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The National Archives As the archive for England, Wales and the UK government, we hold over 1,000 years of history
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'I feel now that at least I have roots, that there are millions of other people like me' - Eslanda Robeson (1895–1965) T...
15/10/2026

'I feel now that at least I have roots, that there are millions of other people like me' - Eslanda Robeson (1895–1965)

This powerful sentence was written by Eslanda (Essie) following a three-month journey through Africa in 1936. Partly organised by the British Government, a file at The National Archives (swipe to read) reveals her personal reflections of the trip and the profound impact it had on her.

She had a long-held ambition to visit the continent, and her dismissive experiences as a student at the London School of Economics, along with a desire to connect her 8-year-old son Pauli to African cultures appear to have given her the push she needed. Having lived in the UK from the age of 10 months, Essie commented that Pauli 'had thought we were the only brown people in a totally white world.'

Essie's book 'African Journey' (1947) is based on the diaries she kept during her travels in 1936. To find out more, read our latest blog: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/essie-robesons-african-journey/

Image: Everett Collection Historical / Alamy
Catalogue reference: CO 822/70/14

The witch report. If you've visited The National Archives in Kew, you might have noticed we have a selected document on ...
14/10/2026

The witch report.

If you've visited The National Archives in Kew, you might have noticed we have a selected document on display each month called 'Stories Unboxed' 📖

Throughout the rest of October we are displaying this chilling document from 1634, revealing the physical examinations of accused witches in Lancashire. NOTE: This record contains references to intrusive and non-consensual physical examinations on women.

The report was created after the 1633–1634 Lancashire witch scare, which lead to one of the largest witchcraft investigations of the 17th century in England. This took place just a few decades after the infamous Pendle witch trials of 1612, building on nationwide fears.

Many of the accused were convicted locally at the Lancashire Assizes, a court reserved for serious crimes. The Privy Council ordered that some of the women should be taken to the Surgeons' Hall in London, in the name of carrying out intrusive and distressing physical examinations. This was in the pursuit of finding 'witches' marks' on their bodies, commonly believed in the 17th century to indicate witchcraft.

Their names were Jennet Hargreaves, Frances Dicconson, Mary Spencer and Margaret Johnson.

Read more about this record in detail: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/the-physical-examination-of-accused-witches/

Catalogue reference: SP 16/271

Lost for 250 years, now revealed for the first time. More than 150 sets of ships’ papers captured during the American Wa...
12/10/2026

Lost for 250 years, now revealed for the first time.

More than 150 sets of ships’ papers captured during the American War of Independence are now available online, revealing personal letters, ship logs, crew records and business papers seized by British forces more than two centuries ago.

Known as Prize Papers, these remarkable documents offer a rare glimpse into the lives of sailors, merchants and families caught up in a global conflict that shaped history.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the opening of the British Vice-Admiralty Court in New York, The National Archives and the University of Oldenburg have published the first selection of this extraordinary collection online.

To be the first to find out more, sign up to our newsletter: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact-us/email-updates/

The project is funded by the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony, Germany as part of the Academies Programme of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities.

Did you know that anyone can order original documents at The National Archives?We hold over 18 million documents, spanni...
07/10/2026

Did you know that anyone can order original documents at The National Archives?

We hold over 18 million documents, spanning 1,000 years of British history. Whether you're looking for records on your family history, military files, maps and more - there's something here for everyone.

All you need is to sign up for a free readers ticket online. This means you're able to pre-order up to 12 documents before your visit, to view in our reading rooms. Tempted? To find out how to get a readers ticket, visit our website: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/visit/researching-here/readers-tickets/

If you've been to The National Archives before, what documents have you requested? 📜

Sounding the trumpet for two Tudor monarchs 🎺The tournament roll above shows the portrait of John Blanke, the Black trum...
06/10/2026

Sounding the trumpet for two Tudor monarchs 🎺

The tournament roll above shows the portrait of John Blanke, the Black trumpeter who served at the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He is believed to be the first person of African descent for whom we have both an image and an archival record. Our records show Blanke earning 8d per day in November 1507, receiving scarlet cloth at Henry VIII's coronation, and successfully petitioning for a pay rise.

