On the Record at The National Archives

In this episode, we're taking a closer look at Britain's Colonial Office records. This was the government department responsible for Britain's colonies at various points throughout the 18th to 20th centuries.   We'll be exploring three stories found in these records, which provide an insight into the experiences of people living under British Rule.  

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 a...

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...

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 explo...

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, o...

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...

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 o...

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 unco...

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 f...

In the aftermath of war and pandemic, approximately 8.5 million householders in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man completed the 1921 census. In this episode, we're exploring the enormous digitisation project undertaken by Findmypast and asking our family history specialists what to expect when we get to see the census in early 2022.   For show notes visit: https://bit.ly/TNA1...

In June 1921, approximately 8.5 million householders in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man completed the census. For just about 100 years the records have been closed to the public and securely stored but in early 2022 they will be available on Findmypast. A window into the lives of nearly 38 million people will be opened.   In this episode we will be counting down to the 1921...

In the 1940s, the British government discovered the power of film to inform, promote, and persuade the public, and they created the Central Office of Information to create strategic media campaigns on all kinds of subjects. In this episode, we're silencing our phones, dimming the lights, and digging into 65 years of informative, odd, sad, scary, and funny COI films. If you think public information...

In the 1940s, the British government discovered the power of film to inform, promote, and persuade the public, and created the Central Office of Information. In this episode, we're silencing our phones, dimming the lights, and digging into 65 years of informative, odd, sad, scary, and funny public information films.

On 30 June 1922 the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed by fire in the opening engagement of the Irish Civil War. Historians have long considered the 700 years of records that the building contained as tragically lost to history. In this special podcast episode we explore how nearly 100 years later five core archival partners are collaborating on the Beyond 2022 project to virtually reco...

On 30 June 1922 the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed by fire in the opening engagement of the Irish Civil War. Historians have long considered the 700 years of records that the building contained as tragically lost to history. This special podcast episode explores how nearly 100 years later five core archival partners are collaborating on the Beyond 2022 project to create a virtual re...

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 otherw...

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 unders...

In the first installment of a three-part series on our trial records, we're examining the history of trial s 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 d...

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 ...

Over the last 6 00 years, Britain has faced its fair share of public health crises. In this episode,  we are  investigating four deadly pandemics and epidemics that changed life in the UK: the  B lack Death,  c holera, the 1918  i nfluenza, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Hear unique insights and stories from our records and learn about the long history of public health responses in Britai n . How did...

Over the centuries , Britain has faced its fair share of public health crises  and recently we have seen an increase in interest in our records about them.  A s we near the one year mark since the first UK lockdown  due to COVID-19, we've made a special bonus episode to investigate  four stories of epidemics and outbreaks from 600 years of British history .

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...

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 f...

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...

In this three-part series we're exploring stories in our collection with the theme of heroic deeds. As our long-time listeners will know, we like to go off the beaten path when it comes to telling the thousands of stories preserved in our national documents, so in these episodes, you'll hear about spies parachuting into enemy territories and knights slaying dragons, but you'll also hear about heal...