A historian has revealed new details of the story of his great-great-grandfather who gunned down a man in the North East.
Historian David Olusoga has partnered with online genealogy service Findmypast to narrate the tale of his ancestor, George Ewart, who shot a man dead on the streets of Victorian-era Newcastle in 1896.
The story of George Ewart, Mr Olusoga's great-great-grandfather, dates back to September 10, 1896.
On that dreary day, 64-year-old Ewart confronted Daniel Gray, a 42-year-old man on the corner of Dalton Street in Byker, Newcastle.
In broad daylight, Ewart shot Gray at a close range with a revolver, leading to Gray's immediate death and Ewart’s trial for murder.
However, there's an intriguing backstory to this event.
A decade prior, Ewart fell victim to an assault by Gray due to a trivial misunderstanding.
The assault led Ewart to lose not only his vision but also his livelihood, thereby forcing him into a spiral of deteriorating mental health.
Over the next ten years, Ewart harboured an obsession for revenge against Gray.
This story comes as part of a new podcast series by Findmypast titled ‘Was Justice Served?’
Unlike typical true crime stories, this podcast provides access to historical records, allowing listeners to assess the facts and form their own opinions on whether just verdicts were reached in historical crimes cases.
In the first episode of the series, the listeners are taken through the evidence with co-hosts David Olusoga, criminologist Professor David Wilson and professional genealogist Jen Baldwin.
History enthusiasts can now listen to their analysis and decide for themselves: 'Was Justice Served?'
Mr Olusoga said: ’Millions of people in the UK will have an ancestor involved in a crime, whether as a victim, perpetrator, or witness - and for many this will be the most evocative way of getting to know your ancestor.
"Newspaper reports offer rich details of their case, their life and their experiences.
"I don’t believe in feeling pride or shame based on the actions of our ancestors.
"We should empathise with them, and recognise how these events have shaped subsequent generations.
"In the case of my family, this is a tragedy that set my ancestors off on a new trajectory to where I am now, so it is a very live, very emotional piece of history for me."
The podcast’s subsequent episodes will cover various historical crimes, including a double poisoning, brutal murder scandals, a mysterious death of a woman found without injuries, and a gentleman fatally wounded in a hunting incident in Scotland.
Listeners can follow along with the podcast on Findmypast's new Collections feature, which gathers detailed chronicles of historical events, outcomes, and trials into "case files."
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Free access is available at www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved, allowing anyone with an interest in history or solving crimes to follow along and share their verdict via the hashtag #wasjusticeserved on social media.
The podcast 'Was Justice Served?' is available for download via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast providers.
To learn more, visit www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved.
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