Want to hear more from The National Archives? We'd like to introduce you to On the Record, a new podcast bringing old stories to life. 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 e…

William faces yet another revolt. This time it is not the Anglo-Saxons rising up against him. This is a case of keeping your enemies close, but your friends closer. Once the Normans have consolidated their grip on England, they set about changing the landscape of the Kingdom and then going further by documenting all that is owed to the Norman King.…

The Normans have forced the Danes to leave England. But a threat still remains - Hereward the Wake. He makes his stand at Ely, an island surrounded by marshland. There are also changes to the Church in England, in which William brings it more into line with Rome, and the Church in Normandy. As the Normans attempt to stamp their authority on the Chu…

The Danes are coming! William is still plagued by uprisings in England, and yet, he must face a new threat to his throne - King Swein II of Denmark. As the Danes ravage the area around the Humber, William must decide where to concentrate his efforts - against the rebellious English or the invading Danes!…

Join us as we follow King William in his struggle to pacify England. Rebellions in the south-west and north test William's mettle as the Anglo-Saxons put up fierce resistance! Can William secure his throne against hostile forces from within England and across the Irish Sea?By thebaldhistorian

Join us once again as we follow William the Conqueror's journey through southern England as he attempts to be crowned and establish his authority over his new kingdom. But alas, a plot is established to overthrow William whilst he is back in Normandy. Can William gather intelligence on the plot in order to save his crown?…

Join us as we journey back to the 11th century and meet such characters as Harald Hardrada, Harold Godwinson and William of Normandie, as they battle it out to decide who is the rightful King of the English! Learn about the events leading up to the battles of Fulford, Stamford Bridge and Hastings, and gain an insight into the battles themselves.…

The global datafication of economy, society and politics has rendered humans into constellations of datapoints. Technologies measure, monitor, predict and classify to enable personalization in the online and offline worlds alike, and we are increasingly offered bespoke realities: advertising, healthcare, government services, and recommendations uni…

The 1848-1849 cholera epidemic in England and Wales was described by a government report as if a ‘foreign army’ had ‘held possession of the country, and slain 53,293 men, women and children’. In the mid-19th century the country faced an epidemic of filth; poorly drained, overcrowded towns created an environment ripe for diseases like typhus […]…

Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford and Fellow of St Cross College, introduces his ground-breaking biography of Thomas Cromwell, the self-made statesman who married his son to King Henry VIII’s sister-in-law, re-shaped Tudor England and Ireland, and sent the kingdom on a Protestant course…

In this talk to mark the latest volume of his epic history of post-war Britain, television presenter and best-selling author Dominic Sandbrook recreates the strange world of early 1980s, taking in everything from Margaret Thatcher, Ian Botham and Spandau Ballet, to the Falklands War, the Sinclair Spectrum and the Sony Walkman.…

Rebecca Gowers uncovered a fascinating story within her family tree – that of Harry Larkyns. She learnt that Harry was an attractive cad who lived a charmed life, right up until the moment he fell in love with the wife of noted photographer, Eadweard Muybridge. In this ‘Meet the Author’ event (recorded over Zoom), Rebecca […]…

Trevor Barnes is the author of a new study of one of the Cold War’s most notorious spy cases – the Portland Spy Ring. In this ‘Meet the Author’ talk, Trevor is joined by Professor Chris Andrew of Cambridge University to discuss his latest book, Dead Doubles.By Professor Chris Andrew

Opening up the electorate in 1918 to some women voters naturally triggered a conversation about female parliamentarians. Under the 1918 Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act, Nancy Astor was the first female MP to take her seat. In this talk, Dr Jacqui Turner reflects on Astor’s achievements and on how she became a totem for women […]…

In this ‘Meet the Author’ event (recorded over Zoom), Dermot Turing discusses his latest book, The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park, with our Collections Expert, Mark Dunton. The book examines the lives of the brilliant and eccentric individuals who cracked the seemingly unbreakable Enigma code.By Dermot Turing

