Explore every episode of the podcast A Family History Of...
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riot and Ruin | The Irish Famine (Part 2) | 06 Apr 2026 | 00:31:31 | |
Hunger spreads. Tempers ignite One man swept into a riot.
It’s September 1845 in Coolderrihy, and hunger is beginning to bite. As fear and anger are on the rise, Archibald MacKenzie finds himself in the thick of a desperate riot. Join host and genealogist Jen Baldwin, and her guest, Irish genealogy expert Fiona Fitzsimons, as they unpick the records behind this moment. What drives an ordinary man to risk everything in this changing world? Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Fiona Fitzsimons Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, Daisy Goddard, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Before the Hunger | The Irish Famine (Part 1) | 30 Mar 2026 | 00:31:24 | |
A boy at the edge of famine-era Ireland. A world about to break.
Archibald MacKenzie is 11 years old in Coolderrihy, County Cork, when the world he knows suddenly shifts. Joined by Irish genealogy expert Fiona Fitzsimons, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin traces the records that reveal what life looked like for a boy growing up in a land already restless with tension. How did a childhood shaped by loss prepare him for the catastrophe still to come?
Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Fiona Fitzsimons Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, Daisy Goddard, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Family History Of... The Irish Famine | Trailer | 26 Mar 2026 | 00:01:20 | |
One family faces famine, fear and exile — and forges a future that spanned oceans.
The Great Famine cast a long shadow across Ireland, hollowing out towns, devastating families, and driving thousands to the brink. It’s a familiar tale, but one not often told. Follow the story of Archibald MacKenzie, a man whose life veered from riot to imprisonment, and then across the sea to smoke and furnaces. Across three episodes, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin — Archibald’s descendant — and Irish genealogy expert Fiona Fitzsimons piece together a life shaped by fear, migration and endurance. Through parish records, newspapers, court entries and census lines, they explore how hunger, displacement and survival reshaped one family — and how those pressures echoed through the generations that followed.
Part 1 drops on 31 March - follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Women Who Left No Trace| Wartime Women (Part 4 - Bonus Episode) | 24 Mar 2026 | 00:17:20 | |
Why do women rarely appear in WW2 records? Many wartime women left no diaries or letters, only the sparse traces of addresses, occupations, and brief entries in civil records. In this bonus episode, host and expert genealogist Jen Baldwin explores how those small clues — a line in the 1939 Register, a registrar‑office marriage, a maternity home address — can reveal the pressures shaping a woman’s life during war. By placing each detail within the world she lived in, Jen shows how context helps us hear stories that were never written down. What might you discover when you read the women in your family, not just for what’s recorded, but for what the records quietly imply?
Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, Madeleine Gilbert, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert and Ellie Ayton Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Grief and Resilience in the Blitz (with Lucy Worsley) | Wartime Women (Part 3) | 17 Mar 2026 | 00:35:11 | |
Lucy Worsley returns to discover the next part of her grandmother's story - during the Birmingham Blitz.
In 1942, Edna Bourne becomes a mother during the Birmingham Blitz. Amid blackouts, bombing raids and disrupted maternity care, she endures grief with little space to rest or speak of it. Through death registers, wartime diaries and Mass Observation accounts, genealogist Jen Baldwin and her guest, historian Lucy Worsley, explore the burdens carried by mothers on the home front.
Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Lucy Worsley Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, Madeleine Gilbert, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert and Ellie Ayton Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Love, Work and Wartime Secrets (with Lucy Worsley) | Wartime Women (Part 2) | 10 Mar 2026 | 00:27:48 | |
Lucy Worsley returns to discover her grandmother's dramatic Second World War secrets...
By 1939, Edna Bourne is a young working woman in a Britain preparing for war once again. Her days in a Birmingham boot shop unfold against air‑raid drills, rationing, and uncertainty. But behind the everyday routines lie private complexities: a whirlwind marriage, a pregnancy under the pressures of wartime morality, and a truth hidden in the marriage register that carries legal and emotional weight.
Join host and genealogist Jen Baldwin and her guest, historian Lucy Worsley, as they bring the records to life, revealing how women navigated respectability, secrecy and survival in a world where war upended everything.
Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Lucy Worsley Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, Madeleine Gilbert, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert and Ellie Ayton Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Born Into a World at War (with Lucy Worsley) | Wartime Women (Part 1) | 03 Mar 2026 | 00:32:10 | |
Historian Lucy Worsley joins host and genealogist Jen Baldwin to discover how two world wars shaped one woman’s life – and the generations that followed. Edna Bourne takes her first breath in Birmingham, 1911, as Europe braces for war. With her father working to feed the munitions machine and her mother navigating rationing queues and civic duty, Edna's earliest memories are shaped by a city under pressure. Join Jen and Lucy - Edna's granddaughter - as they uncover the archival clues that reveal the bigger picture. What did childhood look like for a girl growing up in Britain’s industrial heart, as it transformed into a wartime powerhouse?
Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Lucy Worsley Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, Madeleine Gilbert, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert and Ellie Ayton Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Trailer: A Family History Of... | 19 Feb 2026 | 00:00:47 | |
Ordinary lives told through extraordinary moments. Findmypast's genealogist and research specialist Jen Baldwin is joined by guests to unravel remarkable family tales uncovered in the archives. Each month, one moment in history is explored through a single true family story, unfolding several interconnected episodes. Human, empathetic, and driven by real stories, A Family History Of.. reveals how defining British and Irish moments shaped, and were shaped by, the people who lived them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Escape and Aftermath | The Irish Famine (Part 3) | 13 Apr 2026 | 00:35:00 | |
One Irish family fights to rebuild after the Famine. By the mid‑1850s, Archibald MacKenzie has crossed the sea to Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, trading the barren fields of Cork for the roar of furnaces. The MacKenzie family rebuilds in a world thick with smoke and prejudice. Host and genealogist Jen Baldwin, and her guest, Irish genealogy expert Fiona Fitzsimons, trace his footsteps through the evidence. What does survival look like for an Irish family forging a future in the iron valleys of Wales? Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Fiona Fitzsimons Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, Daisy Goddard, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Evidence, Absence, and Stories from Silence | The Irish Famine (Part 4 - Bonus Episode) | 20 Apr 2026 | 00:16:25 | |
When records are fractured, biased, or simply gone, how do you tell a true family story?
In this final part of A Family History of the Irish Famine, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin steps into the silences surrounding Archibald MacKenzie’s life. Through the archives, the missing lines, and the traces that remain, she asks what survival really meant, and what it cost the countless families who left no trail behind. Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, Daisy Goddard, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Born to the Pit | The General Strike (Part 1) | 27 Apr 2026 | 00:31:22 | |
A boy raised in the shadow of the mines. A world forged in defiance. Will Lawther grows up in Northumberland, in a vast mining household where every day begins and ends with the rhythm of the pit. But his life will take an unusual turn. Joined by historian Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum), host and genealogist Jen Baldwin walks us through terraced streets, dark mines, and the rise of early labour politics. They explore how danger, community, and responsibility shaped Will’s life long before the chaos of the 1926 General Strike. How does a childhood forged underground prepare a young man for leadership during one of Britain’s most historic moments? Host: Jen Baldwin Researchers: Jen Baldwin and Barry Kline Oral History Credits: Northumberland Archives Guest: Jonathan Kindleysides Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, and James Plumb Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Family History Of... The General Strike | Trailer | 22 Apr 2026 | 00:01:30 | |
One working-class mining family, and nine days that reshaped a nation’s history. Humble miner Will Lawther rose from the pit to face the frontlines of the 1926 General Strike, swapping coal dust for politics. Across four episodes, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by historian Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum) to trace how one family and one determined young man met an extraordinary moment in British history. Together, they uncover how a week‑long national strike redefined identity and the meaning of standing together. Listen to Part 1 from 28 April - follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Gathering Storm | The General Strike (Part 2) | 04 May 2026 | 00:27:49 | |
A boy raised in the shadow of the mines. A world forged in defiance. Will Lawther grows up in Northumberland, in a vast mining household where every day begins and ends with the rhythm of the pit. But his life will take an unusual turn. Joined by historian Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum), host and genealogist Jen Baldwin walks us through terraced streets, dark mines, and the rise of early labour politics. They explore how danger, community, and responsibility shaped Will’s life long before the chaos of the 1926 General Strike. How does a childhood forged underground prepare a young man for leadership during one of Britain’s most historic moments? Host: Jen Baldwin Researchers: Jen Baldwin and Barry Kline Oral History Credits: Northumberland Archives Guest: Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum) Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, and James Plumb Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Enemy of the State | The General Strike (Part 3) | 11 May 2026 | 00:30:06 | |
The General Strike begins. Britain comes to a standstill.
