Behind The Headlines of History

Ahead of International Women's Day, in this episode our stories explore different experiences and achievements of women throughout history - from the incredible story of a no-nonsense suffragist who travelled from the USA to London to investigate her two-timing husband (as reported in The Chicago Tribune, 24 August 1911) and her moment of activism recorded in the 1911 census, to the death of a Cornish 'witch' (The Courier and Argus, 27 January 1880). And listen to the end of the episode for some fitting NiBs - one highlighting a woman's achievements in longevity, and the other dipping into the pay negoitations for female bus conductors during WWI. All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. To see the articles, visit: newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/S2Ep8 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

There's a little Antipodean flavour to some of this week's stories - Michala takes us from a highway robbery in Bradford, England (reported in the Leeds Mercury, 30th December 1843) across the seas to Australia, tracing the fate of two men called Abraham. Not to be outdone, Brad takes the robbery theme and runs with it - all the way to New Jersey, where he picks up the story of a one armed bandit (of sorts) - from the The Courier-News, 6th February 1899. Then for this episode's News In Briefs, Michala brings to the table an extraordinary tale of a disprutive theatre-goer and Brad's unearthed an amusing Letter To Editor on the evolution of the Australian accent. All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

Sensitive ears (and noses!) beware - Brad's opening story in this episode is a bit of a stinker, involving a dispute over pig manure in Ireland (reported in the Nationalist and Leinster Times, 2nd January, 1886). Thankfully Michala is on hand to cleanse your auditory palettes with a tale about beer in Manchester...but before you take a sip, watch out, it's poisioned! (Story from the Guardian, 18th January, 1901). To round the episode off, this week's News In Briefs feature a big appetite, and a perculiar theft on someone's front doorstep. All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

Michala transports us back to the world of 1920s Birmingham gangland this week, and if you're a Peaky Blinders fan, some of the names in her newspaper article (from The Times, 28 April 1921) may be familiar...Then, not to be outdone, Brad unpicks the eye-opening headline 'Man Aged 130 has son 4 And a Wife in Her Twenties' (from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 27 July 1919). Then kick back and indulge in this epsiodes' News In Briefs - one featuring a lecture on...Scottish love songs (there's our nod to Valetine's Day) and another highlighting the inginuity of a 19th century Texan animal lover. All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

We're hopping across the Atlantic for this week’s episode - that's right, all our stories this week are sourced from newspapers in the USA. And there are some corkers hidden in that American newsprint. Whilst Brad doesn't believe in ghosts, the subject of his story - Mr Frank Swulius - certainly did; the spooky actions of his cursed dead mother are reported in The Chicago Tribune on 14 Dec 1902. And Michala's found a robbery with a twist; why did ten men cause pandemonium at the house of one Mrs Olive Whedon (as reported in The New York Times on 24 Oct 1885)? Listen to find out! And our News in Briefs involve a toothbrush fire, and a rather peculiar discovery in someone's pocket... All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

This year marks a number of notable World War II (WWII) anniversaries, most significantly, the 75th anniversary of VE Day - when combat ended in Europe. With this in mind, all our stories in this episode are WWII themed - giving insight into the lives of not just those that served but also the impact of war for the people at home in Britain, and how this was reported in the press at the time. Michala starts the episode with the sadly tragic story of the first civilian casualty of WWII, James Isbister (as reported in The Guardian on 18 March 1940), and Brad's headline 'Missing Reporter Safe: Plane's Crash Landing' pulls us into a tale of 'aerial mend and make do', and what happened to the plane - and one of the men involved (The Guardian, 23rd September, 1944). Rounding off the episode as always with our News In Briefs, Michala has a little nugget of dental advice for children during the war and Brad unearths a picture story of war-weary graffiti on a Norwegian street. Note - At around 16 mins 40 seconds into this episode, Brad mentions how living veterans of the 'First World War' are a good source of data. He did of course mean 'Second World War'. All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

Our hosts have served up a couple of Victorian chancers for your listening pleasure in today’s episode. Brad’s headline ‘Alleged Frauds on Ladies’ (from the Daily News, 5th October 1897) takes us into the world of fraudster who scammed Winston Churchill’s mother and Michala’s story (reported in Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, 6th January 1850) follows the exploits of a prison breaker. Then we have some audacious and dramatic News In Briefs, one involving a hair-raising street crime and another demonstrating the occupational hazards of lion taming… All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View this episode's newspaper articles here: newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/S2Ep2 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

