Episode 17: The Human Cost of the British Civil Wars

Season 1 of '1666 and All That' comes to an end with a vividly revealing account of how the English state set out to support surviving victims of the Civil Wars of the 1640s.

The day after the battle of Edgehill in 1642, the Long Parliament established a national programme of financial relief to wounded Parliamentary soldiers, war widows and bereaved families. The programme was later co-opted by the Royalist side after the Restoration. To obtain a pension, applicants had to petition in writing, providing evidence of injury, bereavement or financial hardship. Like so many innovations of the mid-17th century, the scheme was ahead of its time. No comparable relief programme for ordinary fighting men was made available again for more than 200 years.

Paul and Miranda's guest is Dr Ismini Pell of Oxford University, director of the Civil War Petitions Project, which has been working to collate all surviving petitions, and to make these fascinating documents freely available to the public on their dedicated website: www.civilwarpetitions.ac.uk

Ismini describes how progress in medical science, and in attitudes to the wounded and psychologically traumatised, helped to lessen the lasting impact of many devastating years of conflict and upheaval. Some graphic descriptions of injuries are included in the episode.

'1666 and All That' is presented by Paul Lay and Miranda Malins. The producer is Hugh Costello. Original music by George Taylor. The episode is mixed by Alfie Thompson.

To suggest episode topics for Season 2, leave a message on our website: www.podpage.com/1666-and-all-that/. Or use Twitter to contact @_paullay or @MirandaMalins