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Rachel Barrett

@racheljbarrett.bsky.social

200 followers 190 following 17 posts

Engagement and Learning at The London Archives - MA in Sasanian archaeology - Big fan of late 18th to early 20th century Irish history - Researching signal stations on Ireland’s coast, and the removal of Irish paupers from London ☘️

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Mar 6

Many Irish in London during the Great Famine were deported to Ireland. These are (pre-Famine) removal receipts of the Connors from Cork who had left Ireland 5 years before but didn't meet the criteria to be deemed 'settled' in England. They faced starvation and disease on their return.

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Reposted by Rachel Barrett

The London Archives @thelondonarchives.bsky.social · Aug 14

🎉 It's the 100th anniversary of Keats House opening to the public 🎉
✒️ Down in Clerkenwell we're celebrating with a talk on Keats' Life in London (and if you hop on the Northern Line at Angel you can go visit Keats House in Hampstead after!).
🗓️ 28 August 12:30pm

Keats' Life in London (In-person Talk)

An illustrated talk about the life of the poet John Keats.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Jun 20

If you're inspired to make your own refreshing gruel on this 32 degree day, here's a piece I wrote last year on Victorian workhouse diets.

#archives #VictorianHistory #workhouses
www.thelondonarchives.org/blog/exhibit...

Victorian Workhouse Diets

Curator highlight from the Lost Victorian City exhibition featuring Victorian dietary tables as researched by Rachel Barrett.

www.thelondonarchives.org

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Jun 20

Got invited to speak about #workhouses for the St Marylebone Festival. I'm supplying the archival research and Marylebone are supplying the gruel, made from a recipe in @thelondonarchives.bsky.social collections - at least you won't need a dinner reservation.

stmarylebone.org/product/lect...

Illustration of a workhouse casual ward. A blue banner with white writing cuts across it saying 'Labour Stories - The St Marylebone Workhouse'.

Below this it says 'Heritage' and 'St Marylebone Festival'.

2 July 2025, 18:30 - 19:30
Lecture Series: Labour Stories - The St Marylebone Workhouse
£5.00

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Jun 3

Marconi conducted many #telegraphy experiments in Ireland. These are the ruins of Brow Head signal station. Telegraphy (in its different forms) was conducted here from 1804 - 1921. Marconi’s station opened here in 1901, successfully sending wireless signals to Poldhu 225 miles away. #IrishHistory

Reposted by Rachel Barrett

Dr Cathryn Pearce @cathrynpearce.bsky.social · May 18

Transcription work tonight. Had two different letters from Sea Fencible commanders in 1798, one from Edinburgh and one from Folkestone, reporting that either locals or naval signal officers assisted French prisoners to escape to France. I need to follow these up #NavalHistory

Screen grab of one of the affidavits from Folkestone say that: That he William Hall had some months since (with the assistance of other persons) procured a French prisoner by the name of [blank] Edlins to escape to France; and He the said Wm Hall further declared to this deponent, that he Wm Hall caused the said prisoner to be secreted in a certain House, near the signal Post, and in the mean time procured the said prisoner a Boat, and provisions, in order to effectuate such his Escape.

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · May 17

An underrated collection!

Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · May 17

It’s National Famine Commemoration in Ireland. Hannah Macknamara was sent back to Ireland from London in 1847, the peak of the Great Hunger. Hannah was one to flee Ireland but fell foul to British settlement laws. One million died during the Famine. #IrishHistory

Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · May 16

An unusual Irish pauper removal doc. Hannah Macknamara, 27, refused to be sworn to her examination by Middx JPs. William Diggens was instead examined to determine Hannah’s ‘removability’. He told them she was from Cork having left 2 years before. She was deported 24th July 1847. #LondonIrishHistory

Removal order from the Middlesex Sessions. The text states:

The examination of William Livingston Diggens of Chelsea Workhouse as to the removeability of Hannah Macknamara aged 27 years who refuses to be sworn in her examination - taken on Oath before us, two of Her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace acting in and for the County of Middlesex, this twentieth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty seven, who on oath saith that according to the best of his knowledge and belief the said Hannah Macknamara was born in that part of the United Kingdom called Ireland which she left about two years ago, and hath no settlement in that part of the United Kingdom called England, and hath actually become and is now chargeable to the Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea - in the said County of Middlesex and that she hath resided in the County of Cork and is liable to be removed there to.

Signature of William Diggens.

Underneath that is text reading “Removed the within Named Hannah Macknamara for Ireland this 24 Day of July 1847. By me H. Nelson”

Underneath this reads ‘Sworn the day and year first above-written, before us” followed by the signatures of the two Justices of the Peace.

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Kate Wiles @katemond.bsky.social · May 12

It's absolutely not common sense. It's not only historically illiterate, it also ignores the actual status of languages in the parts of the UK that aren't England.

tweet from Kier Starker: 'If you want to live in the UK, you should speak English. That’s common sense.

So we’re raising English language requirements across every main immigration route.'

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · May 9

Yesterday I gave a talk on Irish pauper removals from London in the 1830s and 40s - the first one I’ve ever done. You can watch it here - m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSn-...

Then, while you’re at it, sign up to see the original pauper removal documents Fri 16 May ☘️
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archives-i....

