London's Most Fashionable and Fierce All Women Gang | The 40 Elephants

Explicit content warning

01/31/25 • 38 min

For the Love of History - world history, women’s history, weird history

Welcome back, my delicious doughnut! 🍩 This week, we’re peeling back the velvet curtain on one of London's most scandalous and fabulous crime syndicates: the Forty Elephants, an all-women gang who ruled the shoplifting scene from the Victorian era well into the Roaring Twenties.

Think Oceans Eleven, but make it corsets, diamonds, and bloomers with pockets big enough to hide a whole department store.

What You’ll Learn in This Glamorous Heist of an Episode:

💎 How these women outsmarted Victorian shopkeepers with handmade “grafter bloomers” (yes, pockets galore!)

💎 The rise of Alice Diamond, the fierce queenpin rocking diamond-knuckled rings

💎 The jaw-dropping heists that left London buzzing (hello, mink coats worth thousands!)

💎 Why luxury goods weren’t just about vanity but a defiant statement of independence

Why You’ll Love It:

It's history with sass, scandal, and some seriously clever ladies who knew how to game the system. If you've ever wondered whether you'd survive as a Victorian-era crime boss, this episode will have you dreaming up your own heist team.

🎧 Ready to dive in? Hit play now, and if you loved this peek into women's badass history, don’t forget to support us on Patreon. Your support keeps the history (and the fun) coming!

TrovaTrip Alert!

Oh hey, history buffs! Want to nerd out with me in person? Join me on a dreamy trip to Japan (hello matcha, temples, and Kyoto sunsets!) from August 24–30, 2025. Spots are limited, and early birds get a discount—don’t sleep on it!

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Think Oceans Eleven, but make it corsets, diamonds, and bloomers with pockets big enough to hide a whole department store.

What You’ll Learn in This Glamorous Heist of an Episode:

💎 How these women outsmarted Victorian shopkeepers with handmade “grafter bloomers” (yes, pockets galore!)

💎 The rise of Alice Diamond, the fierce queenpin rocking diamond-knuckled rings

💎 The jaw-dropping heists that left London buzzing (hello, mink coats worth thousands!)

💎 Why luxury goods weren’t just about vanity but a defiant statement of independence

Why You’ll Love It:

🎧 Ready to dive in? Hit play now, and if you loved this peek into women's badass history, don’t forget to support us on Patreon. Your support keeps the history (and the fun) coming!

TrovaTrip Alert!

🤩App Info🤩

______________________________________

Want more For the Love of History?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

The Bloody and Unnecessarily Difficult History of Surgery

Welcome back, dear one! This week, we’re scrubbing in and diving scalpels-first into the history of surgery. From ancient skull drilling to the OG rhinoplasty (nose job, anyone?), this episode explores the bizarre, bloody, and brilliant evolution of ancient surgical techniques. Spoiler: it’s not all medieval barber surgeons and questionable hygiene.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

📚How Neolithic humans invented brain surgery (and somehow survived!).

📚Why ancient Egyptian surgeons were ahead of their time (magic spells optional).

📚The shocking origin story of India’s first nose job—a bloody masterpiece.

📚How one Roman hotshot (we’re looking at you, Galen) stalled surgical progress for 1,000 years.

📚Quirky, gross, and oh-so-fascinating, this episode unpacks the twists and turns of medieval medicine and beyond. Whether you’re a history buff or just morbidly curious, you won’t want to miss this.

🎧 Hit play now, and don’t forget to leave a review! What did you think of this episode? Your feedback keeps us slicing into history’s quirkiest corners.

⭐⭐Calm History ⭐⭐

Try the new podcast, Calm History: www.calmhistory.com

TrovaTrip Alert!

What’s the Tea with the Community Census?

Your voice matters! Fill out the For the Love of History 2025 Community Census and tell me what you want more of (or less of!) in upcoming episodes. Plus, you’ll get the chance to win a free t-shirt or one of my favorite books. Sweet deal, right?

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Next Episode

Kidnapped at Sea | The Story of David Henry White By Andrew Sillen

Welcome to For the Love of History! In this episode, we dive into a lesser-known yet fascinating tale of maritime history with author and archaeologist Andrew Celyn. His latest book, Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White, uncovers the harrowing journey of a free Black teenager who was abducted and forced aboard the infamous Confederate raider, the CSS Alabama.

We discuss how David Henry White’s story defies Confederate propaganda and serves as a powerful counterpoint to the glorification of the Lost Cause. Andrew shares his journey from archaeology to Civil War history, his research challenges, and the surprising cultural connections between Cape Town and the Confederacy. From forensics to historical analysis, this episode is packed with revelations about one of history’s unsung heroes.

Episode Highlights:

Andrew Celyn’s surprising start as an archaeologist and how it led him to uncover the story of David Henry White.
The role of the CSS Alabama during the Civil War and its unexpected stop in Cape Town.
How White’s life reveals the lies behind Confederate narratives.
The challenges of reconstructing White’s story through sparse historical records.
Discussion on Civil War naval stories, the Lost Cause myth, and Confederate propaganda.
The importance of including marginalized voices in historical narratives.

Call to Action:

Don’t miss this enlightening conversation that challenges traditional Civil War narratives and brings a hidden story to light. Subscribe to For the Love of History wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review to help us continue uncovering fascinating historical tales. Share this episode with your friends who love learning about untold stories from history!

Guest Information:

Find out more about Andrew Celyn and his book Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White by visiting kidnappedatsea.com

Additional Notes:

Check the show notes for a link to Andrew’s website and updates on upcoming book signings and events. Stay tuned for more captivating episodes on history that you didn’t know you needed to hear.

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, share it, subscribe, and come back next time for more historical deep dives.

TrovaTrip Alert!

https://trovatrip.com/trip/asia/japan/japan-with-tehya-nakamura-aug-2025

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