The Floating Hells: Britain's Prison Ships on the Thames

Before convicts were shipped to Australia, they rotted aboard decommissioned warships anchored in the Thames — floating dungeons so brutal that a condemned man called them "a college of villainy" where every prisoner graduated "a master of arts in scoundrelism."IN THIS EPISODE: It was in 1975 when the first skull of what was believed to be Bigfoot was found. But the owner of the skull hadn’t been dead too long, for the local people said they remembered the creature before it died. And even more shocking – they personally knew some of its descendants – a cross-breeding of Bigfoot and human beings! (Villagers Remember Descendants of Bigfoot) *** A young woman falls unconscious and awakes with a fantastical story about fairies kissing her, how she was treated like a princess by them, and falling in love with one of the fairy men. While you might say it was just a fanciful dream, how do you explain that this girl also woke up with clairvoyant abilities? (The Fairies and Anne Jeffries) *** On 15 July 1910 the Sheffield Evening Telegraph recorded the anniversaries of the day. One particular entry was this: “Prison hulks first seen on the Thames…1776”. But what were the prison hulks, and what was life like on board these ‘floating hells,’ as they came to be known? (Floating Hells) ***Depending on whether or not you want to get the scare of your life, you will either want to, or not want to honk your car’s horn three times on Burnt Mill Road in the Pine Barrens area of New Jersey. If you do, you risk an encounter with the Atco Ghost. (The Atco Ghost Legend of New Jersey) *** Archaeologists excavating the tomb of an ancient Egyptian queen just discovered something chilling… a 13-foot long scroll – a lost chapter from Egypt’s “Book of the Dead”. (Queen Nearit’s Book of the Dead) *** Feeling the Lord Ganesha wanted milk, a man ran to get some and placed it before the elephant headed statue in a temple near his home. Then it happened… the milk disappeared as if the statue had consumed it. And then the same thing happened to others… and others. (The Hindu’s Milk Miracle)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:02:52.155 = Anne Jefferies And The Fairies: The Servant Girl Who Returned From Fairyland With Strange Abilities00:08:02.738 = *** Floating Hells: The Rotting Ships Where Convicts Awaited Transportation00:26:23.492 = *** The Atco Ghost: The Boy Who Chases His Ball Into the Road00:29:25.081 = Queen Nearit’s Book of the Dead: 50 Coffins, a Board Game, and a 13-Foot Scroll to the Underworld00:34:25.521 = The Hindu Milk Miracle: India Ran Out of Milk Because the Statues Were Drinking It00:39:32.718 = *** Zana: The Bigfoot Who Gave Birth to Human Children00:44:41.808 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:“The Fairies And Anne Jeffries” by Brian Haughton: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yf4vany4“Floating Hells” by Rose Stavely-Wadham for British Newspaper Archive: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/jjrumumw“The Atco Ghost Legend of New Jersey” by Christina Skelton: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/hy5jehz6“Queen Nearit’s Book of the Dead” posted at BuggedSpace.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ukz7vnds“A Mass Scientific Mystery in India” by Michael Gross for Consciousness Unbound:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7tac5377“Villagers Remember Descendants of Bigfoot” by Ron Strickler for Phantoms and Monsters: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2hrahhdx=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: May 03, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/FloatingHellsABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#PrisonHulks #FloatingHells #ConvictShips #BritishHistory #AustralianHistory #TrueCrime #DarkHistory #CrimeAndPunishment #PrisonHistory #WeirdDarkness