Archives in Focus: Famine and the Removal of Irish Paupers from London

A chance to see original archival material relating to Poor Laws, settlement, and the Irish in London.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Reposted by Rachel Barrett

N16Breda Corish @n16breda.bsky.social · May 8

A big thank you & GRMA to @thelondonarchives.bsky.social @racheljbarrett.bsky.social for a fantastic talk today on the Removal of Irish Paupers from London during the nineteenth century 👏
Middlesex Sessions records now on my to do list for #IrishLondonHistory research ☘️

Title slide of talk "Famine and the Removal of Irish Paupers from London"

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · May 8

Thanks for coming! The City of London Sessions records also contain Irish removal orders. @thelondonarchives.bsky.social also has Westminster Sessions but the collection is much smaller than the other two and some of it is uncatalogued so it's hard to say if there's anything relevant in them.

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The London Archives @thelondonarchives.bsky.social · Apr 26

📣#IrishHistory talk alert!
☘️ Thur 8 May @ 12:30pm
Famine and the Removal of Irish Paupers from London (In person and Online)

Learn about the Irish in London who were sent back to Ireland during the Great Hunger to face an uncertain fate. #archives #speirgorm
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/famine-and....

Famine and the Removal of Irish Paupers from London (In-person)

This talk will discuss how and why Irish paupers were removed from London.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Apr 26

Hi Mike, most of the books I can think of focus on the post-war era but there's plenty of oral histories that may be of interest. @londonmetuni.bsky.social have fantastic Irish collections so I'd recommend checking them out, this is one of their films.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M90r...

I Only Came Over for a Couple of Years... Interviews with London Irish Elders

YouTube video by London Metropolitan University

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Rachel Barrett

The London Archives @thelondonarchives.bsky.social · Apr 24

Our #PopularItem is C18th-19th Sun Fire Office policy registers! Fire was a real threat to property so many took out insurance against it. They weren't just insuring buildings either, here's a 1793 policy for Gilbert Pidcock who has insured a rhino. Yes, you read that correctly... 🦏 📖 #archives30

Photo of policy number 614342 from a Sun Fire Office policy register. The date of the policy, 23 April 1793, is at the top. The policy reads 'Gilbert Pidcock at the Exhibition Room over Exeter Change in the Strand. On a Rhinoceros & Carriage for the same travelling about the country for exhibition not exceeding two hundred pounds'.

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Apr 21

Come join me @thelondonarchives.bsky.social on Mon 28th April for this free workshop with @socialbodiesuob.bsky.social.

We’ve got some incredible letters in our collections and this is a fantastic chance to explore them whilst contributing to a research project. #archives #LondonHistory

The London Archives @thelondonarchives.bsky.social · Apr 21

Get up close to 18th & 19th century letters in our collections at a free workshop on Mon 28 April. You'll get to transcribe letters and learn palaeography tips whilst contributing to a research project on historical letters @socialbodiesuob.bsky.social

'A Time for Letters' - Archive Workshop MORNING SESSION

Get up close with 18th and 19th-century letters from TLA's collections, explore their uses as historical sources and work on transcriptions.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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UCD Archives @ucdarchives.bsky.social · Apr 20

Easter Sunday 1916, 1.20pm

Original holograph countermanding order from Eoin MacNeill to Éamon de Valera.

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The London Archives @thelondonarchives.bsky.social · Apr 16

Hello! We're The London Archives, a free public archive focusing on the history of London from 1067. We look after over 100km of manuscripts, books, drawings, engravings, photos and films spanning 1000 years of London's history!
Give us a follow.

#archives #history #LondonHistory

A section of the Civitas Londinum map showing the City of London at the top, the River Thames in the middle, and bull baiting and bear baiting rings at the bottom.

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Rhodri Marsden @rhodri.biz · Apr 14

For any tourists visiting these shores this summer, I recommend this detailed map of Britain, Ireland and the Orkneys, from “Topography Of Ireland” by Gerald Of Wales (1187)

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Aine Doran @ainedoran.bsky.social · Apr 9

🚨Are you working on Irish Migration or Demography research?🚨

We're hosting a virtual @cephie.bsky.social workshop on May 23rd

Full details of the CfP is below. Work from early career researchers is particularly welcome!

Please share with anyone who may be interested

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Reposted by Rachel Barrett

Professor Marion Gibson @witchesetc.bsky.social · Apr 1

I’m giving a talk on witch trials in history at London Archives - link here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/witchcraft...

Witchcraft - A History in Thirteen Trials

Join us at The London Archives as Professor Marion Gibson talks us through her book exploring the history of witchcraft.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Mike Baldwin @mikebaldwinharp.bsky.social · Mar 23

My new book, Béara: Rescued Folklore - 4th in the Rescued Folklore series - is available from 31 March 2025. More here: www.mike-baldwin.net/folklore

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Dr Alison Ray @liber-ray.bsky.social · Mar 17

Happy St Patrick’s Day! Here’s a fantastic medieval map of Ireland from a 15th-century navigational chart, now @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social MS. Ashmole 1352, f. 3r ☘️🎉

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Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Mar 15

Thanks Breda. I was very sorry to miss your talk today, early St Patrick’s Day celebrations mean I’m not in London! There are some incredible (and horrific) documents relating to Irish removals in TLA’s collections, brilliant to hear they’re getting the attention they deserve with your research.

Rachel Barrett @racheljbarrett.bsky.social · Mar 6

There's also an opportunity to come in and view original archival material related to the Irish Famine and pauper removals from London - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archives-i...

Archives in Focus: Famine and the Removal of Irish Paupers from London

A chance to see original archival material relating to Poor Laws, settlement, and the Irish in London.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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