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Philippa Hellawell

@pbhellawell.bsky.social

1.7K followers 290 following 35 posts

Historian | Head of Collections Research at The National Archives (UK) | Maritime & colonial history | History of science & medicine | Currently researching Royal African Company/Company of Merchants.

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Feb 26

I'm very pleased to share news of a new project I am leading at The National Archives. PASSAGE combines archival research on the transatlantic trade of enslaved people with an international programme that centres the research of West African & Caribbean scholars.

Read more here: shorturl.at/XLyC8

Major grant to fund research into the history of transatlantic slavery - The National Archives

The National Archives has been awarded a £1 million grant by Lloyd’s Register Foundation for a new, collaborative research programme on the history of the transatlantic trade in enslaved people. PASSA...

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

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Heather Craddock @hcraddock.bsky.social · 7d

Very happy that my article on the ackee tree in Jamaica is out! Thanks to @treeseeker.bsky.social and @planthums-uk.bsky.social for editing this excellent special issue.

www.whp-journals.co.uk/PP/article/v...

Image of the fruit and seeds of the ackee tree in front of leaves.

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IHR Black British History Seminar @ihrblackbritish.bsky.social · 8d

Kicking off our fantastic line up with a showcase of new research! Get in touch if you are a postgraduate or early career researcher who would like to introduce their work to the field.

📍 Hybrid: N304, IHR, Senate House, WC1E 7HU and Online
📅 Thursday 16th October, 2025
⏰ 17:30
🔗 bit.ly/3INwCfO

Email Olivia.Wyatt@ed.ac.uk or Meleisa.Ono-George@history.ox.ac.uk to present online or in-person

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Heather Craddock @hcraddock.bsky.social · 29d

I'll be hosting an online event on encountering extinction in the archives with @dollyjorgensen.bsky.social as part of The National Archives' Research Routes series.

Come along to hear about researching animal histories in the archive!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/extinction...

Extinction and hope: Navigating animal encounters in the archive

What hope can be found in encounters with animals in archival documents?

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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William M. Cavert @williamcavert.bsky.social · Aug 28

When someone claims that AI can just read all digitized history and discover new things, they should be required to catalog one of the many boxes full of random 17th century papers left over from a chancery case.

The National Archives @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy · Aug 21

Shakespeare family will found by historian

A 1642 will which caused a legal row about William Shakespeare’s property in Stratford-upon-Avon has been discovered at The National Archives. The will made by Thomas Nash on 25 August, 1642 was found in a box of Chancery documents from the 17th century and earlier. Until now, this original version of the will has never […]

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Aug 28

Thanks, Malik. I'd love to hear more about the archive. Please feel free to get in touch!

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Dr Miranda Kaufmann @drmirandakaufmann.bsky.social · Aug 27

Not quite sure how I only just heard about this @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy project led by @pbhellawell.bsky.social but I AM VERY EXCITED about it!

Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Feb 26

Major grant to fund research into the history of transatlantic slavery - The National Archives

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Aug 28

Thank you. I'm sure there'll be lots of interesting connections - would be great to chat some time. Can't wait to read the book! Might be a good one for the TNA shop...

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Aug 23

In memory of the thousands of enslaved Africans who lost their lives, this 1751 list from Cape Coast Castle is a stark reminder to look beyond the numbers of the trade and emphasise the personhood of each individual enslaved for European gain. Today, we centre them.

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Aug 23

We were honoured to be guided through the castle by the Director of Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, who we presented with a 1756 plan from The National Archives - a powerful reminder that records must be paired with material heritage and local knowledge to better understand our shared history.

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Aug 23

This was part of a week-long visit to Ghana for my research project, PASSAGE, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation @lrfheritage.bsky.social. We met with archivists, researchers, and government officials to discuss how PASSAGE can support research in Ghana on the history of transatlantic slavery.

Meeting with the Public Records and Archives Administration Department in Accra, Ghana

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Aug 23

On the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade, I am reflecting on my recent trip to Ghana, where I had the privilege to visit Cape Coast Castle, a place I had encountered countless times, but only through records at The National Archives.

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Aug 7

Congrats Emily!

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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · Jun 17

Current programmes, for which applications are invited, include the Society's Martin Lynn Scholarship in African History.

