Clergy and Criminal Violence in Later Medieval England and Wales - with Professor Peter D Clarke
Clergy formed a distinct and privileged group in later medieval society with respect to violent crime. Church law was intended to protect them from it, induce them to avoid it, and exempt them from secular justice following it. But in practice, were the clergy so separate from the violent culture around them and different from the laymen who dominated it? In this episode, Access and Digital Engagement Archivist Laura Yeoman talks with Professor Peter D Clarke of the University of Southampton about his new book on clergy and criminal violence, including some of the records from the Borthwick Institute which helped his research.
2 Apr 2026
York's Merchant Adventurers and the Petition of 1478 - with Diana Wallis
In 1478, a group of merchants from the Mystery of Mercers (now the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York) petitioned King Edward IV against John Pykryng, the Governor of the English merchant 'nation' in the Low Countries.
In this episode, Access and Digital Engagement Archivist Laura Yeoman talks with recent University of York Medieval Studies graduate Diana Wallis about her in-depth research into the circumstances surrounding the dispute between the merchants and Pykryng that led up to the petition.
To find out more about Diana's current research, see https://www.york.ac.uk/medieval-studies/our-research/research-associates/dianawallis/ (https://www.york.ac.uk/medieval-studies/our-research/research-associates/dianawallis/)
18 Dec 2025
Brad Ashton: Writing British comedy and Associated London Scripts
In this episode, we sit down for a chat with British comedy writing legend, Brad Ashton. Brad's career stretches back to the 1950s, and he was part of the incredible group of writers represented by the pioneering writers' agency, Associated London Scripts.
Brad tells us of his time working with comedy luminaries such as Galton and Simpson, Spike Milligan, Johnny Speight and Frankie Howerd; as well as giving us insights into how he approached comedy writing.
2 Oct 2025
Hannah Beswick, The Manchester Mummy - with Hannah Priest
Access and Digital Engagement Archivist Laura Yeoman talks with author Hannah Priest about her new book Unburied: The True Story of Hannah Beswick, the Manchester Mummy.
This episode explores the strange and unsettling tale of Hannah Beswick, the eighteenth-century woman whose body was preserved after death and placed on display in Manchester. Long wrapped in folklore as the 'Manchester Mummy', her story has been told in whispers of premature burial, hidden treasure, and Gothic legend. But as Priest reveals, the truth is far more complex.
Drawing on meticulous research, including records here at the Borthwick, Unburied uncovers what Hannah Beswick’s afterlife can tell us about Victorian attitudes to death, the treatment of human remains, and our enduring fascination with the macabre.
31 Jan 2022
Fertile Ground: Records of the Women’s Land Army in North Yorkshire.
Lydia Dean and Sally-Anne Shearn introduce the Borthwick’s newest project ‘Fertile Ground: Records of the Women’s Land Army in North Yorkshire’, drawing on the archive of Lady Celia Milnes Coates, WLA County Chairman for the North Riding.
We would like to thank Charlotte Catton, Fiona Neale, Natasha MacMahon, Graham Hughes, and Catherine Firth for kindly contributing readings from documents in the archive.
18 Dec 2020
An Archives Christmas
In our Christmas episode, Sally-Anne Shearn (our Collections Information Archivist) and members of the Borthwick team take us through how the festive season has been celebrated and experienced through time in our archives - including festive recipes, old traditions, grumpy shopkeepers and life on the Western Front.
Readings by: Neil Adams, Catherine Firth, Alison Fairburn, Charles Fonge, Gary Brannan, Sarah Griffin, Sally-Anne Shearn, James Neill, Lydia Dean, and Dorothy Waugh.
With special thanks to Will Cainan for his performance of 'Deck the Halls' on the trumpet. Sound effects provided by freesfx and the BBC Sound Effects Library.
7 Dec 2020
Deans, Deaneries and Deacons
In this episode, we hear about a very busy November in the archives, and Helen Watt from @tnorthernway takes us through the ins and outs of the church in the middle ages.
https://archbishopsregisters.york.ac.uk/northernway
16 Nov 2020
Alcoholics Anonymous: Ohio to Yorkshire
This time: a roundup of what we were up to here over October, and Project Archivist James Neill takes us through the compelling history of Alcoholics Anonymous in North America and Great Britain, with details about the archive held at the Borthwick.
Audio clips courtesy of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
https://borthcat.york.ac.uk/index.php/aa
26 Oct 2020
The Fiery Rail: The Crewe family and the coming of the railway
Join archivist Sally-Anne Shearn as she draws on the correspondence of Annabella Crewe held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives in York to tell the story of the railway revolution of the 19th century. Find out about this remarkable period in our history from the perspective of the wealthy and well connected Crewe family who gave their name to one of the most famous railway towns in England.
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