Sue Cook and the team answer listeners' historical queries and celebrate the way in which we all 'make' history.
Series 13
Programme 2
25 April 2006
Dental clearances
Making History listener Marian Brown was enjoying a memoir about life in London's East End during the inter-war years when she came across quite gruesome references to the practice of 'dental clearances' - the removal of a complete set of teeth (without anaesthetic) to save on dental bills later on in life. Could such drastic measures really have been taken, she asks?
Dylan Winter spoke to the author Melanie McGrath, who confirmed her sources, and then visited an East End luncheon club where elderly people repeated the stories. Finally, he spoke to Jonathan Evans, the archivist at the Royal London Hospital.
Further reading
Silvertown: Melanie McGrath, Silvertown: An East End Family Memoir (Fourth Estate, 2003)
The trial of 16-year-old Mary Pyner
Making History listener Thomas Garnell contacted the programme, having read up on the trial of his ancestor Mary Pyner who was hanged at Tyburn for stealing from her employer. It appears that Mary could not speak for herself at the trial. Was this always the case?
Making History consulted Victor Tunkel, Secretary of the Selden Society.
Vanessa has presented science and current affairs programmes for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for BBC Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.
Contact Making History
Send your comments and questions for future programmes to: Making History BBC Radio 4 PO Box 3096 Brighton BN1 1PL
Vanessa has presented science and current affairs programmes for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for BBC Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald. 