On the Record at The National Archives
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On the Record at The National Archives
1000 years of history, 1000 years of stories to uncover. The National Archives presents On the Record, a podcast that unearths the real life stories found in our vast collections. Join our experts and special guests as we dig deep into the people behind the paper and bring fascinating stori...
Nýlegir þættir
84 þættir
People of the railways
The story of Britain's railways isn't just about steam engines and steel tracks—it’s about the people who built them, worked on them, and sometimes fo...
Trailer: People of the railways
In our next episode of On the Record, we uncover the personal stories behind Britain’s railway history—tragedy, resilience, and everyday journeys. Joi...
Coronations
From Richard III’s lavish wardrobe to Queen Victoria’s chaotic ceremony, coronations have a rich and fascinating history. For some, a coronation is a...
700 Years of the Thames
From frozen festivals to royal polar bears, from wartime recovery to medieval merchants.The River Thames has been the stage for some of Britain’s most...
Trailer: 700 years of the Thames
In our next episode of On the Record, we explore three very different stories—each revealing how central the River Thames has been to London’s history...
LGBTQ+ Histories
In this episode, we bring you four stories that span two hundred years of British history. Two women leave their families to make a new life together...
Victory in Europe Day (VE Day)
On Tuesday, May 8th, 1945, the Allies who had been fighting the Second World War formally accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender. May 8th became k...
Trailer: Victory in Europe Day (VE Day)
In our next episode, we explore what Victory in Europe Day (or VE Day) was like, from the soldiers and medics who’d been at the frontline, to the folk...
MI5: Official Secrets
Spy fiction has captivated our imagination for decades, but the truth behind Britain's security service is even more fascinating than the high-stakes...
Trailer: MI5 Official Secrets
In our next episode of On the Record, we uncover the fascinating stories behind the UK’s security service, MI5. To celebrate our new exhibition featur...
Working Women in History
To mark Women’s History Month, we take a long view of working women. Our guest host, Jessamy Carlson invites three historians to explore the lives of...
Trailer: Working Women in History
Join us for Women’s History Month as we explore the lives, struggles, and resilience of working women through the centuries.
Secrets of the Prize Papers: Echoes of Empire
The National Archives holds over 4,000 boxes of letters, papers, and artefacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815.
Join u...
Secrets of the Prize Papers: The Science of History
The National Archives holds over 4,000 boxes of letters, papers, and artefacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815.
In the...
Secrets of the Prize Papers: Trade, Loot and Letters
Across more than 4,000 boxes in The National Archives sits a significant collection of letters, papers and artifacts from ships captured by the Britis...
Trailer: Secrets of the Prize Papers
Join us for our upcoming podcast mini-series, where we delve into a remarkable collection of letters, papers, and artefacts from ships captured by the...
Second World War - Legacies, Language and Diaspora
With recruits from across its empire, Britain’s troops in the Second World War were a multi-lingual, multi-ethnic force. Among those involved were mor...
Trailer: Second World War - Legacies, Language and Diaspora
In this episode of On the Record, we take focus on the lesser-told history of the colonial troops, from East Africa and India, that fought for Britai...
Untold Stories of D-Day
Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, June 6, 1944, 24,000 soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in Northern France. What followed was the largest s...
Trailer: Untold Stories of D-Day
In this episode, we uncover the untold stories of a tank driver on the frontline, one of the first black women in the Royal Air Force, and a femme fat...
Robin Hood
Since the 13th century the legend of Robin Hood has featured in folk songs, tavern stories, pageants, and royal festivals — even Henry VIII once dress...
Trailer: Robin Hood
In this episode, we journey through a forest of historical records to discover the 'real' Robin Hood.
Pauper Voices
It's often impossible to find direct accounts of poor people in the historical record, especially the further back you look. But an extraordinary coll...
Trailer: Pauper Voices
In this episode, we examine a rare collection which contains thousands of letters written by people living in poverty between 1834 and 1900.
Second World War Captives
At The National Archives, we hold records that tell fascinating stories of real people who lived through the horrors of the Second World War.
In...
Trailer: Second World War Captives
In this episode, we explore unique documents held at The National Archives that tell the stories of prisoners of war and civilian internees held capti...
Boston Tea Party
In December 1773, 340 tea chests were hurled into Boston Harbour by a protesting crowd. It was a rebellion that came to be known as the Boston Tea Par...
Trailer: Boston Tea Party
In this episode, we examine the British response to the Boston Tea Party. A protest that ignited the flames of revolution and forever changed the cour...
Inventions
A flying machine , a fish-shaped hot air balloon, and a self-ventilating hat. From million dollar ideas to an amateur tinkering in their garden she...
Trailer: Inventions
A flying machine, a fish-shaped hot air balloon, and a self-ventilating hat. In this episode of On the Record, we explore fascinating invention paten...
Women's Land Army
Muck-spreading, rat-gassing, carrot-pulling — all in a day’s work for a land girl! You probably know the land girls as plucky young women who rolled u...
Trailer: Women's Land Army
In this episode, we're digging deeper into the history of the Women's Land Army, using The National Archives’ unique collections to reveal fascinating...
Windrush at 75
Reporters, cameras, speeches, and even songs publicised the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush when it docked at Tilbury on June 22, 1948. The ship ca...
Trailer: Windrush at 75
In this episode, we highlight the experiences of the Windrush Generation, who travelled to Britain between 1948 and 1971.
We explore their chall...
Coronations
From Richard III’s lavish wardrobe to Queen Victoria’s chaotic ceremony, coronations have a rich and fascinating history. For some, a coronation is a...
Propaganda
Take a closer look at records of propaganda in our collections.
In this episode, we have four stories of deliberate attempts by governments to...
Trailer: Propaganda
In this episode, we’re looking at propaganda in our collections.
We share four stories of deliberate attempts by governments to influence the b...
Treason: Rebellion
By 1800, there were 300,000 Africans enslaved in the British colony of Jamaica. Despite harsh punishments and low odds of success, communities among t...
Treason: Betrayal and Deception
What happens when treasonous plots fail? What happens when innocent people get pulled into dangerous schemes? In this episode, we explore the story of...
Treason: People, Power and Plot
The history of English monarchs is a tale brimming with assassination attempts. Queen Elizabeth I thwarted many attempts to replace her with a Catholi...