Sue Cook and the team answer listeners' historical queries and celebrate the way in which we all 'make' history.
Series 13
ProgrammeÌý1
18 AprilÌý2006
Ownership of community land
Highbury Residents Association in Leeds contacted Making History as part of its campaign to prove continuous use of an area of land known as the Mission Field that the church wants to develop. Judy Merry went to Leeds to find out how historical research techniques are shaping a 21st-century campaign.
As well as using local libraries and the Land Registry to reveal past uses of the Mission Field, the Association also encouraged members of the local community to write down their own memories of what they did there.
Highbury Residents Association have been advised in their campaign by .
Protection of bank customers in the 19th century
Cathy Dathan contacted Making History from her home in Bordeaux. A family story has it that in the middle of the 19th century her ancestors lost all their savings when a London bank went bust. How common was this?
Making History consulted Professor Janette Rutterford at the .
Professor Rutterford explained that it was not until 1979 that any bank customer had adequate protection. However, the many amalgamations of banks throughout the 19th century ensured that they were less at risk of going bust because of the increased size of their reserves. These takeovers are well documented in the archives of the big High Street banks today.Ìý
See also: Margaret Ackrill and Leslie Hannah, Barclays: The Business of Banking, 1690-1996 (Cambridge UP, 2001)Ìý
History in schools
Heather Scott, Deputy Head of Allerton High School in Leeds and Chair of the Secondary Committee of the Historical Association, made a plea for more history in schools - not less.
Tyburn Convent
This week's Hidden Treasure revealed a collection to mark one of the most gruesome places in London: the Tyburn Tree.Ìý
Address: 8 Hyde Park Place, London W2 2LJ
Tel: 020 7723 7262
Sword-bearers at Agincourt
Robert Scott and his son Robert Scott Junior are intrigued by a possible family link to a William Scott who is buried at Brabourne Church in Kent. The story goes that William Scott was Henry V's sword-bearer at Agincourt. Father and son contacted Making History to find out whether this is true and what the role meant.
Making History consulted Bob Savage, Curator of European Edged Swords at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. He explained that sword-bearers were ceremonial and that there are references to a sword being paraded before the English army before the battle of Agincourt as a symbol of the King's power. However, there is no evidence that William Scott performed such a role.
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ±«Óãtv, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ±«Óãtv Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý
Contact Making History
Send your comments and questions for future programmes to:
Making History
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PO Box 3096 Brighton
BN1 1PL
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ±«Óãtv, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ±«Óãtv Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý