Welcome to The Uncharted Past, your gateway to exploring the fascinating and often overlooked corners of history. Our mission is to bring you engaging and insightful content that delves into historical events, figures, and periods with a fresh perspective. We aim to make history accessible and enjoyable for everyone, whether you’re a seasoned history enthusiast or just beginning your journey. Through our in-depth articles, podcasts, thought-provoking analyses, and captivating storytelling, we strive to illuminate the past and connect it to our present.
Our Story: Charting the Uncharted Past Since March 2025
Launched in March 2025, TheUnchartedPast was born from a simple yet powerful idea: to create a thriving hub where the boundless world of history is accessible to all. We envisioned a dynamic platform, built by and for history enthusiasts, where captivating stories from every corner of the past could be shared and celebrated.
Our core mission is to empower history buffs, regardless of their background or expertise, to connect with the stories that fascinate them and to contribute their own unique insights. At TheUnchartedPast, you’ll find a rich and ever-growing collection of articles that delve into specific historical events, blog posts offering personal perspectives and analyses, engaging videos that bring the past to life, vibrant forums where passionate discussions unfold, and thought-provoking podcasts that explore a diverse spectrum of historical subjects.
Recognizing the diverse ways people engage with content, TheUnchartedPast extends beyond our website with dedicated communities on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, offering engaging and accessible historical content for a wider audience.
Crucially, TheUnchartedPast is a collaborative endeavor. We firmly believe that the most compelling historical narratives often come from unexpected places. That’s why we enthusiastically welcome free blog submissions from anyone with a story to tell, a perspective to share, or a piece of history they’re eager to explore.
Join us as we continue to chart the uncharted territories of the past, uncovering fascinating stories and building a vibrant community of history lovers, together. Welcome to TheUnchartedPast – where the past comes alive, and every voice has a place.
Founder:
Peter Farrelly
Peter Farrelly is a History PhD Candidate at Queen’s University Belfast, specializing in the intricate landscape of Modern British History. His research delves into Local Government Finance, the transformative era of Thatcherism, and the complexities of Policy Development. Beyond his core focus, Peter has contributed insightful work on Irish History and the evolution of Climate Change policy during Thatcher’s Britain. His experience extends to the classroom, where he has led university tutorials exploring themes of Race, Slavery, and Colonialism. As the owner of TheUnchartedPast and a dynamic content creator, Peter connects with over 250,000 followers, sharing his passion for history with a broad audience.
Contributors to TheUnchartedPast:
Alison Martin
Alison Martin is a writer and historian from Belfast. She earned a degree in Modern History and Theology from Queen’s University Belfast, followed by an MA in Irish History. Her research focuses on the Irish revolutionary period (1916-1923). Alison’s articles have been published in History Ireland, the Irish News, Saothar and the Irish Story website. She also contributes occasionally to Ireland’s Own magazine. Alison has delivered talks for a number of institutions, such as the National Library of Ireland. Last year, she also took part in a panel at the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, County Wexford. Follow her on twitter @a_martin33 for updates on her work.
Peter Paccione
Peter Paccione is an independent researcher specializing in comparative history and the political and constitutional history of Britain and France. He holds a BA in History from the College of Staten Island CUNY and an MA from New York University, and has undertaken graduate study at the University of Virginia. He is also a former staff member of the Princeton University Library. Follow him on BlueSky – @historian1661.bsky.social
Dylan Aunger
Dylan Aunger is a modern historian specialising in Nazi Germany and the 20th-century experiences of the Roma and Sinti. Educated at Canterbury Christ Church University, his research delves into the histories of racial policy, marginalisation, and state violence. His work meticulously traces the legal and social restrictions faced by Roma and Sinti communities, from their origins and migrations to the intensified persecution under the Nazi regime. He is the author of The Roma and Sinti: A Forgotten Holocaust, a crucial work dedicated to illuminating this often-neglected aspect of Holocaust history and challenging conventional narratives of Europe’s past.
George Moncaster
George Moncaster is a public and environmental historian who holds a Master’s degree in History from Colorado State University as well as a BA in American Studies from the University of Hull. He is the author of a contracted administrative history titled A Tale of Two Counties: Transregional Planning and the Poudre River Trail and has reviewed public lands literature for H-NET. Most recently, George wrote a biography of Congressman Al Swift on commission for the Washington State Historical Society, and produced Damming the Deschutes: An Archaeological History of Oregon’s Central River. His main interest include river politics, dam removal, and energy studies.
Andie Kristina
Andie Kristina is a poet, teacher, and doctoral researcher at Loughborough University. Her PhD examines the ‘various and conflicting selves’ that surface in Louis MacNeice’s poetry through personal experience, shifting environments, and literary culture. She is also the founder of Louis MacNeice Society, an organisation that attracts over 10,000 monthly visitors and collaborates with artists and scholars—some of whose work has aired on BBC Radio. As an educator, Andie teaches literature and language courses, consistently secures outstanding results, and helps students gain entry to the UK’s top independent schools and universities. Her writings appear in respected publications such as PN Review, and her research is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and offering nuanced critical perspectives.
Acknowledgements:
Hidden Histories: A Review by Dr Sam Dobbie
What are hidden histories? Hidden histories are the stories of individuals, places and spaces that are often overlooked or forgotten in the historical narratives. How do we uncover them? To find these hidden narratives we often must plunge into the depths of the archives – physical and digital. Why do they matter? Hidden histories are significant because they allow us to add to pre-existing narratives and restore marginal figures to their rightful place within these narratives. This allows for a broader understanding of the wider significance of historical events and figures, providing a more balanced picture of the past. How do we share them? We network. We look for opportunities – whether conferences, podcasts, blogs or journals, to name but a few – to discuss or write about these stories. Which is exactly what happened on Thursday 21 May 2026.
Peter Farrelly (Queen’s University Belfast) and Andie Kristina (Loughborough University) successfully hosted an online Hidden Histories conference consisting of an impressive fifteen papers. The warmth and charm of both Farrelly and Kristina provided an encouraging and supportive environment for the presenters and viewers alike. Most striking about this conference was its interdisciplinary approach. From the Stratford Roundhouse, the Old French Prison at Stapleton and Shakespeare, to marital sexual violence in divorce petitions of Victorian Liverpool, the Terry Alt Rebellion of 1829-31, and the East Donegal Unionist Border Petition of 1934 and even the socialism and feminism of Flora Tristan, Michael Collins, Margaret Thatcher and climate change, and Louis MacNeice, this conference had it all. Below is the program of all talks that took place:
Hidden Histories 21st May 2026 (Online via MS Teams) 9:20 to 5:30 p.m
9:20 – Opening Remarks
9:30 – Title: ‘Peregrinations of a Pariah’: The Socialism and Feminism of Flora Tristan. Speaker – Sam Dobbie: PhD History graduate of University of Glasgow. She specialises in the French Revolution, with emphasis on the role of women in revolutionary society.
10:00 – Title: The Hidden Artist: Women’s Occult Art and Contested Authorship in the Twentieth Century. Speaker – Jenny Zihan Zhou: Doctoral researcher in Art history and visual Culture at Loughborough Uni.
10:30 – Title: The Stratford Roundhouse: Stratford’s Forgotten Theatre. Speaker – Prof. Abigail Rokison: Deputy Director (Education) of the Shakespeare Institute and Professor of Shakespeare and Theatre. She has published widely in the field of Shakespeare in Performance. Her first monograph, Shakespearean Verse Speaking won the Shakespeare’s Globe first book award.
11:00 – Title: Silenced in the Home: Recovering Marital Sexual Violence Through Victorian Divorce Petitions. Speaker – Emily Hayes: PhD researcher at Edge Hill University. Her research focuses on women and crime in 19th-century England, with a particular interest in gender and sexual violence.
11:30 – Title: Revisiting the Treaty: The Forgotten Michael Collins Film. Speaker – Alison Martin: Independent writer and historian from Belfast. She holds a BA in Modern History and Theology, along with an MA in Irish History (2014) from Queen’s University Belfast.
12:00 – Title: Hierarchies of the Hidden: Fame, Forgetting and the Case of Paul Boyton. Speaker – Kathy Watson: Author of The Crossing, The Curious History of the First Man to Swim the English Channel and The Devil Kissed Her. She is also an education consultant and teacher.
12:30 – Title: The Stranded clan of Laggan Valley: The East Donegal Unionist Border Petition of 1934. Speaker: Dr. Samuel Beckton – historian of Modern Irish History; MPhil in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin, an MPhil in Politics from QUB, PhD in History from Ulster University.
1:30 – Title: Les misérables: the Old French Prison at Stapleton’ Speaker: Mike Robinson – Senior Lecturer at UWE Bristol, and elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Expert in Napoleonic Wars.
2:00 – Title: Invisible on the Ice: The Historical Marginalization of Matthew Henson Speaker: Mag. Vanessa Walzl – Senior Lecturer | Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik
2:30 – Title: The Terry Alt Rebellion of 1829-31: Ireland’s Forgotten Land and Labour War Speaker: Constantin Torve – PhD Student in History at Queen’s University Belfast.
3:00 – Title: ‘Reframing the Canon: Louis MacNeice and the Politics of Literary Forgetting’. Speaker: Andie Kristina – Poet, teacher, and doctoral researcher at Loughborough University. Her writings appear in publications such as PN Review, and her research is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and offering nuanced critical perspectives. She is also the founder of Louis MacNeice Society
3:30 – Title: Ginsberg’s Sixties: Hidden Narratives of the Long 1960s in the Life and Writing of Allen Ginsberg. Speaker: Xu Wen – Doctoral Researcher in American Literature and History Studies at Loughborough University.
4:00 – Title: Margaret Thatcher and Climate Change Policy, 1987-1990. Speaker: Peter Farrelly – History PhD Student at Queen’s University Belfast. He is also the founder of TheUncharted Past: a blog and article website dedicated to all things History
4:30 – Title: “A tribute to the good work of a lady who has devoted a great part of her life to the service of her fellows”: the hidden history of Mary Wardell and her Convalescent Home Speaker: Philip Milnes – digital archivist at Shakespeare’s Globe and leads on
inclusive archival practice. Chair of the Archives and Records Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Allies, he is part of The National Archives’ Inclusive Archival Practice Network. He founded the Disability Collections Forum in 2022.
5.00 – Title: Jane the Queen’s Fool: An Intellectually Disabled Woman at the Heart of the Tudor Royal Court Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Norton – PhD graduate from King’s College London on Early Modern British History.
5:30 – Closing remarks
The passion of each of the speakers for sharing their stories was evident. Regardless of one’s interests or background, the variety of topics on offer stimulated some interesting discussions and questions. Above all, the Hidden Histories conference provided a platform for these overlooked subjects to be showcased. Where else would it be possible to learn about such an eclectic mix of overlooked figures and places? The hosts and presenters should be proud of what they created. At a time when arts and humanities are under threat, the Hidden Histories conference proved that these disciplines remain culturally, socially and politically significant. How else are we supposed to learn from the past?
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