Behind The Headlines of History is back for another season - and we couldn’t be more delighted to be sharing more weird and wonderful tales from the newstands of history with you! Michala is kicking off season two with a grisly story of the first private hanging (from the Liverpool Mercury, 15th August 1858) but it’s the executioner, Mr Calcraft, that she’s interrogating with her genealogy prowess. Then speaking of grisly (and things that go bump in the night) Brad brings to the table a tale of a murder revealed by...a ghost (from the Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser, 19 January 1861). And do you want to hear about a floury incident at a wedding, or a narrow escape from a bottle of lemonade? Then stick around until the end of the episode where as usual, we’ll be sharing our News In Briefs! All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View this episode's newspaper articles here: newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/S2Ep1 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

We’re back in your ears for a Christmas special of Behind The Headlines of History! All our stories in this episode have a seasonal slant, although perhaps not in the way you’d expect... Take a listen to discover the festive resonance of Brad’s headline: ‘Alleged Mock Marriage’ (from the Western Mail on December 24th, 1890) and to learn about Michala’s tale of ‘A Christmas Day Robbery’ - featuring a rather magnificent coat. (from the Yorkshire Herald and York Herald - 31st December 1887). For our festive News In Briefs, Brad shares a child’s letter to Santa requesting - amongst other things - a rag monkey and a cinematograph (from The Observer, 26th December 1909), followed by Michala painting a picture of Christmas Day in the workhouse with her article (from the Lancaster Gazette, 29th December, 1888). All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View this episode's newspaper articles here: newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/Christmas Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

It’s the last episode of our inaugural season of Behind The Headlines of History (but we'll be back!) and this week we’re marking Remembrance Day with stories related to the lives of people during WWI. Michala starts the episode with the incredible tale of Sapper Dorothy Lawrence - the ambitious female war correspondent who dressed as a man to make it to the British front line (from The Observer, 21st September 1919) and Brad’s uncovered an intriguing story of an officer in a POW camp reprimanded for having a kickabout with a loaf of bread (reported in The Times, 20th May 1915). And perhaps Brad and Michala were hungry when researching this week’s NiBs as both coincidentally both take a food-related theme (one more tragic than the other). All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources View this episode's newspaper articles here: newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/Ep10 Ancestry is offering free access to all UK WWI and WWII war time records from 7th to 11th November 2019 - visit www.ancestry.co.uk/freeaccess Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

This week we've got something a little different for you! This episode was recorded live at RootsTech London - an event dedicated to discovering family histories - on Saturday 26th October. The audio is a little different in this episode and unfortunately due to a technical issue on stage we were unable to record Michala's story and the usual 'News In Brief' stories. We're really sorry about that but hope you enjoy the episode nonetheless; we had a ball recording live in front of an audience! So in this episode, Brad shares "an occurence of extraordinary character" on an Irish mail train, and we have a Q&A with the audience at the show. Michala does give us a taste of her story (before the tech error), but not to worry listeners, she'll be telling the full story in a future episode of the pod! All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

Halloween is just around the corner, so in this week’s episode, Brad and Michala’s stories take a *spooky* turn. ‘Headline-less’ Brad kicks off proceedings with an article from the Observer on 31st October 1880 on old Halloween rituals and traditions - including a bizarre husband-snaring tactic involving a wet shirt, salting keyholes and the origins of apple bobbing. Then Michala takes us on a macabre journey, with the headline ‘Body Stealing At Barnsley” (From the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 7 Feb 1829). The episode rounds off, as always, with ‘News In Brief’, featuring things that go bump in the night and a windfall under a haunted tree... Warning: Episode features weird creepy laughter and ghoulish sounds from your hosts. Mwah ha ha…! All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View this episode's newspaper articles here: newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/Ep8 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

