Mostly Unsung

Mostly Unsung

The weekly comedy history podcast that brings you bitesize biographies of the extraordinary, eccentric, outrageous and occasionally ordinary lives that until now have gone mostly unsung... mostly. Join your hosts Annie and Andrea as they bring you stories that your history teacher never taught you! If you like stuffy lectures then you're not going to be a fan, sorry! But if you are looking to hang out with two old friends who love story telling, a good laugh and forgotten figures from history then welcome! Covering everything from scientists to Grandmothers, survivors of wars to eccentric millionaires, all via ghost stories, anecdotes and terrible impressions of Hollywood legend Tim Curry. Come and hang out, have a giggle and join us every Friday.

  1. 1D AGO

    #42 A Poet With An Outrageous Fashion Sense & A Very Reluctant Nun (Margaret Cavendish & Antonio de Erauso)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung your weekly comedy history podcast serving up not one but two bite-size biographies of the forgotten figures, lost heroes, and notorious troublemakers history prefers not to mention. Every week, hosts Andrea and Annie uncover overlooked lives from the past, with humour, curiosity, and a healthy dose of side-eye. This episode takes us across 17th century England and Spain, with two unforgettable characters who refused to live quietly. First, Annie dives into the chaos of the English Civil War, the brutal conflict between Royalists and Parliamentarians, Cavaliers and Roundheads. taking to exile after her home is destroyed and her family gone, one extraordinary woman turns to writing. What follows is a remarkable output of poetry, plays, philosophy, scientific writing, and even some of the earliest examples of science fiction. Along the way, she designs her own outrageous outfits and scandalises the  Society largely by daring to be herself in their space. A story of intellect, rebellion, and unapologetic self-expression. Then Andrea heads to 17th century Spain, where a young novice decides convent life isn’t for her. With a change of clothes, a haircut, and a new name, Antonio is born, ready for travel, exploration, and adventure. But what begins as freedom quickly spirals into violence, chaos, and blood soaked rampages that shock even the Spanish Army. A tale of identity, rebellion, and a life that goes spectacularly off the rails. If you enjoy funny history podcasts, forgotten people in history, early science fiction, English Civil War history, and wild true stories from the past, this episode of Mostly Unsung is perfect for curious minds who like their history entertaining. In this episode Andrea used these sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_Erauso https://queergoldfields.au/international-collection/f/sp-antonio-de-erauso-spains-soldier-nun?blogcategory=International+Collection https://www.monstrousregimentofwomen.com/2018/03/catalina-de-erauso-lieutenant-nun.html In this episode Annie used these sources: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/margaret-cavendish/ https://colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/collections/cavendish/ Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Friday!

    48 min
  2. JAN 28

    #41 A Blind Entrepreneur & A Delightful Villainess (Blind Jack Metcalf & Violet Hopson)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by women, sharing the forgotten stories, overlooked lives, and surprising characters history quietly brushed aside. Every week, we bring you two bite-sized historical biographies, perfect for curious minds, history lovers, and anyone who enjoys their learning with a laugh. This episode takes us across the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, with two remarkable people who refused to let circumstance decide their story. First, Andrea heads to Yorkshire with the extraordinary true story of Blind Jack Metcalf, one of the most unlikely adventurers in British history. Struck blind as a child after illness, Jack refuses to stay put. He learns his way around his street, then his town, then the surrounding countryside, before going on to live a life packed with daring journeys, ingenious money-making schemes, and a healthy disregard for what society thought someone with a disability should or shouldn’t do. It’s a warm, funny, and quietly inspiring story about independence and resilience. Then Annie takes us to Australia (via the United States) with the fascinating life of Violet Hopson. Raised on her mother’s philosophy that reinvention is always an option, Violet simply changes her name, rewrites her story, and starts again. The result? A career as a silent film actress, followed by an influential role as a studio executive behind the scenes. Along the way, we uncover the mysterious delights of something called a “Turf Drama.” If you love funny history podcasts, forgotten women in history, British history, film history, and stories of people who made life work on their own terms, this episode of Mostly Unsung is for you. Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Friday!

