Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

The Nelsons and Margaret Marchant

The story of an Edwardian family trapped in welfare dependency and a mother accused of a shocking crime against her own child.

The story of an Edwardian family trapped in welfare dependency and a mother accused of a shocking crime against her own child. Did the handouts given to Susan Nelson's family by a prosperous charity visitor provide her descendants with the chance to move up in life or was it all down to their own hard graft?

More than a hundred years on, some of Susan's descendants are still locked in patterns of benefit dependency, while others have freed their families from the desperate poverty of their ancestor. Meanwhile, a descendant of Susan's benefactor discovers why her well-to-do ancestor decided to cut off financial support for Susan just when she needed it most.

58 minutes

Last on

Wed 1 Jul 2020 09:00

More episodes

Next

You are at the last episode

See all episodes from The Secret History of My Family

Music Played

  • Nils Frahm

    More

  • Nils Frahm

    Says

  • Katherine Jenkins & Vera Lynn

    We'll Meet Again

    Orchestra: 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra.
  • Jungle

    Smoking Pixels

More information

More information
Find out more about The Nelsons and The Charity Organisation Society.

Credits

Role Contributor
Executive Producer Ruth Shurman
Producer Havana Marking
Director Havana Marking
Series Producer Joseph Bullman
Assistant Producer Nicola Harris

Broadcasts

Scotland's Home Movies

A nostalgic look back at the history and cultural phenomenon of Scottish home movies.