Brad's tasked himself with the challenge of trying to answer someone's plea to help them find living family members (from Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, 9th Sep, 1900) and Michala's story this week focuses on the surprising tale of Sir Gregory Lewin, a barrister gone bad: '"The Del Boy of History"! (Sparked by a news report in The Bradford Observer, 12 March 1840). Then, News In Brief evolved into a pub quiz - take a listen at the end of the episode to see what we mean... All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View this episode's newspaper articles here: newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/Ep7 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

We've got a little extra treat this week, with Brad 'the browser' and Michala 'the key word searcher' sitting down to pull back the curtain and reveal how they used Newspapers.com to find and research their stories for the podcast and more broadly, why newspapers are such a great tool for family history research. Normal service resumes early next week with episode 7 of Behind The Headlines of History! Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

This week, Michala introduces us to Fanny Oliver, a Victorian femme fatale who murdered her husband by arsenic poisoning (as reported in Berrow's Worcester Journal, 24 July 1869) and Brad digs into a family rift triggered by the stealing of cattle (covered by the Yorkshire Herald, 24 October 1881). And listen to 'News In Brief' at the end of the episode for a tongue in cheek report on what Victorian men looked for in a woman and a more sobering tale of a young girl literally on fire (don't worry, she survived). All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View the clips in this episode here: https://www.newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/ep6 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

If anyone can link a man being attacked on the street to a woman shopping for flower pots (covered in The Illustrated Police News, 6 September, 1879), Brad can! Stick with it, it’s a good’un! And Michala seamlessly takes us from ‘Snow’ to water, uncovering one of her history heroes (reported in the Yorkshire Herald, 26 June, 1858) Rounding off the episode In ‘News In Brief’, Brad spends a penny, and Michala’s livid over adulterated milk. All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View the clips in this episode here: https://www.newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/ep5 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

This week, Brad takes us up, up and away with a dramatic, theatrical and ultimately tragic tale of aeronaut Lieutenant George Gale and his flying pony (covered by the London Examiner on 14 September 1850), and Michala’s story of a Victorian bigamist (reported in the Newcastle Weekly Courant, 20 August, 1858) rivals the plot of any TV period drama! Then to round things off, a menagerie of creatures from sheep to birds feature in this episode’s News In Brief section! All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View the clips in this episode here: https://www.newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/ep4 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

There’s a somewhat sombre tone to episode three, with Brad and Michala each sharing a story and research stemming from the tragic year of 1862 - from a boiler explosion in Leicestershire (reported in the Bury and Norwich Post, 25 Jan. 1862) to the Hartley Colliery disaster (covered by the Newcastle Weekly Courant, 24 Jan. 1862). And if you’re not a fan of rodents or horse manure, prepare yourself for this week’s News In Brief stories... All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View the clips in this episode here: https://www.newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/ep3 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

In episode two, Michala tells the story of the colourful life and times of Old Jane Cakebread, who was making her 271st appearance before the North London Magistrates’ Court (as reported in the Huddersfield Chronicle and West Yorkshire Advertiser, Nov 1894) and Brad makes an impressive segue from a near drowning (covered by the Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser, 24 May 1851) to dentistry in the 19th century. Then, this week’s ‘News In Brief’ articles cover a South London spectre and vandalism of a grassy nature! Trigger Warnings: Discussion of alcoholism, mental illness. All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View the clips in this episode here: https://www.newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/ep2 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

In the first episode of Series 1, Michala shares the love story behind The Great Bullion Robbery that was reported in the press in 1855, and Brad’s research reveals how the perpetrator of a hazelnut theft, covered by The Hampshire Advertiser in 1877, is linked to Downton Abbey! To round the episode off, this week’s ‘News In Brief’ stories have a bit of a love and marriage theme... All newspaper articles referenced in this episode were sourced on Newspapers.com, with additional research conducted by Brad and Michala using Ancestry and other resources. View the clips in this episode here: https://www.newspapers.com/topics/bhhpodcast/ep1 Email: bhhpodcast@ancestry.com Tweet us: @Brad_Argent @UnearthThePast @AncestryUK @_Newspapers

Behind The Headlines of History is a new podcast from Ancestry and Newspapers.com that explores intriguing newspaper stories from the past. In every episode, hosts Brad Argent and Michala Hulme each share a historic newspaper article and put on their genealogy hats to find out more about some of the people involved in the story.