A Family History Of...

As fascism advanced on East London, whole communities fought back. The Battle of Cable Street is remembered as the day East London stopped the fascists. But inside that famous story are very different lives, choices, and consequences. Host and genealogist Jen Baldwin and Beth Gaskell from the British Library uncover the history of this day through ordinary people: Jewish brothers arrested amid the disorder, a young activist who spent decades defending its legacy, and a woman helping build support for fascism itself. Together, their stories reveal a day of resistance, division and conviction, and the people pulled into its path. Listen from 29 September, wherever you get your podcasts.Host: Jen Baldwin Researcher: Jen Baldwin Guest: Beth Gaskell, Lead Curator of News and Moving Image, British Library Editor: Guy Bettison Script editors: Madeleine Gilbert, Niall Cullen, and Daisy Goddard Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb Designer: Michael McCosh Social media: Sarah Cornes, Ellie Ayton, and Thomas Davis Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James

Beyond the written record, the people of Ironbridge Gorge can still be found in the stories passed down through generations.In this special bonus episode, host Jen Baldwin is joined by her Producer, Ellie Ayton, to answer your questions about researching ancestors at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.Host: Jen Baldwin Guest: Ellie AytonEditor: 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 

The furnaces have fallen silent – but the stories they left behind are just beginning to be uncovered.  Curators, historians and researchers are still piecing together the lives of the families who shaped the Ironbridge Gorge. Forgotten workers. Remarkable archive discoveries. For this special episode, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin is joined by National Trust curators Helen Antrobus and Lauren Collier for a peek behind the scenes. They explore why the story of Ironbridge is far from finished... Host: Jen Baldwin Researcher: Jen Baldwin  Guests: Helen Antrobus and Lauren CollierEditor: 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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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