A Family History Of...

Epizodes

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  Paying the Price for Change | Rise, Power, Ruin: The Industrial Revolution (Part 3) 14.09.2026 38min

  A soldier survives war, only to face his greatest struggle at home. Swapping the battlefield for the mines, British Army soldier Matthew Taylor returns home to build a new life. He is confronted by job insecurity and relentless pressure. Host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by historian Alice Loxton to trace Matthew’s journey from soldier to coal miner. Can he survive such brutal conditions? What was the cost of Ironbridge’s rapid change for people like him? Host: Jen Baldwin Researcher: 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.
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  The Women Who Held Everything Together | Rise, Power, Ruin: The Industrial Revolution (Part 2) 07.09.2026 40min

  At the Coalport China Works, three generations of the Austin family pass down an intricate craft. Their careful work travels the globe, and yet their names are lost to history...  Historian Alice Loxton joins host and genealogist Jen Baldwin to uncover a hidden story of female labour. As the world changes around them, a key question emerges: what happens when a highly prized skill is no longer needed? 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.
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  Brothers of Iron and Ink | Rise, Power, Ruin: The Industrial Revolution (Part 1) 31.08.2026 42min

  Born sixteen years apart, two brothers inherit the same world, but live very different lives.  Harry Nicholas spends his days in the foundry. His younger brother follows a path of education and opportunity.  Host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by historian Alice Loxton to explore how two brothers navigate the same industrial community in very different ways, raising the question: how much say did ordinary workers have in their own futures?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.
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  Rise, Power, Ruin: A Family History of the Industrial Revolution | Trailer 26.08.2026 1min

  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.
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  Objects That Remain | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Bonus) 24.08.2026 21min

  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 BaldwinResearcher: Dan EdmondsGuest: Jenny MabbottEditor: Caroline HarrowerScript editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, Madeleine Gilbert, Jenny Mabbott and Laura SullivanProducers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James PlumbDesigner: Michael McCoshSocial media: Sarah CornesExecutive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Petitions, Power, and Silence | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Part 3) 17.08.2026 42min

  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 HarrowerScript 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.
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  The Charge | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Part 2) 10.08.2026 35min

  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 HarrowerScript 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.
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  A Lawful Assembly? | Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre (Part 1) 03.08.2026 46min

  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 HarrowerScript 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.
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  Peterloo: Britain's Forgotten Massacre | Trailer 29.07.2026 1min

  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.
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  From the Postbox | Your Somme Stories (Bonus) 28.07.2026 27min

  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.
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  Family Serving Side by Side | The Somme (Part 5) 27.07.2026 45min

  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.
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  What Remains? | The Somme (Part 4) 20.07.2026 27min

  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.
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  Two Tragic Telegrams | The Somme (Part 3) 13.07.2026 30min

  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.
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  The War Comes Home | The Somme (Part 2) 06.07.2026 28min

  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.
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  What really happened at the Somme? | Part 1 29.06.2026 32min

  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.
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  A Family History Of... The Somme | Trailer 24.06.2026 2min

  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.
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  What Naval Records Reveal | Gallipoli (Part 4) 22.06.2026 16min

  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 BaldwinEditor: CM87EditsScript editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine GilbertProducers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James PlumbDesigner: Michael McCoshSocial media: Sarah CornesExecutive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Aftershocks of the Campaign | Gallipoli (Part 3) 15.06.2026 31min

  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 CornesExecutive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Into the Dardanelles | Gallipoli (Part 2) 08.06.2026 29min

  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 CornesExecutive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Calm Before the Storm | Gallipoli (Part 1) 01.06.2026 33min

  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 CornesExecutive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.