Great Excavations! Digging Charles Dickens' Workhouse with Sir Tony Robinson
History that Happened at Christmas
•
47m
Sir Tony Robinson comes to History Hit to present a special film about a remarkable excavation in central London, the workhouse that inspired Charles Dickens to write his famous novel, “Oliver Twist”.
In the middle of the capital, archaeologists are digging deep to find out more about the lives and deaths of the poorest of the poor, the inmates of the workhouse. Behind the workhouse building lies a cemetery where they were buried - now it is being carefully excavated as the whole site is being redeveloped. It’s a rare opportunity to investigate the treatment of London’s destitute in the late 18th and 19th centuries - a story that was repeated in great cities across the world as people poured into them in search of work.
Tony has a special connection with this story - not only has been making archaeology films for decades, he also appeared as a child actor in the first stage production of the musical, “Oliver!”. He knows digging and he knows Dickens! He explores the finds from the excavations, from humble clay pipes to dissected skeletons revealing how dead inmates could be anatomised in the name of medical science.
This film combines unique archaeology, as well as social and literary history - the care of the poor, how their plight was brought to the attention of the public and the extreme challenges created by burgeoning cities. Dickens was writing about his times, but like all good history, the heart of it remains relevant today.
______________
To find out more, do check out the websites of some of our expert contributors:
Here is a useful website with information about the whole project - https://middlesexannex.com/
Peter Higginbotham's excellent workhouse website has a wealth of information - https://www.workhouses.org.uk/
Emily Bell - https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/3258/dr-emily-bell
Emily also runs the Dickensian Journal
https://www.dickensfellowship.org/index.php/read/the-dickensian
You can find out more about Paul Carter's fascinating work into the archives left by workhouse inmates - https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/author/pcarter/
Emma Griffin - https://www.emmagriffin.info/index.php
Up Next in History that Happened at Christmas
-
1066: The Year of Conquest
1066 - one of the most famous years in English history. In a succession crisis like no other three warlords separated by hundreds of miles and savage seas vied for control of the English throne in a series of bloody battles. From Harald Hardrada's crowning victory at Fulford to the renowned Battl...
-
The Savage Storm: The Allied Invasion...
The Italian campaign in September 1943, spearheaded by the US 5th and British 8th Armies, is one of the most dramatic campaigns of the entire Second World War - it was here that Hitler’s ‘Fortress Europe’ would finally be pierced. The first, tentative steps to total Allied victory. But lacking th...
-
The Savage Storm: The Allied Invasion...
The Italian campaign in September 1943, spearheaded by the US 5th and British 8th Armies, is one of the most dramatic campaigns of the entire Second World War - it was here that Hitler’s ‘Fortress Europe’ would finally be pierced. By the beginning of October, after a tough fight to gain a foothol...
17 Comments