Join historian and founder of the John Blanke Project Michael Ohajuru this Friday at 14:00 for an online talk, as he pieces together Blanke's role as a royal musician. Unravel a story of status, identity, and opportunity in early sixteenth-century England… get your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/john-blanke-the-black-tudor-trumpeter-and-the-reimagining-of-history-tickets-1997441758068?aff=generalmailer7Oct

Have you heard of Alvin Marriott, the Jamaican sculptor?He studied at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts under a Briti...
05/10/2026

Have you heard of Alvin Marriott, the Jamaican sculptor?

He studied at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts under a British Council scholarship from 1947 to 1949. His application file states his work was exhibited in Jamaica and in 1944 he presented a bust of Franklin D Roosevelt to the American president himself.

His creations are still exhibited today, like his statue of Bob Marley which stands in Kingston, Jamaica.

Read more about his fascinating work here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/explore-by-time-period/postwar/british-council-scholars/

Catalogue reference: BW 84/54 (1947)

October at The National Archives 🎃All treat, no trick! From the Bayeux Tapestry to witch beliefs, we're bringing you a v...
02/10/2026

October at The National Archives 🎃

All treat, no trick! From the Bayeux Tapestry to witch beliefs, we're bringing you a vibrant range of talks and events this month. What better way to spend spooky season? 👻

View the full programme of What's On here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/

Today marks the start of Black History Month in the UK and we're sharing stories directly from the archive.This photogra...
01/10/2026

Today marks the start of Black History Month in the UK and we're sharing stories directly from the archive.

This photograph, taken in 1874, is a portrait of the 11 members of the Jubilee Singers, an African American a ca****la group from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Fisk University was established in 1866 to provide education for newly-freed African American enslaved people, the choir members were students at the university and all but two of them were formerly enslaved.

At the time the photograph was taken, the Jubilee Singers were visiting Britain as part of a European tour to raise funds for the university. Their performances were attended by Queen Victoria and Prime Minister William Gladstone, among many others.

Two of the original singers went on to settle in the UK, Isaac Dickerson can be found in the 1891 census living in Tottenham with his occupation listed as an evangelist and Thomas Rutling can be found in the 1901 census living in Chorlton, Lancashire, working as a singing teacher.

Learn more about their journey: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/photograph-of-the-jubilee-singers/

📷 COPY 1/25/182 (1874) - From left to right, the portrait shows Georgia Gordon, Mabel Lewis, Edmund Watkins, Maggie L. Porter, Isaac P. Dickerson, Jennie Jackson, Benjamin Holmes, Ella Sheppard, Thomas Rutling, Julia Jackson and Minnie Tate.
🖊️ Autographs of the 11 Jubilee Singers from Fisk University of America.

In our final post marking East and South East Asian heritage month, we're looking at the forgotten front.At the end of t...
30/09/2026

In our final post marking East and South East Asian heritage month, we're looking at the forgotten front.

At the end of the First World War, the British Army enlisted the service of Chinese labourers working in the Arctic. Our documents show what they did, their impact, and their long journey home.

As the British Government were not involved in the original hiring of the Chinese workers – this had been organised by the Imperial Russian and Chinese Governments – our records about them are patchy and incomplete. They indicate, however, that most of the Chinese workers remaining in Murmansk and Archangel after the revolution welcomed the British intervention and joined the Slavo-British Legion. They were employed to monitor the movement of Bolshevik forces, and went into action three times, 'twice successfully', while sustaining no losses. They declared themselves proud to have served with the British.

Learn more about their story here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/forgotten-front-chinese-auxiliaries-in-northern-russia/

Catalogue reference: WO 33/5705
FO 228/2895

Horatio Nelson, one of Britain's naval heroes, was born on this day in 1758.Under Nelson, the Royal Navy won some specta...
29/09/2026

Horatio Nelson, one of Britain's naval heroes, was born on this day in 1758.

Under Nelson, the Royal Navy won some spectacular naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars (1793–1815) . These included the Battle of the Nile in 1798, and Copenhagen in 1801. Nelson’s finest naval victory, which cost him his life, was the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

This extract is from the ship’s log for HMS Victory on the 21 October 1805 which records Nelson’s death shortly after 3.40pm after having been given the news of a great victory.

HMS Victory ship’s log for the Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805 (ADM 51/4514)
Nelson's will, 10 May 1803 (PROB 1/22)

Discover more records to do with the life and career of Nelson: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/explore-by-time-period/georgians/the-life-and-career-of-horatio-nelson/

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