Secret Sleuths

Competition in Glasgow

One of the few things known about Glaswegian detective James Aitken is his competition with a fellow 'tec in the city

Mar 2 • Dr Nell Darby

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February 2026

The "innocent" detective

In 1893, Claude Hobday was described in the press as 'an innocent detective' - but they were, rightly, being sarcastic...

Feb 23 • Dr Nell Darby

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An Edinburgh detective

John Drake moved from one side of Scotland to the other when he changed career

Feb 16 • Dr Nell Darby

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From divorce to death

One Scottish detective was involved in divorce cases - and an infamous murder

Feb 9 • Dr Nell Darby

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A Gentleman and a Fraudster

Private detective Francis Hennell was also a serial fraudster in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Feb 2 • Dr Nell Darby

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January 2026

A man of several jobs...and wives

One Berkshire-born detective had a life fraught with tragedies

Jan 26 • Dr Nell Darby

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The sudden death of a former detective

Charles Gould's death at work in 1909 left his family struggling

Jan 19 • Dr Nell Darby

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Mr Judge, briefly a private eye

Londoner Edward Judge had a diverse career which involved private detection

Jan 12 • Dr Nell Darby

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Madame Hendry of Piccadilly

The mysterious Hilda Hendry was a private detective in Edwardian Bradford, but her methods were not entirely above board...

Jan 5 • Dr Nell Darby

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December 2025

Private inquiries in Scarborough

Thomas Metcalfe had a high-flying career in the police before establishing his own detective agency in North Yorkshire

Dec 29, 2025 • Dr Nell Darby

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Making his way up in the world

A trawl of archival records shows how one Devonian man worked his way up from being a farm servant to a private detective

Dec 22, 2025 • Dr Nell Darby

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A career cut short

James Carswell had a glowing career as a soldier and then as a police detective. But why did his private detective agency only last a year? The answer…

Dec 15, 2025 • Dr Nell Darby

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