History podcasters will be diving deep into the story of Wordsworth in a new episode of their show.

Particularly focussed on a story from Wordsworth House in Cockermouth, the new episode of the Step into the Past podcast will bring it to life thanks to historian Suzanna Lipscomb.

Thanks to a partnership between family history company Findmypast and the National Trust, research into the house and family discovered relatives of the poet living there in the 1921 census, acting as serving staff to the town’s doctor, James Graham.

Further research into the story revealed that the impoverished Wordsworths were the result of a family feud, dating back nearly 300 years.

In the 1700s, brothers Richard and John Wordsworth divided the family line, when older brother Richard was disinherited for marrying an unsuitable woman at just 17 years old.

Younger brother John went on to inherit the family wealth and position as the legal agent for the Earl of Lowther, along with the status and riches it entailed.

John was William Wordsworth’s father, and as such the poet and his siblings enjoyed an idyllic and comfortable childhood at Wordsworth House - a place which inspired much of his later poetry. 

In contrast, Richard’s line sunk further into poverty and by the late 1800s, his descendant Robert Wordsworth was working as a carter for the nearby industrial brewery.

By the 1921 Census, Hannah Wordsworth was working as a servant - back at Wordsworth House over 250 years after her relative William was born there.

The podcast episode follows William Wordsworth’s four times great granddaughter Charlotte as she discovers the story on a walk-and-talk around Cockermouth with Professor Lipscombe. 

Professor Lipscombe said: “Wordsworth is a much-loved figure - but there are still secrets and surprises lurking in this family tree.

“Thanks to new research by Findmypast, we can tell the story of how Charlotte’s family is so intrinsically connected to this place, as well as the impact that one event in her family history has had on the course of her life and others in her extended family.”

To listen to the podcast, visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/page/podcast.