The Gruesome Life Of A Victorian Match Girl | History Of Britain

Tony takes us back to the Middle Ages, a time of knights in shining armour, big-shot kings, and fabulous clothes - if you could afford them. His first encounter is with someone you wouldn't want to meet on a dark night, or any time, really. Richard Rakiere has the vital role of a 'Gong Farmer', or Nightman, and spends his hours of darkness emptying cesspits. We know about Richard because in 1326, his bizarre death was recorded, when he fell into his own cesspit and drowned.

Tony takes us back to the 1950s. Fondly remembered today as an optimistic period of social and economic regeneration. A period that was tough but rewarding for many. Tony begins with the story of Irish woman, Mary Powell, who joins the NHS, following her childhood dream of becoming a nurse, despite militaristic matrons, curmudgeonly consultants and patients with distressing conditions. Mary manages to escape her nursing accommodation for nights out and even marries her boyfriend against her parents' wishes.

Tony travels back to Georgian times, learning of a sailor's attempt to leave behind his scurvy existence for a Tahitian girl, and a gin entrepreneur who fell foul of the law. Plus, a hungry poacher has a cunning plan.

Tony Robinson takes us back to the beginning of the last century. It's a time of elegance, innovation, class division and social progress: The Edwardian Period. Tony begins with two people who travelled on the Titanic. One is ship's fireman, Arthur Priest, who tends the ship's furnaces. The other is Mrs Cavendish's Maid, Nellie Barber.

Tony Robinson takes a fresh and humorous look at British history 'from the bottom up'. Instead of the usual stories of the powerful, rich and famous, this is history through the eyes of the common people. We explore their everyday lives: how they washed, ate and made a living; and also how the behaviour of those who ruled the land affected them. One thing is for sure, life for the common people was tough! Each episode covers a momentous period in British history: the second series looks at Roman Britain, the Middle Ages, the Edwardians and the 1950s.

In a world-first experiment, British cab driver Alan Bilis—diagnosed with terminal cancer—volunteers his body to solve a 3,000-year-old mystery: the "secret art" of mummification. For years, historians believed the Egyptians used simple dry salt to preserve their Pharaohs, but Dr. Stephen Buckley and Dr. Jo Fletcher have a radical new theory. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.