Shows / The History of England
The History of England
This my re-telling of the story of England. I aim to be honest, and rigorous - but always loving of my country's history. It is a regular, chronological podcast, starting from the end of Roman Britain. There are as many of the great events I can squeeze in, of course, but I also try to keep an eye on how people lived, their language, what was important to them, the forces that shaped their lives and destinies, that sort of thing. To listen free of adverts, support the podcast, access a library…
Episodes
The History of England417 Kicking the Rump
The promised land looked for so longingly by so many seemed in 1653 to be stubbornly remote. Legal reform blocked, religious programmes cancelled, an…
The History of EnglandMilton, Nedham and the Commonwealth with Anthony Bromley
John Milton and Marchamont Nedham were unlikely bedfellows; and yet they became friends, worked closely together and in their very different ways sought to…
The History of England416 Acts of Settlement and War
The English Commonwealth took a very different approach to settling the threats which had faced it in 1649, and the future of the three kingdoms. In Ireland…
The History of England415 Rumpers
So, while the army was away, August 1649 to September 1651 what had the Rump parliament been doing to build the promised new world of Liberty? We find out that…
The History of England414 The Ground of Liberty
The deal struck between the Covenanters and Charles brought an invasion from the Commonwealth that faced annihalation at Dunbar in September 1650. Exactly a…
The History of England413 Cromwell in Ireland
The Council of State were convinced that only General Cromwell could deliver victory in Ireland; and Cromwell used this to negotiate the best possible supply…
The History of EnglandPart II Sam and David's English Revolution Q&A
Part two, about 30 questions I think; Religion, the public Sphere, culture - and a couple of 'What Ifs' which were really good funFor maps, resources…
The History of EnglandPart I Sam and David English Revolution Q&A
We had a vast number of brilliant quesrtions. Sam (Pax Britannica) and David (of this parish) had a lovely time - but went on a bit, there's no denying it. So…
The History of England412 Levelers and Diggers
In April 1649 the new Commonwealth was under siege, enemies with and without. The Levelers saw the new Commonwealth as a betrayal of the revolution, and set…
The History of England411 Commonwealth and Free State
On 30th January, Charles I went to the scaffold, the first king to be publicly tried and executed by his people. He died with enormous dignity - and was duly…
The History of EnglandBritain's Prehistory with Richard Grove
I am about to start a new series for Shedcast members, called Birth of Britain. It takes British history from the year dot to somewhere around 600. So I am…
The History of England410 Tyrant, Traitor, Murderer
Once the decision was taken to put Charles on trial, the Commissiobners agonised about the detail at Westminster; the trial must be seen to be fair. But few…
The History of England409 Agreement of the People
The New Model, Levellers and Radical MPs reacted with steely determination to the adoption of the Newport treaty. It was probably Ireton that inspired Pride's…
The History of England408 The Treaty of Newport
In July. Hamilton launched his army of Scots across the border, in confident expectation that his 14,000 would be swelled by enthusiastic English royalists…
The History of England407 The Peoples' Distress
If the people of England had gone to war to build a better world, by January 1648 they were seriously unimpressed with what Utopia looked like. The issues that…
The History of England406 Engagements
In November 1647 at Corkbush field near Ware, Fairfax faced a dangerous threat to army unity - the work of the Leveller Agitators had incited some regiments to…
The History of England405 The Putney Debates
Following the attenpt by parliament to close the army down without pay, and the resulting August 1647 coup, the army was a seething mass of worries and…
The History of England404 A New Model Coup
In July, England had the prospect of king, Fairfax and Army triumphantly entering London with a new, open and tolerant constitution and a bright future. But…
The History of England403 No Mere Mercenary Army
With the king under their control, the determination of Fairfax's Army made Presbyterian parliamentarians buckle. And when Ireton presented the carefully…
The History of England402 Enemies of the State
In 1647 The New Model Army became a battleground between Independant and Presbyterian factions. Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell were caught in the middle…
The History of England401 The Mind of a Martyr
In June 1646 Charles' path had taken him to the Scots, on the hope he could persuade them to put him back on the English throne. But he was not prepared to pay…
The History of England400 Many Thousand Citizens
The Levellers were not an organized, structured politial party or pressure group. They were a loose association of radicals who found they shared new ideas…
The History of EnglandAAG 1643-1646 The First Civil War
In one sense this is a Tale of Two Cities - Oxford and London, HQs of King and Parliament. But the First Civil war is a conflict that reaches into every town…
The History of England399 End Game
Charles options in 1645 were increasingly limited, as Fairfax and Cromwell closed down garrison after garison, and parliament defeated the few remaining…
The History of EnglandJonathan Healey and the Blazing World
17th Century was a century of change and revolution, a world beautifully described in the a rich and varied book, The Blazing World. Historian Jonathan Healey…
- The History of England
398 The Clubmen
After Naseby, Fairfax took the New Model on the Western Campaign, to deal with the last remaining significant royalist army in the field - George Goring at…
- The History of England
397 In Assurance of Victory
We come to 1645, and the first test of the New Model Army. To Charles and Rupert this was an opportunity to destroy it while full of raw recruits. Through the…
The History of England396 The New Model Army
Despite the realities of the strategic situation, parliament and people were deeply discouraged by the failures of the Lostwithial and Newbury campaigns…
- The History of England
Anglo Saxon Rendlesham
Excavations in Suffolk near Sutton Hoo have revealed fascinating news about the royal centre at Rendlesham, active from 570 to 730 ish. There's that - and news…
