National Archives Podcast
06/02/12 03:27
Published date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT
The National Archives held a one day conference at Kew on Saturday 1 October 2011. The conference brought together an audience wanting to know more about the census, from genealogists to local and social historians.
The conference looked at all aspects of the census and at what this rich source of information can tell us about our ancestors and society through the ages. Speakers included specialist staff from The National Archives, academics and professional genealogists.
Link to National Archives podcast.
National Archives Podcast: Overseas births, marriages and deaths
09/07/11 00:37
Published date: Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:00:00 GMT
There is no single place to find all the birth, marriage and death records of the British overseas. However, The National Archives holds a substantial number of them, in a variety of record collections.
This talk looks at civilian and military registers kept by the British authorities, and by churches, consulates and other bodies abroad. Please note that this talk does not include events at sea, which are the subject of a separate talk.
Speaker Keith Mitchell joined The National Archives ten years ago and specialises in overseas birth, marriage and death records.
Link to the National Archives podcast
National Archives Podcast: Two centuries of census taking
08/06/11 06:14
The census has been described as a 'snapshot in time', recording the nation as it stands at midnight on one Sunday every ten years. But the preparation for each census started years before each census date, and the collating and publishing of the results continued long after.
This talk takes a look at the army of civil servants, temporary clerks, registrars, enumerators and others, and the part they played in this astonishing feat of organisation once a decade. Of course, there were incidents and accidents along the way, some of which are revealed in the talk, including the only time advertising was allowed on census material: it didn't end well!
Audrey Collins is family history records specialist with a particular interest in the history and organisation of the General Register Office, including the census.
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National Archives Podcast: Criminal Records of our ancestors
25/04/11 19:37
The second half of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries were characterised by rapid increase in population, urbanisation and impressive industrial growth. It was also a period of rising crime rates and grave concerns about criminality.
This podcast takes researchers through the various stages of the criminal justice system of the period and focuses on the various records created, from the commission of a crime, through the court processes and on to the records of punishment.
Jeff James is Director of Operations and Services at The National Archives, and has previously worked as Head of Operations at The British Library, in the University sector and as a Submariner in the Royal Navy. Jeff has an MA in History from the University of Hertfordshire and has a particular interest in 18th and 19th century crime and poverty.
Link to most recent podcast from the National Archives