This 2020 episode covers the Public Universal Friend, who described themself as a genderless spirit sent by God to inhabit the resurrected body of a woman named Jemima Wilkinson. 

This 2020 episode covers the Public Universal Friend, who described themself as a genderless spirit sent by God to inhabit the resurrected body of a woman named Jemima Wilkinson.&nbsp;

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

SYMHC Classics: Public Universal Friend

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/60a9b7cc-d937-402a-9843-b3a3005d349a/transcript

Montague Summers wrote numerous books on witches, werewolves, vampires, black magic, and ghosts, and he edited and published numerous works and claimed to be a clergyman. But who was he, really?

Research:
"(Alphonsus) (Joseph-Mary Augustus) Montague Summers." Merriam Webster's Biographical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 1995. Gale OneFile: Fine Arts, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1680086368/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=03e855eb. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.
Babcock, R.W. “The Reverend Montague Summers as Editor of Otway.” PMLA, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Sep., 1933). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/458356
Batley, Rebecca. “A Sacred Order for Sexual Outsiders.” G&LR. March-April 2025. https://glreview.org/article/a-sacred-order-for-sexual-outsiders/
Britannica Editors. "Oxford movement". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/event/Oxford-movement. Accessed 8 October 20
Davies, Robertson. "Summers, (Augustus) Montague [name in religion Alphonsus Joseph-Mary] (1880–1948), literary scholar, occultist, and eccentric." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 04, 2012. Oxford University Press. Date of access 7 Oct. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-39387
De Beer, E.S. “Mr. Montague Summers and Dryden's Essay of Dramatic Poesy.” The Review of English Studies , Oct., 1932, Vol. 8, No. 32 (Oct., 1932). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/508177
Doherty, Bernard. “From Decadent Diabolist to Roman Catholic Demonologist: Some Biographical Curiosities from Montague Summers’ Black Folio.” Literature & Aesthetics 30 (2) 2020.
Frank, Frederick S., editor. “Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait.” Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait. 1988.
Hillard, David. “UnEnglish and Unmanly: Anglo-Catholicism and Homosexuality.” Victorian Studies, Winter, 1982, pp. 181-210. https://anglicanhistory.org/academic/hilliard_unenglish.pdf
Hume, Robert D. “The Uses of Montague Summers: A Pioneer Reconsidered.” Restoration: Studies in English Literary Culture, 1660-1700, Fall 1979. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43291376
Learning Services Team. “The Mysterious Montague Summers.” London Borough of Richmond and Thames Libraries. 10/31/2017. https://libraryblog.lbrut.org.uk/2017/10/montague-summers/
Montague Summers Papers, GTM-110501. Georgetown University Manuscripts. https://findingaids.library.georgetown.edu/repositories/15/resources/12229 Accessed October 07, 2026.
O'Sullivan, Gerard. “The Manuscripts of Montague Summers, Revisited.” Antigonish Review, Fall 2009, Issue 159.
Sugg, Richard. “Blood Libel: The Origins of a Conspiracy Theory.” History Today. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/blood-libel-origins-conspiracy-theory
Summers, Montague. “The Vampire In Europe True Tales Of The Undead.” With foreword by Father Brocard Sewell. University Books. 1968.
Summers, Montague. “The Vampire, His Kith and Kin.” New Hyde Park, N.Y., University Books. 1960.
"The mysterious Montague Summers." Bristol Post [Bristol, England], 14 Apr. 2020, p. 8. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675410096/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=28734f51. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.
Weeks, Jeffrey. “Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain from the Nineteenth Century to the Present.” London. Quartet Books. 1977.
Workman, Richard et al. “British Sexological Society: An Inventory of Its Records at the Harry Ransom Center.” Harry Ransom Center. https://research.hrc.utexas.edu/fasearch/findingAid.cfm?eadID=01214

