A house through time

Professor Angela Smith's research into early 20th century social welfare has been used to inform the content of the popular BBC2 programme, A House Through Time.  Using extensive data - mostly gleaned from the National Archives - Angela's research was published in a 2012 book which examines the way in which British widows of servicemen who died in the First World War were represented in society and by themselves, exploring the intertwining discourses of social welfare, national identity, and morality that can be identified in these texts. The third series of A House Through Time focuses on a house in Bristol, and as the timeline reached the early part of the 20th century, researchers there found three sisters who were widowed as a result of the First World War.  Angela's research led to the development of this aspect the house's history being explored in a 20-minute section of the third episode of the series, and for the first time in the series, viewers were able to hear the testimony of a former resident of the house who revisited it, and was interviewed by host, David Olusoga. This programme attracts more than 3m viewers per episode, which makes it the most popular show on the channel.

Discourses Surrounding British Widows of the First World War (Bloomsbury, 2012). 

Angela Smith on British widows of the First World War

Angela Smith recently presented a talk based on her research relating to British widows of the First World War to the University of the Third Age (U3A), Newcastle.  This research is also being drawn on by the producers of the social history television programme, A House Through Time. Angela has been helping to explain more of the lives and social context of some of the residents of an old house in Bristol for the third series of the show, which is due to be broadcast in spring 2020.

Murder, mystery and my family

PhD student Patrick Low will be appearing in an episode of BBC 1’s Murder, Mystery and My Family on Thursday 4th April 2019 at 9.15 am. 

Patrick researches nineteenth-century executions in North East England, and his expertise was drawn on in this episode which features the execution of Michael Gilligan, hanged alongside William McHugh and Elizabeth Pearson at Durham Prison in 1875. Patrick meets the family, talks about the execution and gives details about the prisoners' final moments. 

Geoff Nash on the BBC

In July Dr Geoff Nash (English) appeared on the BBC One programme Great British Islam. The documentary explores the lives and legacies of three English nineteenth-century Muslim converts: William Quilliam, Baron Headley and Marmaduke Pickthall. You can view it here.