THE ENGLISH HERITAGE PODCAST
Every object has a story to tell.
But how can one mystery item lead us on a journey through history, people and places?
In the English Heritage podcast, comedian and writer Amy Matthews brings you entertaining tales from unexpected places. Each week, we begin with a mystery item and with the help of English Heritage experts and special guests, Amy explores what our past can tell us about our present and perhaps our future.
Enslaver, politician, survivor: the complex life of Elizabeth Vassall
In the late 1790s, Sir Godfrey Webster, heir to Battle Abbey, challenged politician Henry Holland to a duel over a portrait of his wife Elizabeth. Unhappy in her marriage, Elizabeth would divorce Godfrey and marry Henry just two days later. This would mark the beginning of a high-profile life for her in English politics.
But who was this wealthy and privileged Jamaican heiress and how did she exercise her power at a time when women were not allowed to take public roles?
This time on the English Heritage podcast, Amy uncovers the extraordinary life of a woman born to a Jamaican plantation owner, her early married life in Sussex, her European travels, scandalous divorce and the foundation of one of the Whig party’s most prominent salons in London.
Joining Amy is Dr Miranda Kauffman, who’s been researching the connections between heiresses like Elizabeth Vassall, historic places and the wealth generated by chattel slavery. Battle Abbey’s Dr Kathryn Bedford helps uncover Elizabeth’s nuanced character through the depictions and interpretations of her throughout her life.
Listen HereEpisodes to listen to this month
Join us on The English Heritage Podcast as we unpick the real events and people behind the famous story of the Battle of Hastings. We discuss who had the strongest claim to the English throne, what happened in the days and months leading up to the battle and what William I did to cement his reign in the years that followed the Norman Conquest.
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The events and people behind the Battle of Hastings
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What happened after the Battle of Hastings?
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A coin, a castle and a conquest: the Normans in the north of England
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Who was William the Conqueror?
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The rise, reign and fall of Harold Godwinson
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Ask The Experts: everything you want to know about the Battle of Hastings
All Episodes
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Speaking with shadows
When you’re wandering about a historic place, what voices do you hear echoing off the walls? Are they the ones you learnt about at school – or do you wonder about the shadowy, quiet voices that may have gone unheard?
Travel from 17th-century Northamptonshire, where we hear about the heroic servant who may have become Britain’s first black pub landlord, to wartime Essex, where Polish special forces soldiers trained in secrecy for life or death missions to their homeland.
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