Stories from Glasgow: Season 5, Episode Two – Glasgow Pandemic 1832
Published: 12 November 2025
Uncover how Glasgow’s 1832 cholera outbreak shaped the city’s past - and why two researchers turned this moment in history into their own twist on the board game Pandemic.
Season 5, Episode Two – Glasgow Pandemic 1832
With Dr Matthew Creasy & Dr Megan Coyer
In 2020, Glasgow entered lockdown, and life changed dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe. However, this was not the first time in the city’s 850-year history that a serious disease impacted Glasgow residents, as 1832 saw an outbreak of cholera spread across the city.
Dr Matthew Creasy and Dr Megan Coyer join Dr Cia Jackson on the podcast to share the story of Glasgow’s 1832 cholera outbreak, and how it inspired their version of the popular board game, ‘Pandemic’.
Listen to discover the impact cholera had on the city, and what it’s like to reimagine history in boardgame form.
Find out more about Dr Matthew Creasy and his research:
Dr Creasy’s George Moore, Confessions of a Young Man:
Find out more about Dr Megan Coyer and her research:
Dr Megan Coyer’s James Hogg Contributions to Fraser’s Magazine for Town & Country:
Keep up to date with Glasgow Pandemic 1832:
Learn more about the Medical Humanities Research Centre at the University of Glasgow:
First published: 12 November 2025
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