A House Through Time: Everything you need to know about series 3

From Prima

A House Through Time is back on BBC2 for series 3, with historian David Olusoga chronicling the fascinating history of the inhabitants of a house in Bristol built on the fortunes made from the slave trade.

The first episode – which aired last night (Tuesday, 26 May) on BBC Two – was teeming with intrigue as it documented mutiny and pirates ruling the high seas, a political satirist being punished in stocks and pillory, and the sad fate of an abandoned baby left on the doorstep of the house.

What is series 3 about?

The house in series 3 is the oldest yet – Number 10 on Guinea Street in Redcliffe, Bristol built by Captain Edmund Saunders in 1718.

In episode 1, David linked Saunders to over 40 voyages carrying 12,000 people enforced into slavery from their homes in Africa to the Americas. Saunders rented his house to Captain Joseph Smith, who also profited from the slave trade, and whose ship was captured during his exploits not once, but twice by pirates who eventually set his boat and cargo on fire. Somehow, Smith managed to make the 5,000 mile trip safely back home to Bristol.

The next resident was John Shebbeare, a political satirist who was punished for his anti-royalist stance, with Private Eye's Ian Hislop sharing his insights into the divisive political figure.

Following Shebbeare were the Holbrooks, who made their money who made their fortunes from slave-run sugar plantations. They kept a black slave called Thomas, and offered "a handsome reward" in a notice in the newspaper for intelligence about his whereabouts after he managed to escape.

Episode 2 traces the house's fortunes from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, discovering tales of scandal, domestic violence and the asylum.

Series 1 of a House Through Time investigated the history of 62 Falkner Street, Canning, Liverpool, while series 2 detailed the past lives of residents of 5 Ravensworth Terrace in Newcastle, near where David grew up in Tyne and Wear.

Who is David Olusoga?

OBE historian David is a British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster and film-maker. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, David studied history and journalism before joining the BBC. He is also co-author of The Kaiser’s Holocaust: Germany’s Forgotten Genocide and The Colonial Roots of Nazism, author of The World's War and a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Black British History.

David has spoken about the racism his family were subjected to during his childhood. He grew up in a council estate in Gateshead, Newcastle, where the National Front attacked his home repeatedly (via Radio Times). His family were given police protection but were eventually forced out of their home due to the onslaught of racial abuse.

"I got into history because I wanted to make sense of the forces that have affected my life," David explained. "I'm from that generation who would look at Trevor McDonald on television – his gravitas and authority – and see hope and potential."

David returned to Tyneside for series 2: "This series, as far as I’m concerned, is a love letter to the North East.

"I hope viewers are reminded of all we have been through in the past, what the generations before us achieved and all they went through to build the region we have today.”

Fans love David's tranquil and calm manner of presenting and how he recounts historical facts in a digestible way, making history fun and accessible for everyone.

Where can I watch old series?

Only the first episode of the latest series is available to watch on iPlayer.

Will there be a series 4?

The BBC has yet to confirm a fourth series, but following the critical acclaim this series has received after episode 1, we're keeping everything crossed.

Watch series 3 episode 1 of a House Through Time on BBC iPlayer now.

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