The History of England395 Forever Newbury
In his efforts to secure Oxford's safety,Charles was faced at Newbury by a far larger army. Find out what happens - and then we go north, where Montrose and…
- The History of England
394 Lost With It All
The defeat at Marston Moor in July 1644 raised the very, very strong possibility of the king's defeat. In the Midlands, a small force under the king faced the…
- The History of England
393 We Saw No Light
1644 opened with Charles' 'Mongrel parliament' at Oxford, and was the model of compliance. Not so at York where the noose of the Scots and Fairfax tightened…
- The History of England
392 The Neighbourhood War
The Civil Wars used to be thought of as a rather neighbourly affair, not like those brutal foreign wars. But it's become clear that there was far more death…
- The History of England
391 The National War
Between a quarter and a third of adult males up to 50 will fight in the first civil war. Most families will be affected in some way. Here is the story of those…
- The History of England
Madame Tussaud, Maria Manning, and the True Crime Controversy of 1849
Gavin Whitehead gives a guest episode from the Art of Crime podcast - where True crime, History and Art meet. Today - Maria Manning and the Bermondey horror…
- The History of England
390 Leagues and Covenants
In August 1643 came one of the defining moments of the course of the Revolution - the swearing of the Solemn League and Covenant between England and Scotland…
- The History of England
389 Newsheets and Newbury
In July 1643 the propaganda war was in full swing, and newsheets opened up from both Oxford and London. London was rent by protests, while the royalist cause…
- The History of England
Margaret Cavendish with Prof Margaret Oakes
Margaret Cavendish was an extraordinary figure - a refugee from her native Essex, become courtier, Duchess of Newcastle, Natural Philosopher trading blows with…
- The History of England
388 Runaway Down
By April it was clear Charles expected to reduce his kingdoms to obedience by war, and would not make peace. By July his cause would be tested at Chalgrove…
- The History of England
387 Sinews of War
Early 1643 was not a good idea for peace. By April, both the Scots and English parliament had tired of Charles' negotiating style and started talking to each…
- The History of England
AAG 1641-1642 The Descent to War
Strafford's death did not achieve the objective of clearing the path to agreement between king and subject - instead it hardened hearts, and started the clock…
- The History of England
386 The Fighting Spreads
Violence had spread by the end of 1642; despite the King's failure at Turnham Green, multiple armies now swept England, in Ireland the Confederate Association…
- The History of England
385 The Battle for London
After Edgehill, the road to London lay open for the kong. By November 13th, Charles' army faced the Londoners on the common ground west of London at Turnham…
- The History of England
384 Breaking Storm
Charles' situation in August looked dire. But at Shrewsbury, soldiers came to his call, arms reached him from Henrietta Maria, and in October he had an army…
- The History of England
383 Choosing Sides
A general sense of disbelief that war was necessary persisted well into 1643. And yet, over time most were forced to make choices. this episdoe about what made…
- The History of England
382 War of Words
Charles' flight from the capital gave the separation into two camps physical form. Now King and Parliament began to lay out their stall, why their cause was…
- The History of England
British Reaction to the French Revolution by Grey History
William Clark of the Grey History podcast on the French Revolution discusses how British reactions changed to the French Revolution, and two great opponents of…
- The History of England
381 Six Days
From his return to London in November 1641, Charles and his courtiers built a party in parliament; moderates believed enough was enough, and feared the growing…
- The History of England
380 Irish Revolt
In an atmosphere of panic caused by news of a massive Irish uprising, the struggle for reform met it’s greatest challenge in the attempt to pass the Grand…
The History of England379 The King's Party
Many MPs began to think enough had been done. Charles meanwhile had decided he would never compromise with the Junto; now he would defeat them at their own…
- The History of England
378 Protestations
In a time of national danger and an explosion of print and debate, the Protestation Oath of 1641 was a remarkable act of nation building. But it's success did…
- The History of England
377 After Strafford
After Strafford, the idea of a genuine compromise was probably dead. Either king or Parliament would need to find a way to force the other into acceptance of…
- The History of England
AAG 1638-1641 The Search for Peace
In 1640 at last Charles is forced to call a parliament and search with parliament for an accomodation. But Charles was to discover the price for restoring…
- The History of England
Three Ravens Yorkshire
Eleanor and Matin discuss folk traditions across England for the day, including the Bideford Foot Race, then dig into the stories of England’s largest county –…
- The History of England
376 Letters of Blood
As opposition to reform gathered in parliament and the king plotted to regain control, all came down to Strafford. Would the architect and executor of the…
- The History of England
375 Divisions
Charles' response to the Scottish Declaration was severe; but it also caused a division in the Junto, and among MPs. Meanwhile, as poublic religious debate…
- The History of England
374 Paradise Lost
Francis Russell, Earl of Bedford believed that an accommodation could be reached with Charles - a amoderate agreement that would preserve the king's honour but…
- The History of England
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Angevin Empire
This is the story of how Eleanor of Aquitane's choices helped create an Empire is Wesern Europe. And to persaude you to suppot the podcast through membership…
- The History of England
373 Dreaming of a Golden Age
The Parliament that convened in November 1641 would define Charles' reign. He would have to offer some concessions. but who would define their extent? The…
- The History of England
372 Go On Vigorously
Charles and his Privy Council stretched life and limb to equip and pay for a new army to pull the king out of this fire. The Junto and Scots did everything…