The Balham Mystery: Charles Bravo

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In April, 1876, Charles Bravo took to his bedroom, rubbed a dose of laudanum into his gums and poured himself a glass of water from the jug on his nightstand. Within minutes of retiring to bed, Charles Bravo fell desperately ill. Within two days, he would be pronounced dead, the victim of Antimony poisoning. Suicide, manslaughter and murder have been cast forward by amateur historians and famous crime writers alike. 145 years on, some have claimed to have solved the mystery of the death of Charles Bravo, but in reality, the truth lies as buried as the characters themselves. Two inquests to the good, the question remains, who killed Charles Bravo?
Sources:
Ruddick, James (2001) Death at the Priory: Love, Sex and Murder in Victorian England. Atlantic Books, 2001.
The Verdict in the Bravo Case (1876, August 12), The Independent, p. 6.
The Balham Mystery (1867, May 16), The Daily Post, p.6.
Taylor, Bernard & Clarke, Kate (1988) Murder at the Priory: The Mysterious Poisoning of Charles Bravo. Grafton Books, 1988.
For extended show notes, including maps, links and scripts, head over to darkhistories.com
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Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017
Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

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5 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 62

@guviebain370 5 лет назад

Ahhh chicken pox is horrible esp as an adult! Glad you are getting better and back! You truly have a soothing voice despite the subjects you are discussing-thank you for being here!

@bayonetababe9697 3 года назад

Yeah I was really surprised to hear he came down with chicken pox. I had it as a child but I’m older than him and they didn’t have the vaccine for it when I was a kid. I would have thought he would have gotten the vaccine. Since except for the people that didn’t get it as a kid its been pretty much been eradicated.

@LaurenThompsonIsMyRealName 5 лет назад

I believe it was Mrs. Cox. She was the only one who heard Mr. Bravo's supposed confession that he took poison. She also was fired by Mr. Bravo and thus had motive, and she also had visit Dr. Gully several times before Mr. Bravo's death, who was both Mr. Bravo and Florence's sworn enemy at this point. I believe Mrs. Cox decided to state that Mr. Bravo confessed to taking poison when she thought the doctors would soon figure out he had been poisoned and thus wanted to cover for herself.

@Chuck_Hooks 4 года назад

Mrs. Cox had a huge inheritance coming to her did she not? Why risk throwing all that away?

@ΚατερίναΟρούτσογλου 4 года назад

@phillip5505 4 года назад

@@Chuck_Hooks she was like a mother to Florence and probably felt incredible guilt that she could leave and lead a fairytale life while Florence languished. She was the only one who understood Florence and Cox realized if she left things as they were, Florence wouldn't survive many more pregnancies.

@bayonetababe9697 3 года назад

I also believe that it was Ms.Cox and I don’t think Florence knew about it. I do wonder if the doctor helped Ms. Cox. I think he still loved Florence and he would have been angry to find out Charles was beating her, and pushing her to keep getting pregnant plus just treating her badly in general. Since he was ahead of his time he wouldn’t have liked how misogynistic he was towards Florence. Ms.Cox made up the story about Charles saying he poisoned himself and got rid of the water and also called for the doctor that was further away. But when Florence heard of this she sent for the closest doctor who did arrive first. Why would she have went against Ms. Cox on this if they were in it together especially if you take Ben’s theory that Ms.Cox was probably only doing it to cover up for Florence. I think they had the falling out because Florence knew what Ms. Cox did. I also don’t believe Florence had anything to do with her first husband’s death. If she could ruin her organs in two years of heavy drinking then he most certainly could have died of complications of alcoholism. He had drank for longer than her.

@mabelpines1533 5 лет назад

>doesn’t want to live with an abusive husband >gets sent to a sanitarium

@r.w.bottorff7735 10 месяцев назад

Great episode, as usual! Thank you for another good story, a new one for me. Your channel is a treasure.