    44 min
  3. JAN 21

    #40 The King Maker & A Dandy In The Underworld (Richard Neville and Neil "Bunny" Roger)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the comedy history podcast uncovering the lesser known people, overlooked figures, and forgotten stories your history lessons never covered. Join us every Wednesday for two bite-sized historical biographies, told with humour, curiosity, and plenty of side quests. This week, we’re diving into English history, with two wildly different characters who knew exactly how to play the system. First, Annie takes us into the chaos of the Wars of the Roses, the brutal medieval struggle for the English throne between the Houses of York and Lancaster. Amidst the bloodshed, shifting alliances, and ruthless politics, one ambitious man repeatedly lands on his feet. It’s a story of power, propaganda, dangerous self-promotion, and refusing to ever go quietly. Then Andrea jumps forward to interwar London, where fashion is booming and one bold young man is determined to conquer it. A brief interruption by the Second World War doesn’t stop his rise. Armed with sharp business instincts, impeccable style, and an even sharper tongue, he helps shape modern British fashion- leaving behind capri pants, Teddy Boys, and quotable one-liners that wouldn’t feel out of place on Drag Race. If you love funny history podcasts, British history, fashion history, and forgotten historical figures, Mostly Unsung is the podcast for you. For this episode Andrea used these sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunny_Roger https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-bunny-roger-5569824.html https://therake.com/default/stories/a-dandy-life https://strangeflowers.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/birthday-bunny/ For this episode Annie used these sources: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Warwick-The-Kingmaker/ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Neville-16th-earl-of-Warwick Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Friday!

    38 min
  4. JAN 14

    #39 A Queen Who never Ruled & The Landlord Who Saved Properties For The Nation (Queen Genepil & Octavia Hill)

    Welcome back to the Wednesday edition of Mostly Unsung, the comedy history podcast uncovering the forgotten people and overlooked stories your history teacher definitely didn’t have time for. Every week, we bring you unsung heroes, surprising biographies, and funny history stories from around the world. This episode features two remarkable women from very different worlds whose stories almost disappeared from history. First, Andrea heads to Mongolia with the tragic and little known story of Queen Genepil of Mongolia, an ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances. When a Mongolian ruler’s wife dies, his advisers insist he must remarry-immediately. What follows is a nationwide search for a new bride, royal experience optional. Already married? Inconvenient, but not a dealbreaker. Genepil’s story is a haunting example of power, politics, and fate, and what happens when you’re simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time… with the wrong name. Then Annie brings us back to Victorian England and the inspiring life of Octavia Hill, social reformer and co-founder of the National Trust. Outraged by the slum conditions of London’s working class, Hill takes out a loan and becomes a landlord herself- determined to prove housing can be clean, fair, and humane. Her vision expands beyond housing to green spaces, fresh air, and eventually the preservation of Britain’s most beautiful historic buildings. The result? A revolutionary idea that helped create the National Trust, protecting history for generations to come. If you love women’s history, forgotten historical figures, British history, world history, and history with humour, this episode of Mostly Unsung is for you. For this episode, Andrea used these sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genepil https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/one-minute-story/last-queen-of-mongolia https://jetsettimes.com/inspiration/women-empowerment/how-queen-genepil-of-mongolia-became-an-inspiration-for-queen-amidala-in-star-wars/ For this episode, Annie used these sources: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/people/octavia-hill-her-life-and-legacy https://www.britannica.com/biography/Octavia-Hill Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Friday!

    38 min
  5. JAN 7

    #38 A Genre Defying Sci-Fi Writer & A Forgotten Music Hall Star (Octavia Butler & Kitty Lord)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung, the comedy history podcast uncovering the incredible true stories history forgot. Same two women of a certain age, same lesser-known historical biographies you’ve definitely never heard of… but with a brand-new release day! New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts. This week, we’re sharing two inspiring, surprising stories about working-class women who rewrote their futures, even when the odds were stacked firmly against them. First, Annie takes us across the pond to America, where a working-class African American family is just trying to get by. Urged to choose a “sensible” career, a lonely, bullied young girl instead finds her voice through imagination, writing about the world she knows, shaped by the science fiction stories she loves. It’s a powerful, eye-opening tale of creativity, resilience, and an amazing figure in literary history. Then Andrea heads to London, where opportunities for working class girls are just as limited. Kate reinvents herself as Kitty, becoming a hugely popular stage performer known worldwide as an “eccentric Englishwoman.” Beloved by audiences and celebrated in her time, she quietly retires as film and television take over, her remarkable career fading from memory… until a chance museum visit by a friend brings her story back into the spotlight. If you love funny history podcasts, mostly forgotten people in history, and stories of people who refused to stay in their lane, Mostly Unsung is the podcast for you. Andrea used these sources: https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/kitty-lord-eccentric-dancer-who-travelled-the-world/ https://intothelimelight.org/2015/04/04/154/ https://jvc.oup.com/2021/04/01/kitty-lords-padded-symmetricals/ Annie used these sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Octavia-E-Butler https://dyslexia.yale.edu/story/octavia-butler/ https://www.huntington.org/exhibition/octavia-e-butler-telling-my-stories Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Friday!