The National Archives’ collections offer a valuable insight into how the government interacted with and viewed LGBTQ communities in the past, at a time when the State played a major role in repressing and controlling the lives of gay and bisexual men and women. This talk takes you through records relating to queer history, using photographs, court …

What are the opportunities, and challenges, of working collaboratively with archivists, academics and community groups? The theme of this year’s Gerald Aylmer seminar was ‘Co-production and collaboration in the archives’. It was a day of discussion, analysis and learning, featuring a range of collaborative projects, as seen from the perspectives an…

What are the opportunities, and challenges, of working collaboratively with archivists, academics and community groups? The theme of this year’s Gerald Aylmer seminar was ‘Co-production and collaboration in the archives’. It was a day of discussion, analysis and learning, featuring a range of collaborative projects, as seen from the perspectives an…

What are the opportunities, and challenges, of working collaboratively with archivists, academics and community groups? The theme of this year’s Gerald Aylmer seminar was ‘Co-production and collaboration in the archives’. It was a day of discussion, analysis and learning, featuring a range of collaborative projects, as seen from the perspectives an…

What are the opportunities, and challenges, of working collaboratively with archivists, academics and community groups? The theme of this year’s Gerald Aylmer seminar was ‘Co-production and collaboration in the archives’. It was a day of discussion, analysis and learning, featuring a range of collaborative projects, as seen from the perspectives an…

What are the opportunities, and challenges, of working collaboratively with archivists, academics and community groups? The theme of this year’s Gerald Aylmer seminar was ‘Co-production and collaboration in the archives’. It was a day of discussion, analysis and learning, featuring a range of collaborative projects, as seen from the perspectives an…

The one-day conference – ‘Manorial Documents: Past, present and into the future’ – took place at The National Archives on Tuesday 25 September 2018. The conference was a collaborative event between the Manorial Documents Register (MDR) Advisory Panel and The National Archives, with an aim to: Promote the Manorial Documents Register as a valuable re…

The one-day conference – ‘Manorial Documents: Past, present and into the future’ – took place at The National Archives on Tuesday 25 September 2018. The conference was a collaborative event between the Manorial Documents Register (MDR) Advisory Panel and The National Archives, with an aim to: Promote the Manorial Documents Register as a valuable re…

The one-day conference – ‘Manorial Documents: Past, present and into the future’ – took place at The National Archives on Tuesday 25 September 2018. The conference was a collaborative event between the Manorial Documents Register (MDR) Advisory Panel and The National Archives, with an aim to: Promote the Manorial Documents Register as a valuable re…

The one-day conference – ‘Manorial Documents: Past, present and into the future’ – took place at The National Archives on Tuesday 25 September 2018. The conference was a collaborative event between the Manorial Documents Register (MDR) Advisory Panel and The National Archives, with an aim to: Promote the Manorial Documents Register as a valuable re…

Matt Norman talks to Keith Mitchell about civil registration – the system for recording births, marriages and deaths in the UK. How and when did the system start? Where can you find the records? What can you see online? Find out the answers from Keith in this short podcast. You can also use the research guides on our website to find out about birth…

Matt Norman talks to Roger Kershaw about records relating to people that came to England and Wales from other countries to live and work. What records were created when people arrived here? How did people become British citizens? What can you see online? Find out the answers from Roger in this short podcast. You can also use the research guides on …

Matt Norman talks to Nigel Taylor about wills – the document used for centuries to control what happens to property when somebody dies. Who would have left a will? What information can you find in them? Are they all at The National Archives? Find out the answers from Nigel in this short podcast. You can also use the research guides on our website t…

Matt Norman talks to Chrissy Peters about Discovery – the online catalogue for The National Archives and 2500 other archives. What is in Discovery? How can you find what you want in it? Are the records in Discovery digitised? Find out the answers from Chrissy in this short podcast. You can use the Help with your research pages on our website to fin…

The census documents information about the population taken every ten years. How and when did the system start? Where can you find the records? What can you see online? Find out the answers from Audrey in this short podcast. You can also use the research guides on our website to find out about census records and the 1939 Register. Please note that …