@lotusflower8 5 лет назад

HOORAY! 🎉🎊 I’m happy you’re back and I hope you’re feeling much better. Another excellent post. Thank you so much for your hard work. 🙏

@mgress100 2 года назад

Wow, another episode I somehow missed or just slept thru. Dark Histories is truly the gift that keeps on delivering, even 2 months+ since a new upload 😅

@theredqueen6911 5 лет назад

I think it was ms.cox. I think she considered Florence a sister, and along with mr bravo not liking her, made it seem like it was easy for him to not be in the picture. I dont think Mrs. Bravo knew til after the fact.

@bayonetababe9697 3 года назад

I totally agree especially when Ms. Cox sent for the doctor that was further away but as soon as Florence heard of this she sent for the closest doctor. Why would she have done that if Ms.Cox was only doing these things to help cover up for Florence. I also don’t believe she had anything to do with her first husband’s death. If she could destroy her body to the point of death in two years from drinking then he most certainly could have died from years of alcohol abuse.

@Alanoffer 3 года назад

The priory is now an old people’s home but in the early seventies I lived in a flat in culverden road Balham and the derelict priory was a place that was used by the local kids to play in , although it was fenced off . The story was well known by balham residents . And I could walk to the bottom of our garden straight into the old house .. Thanks for doing this I’ve never really heard the story properly researched

@Putaspellonyou 5 лет назад

I only survived this weekend because of the Avengers. Ben is back. Now life can proceed. Glad you're healthy again, mate. Met a woman from your part of the country a few days ago, and though a little drunk, I convinced her to check out your podcast...or terrified her. Not sure. Anyway. Welcome back!

@DarkHistories 5 лет назад

haha! Thanks very much, glad to be back! Glad to know murder and death can bring people together 😂

@suemount6042 5 лет назад

Glad your better Ben, we missed you

@DarkHistories 5 лет назад

Thanks! Good to be back on it again!

@dominantasmr578 5 лет назад

3:54 where the story begins

@kathrynwitte3398 4 года назад

Deranged Opioid Addict I wish this was pinned to the top!

@ilkkarautio2449 4 года назад

How an opioid addict can be deranged? Opioids are good for you! 👍 Ive been on morphine for over a decade after i was run over by a tram. It nearly killed me, but meds chilled me. 😳❤️

@Embrabrummie 4 года назад

Glad that you have made a good recovery from chicken pox. Like you, I hadn't had it as a kid, but was unlucky enough to catch it as an adult. It has left me permanently 30% deaf. Thanks for this well researched and presented version of this fascinating, but tragic mystery. It left reputations in tatters, lead to 3 untimely deaths, even Mrs Cox had to move to Birmingham, a grizzly fate if ever there was one! Like you, I conclude that, whilst suicide cannot be entirely ruled out, murder involving a degree of collusion between Florence and Mrs. Cox seems the most likely cause of Charles's death. What surprises me about this case is that people acted like this, in England some 150 years ago. I had thought that the "spoiled brat", an epithet that suits Florence and both of her husbands, was a 20th Century transatlantic import. I was obviously wrong!

@Oakleaf700 5 лет назад

Chicking Pox {as the mid Victorians called it..as per Punch cartoons} as an adult is nasty...you were unusual not to have had it as a little kid.. Listened to this while cleaning and polishing some Mahogany bridle racks that would have come from a 'high class' stables in 1870's.... Stables in those days were havens {or hells} of toxins, as horses themselves were dosed with ghastly poisons, in a less advanced veterinary age. Amazed to see The Priory at Balham is still extant, but the Stables will probably be gone. Wonder who sleeps in Charles Bravo's bedroom now?....Estate agents show typically bland decorations though...only the Gothic windows remain.

