A Family History Of...

A Family History Of... Gallipoli | Trailer

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The General Strike | Part 5 - The Battle for Public Opinion

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The General Strike | Part 4 - The Strike's Long Shadow

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The General Strike | Part 3 - Enemy of the State

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The General Strike | Part 2 - The Gathering Storm

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 [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.