It’s 1926, and the nation is unrecognisable. Trains idle, newspapers fall silent. In the middle of it, Will Lawther, councillor and trusted voice of the miners, finds himself pulled into confrontations charged with fear. Joined once more by historian Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum), host and genealogist Jen Baldwin follows the evidence that traces Will’s sudden collision with state power. In a week when authority is contested at every crossroads, Will becomes a symbol of something larger: a community standing firm as the country tilts into crisis. But raising his voice comes at a cost. Host: Jen Baldwin Researchers: Jen Baldwin and Barry Kline Oral History Credits: Northumberland Archives Guest: Jonathan Kindleysides Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, and James Plumb Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Strike's Long Shadow | The General Strike (Part 4) | 18 May 2026 | 00:29:08 | |
In the wake of defeat, one man does what he’s always done: he keeps going. In the long aftermath of the 1926 General Strike, the banners are folded away, but the hardship isn’t over. As unemployment bites and the Means Test humiliates families across the country, Will Lawther steps once more into the halls, meetings, and street corners where miners gather to make sense of a world that suddenly feels smaller. Joined again by historian Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum), host and genealogist Jen Baldwin explores how Will rebuilt his life after defeat, rising from local organiser to national union leader, and eventually to a knighthood that never quite pulled him from his roots. This final chapter follows a man shaped by struggle, anchored by community, and defined by the dignity he fought for long after the General Strike ended. Host: Jen Baldwin Researchers: Jen Baldwin and Barry Kline Oral History Credits: Northumberland Archives Guest: Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum) Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, and James Plumb Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Battle for Public Opinion | The General Strike (Part 5) | 25 May 2026 | 00:14:41 | |
The General Strike wasn’t just fought on the picket line. It was also fought in the headlines. In this bonus episode, host and expert genealogist Jen Baldwin explores how newspapers shaped public understanding of the 1926 General Strike as it unfolded. Drawing on contemporary press coverage and the words of union leader Will Lawther, she examines how competing narratives influenced opinion, legitimacy, and memory, and why the story of the Strike can look very different depending on who was telling it. This reflective final chapter shows why newspapers don’t just record history. They help decide how it’s remembered. Host: Jen Baldwin Researchers: Jen Baldwin and Barry Kline Oral History Credits: Northumberland Archives Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, and James Plumb Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Calm Before the Storm | Gallipoli (Part 1) | 01 Jun 2026 | 00:33:26 | |
A childhood shaped by industry. A Navy on the brink of change. Nelson Langsford grows up at National Trust’s Cotehele Mill, as part of a family rooted for generations in skilled work. Beyond the mill, Britain is entering a new industrial age, and the Royal Navy is transforming with it. Joined by naval historian Charlotte Ward‑Kelly, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin explores how Nelson’s early life prepared him for a very different world. As steam power replaces sail and engineering skill becomes vital to Britain’s global reach, Nelson steps into the engine rooms of a modernising Navy while the First World War looms on the horizon. How does an ordinary upbringing prepare one man for the dangers of conflict, and a campaign that will leave a lasting mark on his family history? Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Charlotte Ward-Kelly Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Family History Of... Gallipoli | Trailer | 27 May 2026 | 00:01:52 | |
Gallipoli thunders on the waves. The engine room endures below deck. Gallipoli was one of the First World War’s most devastating campaigns; it’s a story usually told through strategy, maps, and failure. But for thousands of families, Gallipoli was experienced through service in the Royal Navy, far below deck and far from the history books. In this series of A Family History Of..., follow the story of Nelson Langsford, who grew up at National Trust’s Cotehele Mill before joining a rapidly modernising Royal Navy. As the First World War begins, Nelson’s technical skills take him into the engine rooms of battleships bound for the Dardanelles, and into the heart of the Gallipoli campaign. Across four episodes, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin and guest naval historian Charlotte Ward‑Kelly trace Nelson’s journey through the war. A First World War story told through the eyes of one man, and the family history he left behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Into the Dardanelles | Gallipoli (Part 2) | 08 Jun 2026 | 00:29:24 | |
The battle for Gallipoli begins.