Montague Summers wrote numerous books on witches, werewolves, vampires, black magic, and ghosts, and he edited and published numerous works and claimed to be a clergyman. But who was he, really?
Research:
<ul>
<li>"(Alphonsus) (Joseph-Mary Augustus) Montague Summers." Merriam Webster's Biographical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 1995. Gale OneFile: Fine Arts, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1680086368/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&amp;sid=bookmark-GPS&amp;xid=03e855eb. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.</li>
<li>Babcock, R.W. &ldquo;The Reverend Montague Summers as Editor of Otway.&rdquo; PMLA, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Sep., 1933). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/458356</li>
<li>Batley, Rebecca. &ldquo;A Sacred Order for Sexual Outsiders.&rdquo; G&amp;LR. March-April 2025. https://glreview.org/article/a-sacred-order-for-sexual-outsiders/</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Oxford movement". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/event/Oxford-movement. Accessed 8 October 20</li>
<li>Davies, Robertson. "Summers, (Augustus) Montague [name in religion Alphonsus Joseph-Mary] (1880&ndash;1948), literary scholar, occultist, and eccentric." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 04, 2012. Oxford University Press. Date of access 7 Oct. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-39387</li>
<li>De Beer, E.S. &ldquo;Mr. Montague Summers and Dryden's Essay of Dramatic Poesy.&rdquo; The Review of English Studies , Oct., 1932, Vol. 8, No. 32 (Oct., 1932). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/508177</li>
<li>Doherty, Bernard. &ldquo;From Decadent Diabolist to Roman Catholic Demonologist: Some Biographical Curiosities from Montague Summers&rsquo; Black Folio.&rdquo; Literature &amp; Aesthetics 30 (2) 2020.</li>
<li>Frank, Frederick S., editor. &ldquo;Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait.&rdquo; Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait. 1988.</li>
<li>Hillard, David. &ldquo;UnEnglish and Unmanly: Anglo-Catholicism and Homosexuality.&rdquo; Victorian Studies, Winter, 1982, pp. 181-210. https://anglicanhistory.org/academic/hilliard_unenglish.pdf</li>
<li>Hume, Robert D. &ldquo;The Uses of Montague Summers: A Pioneer Reconsidered.&rdquo; Restoration: Studies in English Literary Culture, 1660-1700, Fall 1979. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43291376</li>
<li>Learning Services Team. &ldquo;The Mysterious Montague Summers.&rdquo; London Borough of Richmond and Thames Libraries. 10/31/2017. https://libraryblog.lbrut.org.uk/2017/10/montague-summers/</li>
<li>Montague Summers Papers, GTM-110501. Georgetown University Manuscripts. https://findingaids.library.georgetown.edu/repositories/15/resources/12229 Accessed October 07, 2026.</li>
<li>O'Sullivan, Gerard. &ldquo;The Manuscripts of Montague Summers, Revisited.&rdquo; Antigonish Review, Fall 2009, Issue 159.</li>
<li>Sugg, Richard. &ldquo;Blood Libel: The Origins of a Conspiracy Theory.&rdquo; History Today. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/blood-libel-origins-conspiracy-theory</li>
<li>Summers, Montague. &ldquo;The Vampire In Europe True Tales Of The Undead.&rdquo; With foreword by Father Brocard Sewell. University Books. 1968.</li>
<li>Summers, Montague. &ldquo;The Vampire, His Kith and Kin.&rdquo; New Hyde Park, N.Y., University Books. 1960.</li>
<li>"The mysterious Montague Summers." Bristol Post [Bristol, England], 14 Apr. 2020, p. 8. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675410096/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&amp;sid=bookmark-GPS&amp;xid=28734f51. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.</li>
<li>Weeks, Jeffrey. &ldquo;Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain from the Nineteenth Century to the Present.&rdquo; London. Quartet Books. 1977.</li>
<li>Workman, Richard et al. &ldquo;British Sexological Society: An Inventory of Its Records at the Harry Ransom Center.&rdquo; Harry Ransom Center. https://research.hrc.utexas.edu/fasearch/findingAid.cfm?eadID=01214</li>
</ul>

Montague Summers wrote numerous books on witches, werewolves, vampires, black magic, and ghosts, and he edited and published numerous works and claimed to be a clergyman. But who was he, really?

Montague Summers

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f45b670b-b390-4fc1-8fc0-b4eb013881fd/transcript

This 2021 episode covers William Palmer, who was convicted in 1855 as a poisoner though there wasn't any hard evidence. 

This 2021 episode covers William Palmer, who was convicted in 1855 as a poisoner though there wasn't any hard evidence.&nbsp;

SYMHC Classics: William Palmer

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/827dbfd4-f043-4438-b48f-b4e901443978/transcript

Tracy talks about the frequency of news from research institutions getting reported years after the fact. She also clears up a misunderstanding Holly had about a painting that was discussed this week.

Tracy talks about the frequency of news from research institutions getting reported years after the fact. She also clears up a misunderstanding Holly had about a painting that was discussed this week.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Delayed News

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7a08c2f8-8824-49fe-b4d5-b4e90143aa67/transcript

SYMHC Classics: Public Universal Friend

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