Show Notes
In this three-part series we're exploring stories in our collection with the theme of heroic deeds. As our long-time listeners will know, we like to go off the beaten path when it comes to telling the thousands of stories preserved in our national documents, so in these episodes, you'll hear about spies parachuting into enemy territories and knights slaying dragons, but you'll also hear about health inspectors trying to improve the living conditions of poor Londoners and leaders using their skills to organise for change. Anyone can do something heroic, make the choice to help even when it's dangerous, or act to challenge injustice. So in this series you'll hear famous names alongside those of everyday people from history who made a difference.
More from On the Record at The National Archives
The American Revolution is the origin story of the United States. But what did it look like from the other side? In a special two-part On the Record, we turn the map around, using original records held at The National Archives in Kew, London, to explore how the American Revolution was seen and understood in Britain. Subscribe now and join us when the series launches.
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.
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 history have challenged authority and fought for their voices to be heard. Our guests are Dr Neil Johnston, historian at The National Archives, and Dr Erica Canela, a public historian.
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.
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 to literary icons and to everyday people, this episode shares some of the stories behind these captivating records. Featuring specialists Sean Cunningham, Vicky Iglikowski-Broad and Mollie Clarke, we explore how these letters survived, what they reveal about relationships shaped by power, distance and circumstance. Read the full episode transcript here.