The Scholarship (£1500) is for a PhD student to undertake research on the history of Africa. Further details: bit.ly/3ssb3c0. Closing date 5 September 2025 #Skystorians

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John Gallagher @earlymodernjohn.bsky.social · May 26

God, this is dreamy. Three months in Italy to do pre- or postdoctoral archival work!

Nicholas Scott Baker @renhistorian.bsky.social · May 26

The Medici Archive Project is offering 12 short-term fellowships for pre-doc students and postdoc candidates, working on fields related to early modern Italy (preferably with a specific emphasis on Tuscan or Medici history). Deadline: 15 June.
www.medici.org/fellowships/

Fellowships – The Medici Archive Project

www.medici.org

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · May 23

Congrats Randy, that's great news! Well done!

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The London Journal @thelondonjournal.bsky.social · May 20

REMINDER: We offer bursaries of up to £500 per head to support UK-based postgraduate and early career researchers to arrange panels on London-related topics for academic conferences. See here for further details on how to apply (please repost to help spread the word!)

Conference Panel Bursary | The London Journal

The London Journal is eager to support early career scholars present their work on London at conferences and publish articles based on this work. To that end, the Journal is pleased to annouce a conference panel bursary.

www.thelondonjournal.org

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · May 22

That's great - thanks so much for coming! Good to meet you. I'll try find some time in the diary for a more 'formal' introduction.

Reposted by Philippa Hellawell

Edmond Smith @edmond-smith.bsky.social · May 20

The *big thing* I've been finishing is my next book Ruthless, which is coming out in October. It connects the exploitation of land and people across Britain and its empire with scientific and technological innovation to offer a new history of capitalist development.

yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...

Ruthless - Yale University Press London

A revelatory new history of Britain’s industrial revolution and the exploitation that enabled it Was Britain’s industrial revolution the result o...

yalebooks.co.uk

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Mar 25

Hello, we are expected to work approx. 60% of the week in the office at Kew and this would apply to the researcher role. For the cataloguer job, however, we would likely expect more time on site as most of this work cannot be done from home. Hope that helps!

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Mar 20

Thank you so much for tweeting about the project, Margot. Very grateful!

Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Mar 11

PASSAGE is recruiting for two fixed-term posts to join me working on 18thC records of enslavement
1) Collections Researcher (Transatlantic Slavery) shorturl.at/aZwqn
2) Project Cataloguer (Transatlantic Slavery) shorturl.at/6aSpz
If you have questions, please let me know & please circulate widely!

Collections Researcher (Transatlantic Slavery) at The National Archives

Start your UK & international job search for academic jobs, research jobs, science jobs and managerial jobs in leading universities and top...

shorturl.at

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Tanya Kirk @tanyakirk.bsky.social · Mar 6

We are hiring at St John's! We have an opening for an Early Career Librarian post, 3 year fixed term, salary £27,786, and as part of the role the College will pay the successful candidate's fees and give them day release to undertake a Masters' degree in Librarianship. www.joh.cam.ac.uk/vacancies

Work at St John's | St John's College, University of Cambridge

www.joh.cam.ac.uk

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HistFest @histfest.bsky.social · Mar 5

📣 NEW COURSE

MEET THE TON: THE REAL HISTORY OF FASHIONABLE SOCIETY IN GEORGIAN LONDON

A new four-week course with academic, author and historical advisor Professor Hannah Greig

Starts: Thurs 29 May
Course Fee: £40 (+booking fee)
Sign up: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-t...

Course poster. The background is cream with illustrated flowers. In the centre is a light text box, which says:
MEET THE TON: THE REAL HISTORY OF FASHIONABLE SOCIETY IN GEORGIAN LONDON
An online course with Hannah Greig
Starts: Thurs 29 May
www.histfest.org/courses
There is a Georgian-style silhouette of a woman in an oval circle in the centre of the text box. To the left of the poster is a picture of Hannah Greig.

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Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Mar 1

It's a very good question!

Philippa Hellawell @pbhellawell.bsky.social · Mar 1

A group of us at TNA submitted an 18th century panel, which also wasn't selected because of "lack of space", raising the everpresent question whether the 18th century is "early modern" (mostly yes, if based on the structure of British state records) @elizabethbiggs.bsky.social

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