Samuel Godley, a soldier in the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards of the Household Cavalry and an unsung hero of the Battle of Waterloo, is the focal point of this scheme of work which is resource-rich and structured around skills-development. The scheme of work aims to engage students with heritage whilst also looking at why we remember certain aspects of our local history. Samuel Godley’s story provides a lens through which to study different aspects of the urban and social development in Regency and Georgian London. In seven lessons, students will use archival documents and historical prints to investigate how London changed as a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars, paying particular attention to how these changes affected different social classes.

This resource was written by Michelle Cook, at the time Project Officer at the City of Westminster Archives Centre/Heritage Lottery Fund and now a freelance writer, curator and researcher and Teacher Fellow of the Historical Association.