# Hoaxes and Lies in the Enlightenment

An episode of [Not Just the Tudors](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1564113869), 7 May 2026, 56 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/not-just-the-tudors/e/69f9e13f1353c87e11c30e3d/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=bqyxwlWA_XtAhQt0z8URBZFrLUmGZVpzlBUBtzSCR5w

How did a ghost story bring London to a standstill? Was it a haunting, a fraud, or something even more revealing about Georgian society? Why did rational, educated people fall for elaborate hoaxes? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr.Madeleine Pelling, co-host of History Hit’s After Dark podcast, to uncover the darker side of the Age of Enlightenment. Why was this period remembered for science, reason, and progress, also fascinated by hoaxes, imposters, fake identities, ghost stories, sensational crime and public spectacle? More: Murderous Women Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify True Crime on the Elizabethan Stage Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Tim Arstall and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds. Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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