Explore the collection
What might you find in The National Archives? Browse some of our most important and unusual records right here.
Stories from the collection
Dive in to the human stories our records reveal – from the curious and unexpected to the truly extraordinary.
The story of The double agent who hid D-Day from the Nazis: Elvira Chaudoir
Read about The double agent who hid D-Day from the Nazis: Elvira Chaudoir
A life of charm, high-stakes, and duplicity saw Elvira Chaudoir play a cunning role in the Allied victory at D-Day.
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Focus on
The queer Victorian origins of the word 'camp'
Did you know that the word ‘camp’ was used by members of the LGBTQ+ community as early as 1868?
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Record revealed
Sir Henry Cole’s rat
Our collection includes many weird and wonderful records – one of the weirdest is undoubtedly a small box containing the remains of two long-dead rats.
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The story of
Roger Bushell and the 'Great Escape'
Roger Bushell (1910–1944) was a pilot, prisoner of war (POW), and mastermind of the ‘Great Escape’ from Stalag Luft III in March 1944.
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The story of
Sophia Jex-Blake, pioneer of women's medicine
Sophia Jex-Blake (1840–1912) was a physician and campaigner who fought for women’s access to university education.
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The story of
Robert Wedderburn
Robert Wedderburn (1762–1835) was a British-Jamaican radical preacher, abolitionist and writer.
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Record revealed
An unusual royal gift to the poet Geoffrey Chaucer
How do you reward a medieval poet? This document granted the author of the Canterbury Tales an unusual royal gift: a daily allowance of wine.