On the Record at The National Archives

By 1800, there were 300,000 Africans enslaved in the British colony of Jamaica. Despite harsh punishments and low odds of success, communities among the enslaved repeatedly organised and acted throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, starting revolts to overthrow their enslavers. In this episode, we explore how and why enslaved people resisted in the British Caribbean, and then Harvard University Professor Vincent Brown shares the story of Tacky’s Revolt, one of the largest uprisings in this period. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/Treason_3 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. You can share this information with us by visiting smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/. 

What happens when treasonous plots fail? What happens when innocent people get pulled into dangerous schemes? In this episode, we explore the story of Edward Earl of Warwick, doomed by his father’s crimes, and the Cato Street Conspiracy, a failed plot to kill the entire British cabinet that was followed by a sensational trial.  For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/Treason_2 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. You can share this information with us by visiting smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/. 

The history of English monarchs is a tale brimming with assassination attempts. Queen Elizabeth I thwarted many attempts to replace her with a Catholic monarch, following her excommunication by the Pope. Two hundred years later, King George III acted with compassion after two separate assassination attempts.  This is the first instalment of a three-part series exploring treason across the centuries. Episode two will examine the ripple effects of treasonous plots. And finally, in our third episode, we’ll learn how enslaved Africans in the Caribbean revolted in an attempt to overthrow their oppressors and regain their freedom.   For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/Treason_1 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. You can share this information with us by visiting smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/. 

In this episode, fashion historian Amber Butchart discusses the fashion movements of the 1920s, from rising hemlines to ready-to-wear fashion. Then we tell the story of Kate Meyrick, the Soho Nightclub Queen. Meyrick’s popular clubs were frequently raided, and the records of those raids reveal a lot about what a night out in London was like one hundred years ago. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNA1920s3 To tie in with the release of the 1921 Census of England and Wales in January 2022, our 20sPeople programme explores and shares stories connecting the people of the 1920s with us in the 2020s. This exciting programme includes our new 1920s-themed exhibition in Kew. Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In this episode, we continue our whirlwind tour through the 1920s by introducing you to some of the fascinating people and movements of the era. We tell the story of two men trying to make a better life in England. Then, in the aftermath of World War I and a deadly influenza pandemic, we look at efforts to improve public health and morality. To tie in with the release of the 1921 Census of England and Wales in January 2022, our 20sPeople programme explores and shares stories connecting the people of the 1920s with us in the 2020s. This exciting programme includes our new 1920s-themed exhibition in Kew. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNA1920s2  Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In this first episode, historian Kate Williams looks at the era's tensions and shifting values, revealing social progress and a spirit of innovation coexisting with immense poverty and unrest; then we look at the political landscape of the 1920s and meet the first women in government.  To tie in with the release of the 1921 Census of England and Wales in January 2022, our 20sPeople programme explores and shares stories connecting the people of the 1920s with us in the 2020s. This exciting programme includes our new 1920s-themed exhibition in Kew.   For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNA1920s1 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In our latest three-part podcast series, we step into the world of 1920s Britain and experience what life was really like, beyond the ‘Roaring Twenties’.  From stories of social and political change to fashion and nightlife, we introduce you to some of the fascinating people and movements from this heady time.  To tie in with the release of the 1921 Census of England and Wales in January 2022, our 20sPeople programme explores and shares stories connecting the people of the 1920s with us in the 2020s. This exciting programme includes our new 1920s-themed exhibition in Kew.  

There are over 900 years of immigration records available for research here at The National Archives. Over the next three episodes, we’re exploring the rich history of migration in the 20th century.  In 1962, the Commonwealth Immigrants Act limited the freedom of movement for citizens born outside of the UK. In our final episode, we explore the rise of anti-immigrant movements during the 1960s. We then look at anti-racist activism and the formation of the Black Cultural Archives. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNAMigration3 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

There are over 900 years of immigration records available for research here at The National Archives. Over the next three episodes, we’re exploring the rich history of migration in the 20th century.  In this episode, we’re looking at two different migration experiences shaped by the British Nationality Act of 1948. For our first story, we explore the challenges faced by those arriving in Britain on board the Empire Windrush. We then follow the story of a young man who leaves Pakistan in search of adventure and opportunity. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNAMigration2 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

There are over 900 years of immigration records available for research here at The National Archives. Over the next three episodes, we’re exploring the rich history of migration in the 20th century. This first episode begins with the story of an English woman who loses her citizenship because of who she chooses to marry, and a British citizen arrested because of his country of birth. Then, we uncover the lesser-told story of people leaving Britain for a better life. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNAMigration1 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

There are over 900 years of immigration records available for research here at The National Archives. In our latest three-part podcast series, we’re exploring the rich history of migration in the 20th century.   This series focuses on three major Acts that highlight shifts in policy around migration and citizenship over the past 100 years. We feature the profound and lasting impact of migration for citizens and non-citizens alike throughout Britain, its Empire, and the Commonwealth. 

