Across more than 4,000 boxes in The National Archives sits a significant collection of letters, papers and artefacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815.
In this first episode of a three-part series, Chloe Lee meets Oliver Finnegan, a specialist in what is known as the Prize Papers collection. Oliver tells Chloe about some of the most fascinating items in the collection, providing insights into global trade, warfare, and the everyday lives of the peoplewho lived during the Age of Sail.
Download the full episode transcript here.
For more information about the Prize Papers project, visit https://www.prizepapers.de/.
Documents from The National Archives used in this episode: HCA 32/111A, HCA 32/111B, HCA 32/1051/2856.
For more information about the records covered in this episode, look at our research guides to
High Court of Admiralty. Read our blog on ‘The many misfortunes of an Irish merchant in Tenerife, 1740–1744’. For help navigating our catalogue, you can watch our top-level tips on using Discovery.