The railway is here. What a change Britain was about to see! A herald of a new age, and new way of life. Something new in human history. This episode covers; The English landscape and the train 1820-1840. Early trains & popular . Economic impacts. Canal and coach monopolies. Slum Read more…
Bonus episode of The Age of Victoria & The Siècle! Learn about the differences between how France and Britain experienced the years after Waterloo in a conversation between your host Chris Fernandez-Packham and David Montgomery, host of the Siecle Podcast. We chat about the state of Britain and France after Read more…
Great things are done when men and mountains meet; This is not done by jostling in the street.” -William Blake Join me for this adventurous minisode. This show has Setting the scene; literature and the quest for adventure. How Victorian masculinity was shaped by adventure literature. The mountains effect on Read more…
Details on Queen Victoria’s coronation are available, but the event is often skimmed over in popular histories on the topic. I touched on her coronation in episode 24, and used the following sources to provide a favour of the day. Tracking down the musical and Order of Service was tricky, Read more…
EP014 DARKNESS FALLS: MT TAMBORA PT2 The episode you are about to hear is part 2 on the eruption of Mt Tambora in 1815, and its immense effects around the world that lingered long into the Victorian period. If you haven’t listened to pt 1, please listen to that first. Read more…
Victorian Christmas Time! Mistletoe and Wine; listening to Podcast time. This is a special episode for Christmas 2019. Learn about the hustle & bustle of the Victorian Christmas, with a focus on the games and entertainments. Find out how much effort people went to, then enjoy the bonus story on a Read more…
Forged in fire, the new era is born. The British unlock a new energy source and create the industrial revolution. Humanity around the world is transformed; no longer limited by our own muscles or the plodding of animals or the slow harnessing of wind and wave. Instead the British unleashed Read more…
Setting the scene Imagine a tranquil pacific heaven. Sandy beaches, warm ocean and gentle breezes. This is in many ways as close to paradise as humans have come. Plenty of fish in the seas. It is a world away from the horrors of Europe in 1815. A Europe where the Read more…
The time has come. Victoria must weather the final crisis on her way to the throne. Join me for an exciting conclusion to Victoria’s childhood where she finds out if she has iron in her soul. This show has Continuation of her teenage years. Relationships with King William IV. The Read more…
PUB QUIZ. Time for you to grab a beer and a barstool like a good Victorian and have a go at testing your knowledge. Or if you have taken the pledge and joined the temperance movement, then get a cup of cocoa and join your friends for a civilised but Read more…
Are you eager for reform? What to change the establish? Shake up the old order? Surely the time has come to join the Whig party then? This show covers the Whigs in the 1820’s & 1830’s and the land mark Great Reform Act 1832. British politics was changing rapidly and Read more…
Are you confused about your Lords & Dukes? Want to know why the Baron is always popping up? Wondering just what is the Duchy of Lancaster and why its so important? Want to know your Earls from your Marchioness’s? Worried about who gets to get to lead the dinner party Read more…
This episode on the Tories & the Battle for Catholic Emancipation continue our breakdown of the complex political system in the 1820’s & 1830’s to show you how it all fits together. If you want to know about the reasons why the British struggled with Catholics, and why the Tories Read more…
Political history is always complicated; below are the main sources I’ve used for the politics episodes set in the 1820’s and 1830’s. You can always find plenty more, depending on your particular interests. Hopefully these are a useful starting point. https://www.alistairlexden.org.uk/news/hanoverian-succession-and-downfall-tory-party-tercentenary-essay http://www.victorianweb.org/history/emancipation2.html https://history.blog.gov.uk/2012/01/01/the-institution-of-prime-minister/ https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/periods/hanoverians/ultra-tories-and-fall-wellington-government-1830 https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/50994/220.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y http://www.irishidentity.com/stories/emancipation.htm Napier, C “The War Read more…
Politics 101 is here. Every wondered if the Queen of England has any real power? Confused by your MP’s, PM’s and Lords Spiritual? Wondering how it all works in the UK if the Constitution isn’t written down? Unsure if Queen Victoria could just give out the orders? Today’s show breaks Read more…
There are a lot of sources for this episode. I used a lot of general background material on the period, and on the British Military that I’d used for the Napoleonic Episodes and Mt Tambora Specific sources for the Peterloo episode were “Hand Weavers Lament” (Traditional/Popular song) Artists Print “The Read more…
What makes a master criminal? That type of person who goes beyond the normal petty crime or brute violence. Charles Peace was one of the most notorious criminals in the Victorian age, but why? He didn’t kill many people, or steal the crown jewels, or overthrow a government. He had Read more…
Congress of Vienna in 1814. The show you are about to hear is part 2 of the Congress of Vienna. It won’t make sense if you haven’t listened to part 1. I know my shows are normally stand alones and can be listened to in any order but for the Read more…
The release of William Habron 22 March 1879 Link The Aberystwith Observer THE RELEASE OF WILLIAM HABRON. William Habron, who was wrongfully convicted of the Whalley Range murder, which Peace confessed to have committed, was discharged from Portland Prison on Tuesday. Habron, who knew nothing of the free par- don Read more…
Charlies Peace, Master of Disguise. Charles Peace was notorious during his criminal career. He is a favourite of many historical true crime fans. There are a lot of events and anecdotes about him; too many to cover in one show. For the outline I gave you, I used the following Read more…
Happy 2nd Anniversary This is my look back on the last two years, a lot of thank you’s, some listener questions and our first murder? Two years of podcasts. Time to celebrate with a Victorian murder; you’ve all been asking for one for ages, so here you are. Don’t forget Read more…
I’ve launched a Patreon and I review our first film about Queen Victoria – Victoria the Great. I also read out the latest iTunes reviews. The show starts with the announcement about Patreon and the various tiers. Then I remind listeners to send in questions for the upcoming 2nd anniversary Read more…
In Ep20 pt 2 we continue our journey through Queen Victoria’s childhood education. Pt2 explores the specifics of education, what she learnt, and crucially, how her education would fit her into the increasingly strict and complex Victorian class system. It wasn’t easy being “the girl who will be Queen.” It Read more…
http://www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com/congress-vienna-pt-1-brave-old-world/ Welcome back everyone. This has been a difficult episode to choose a topic for. This afternoon I was happily sitting in an english country pub garden, enjoying the sunshine and chatting to my wife about what I should record this afternoon. It should be a fairly obvious choice, after Read more…
In Ep20 pt 1 we continue our journey through Queen Victoria’s childhood. In this 2 part show you will see how Victoria was educated; as a child, but also as a future Queen. She joined an elite group of people who could read and write, but she had a huge Read more…