Screaming skull lore is something that is unique to Britain, though specific skull lore varies. The first episode has roots in the English Civil war, and the second is tied to colonialism in the Caribbean and the slave trade. 

Research:
Berry, Helen. “Exclusion Crisis: Challenging James II’s Right to Rule.” History Today. May 5, 2026. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/exclusion-crisis-challenging-james-iis-right-rule
“The Bettiscombe Skull – Pinney Family.” Bridport and Lyme Regis News. March 25, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325106358/?match=18&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=1
Collinson, John. “The history and antiquities of the county of Somerset, collected from authentick records, and an actual survey made by the late Mr. Edmund Rack. Adorned with a map of the county and engravings of Roman and other reliques, town seals, baths, churches and gentlemen’s seats.” Vo. II. Bath. R. Crutwell. 1791. https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_the-history-and-antiquit_collinson-john_1791_2/page/n1/mode/2up?q=horrid
Cooper, W.J. “Bridport’s Most Exciting Day 280 Years Ago.” Bridport and Lyme Regis News. June 11, 1965. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325206100/?match=2&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=2
Davey, Tim. “A Slave to History.” Evening Post. Sept. 28, 1999. https://www.newspapers.com/image/909493603/?match=7&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=10
Frere, Sheppard Sunderland, et al. "United Kingdom". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Sep. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom
“Higher Farmhouse.” Historic England. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1296177?section=official-list-entry
Hubbard, Vincent K. “Swords, Ships & Sugar: History of Nevis to 1900.” Premiere Editions. 1996. 
Ingram, John H. “The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain.” London.Gibbings. 1901. https://archive.org/details/hauntedhomesand01ingrgoog
Kelly’s Directory of Liverpool & Birkenhead, 1894. [Part 2: Birkenhead and Trade & Court Directories]. Kelly & Co. Ltd, 1894. JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.30135909
Prickett, Katy. “The Macabre Tale of Oliver Cromwell’s Head.” BBC. Nov. 17, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j8vn2ne70o
“Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe.” Dorset Echo. Aug. 14, 1963. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325267462/?match=1&terms=Bettiscombe%20skull&search-id=0ee431ba-ab8d-4d60-a29c-7ac53b535399&search-rank=1
Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. “Strange Pages from Family Papers.” LONDON. SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY. 1895. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17050/pg17050-images.html#CHAPTER_II
Underwood, Peter. “Ghosts of Somerset.” Bossiness Books. 2011.
Weaver, Frederic William, M.A., ed. “Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset. Vol. II.” Sherbourne. J.C. and A.T. Sawtell. 1891. https://archive.org/details/notesqueriesfors02brid/page/n3/mode/2up
“A West Dorset Legend.” Dorset Echo. July 24, 1953. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1194417076/?match=7&terms=Bettiscombe%20Skull&search-id=f5da8122-4471-4f76-bbb5-a9d54fce9cc6&search-rank=11
West, John. “Britain’s Haunted Skulls.” Psychic News. October 2021. https://pocketmags.com/us/psychic-news-magazine/october-2021/articles/britain-s-haunted-skulls?srsltid=AU7gw4XzpYKPL3Gr5erHXG9udfTa62VhFURg_DaM9wBGEqMGPwm4YI-G

Screaming skull lore is something that is unique to Britain, though specific skull lore varies. The first episode has roots in the English Civil war, and the second is tied to colonialism in the Caribbean and the slave trade.&nbsp;
Research:
<ul>
<li>Berry, Helen. &ldquo;Exclusion Crisis: Challenging James II&rsquo;s Right to Rule.&rdquo; History Today. May 5, 2026. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/exclusion-crisis-challenging-james-iis-right-rule</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Bettiscombe Skull &ndash; Pinney Family.&rdquo; Bridport and Lyme Regis News. March 25, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325106358/?match=18&amp;terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&amp;search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&amp;search-rank=1</li>
<li>Collinson, John. &ldquo;The history and antiquities of the county of Somerset, collected from authentick records, and an actual survey made by the late Mr. Edmund Rack. Adorned with a map of the county and engravings of Roman and other reliques, town seals, baths, churches and gentlemen&rsquo;s seats.&rdquo; Vo. II. Bath. R. Crutwell. 1791. https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_the-history-and-antiquit_collinson-john_1791_2/page/n1/mode/2up?q=horrid</li>
<li>Cooper, W.J. &ldquo;Bridport&rsquo;s Most Exciting Day 280 Years Ago.&rdquo; Bridport and Lyme Regis News. June 11, 1965. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325206100/?match=2&amp;terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&amp;search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&amp;search-rank=2</li>
<li>Davey, Tim. &ldquo;A Slave to History.&rdquo; Evening Post. Sept. 28, 1999. https://www.newspapers.com/image/909493603/?match=7&amp;terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&amp;search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&amp;search-rank=10</li>
<li>Frere, Sheppard Sunderland, et al. "United Kingdom". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Sep. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom</li>
<li>&ldquo;Higher Farmhouse.&rdquo; Historic England. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1296177?section=official-list-entry</li>
<li>Hubbard, Vincent K. &ldquo;Swords, Ships &amp; Sugar: History of Nevis to 1900.&rdquo; Premiere Editions. 1996.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Ingram, John H. &ldquo;The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain.&rdquo; London.Gibbings. 1901. https://archive.org/details/hauntedhomesand01ingrgoog</li>
<li>Kelly&rsquo;s Directory of Liverpool &amp; Birkenhead, 1894. [Part 2: Birkenhead and Trade &amp; Court Directories]. Kelly &amp; Co. Ltd, 1894. JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.30135909</li>
<li>Prickett, Katy. &ldquo;The Macabre Tale of Oliver Cromwell&rsquo;s Head.&rdquo; BBC. Nov. 17, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j8vn2ne70o</li>
<li>&ldquo;Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe.&rdquo; Dorset Echo. Aug. 14, 1963. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325267462/?match=1&amp;terms=Bettiscombe%20skull&amp;search-id=0ee431ba-ab8d-4d60-a29c-7ac53b535399&amp;search-rank=1</li>
<li>Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. &ldquo;Strange Pages from Family Papers.&rdquo; LONDON. SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON &amp; COMPANY. 1895. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17050/pg17050-images.html#CHAPTER_II</li>
<li>Underwood, Peter. &ldquo;Ghosts of Somerset.&rdquo; Bossiness Books. 2011.</li>
<li>Weaver, Frederic William, M.A., ed. &ldquo;Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset. Vol. II.&rdquo; Sherbourne. J.C. and A.T. Sawtell. 1891. https://archive.org/details/notesqueriesfors02brid/page/n3/mode/2up</li>
<li>&ldquo;A West Dorset Legend.&rdquo; Dorset Echo. July 24, 1953. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1194417076/?match=7&amp;terms=Bettiscombe%20Skull&amp;search-id=f5da8122-4471-4f76-bbb5-a9d54fce9cc6&amp;search-rank=11</li>
<li>West, John. &ldquo;Britain&rsquo;s Haunted Skulls.&rdquo; Psychic News. October 2021. https://pocketmags.com/us/psychic-news-magazine/october-2021/articles/britain-s-haunted-skulls?srsltid=AU7gw4XzpYKPL3Gr5erHXG9udfTa62VhFURg_DaM9wBGEqMGPwm4YI-G</li>
</ul>

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

Screaming skull lore is something that is unique to Britain, though specific skull lore varies. The first episode has roots in the English Civil war, and the second is tied to colonialism in the Caribbean and the slave trade. 

Two Screaming Skulls

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