As war comes knocking, Nelson Langsford moves from routine service into active conflict aboard HMS Prince George. Tasked with carrying troops and patrolling hostile waters, the ship turns toward the Dardanelles, a narrow strait Britain hopes to force open and end the war quickly. But it won’t be that simple. Joined by naval historian Charlotte Ward‑Kelly, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin delves deeper, uncovering what it was like to experience this gamble far below deck. As mines detonate, shells strike, and ageing battleships strain under impossible pressure, survival in the engine room comes down to seconds, skill, and instinct. In this episode, one ordinary man witnesses naval confidence collapse, the strategy shifting, and the Gallipoli campaign taking its most fateful turn. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Charlotte Ward-Kelly Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Aftershocks of the Campaign | Gallipoli (Part 3) | 15 Jun 2026 | 00:31:54 | |
Gallipoli is over. But its effects ripple on. After the chaos of the Dardanelles, HMS Prince George limps into Malta, a harbour strained by wounded men, damaged ships, and the unrelenting work of repair. For Nelson Langsford, the danger gives way to a different kind of pressure, as engineers and dockyard crews work around the clock to keep the fleet afloat. Joined by naval historian Charlotte Ward‑Kelly, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin explores how these quieter weeks appear, and often disappear, in the records. Back home, as Nelson moves from frontline service into instruction and training, his story shifts again. This final episode traces how one man and his family carry the aftershocks of Gallipoli forward, shaping work, identity, and remembrance long after the guns fell silent. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Charlotte Ward-Kelly Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What Naval Records Reveal | Gallipoli (Part 4) | 22 Jun 2026 | 00:16:50 | |
Gallipoli may dominate the history books. But the records tell the rest of the story. Gallipoli is one of those moments in history that can seem enormous when we look back at it now. But when we delve into the naval records of the men who actually experienced it, something surprising happens – it barely interrupts the page at all. In this bonus episode, host and expert genealogist Jen Baldwin steps back from this defining First World War campaign to explore what family history records can reveal when we look beyond the big moments we already know. Through the wider context of Gallipoli, this episode dives into the careers, continuity, expertise, and everyday labour that kept the Royal Navy afloat during wartime. As more naval records become accessible online, Jen explores how they help family historians and researchers alike. Moving past the headline news and reconnecting with Navy ancestors in ways that simply weren’t possible before. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Family History Of... The Somme | Trailer | 24 Jun 2026 | 00:02:16 | |
One family. A battle that would shape generations. History remembers battles. Families remember absence. Over the course of a single year, three telegrams arrived at the Attenborough family home on Druid Street, Hinckley. Three brothers - Walter, Arthur and Richard Attenborough - were swept into the upheaval of the First World War, serving in different regiments as the conflict intensified from Loos to the Somme. Across four episodes, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by Somme expert and Commonwealth War Graves Commission Communications Coordinator, Harvey Henson, to explore the devastating impact of the war's early years on one working-class family, and how their story survives through the historical record. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What really happened at the Somme? | Part 1 | 29 Jun 2026 | 00:32:06 | |
Did the headlines tell the whole story? In this episode, we’re joined by Somme specialist Harvey Henson to uncover the real stories behind one of the First World War’s deadliest battles. Using British military records, wartime evidence and expert insight, we follow three Leicestershire brothers who went to war - and reveal what happened to them beyond the history books. Start listening now. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Harvey Henson (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Two Tragic Telegrams | The Somme (Part 3) | 13 Jul 2026 | 00:30:49 | |
The Somme offensive unfolds, and life upends for the Attenborough family. September 1916 marks another devastating chapter for the Attenborough family. As the fighting on the Somme intensifies, the war’s reach into one Midlands household becomes impossible to escape. Host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by Somme specialist and Commonwealth War Commission Communications Coordinator, Harvey Henson, to examine how this heartbreaking story unfolded, from the shattered landscape of Ginchy to the first tanks that appeared at Flers-Courcelette. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Harvey Henson (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The War Comes Home | The Somme (Part 2) | 06 Jul 2026 | 00:28:40 | |
With the Battle of the Somme almost a year away, tragedy hits the Attenborough family for the first time. One Attenborough brother faces weaponised gas at Loos – the biggest battle of the war so far. Will he make it home? Join host and genealogist Jen Baldwin and her guest Harvey Henson, Somme specialist and Commonwealth War Commission Communications Coordinator, to examine the chaos that unfolded at Loos, and its effects on one ordinary Leicestershire family. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Harvey Henson (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| What Remains? | The Somme (Part 4) | 20 Jul 2026 | 00:27:55 | |
Three brothers. A legacy of love and loss. The war has transformed life on Druid Street. After the Armistice, how does the Attenborough family navigate the lasting impact of years of conflict? In this final chapter of their story, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin and her guest Harvey Henson, Somme expert and Commonwealth War Commission Communications Coordinator, explore some poignant moments of remembrance. The fighting had stopped, but not before leaving a painful mark on the Attenboroughs. While navigating unimaginable loss, how does an ordinary family carve out a new normality for themselves? Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Harvey Henson (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Family Serving Side by Side | The Somme (Part 5) | 27 Jul 2026 | 00:45:25 | |
A deeply personal story of sacrifice, brought into focus by the fragments that remain. In this special episode, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin turns to a wartime story that’s closer to home - one discovered within the family tree of her guest, Harvey Henson, Somme specialist and volunteer with the Commonwealth Graves Commission. Harvey joins Jen to trace the story of his ancestor, Private Harold Ranson, who was killed during the Battle of the Somme. What did he experience during the First World War? What did his family endure after his tragic death? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| From the Postbox | Your Somme Stories (Bonus) | 28 Jul 2026 | 00:27:47 | |
A heartfelt look at your stories and questions sparked by our Somme series. What does the Somme mean to you? How do you go about researching a First World War ancestor? In this bonus episode, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by her producer and history-lover, Ellie Ayton, to explore your questions and stories from the most recent series. From fresh perspectives on the Attenborough brothers’ experiences to some very poignant personal remembrances, their conversation is led by you, the listeners. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Editor: CM87Edits Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre | Trailer | 29 Jul 2026 | 00:01:54 | |
An assault on men, women and children; one ordinary man’s fight for justice.
