On the Record at The National Archives The National Archives
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- Historia
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 stories from more than 11 million records to life. Discover tales of forbidden love, spies, protest, and the everyday people of the past.
Follow us on Twitter @UkNatArchives
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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 dressed up as him. But what lies behind the legend? And what do our stories of robbing from the rich tell us about life in medieval England?
In this episode Chloe Lee speaks to Kathryn Maude, a medieval specialist, and Sean Cunningham, head of medieval records, both at The National Archives. Join them on a journey through a forest of medieval historical records, and perhaps even discover the 'real' Robin Hood.
For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/Robin1Hood -
Trailer: Robin Hood
In this episode, we journey through a forest of historical records to discover the 'real' Robin Hood.
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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 collection containing thousands of letters written by people in poverty between 1834 and 1900 provides an insight into their lives.
In this episode, Chloe Lee speaks to specialist Paul Carter about letters held by The National Archives which were addressed to the Poor Law Board, the British central poor law authority. Together they use these accounts to glimpse into the factories, the workhouses and slums in which so many vulnerable people lived out their lives.
For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/PVoices
This podcast is based on the research In Their Own Write, a major AHRC-funded project, running from 2018 to 2021, which uses letters from paupers and other poor people, and associated manuscript material such as petitions, sworn statements and advocate letters (those written on behalf of paupers) to investigate the lives of the poor between 1834 and 1900. The Project was led by Professor Steve King (Nottingham Trent University) and Dr Paul Carter, (The National Archives). -
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.
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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 this episode, historians Will Butler, Ela Kaczmarska, and Roger Kershaw explore documents – some of them previously unseen by the public – that describe the experiences of prisoners of war and civilian internees held captive during the conflict.
The episode accompanies our exhibition, Great Escapes: Remarkable Second World War Captives, which is open at The National Archives in Kew until July 21, 2024.
For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/SWWCapt -
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 captive during the Second World War.