Stories from the collection

Singer and broadcaster Evelyn Dove (1902–1987) achieved a number of firsts including, in 1925, becoming the first woman of African heritage on BBC Radio.

The first Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was prompted by the sinking of RMS Titanic. Signed in 1914, it established international shipping standards.

This letter details the circumstances of the strange disappearance of famous author Agatha Christie in 1926.

14-year-old cabin boy John Giles Hipkin became Britain's youngest Second World War prisoner of war in 1941 after he was captured at sea.

Through intrigue and ambition Thomas Cromwell rose to become one of Henry VIII's key advisors. What can records at The National Archives tell us about his life?

This ordinary will from 1587 gives us a glimpse of an Elizabethan woman’s concerns on her deathbed.

How do you reward a medieval poet? This document granted the author of the Canterbury Tales an unusual royal gift: a daily allowance of wine.

In 1888, the women and girls employed by Bryant & May in the East End of London went out on strike. Why did these workers feel so driven to remove their labour?

The founding years of Chiswick Women’s Aid saw the opening of the world's first women's refuge, disputes with local government, and creating change in the UK.

How did the founder of the Tudor dynasty reach and use her position of power?

Roger Bushell (1910–1944) was a pilot, prisoner of war (POW), and mastermind of the ‘Great Escape’ from Stalag Luft III in March 1944.

Who lived in the real Albert Square and what can their lives tell us about 19th-century London life?