Join host and genealogist Jen Baldwin and acclaimed writer, broadcaster and historian David Olusoga as they uncover one man’s experience of the Peterloo Massacre and its lifelong consequences.
In August 1819, tens of thousands of people gathered in Manchester for one of the largest peaceful protests Britain had ever seen. William Cheatham was one of them. This single day would shape the rest of his life.
Could such brutal violence ever be rectified? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Charge | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Part 2) | 10 Aug 2026 | 00:35:33 | |
The crowd shifts. Panic spreads. Escape is no longer guaranteed. As events at St Peter’s Field spiral, William Cheatham is caught in a moment of sudden and overwhelming violence at the hands of the Yeomanry. What began as a peaceful gathering fractures into chaos as the crowd tries to break free. In the second episode of this series, host Jen Baldwin and historian David Olusoga trace how this violence unfolds - not just on the field, but beyond it - through witness accounts and surviving records. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: David Olusoga Editor: Caroline Harrower Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| A Lawful Assembly? | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Part 1) | 03 Aug 2026 | 00:46:00 | |
Men, women and children gather at St Peter’s Field, fuelled by hope, unaware of the chaos that’s to come. In August 1819, tens of thousands gather in Manchester for one of Britain’s largest ever peaceful protests. Among them is weaver William Cheatham, who has travelled miles to stand with the crowd. As anticipation builds at St Peter’s Field, host Jen Baldwin and historian David Olusoga explore the ideas, tensions, and fears surrounding this unprecedented meeting. Because before the violence begins, the conditions for it are already falling into place. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: David Olusoga Editor: Caroline Harrower Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Petitions, Power, and Silence | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Part 3) | 17 Aug 2026 | 00:42:50 | |
The violence has stopped – but the fight is only just beginning. In the aftermath of Peterloo, William Cheatham’s story moves from the field into courts, petitions, and public debate. As he seeks recognition for what happened, his experience becomes part of a much larger struggle over how Peterloo will be understood. Joined by historian David Olusoga, host Jen Baldwin explores what justice looked like in 1819, and what happened when ordinary voices tried to be heard within systems determined to shut them out. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: David Olusoga Editor: Caroline Harrower Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Objects That Remain | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Bonus) | 24 Aug 2026 | 00:21:27 | |
Memories carved in wood and painted on china. Objects tell us a story of violence remembered and contested. Beyond the written record, Peterloo survives in the objects left behind.
For this bonus episode, host Jen Baldwin is joined by Jenny Mabbott from Manchester’s People’s History Museum to explore how fascinating items in the museum’s Peterloo collection reveal the violence, memory, and meaning of the massacre. Through these physical traces, a different perspective emerges: one that captures not just what happened, but how people remembered it, and why. Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin Researcher: Dan Edmonds Guest: Jenny Mabbott Editor: Caroline Harrower Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, Madeleine Gilbert, Jenny Mabbott and Laura Sullivan Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Rise, Power, Ruin: A Family History of the Industrial Revolution | Trailer | 26 Aug 2026 | 00:01:39 | |
Three families. One revolution. A lifetime of consequences. A story of skill and sacrifice in the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Historian Alice Loxton joins host and genealogist Jen Baldwin to trace three families whose lives were shaped by one of history’s greatest transformations. At Ironbridge Gorge, industry creates opportunity, security and prosperity. But what happens when change begins to leave communities behind? Listen to episode 1 from 1 September. Host: Jen Baldwin Researchers: Jen Baldwin Guest: Alice Loxton Editor: Caroline Harrower Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes, Thomas Davis, and Ellie Ayton Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||