Welcome to our Podcasts page. Over 2020 our Research Team will be producing audio introductions to different areas of our research which you can access here.

“Radical Pilgrims”

Many radical authors have put the myth of the Mayflower to use in the service of political reform and even revolution. Notably, New England revolutionaries used the founding of New Plymouth to help galvanise support against Britain in the American War of Independence. But what about authors closer to home? In this podcast, Ed Downey examines the writing of Ebenezer Elliott, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and John Boyle O’Reilly who all repurposed the Mayflower story to fight the political battles of their era.

“Mayflower Memories in Southampton”

Southampton is one of several ports in Britain that claims a connection with the voyage of the Pilgrims. In this podcast, Tom Hulme explores why the Mayflower began to be remembered in Southampton in the 19th century, and how local people engaged with the story – in memorials, theatre, and commemorations – up until the present day.

“The Mayflower and Romanticism”

British Romanticism has played a large role in popularising the Mayflower story both in Britian and America. Felicia Hemans’ remarkably successful poem ‘The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in New England’ (1825) was instrumental in familiarising readers with the founding of New Plymouth. Late in life, William Wordsworth would also turn his attention to the story providing his own poetic interpretation of the voyage. In this podcast Ed Downey considers the lasting influence Romanticism has had on the Mayflower narrative.