    41 min
  6. 12/26/2025

    #37 An Unsinkable Heroine & A Viking Shield Maiden (Margaret Brown & Birka Grave 581)

    🎄 Happy Holidays from Mostly Unsung! 🎄 Welcome to a new episode of Mostly Unsung, the light-hearted history podcast uncovering the wild, overlooked, and often ridiculous stories that your history teacher never mentioned. Each week, our we bring you two mini biographies packed with humour, curiosity, and surprising historical facts- from forgotten pioneers to misunderstood heroes. This week’s unsung women of history:  Margaret “Molly” Brown Andrea tells a classic rags-to-riches biography with a Titanic-sized twist. Margaret Brown began life working in a tobacco factory and ended up sailing the world in luxury - including aboard the RMS Titanic. After surviving the disaster, she became famous for helping other passengers. Barred from testifying at the official inquiries because she was a woman, Margaret took matters into her own hands and told her story directly to the press. The Viking Warrior Woman of Birka (Grave Bj 581) Annie introduces one of the most fascinating discoveries in Norse history. Buried with weapons, horses, and military honours, this warrior was confidently labelled male by Victorian archaeologists. Over a century later, DNA evidence revealed the truth: the warrior was a woman. What followed was an awkward, long-running debate over gender, archaeology, and who gets to be remembered as a warrior. If you enjoy funny history podcasts, short historical biographies, women’s history, Viking archaeology, and stories that challenge traditional historical narratives, this episode is for you. 🎧 New episodes every week.  Andrea used these sources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Brown https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/molly-brown.html https://www.cogreatwomen.org/project/margaret-molly-tobin-brown/ Annie used these sources: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/viking-warrior-women-reassessing-birka-chamber-grave-bj581/7CC691F69FAE51DDE905D27E049FADCD https://commons.princeton.edu/makingvikings/female-narratives/female-warriors-birka-grave-bj-581/ https://historycurator.com/viking-shield-maidens-historically-accurate/ Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Friday!

    44 min
  7. 12/19/2025

    #36 Queen of the Desert & The Founder of the Night Witches (Gertrude Bell & Marina Raskova)

    Mostly Unsung – Gertrude Bell & Marina Raskova: Forgotten Women Who Changed the World Welcome back to Mostly Unsung, the weekly comedy history podcast where two women share the stories of forgotten figures from history, with laughs along the way. In this episode, Annie introduces the extraordinary Gertrude Bell, a British archaeologist, mountaineer, traveller, photographer and diplomat who played a crucial role in shaping the modern Middle East. A contemporary of T.E. Lawrence, Bell advised governments, challenged empire-building, and argued that nations should govern themselves, ideas that were far too radical for the men running the British Empire at the time. Why has one of the most influential women in early 20th-century history been largely forgotten? Then Andrea takes us to World War II and the Soviet Union, where aviator Marina Raskova fought bureaucracy and misogyny to create the world’s first all-female air force regiments. Her pilots, later known as the Night Witches (Nacht Hexen), flew dangerous bombing missions under cover of darkness, terrifying Nazi forces and becoming legends of wartime aviation. This is a story of bravery, adaptation, and women refusing to be sidelined during WWII. Plus, all the usual nonsense — including Andrea laughing so hard she cries, Annie’s worst night in the theatre, and a very serious debate about who had the coolest fashion in the 1980s (it was Annie. Definitely Annie). If you enjoy funny history podcasts, women’s history, or stories about unsung heroes, this one’s for you. Andrea used these sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Raskova https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/marina-mikailovna-raskova/ https://www.russianlife.com/the-russia-file/soviet-terror-of-the-skies-marina-raskova-and-the-night-witches/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Witches Annie used these sources: https://gertrudebell.ncl.ac.uk/ https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Gertrude-Bell/ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gertrude-Bell Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Friday!

    45 min

About

The weekly comedy history podcast that brings you bitesize biographies of the extraordinary, eccentric, outrageous and occasionally ordinary lives that until now have gone mostly unsung... mostly. Join your hosts Annie and Andrea as they bring you stories that your history teacher never taught you! If you like stuffy lectures then you're not going to be a fan, sorry! But if you are looking to hang out with two old friends who love story telling, a good laugh and forgotten figures from history then welcome! Covering everything from scientists to Grandmothers, survivors of wars to eccentric millionaires, all via ghost stories, anecdotes and terrible impressions of Hollywood legend Tim Curry. Come and hang out, have a giggle and join us every Friday.