Secrets of the Prize Papers: Trade, Loot and Letters
On the Record at The National Archives
Release Date: 12/12/2024
The People's Charter
On the Record at The National Archives
In this episode of On the Record, we explore Chartism, Britain’s first mass political movement, driven by the working classes. It emerged in response to the failure of the 1832 Reform Act to extend the right to vote beyond those who owned property. The Chartists published newspapers, organised mass rallies, and, in some cases, took up arms, becoming a driving force for reform. To guide us through this movement, we’re joined by Joe Cozens, a historian at The National Archives whose work explores working-class politics.
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Trailer: The People's Charter
On the Record at The National Archives
In our next episode of On the Record, we explore the rise of Chartism, the 19th-century working-class mass movement that shook Britain’s political establishment.
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The Putney Debates
On the Record at The National Archives
In 1647, inside St Mary’s Church in Putney, army generals sat alongside ordinary soldiers to debate nothing less than the future of the nation. Should political power remain in the hands of property owners, as it always had? Or could it be a birthright - something every man possessed simply by being born? In this episode, we step into the Putney Debates, where soldiers, radicals, and reformers wrestled with bold, world shaping ideas about rights, representation, and how society should be governed. This is part two of People and Power, our miniseries exploring how people across British...
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Trailer: The Putney Debates
On the Record at The National Archives
Coming soon…In our next episode of On the Record, we step inside St Mary’s Church, Putney in 1647, where soldiers, radicals, and reformers wrestled with bold, world‑shaping ideas about rights, representation, and how society should be governed.
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Magna Carta
On the Record at The National Archives
When King John sealed Magna Carta in 1215, it was meant to end a civil war. Instead, it sparked an idea that still resonates today. In this episode, we explore two medieval documents that shaped ideas about power in society - Magna Carta and the 1265 summons list for a parliament led by the charismatic baron Simon de Montfort. This is the first instalment of our mini-series People and Power, which looks at how people have challenged authority and fought to have their voices heard in Britain. Our guests are Paul Dryburgh and Jessica Nelson, historians at The National Archives.
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Trailer: Magna Carta
On the Record at The National Archives
Coming soon...In the gripping first episode to our People and Power mini‑series, we explore two medieval documents that reshaped ideas about power in society, Magna Carta and the 1265 summons list for Simon de Montfort’s parliament.
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Love Letters
On the Record at The National Archives
Love letters might not be what you’d expect to find in a government archive, yet The National Archives holds an extraordinary collection spanning over 500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice and passion. From heartfelt declarations to calculated proposals, intimate notes and secret exchanges, these records reveal the deeply human emotions captured in the nation’s documents. As we open Love Letters, a free exhibition at our Kew site, running until 12 April 2026, showcasing correspondence from royalty, parliamentarians, relating...
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Trailer: Love Letters
On the Record at The National Archives
In our next episode of On the Record, we explore 500 years of devotion, longing and forbidden love from our new Love Letters exhibition at The National Archives in Kew running until 12 April 2026, uncovering the intimate stories preserved in the nation’s archives.
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People of the railways
On the Record at The National Archives
The story of Britain's railways isn't just about steam engines and steel tracks—it’s about the people who built them, worked on them, and sometimes fought for their rights along the way. To mark the 200th anniversary of the first modern passenger railway in 2025, this episode explores the human stories hidden within The National Archives' vast railway collections, focusing on records up to around 1950. Hosted by family history specialist Jessamy Carlson, with railway historian Mike Esbester and records specialist James Cronan, the episode uncovers tales from accident registers that capture...
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Trailer: People of the railways
On the Record at The National Archives
In our next episode of On the Record, we uncover the personal stories behind Britain’s railway history—tragedy, resilience, and everyday journeys. Join us as we mark 200 years of rail travel through The National Archives’ records.
info_outlineAcross more than 4,000 boxes in The National Archives sits a significant collection of letters, papers and artifacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815.
In this first episode of a three-part series, Chloe Lee meets Oliver Finnegan, a specialist in what is known as the Prize Papers collection. Oliver tells Chloe about some of the most fascinating items in the collection, providing insights into global trade, warfare, and the everyday lives of the people who lived during the Age of Sail.
For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/PrizP1