A Family History Of...

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 BaldwinResearchers: Jen Baldwin and Barry KlineOral History Credits: Northumberland ArchivesGuest: Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum)Editor: CM87EditsScript Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, and James PlumbProducers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James PlumbDesigner: Michael McCoshExecutive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James

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 ArchivesGuest: 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 

One working-class mining family, and nine days that reshaped a nation’s history. Humble miner Will Lawther rose from the pit to face the frontlines of the 1926 General Strike, swapping coal dust for politics. Across four episodes, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by historian Jonathan Kindleysides (Beamish Museum) to trace how one family and one determined young man met an extraordinary moment in British history. Together, they uncover how a week‑long national strike redefined identity and the meaning of standing together. Listen to Part 1 from 28 April - follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

When records are fractured, biased, or simply gone, how do you tell a true family story?  In this final part of A Family History of the Irish Famine, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin steps into the silences surrounding Archibald MacKenzie’s life. Through the archives, the missing lines, and the traces that remain, she asks what survival really meant, and what it cost the countless families who left no trail behind. Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin  Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, Daisy Goddard, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James 

One Irish family fights to rebuild after the Famine.By the mid‑1850s, Archibald MacKenzie has crossed the sea to Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, trading the barren fields of Cork for the roar of furnaces. The MacKenzie family rebuilds in a world thick with smoke and prejudice. Host and genealogist Jen Baldwin, and her guest, Irish genealogy expert Fiona Fitzsimons, trace his footsteps through the evidence. What does survival look like for an Irish family forging a future in the iron valleys of Wales? Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Fiona Fitzsimons Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, Daisy Goddard, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James 

Hunger spreads. Tempers ignite One man swept into a riot.  It’s September 1845 in Coolderrihy, and hunger is beginning to bite. As fear and anger are on the rise, Archibald MacKenzie finds himself in the thick of a desperate riot. Join host and genealogist Jen Baldwin, and her guest, Irish genealogy expert Fiona Fitzsimons, as they unpick the records behind this moment. What drives an ordinary man to risk everything in this changing world? Host and Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Fiona Fitzsimons Editor: CM87Edits Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, Daisy Goddard, and Ellie Ayton Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James