TNA podcast: Thomas Armstrong: the smuggler king of Cullercoats

Whether a fan of Dr Nick Barratt, or just interested in hearing of a relatively obscure source for some family history, this 40 minute podcast from a talk given at Kew on 1 August will draw you in.  

On the surface, Captain Thomas Armstrong was an upstanding, if sometimes over-zealous, member of HM Customs service, patrolling the north east coast of England against smugglers. However, an examination of the customs records at The National Archives revealed a different story, tied to the imposing house that Armstrong built on the cliffs at Cullercoats. This talk tells his amazing story, as well as highlighting the records as a rich source of 18th century family, local and social history.
Dr Nick Barratt works in the Advice and Records Knowledge department, but previously ran a historical research agency and was involved in researching and presenting a number of television series, including Who Do You Think You Are. He has published several books, most recently Greater London: The Story of the Suburbs, and lectures regularly about history and the media. His specialist area of records knowledge is 13th century finance.

 Get it at http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/thomas-armstrong-the-smuggler-king-of-cullercoats/