of hardship and potential lead poisoning.
The crew abandons the ships, the role of Inuit testimony, and the discovery of cairns and the Victory Point Note are explored.
Lady Franklin’s petitions, multiple search parties, and the eventual discovery of evidence in 1859 are outlined.
The hosts summarize the events of the Franklin expedition, detailing the crew’s entrapment and eventual demise.
The hosts recount recent sonar and DNA discoveries that have located the wrecks and identified sailors.
Details of the four sailors whose remains were identified through DNA matching with living descendants.
Hosts discuss the remaining unanswered questions and the ongoing academic interest in the expedition.
Hosts share their fascination with the 1840s, its cultural shifts, and the unique historical context of the expedition.
A humorous exchange between the hosts about the extreme survival scenarios and cannibalism.
Vanish in the Arcticstory
The hosts introduce the 1845 expedition of 129 men on HMS Terror and HMS Erebus who vanished while seeking the Northwest Passage.
Franklin Takes Commandinsight
Captain Sir John Franklin took charge of the expedition in his sixties after a career of Arctic exploration and naval service.
Lady Franklin tirelessly campaigned the Admiralty, the US President, and the Russian Tsar to fund multiple rescue and search expeditions.
Discovered in 1859, a formal Admiralty document left in a cairn detailed the ships' entrapment, Franklin's death, and the decision to abandon ship.
Scottish explorer Dr. John Ray collected crucial testimonies from Inuit families who encountered surviving crew members dragging boats.
Dickens Denies Cannibalismdebate
Charles Dickens publicly attacked Dr. Ray's reports of cannibalism, arguing that Victorian sailors would never fall to such savagery.
In 2026, researchers at the University of Waterloo used descendant DNA to identify four specific sailors, including Harry Pegler and John Bridgens.
“In 1845, 129 men vanished in the Arctic.”
“the company that makes the tin food in London have to rush through the order because they've got it.”
“The first and only piece of documentary evidence we have from, yeah, from the crews of the Terra and Erebus that says, that gives us some sense of what happens, right?”
“We have human bones with knife marks on, where it's been clipped butchery, you know, evidence that there's, there's been boiling taking place, there's, preparation of human beings for food, basically.”
“They all splinter off into groups, some of them eat each other.”
“And with DNA matches of descendants, they have been able to identify four of the sailors who are buried.”
“And you can see teeth marks in it where they've tried to eat the leather of the boot. They're so hungry.”
“on this expedition. That's some of the earliest photographs ever taken.”
“Could go to sea or could eat a person?”
In 1845 two Royal Navy ships, HMS Terror & HMS Erebus, departed Britain on an expedition into the Arctic. Along their ill-fated icy expedition, they disappeared almost completely, becoming one of history's greatest maritime mysteries… In this episode, Anthony and Maddy follow the trail of clues left behind by the crew of this doomed voyage and uncover what really happened to them... Edited by Anna Brant. Produced by Tomos Delargy and McKenna Fernandez. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener surveyhere https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK. All music from Epidemic Sounds. After Dark is a History Hit podcast. Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
10,766 words · 6 speakers
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