In the final episode of this series on our most intriguing and significant trial records, we’re taking a closer look at the evidence. First, we examine pieces of courtroom evidence like a red suit seized from a LGBTQ+ space in the 1930s and the calling card that led to Oscar Wilde’s downfall. Then, we explore how our trial records preserve evidence of everyday life in the past that would otherwise be lost to history.  For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNAtrials3 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In the second episode in our mini-series on trial records, we look at the long and colourful history of trial by jury. First, we hear about the sensational Victorian case of two sailors who resorted to cannibalism after being stranded on the high seas. Then a barrister and historian explains the origins of trial by jury, how juries have evolved over 600 years, and why it’s so important to understand their history.   For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNAtrials2 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In the first installment of a three-part series on our trial records, we’re examining the history of trials by ordeal and combat. This episode has witch trials, defamation lawsuits from accused witches, myth-busting, strong-men for hire, Irish landowners fighting to the death in a castle, and some facts about duels. Tune in to hear stories and historical insights that can only be found in the documents preserved at The National Archives.  For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNAtrials1 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In our latest three-part podcast series, we are exploring stories from our collection which tell the history of trials, from witch trials and trial by combat to today’s legal system. In the series you’ll hear about a famous cannibalism case as well as legal evidence preserved in our archives which reveal LGBTQ+ spaces otherwise lost to history. You’ll also hear about how archives themselves are evidence of the past.

Illustrator Louis Wain changed the way we think about cats and dedicated his life to improving their welfare. Richard Whittington is the real man behind the story of Dick Whittington and his Cat, and his 15th century charity helped ensure that St. Bart’s hospital in London would survive for another 600 years. Brave young Nellie Spindler lied about her age in order to serve as a frontline nurse in the First World War before her tragic death. In our final episode on heroic deeds, we tell their stories. Documents: C 66/434; COPY 1/221 (314); COPY 1/229A (187); COPY 1/243(i) (173); COPY 1/280 (327); PRO 30/69/1491; PROB 11/3/468; PROB 11/10/229; SC 8/25/1235; SC 8/26/1255; SC 8/121; WO 95/345/2; WO 399/7850. Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! Visit smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/ 

A British spy named Pearl jumps from a plane under cover of night. A Thai shopkeeper named Boonpong decides to risk everything for strangers from the other side of the world. A knight named George defies a Roman Emperor and kills a dragon. In this episode, we’re sharing three stories of individuals whose bravery and heroic deeds made a big impact on British history during times of war. Documents from The National Archives used in this episode:  C 66/234; E 42/479; E 101/496/17; E 315/91; HS 9/355/2, HS 9/356; WO 325/35; WO 361/1701 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! Visit smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In 1921, W.E.B. Du Bois (the African American thinker and NAACP co-founder) sent a letter to Winston Churchill with a rather interesting request. A closer look at this letter illuminates the Pan-African and anti-colonial activism of the inter-war period and Du Bois’ interest in London as a site for Black leaders from around the world to gather. Then, a design registration record from the Victorian era asks the question, “Can design improve health?” We follow the paper trail of a 19th century doctor who believed it could. Documents from The National Archives used in this episode: BT 45/5/950; BT 45/5/973; CO 323/878; MH 13/196/81 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! Visit smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In 1936, Edward VIII abdicated the throne of England to be with the woman he loved. It’s widely considered to be one of the greatest love stories of the 20th century. But is it really? A century earlier, an elderly pauper named Daniel Rush and his wife faced a terrible choice: enter the workhouse and be separated after 49 years of marriage or try to survive without any income or family for support. Who made the greater sacrifice for love, the king or the pauper? In this episode, we try to answer that question.   Documents from The National Archives used in this episode: MH 12/6846; PC 11/1; TS 22/1/1; TS 22/1/2 Daniel Rush's letter read by Adrian McLoughlin, recorded by Digital Drama Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. You can share this information with us by visiting smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

In 1588, Queen Elizabeth received a letter from her friend the Earl of Leicester just a few days before he died. She kept the letter by her bed for the next 15 years. In 1919, a Jamaican sailor named James Gillespie was forced to leave Cardiff after the Race Riots. Faced with the prospect of returning to Jamaica without his wife and child, he wrote to the Home Office, asking for help. These letters reveal two very different love stories nevertheless joined together by the theme of love divided.   Documents from The National Archives used in this episode: CO 318/350/400; SP 12/215. Earl of Leicester's letter read by Sean Patterson, James Gillespie's letter read by Daniel Norford. Recorded by Digital Drama. Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you’re interested in. You can share this information with us by visiting smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/