@sheilaleslie1323 3 года назад

Just found you today. So well researched and presented. I remember , maybe in the 70’s a. TV drama with Francesca Annis as Florence. It was intriguing then: so it’s great to hear your conclusions. Thanks

@daviddring2365 Месяц назад

Its so frustrating when someone gets away with murder

@forthrightgambitia1032 Год назад

A small tidbit here: Alexander Ricardo was the great nephew of the famous economist David Ricardo, and also, via a different line, to Henry Ricardo the great engineer of the early 20th century who deisgned the engines for British tanks in WW1.

@derby1884 4 года назад

I came across this case about 30 years ago - it struck me then and it still does that the relationship between Florence and Mrs Cox may have been 'very' intimate indeed and that their falling-out may have been due to Mrs Cox not being suitably rewarded for her assistance in the disposal of Charles. I thoroughly enjoyed your podcast as this is a fascinating case and one closely aligned in many ways with other poisoning cases involving the likes of Florence Maybrick and Grace Duff.

@Stewart118Tyler 4 года назад

All points seem to lead back to Mrs. Cox and Florence working together at the very least. Although Mrs. Cox 'protecting' Florence is highly probable as well.

@sharonachrak3686 2 года назад

Hi Ben I live in Cardiff but I was brought up in a small town called Pontypool, there is a mysterious story about the death of a land/property landlord known as “Dripping Lewis” he was murdered but it was never solved, I would love for you to research it and do a podcast about it!

@bethbartlett5692 4 года назад

Suicide - although he really didn't intend to kill himself, he merely missed the dosages measurement. The 1 point that would seal this is verifying thar he called for hot water. What would the point of the hot water be in the Victorian era? Florence was clueless in the act, she merely was a sensitive, emotional young woman and highly affected by the physiology/chemical/hormonal fluctuations she was experiencing, and some choices that didn't serve her well. Clearly the men in her life had a need desire to Control and were Physically and Emotionally Abusive. Apparently, Charles and Mrs Cox were the only 2 whom would know the facts. Folks had a great deal more, out of marriage - adulterious sexual encounters in the era than one would think. Judging that is not a mature idea, humans are *"Physical Beings"* Truly a sad story of these folks, that could have shared a very fortunate and happy journey. 🔑 the Ego-Mind was the weakness *again.*

@foofy3406 5 лет назад

florence and mrs cox

@aardvark1956 4 года назад

My first listen - THANKS 👍🏼

@carolewilson1311 2 года назад

just found this tube very enjoyable

@franreid8203 3 года назад

Mrs Cox did it.

@zeonmorningstar862 5 лет назад

Welcome back time for more dark knowledge

@carolyngair7051 5 лет назад

Oh thank фоск YOURE BACK! Glad you kicked the measles to the curb.

@DarkHistories 5 лет назад

Thanks!

@richardmorgan1624 4 года назад

Is the priory now the priory hospital in SW London?

@williamshelton4150 5 лет назад

Felling better, I hope!

@DarkHistories 5 лет назад

Much better, thanks very much!

@spaztron5000 3 года назад

Wtf. If you physical assualt your spouse, you're a bad person, dude. Jeez...

@mabelpines1533 5 лет назад

Hydrophobia is rabies right?

@bethbartlett5692 4 года назад

It's literal definition is a fear of water, also used to refer to an inability to swallow liquids, Victorian use - a symptom associated with rabies.

@NetanyahooWarCriminal Год назад

I like this channel

@briandiadem 5 лет назад

Let's go!

@mneill719 Год назад

Don't need your story first

@mrsmarauder 5 лет назад

Chicken pox as an adult is terrible (I had it at 37!) - glad you feel better.

@kathrynwitte3398 4 года назад

mrsmarauder why not get the vaccination?

@bayonetababe9697 3 года назад

Oh ok I was wondering about that. I had it as a kid but I’m older than him and would have figured he would have been vaccinated for it as a kid. Since I thought in most countries except for older people who didn’t get the vaccine as a kid it was pretty much eradicated now. So it surprises me that the UK wouldn’t do it as vaccines you get before starting school.

@mneill719 Год назад

Crack on!