A NEW podcast is bringing to life an untold First World War story linked to one of Cornwall’s most historic National Trust sites, revealing how the last family to live and work at Cotehele Mill became unexpectedly connected to the Gallipoli campaign.

Research by UK family history website Findmypast, carried out for the new series A Family History Of… Gallipoli, has uncovered the story of the Langsford family, who were the final tenants of the rural mill in the early 20th century before it passed into the care of the National Trust.

At the heart of the discovery is Nelson Langsford, a millworker who grew up at Cotehele Mill in the Tamar Valley before enlisting in the Royal Navy. His journey from rural Cornwall to active service in one of the First World War’s most notorious campaigns is now the focus of the podcast, which is available on all major streaming platforms.

Nelson served as a naval engineer aboard HMS Prince George during the Gallipoli campaign, working deep within the ship’s engine rooms. Conditions were extreme, with relentless heat, constant noise and the ever-present danger of mines and enemy fire in the Dardanelles.

The story has been reconstructed using newly released historical sources, including the 1921 Census and digitised naval records from the Royal Naval Museum. The census, taken after the First World War, provides a detailed snapshot of British households adjusting to life in its aftermath, recording names, occupations and living arrangements.

For Cotehele, the findings have helped historians build a clearer picture of the mill’s final residents and how their lives extended far beyond rural Cornwall.

Findmypast genealogist and podcast host Jen Baldwin said the discovery highlights the way ordinary lives can become part of major world events.

“What’s so powerful about Nelson’s story is how it begins somewhere so familiar and grounded,” she said. “Cotehele Mill is a place rooted in tradition and routine, yet Nelson’s journey shows how an ordinary life can intersect with history’s most extraordinary moments.”

Emma Whitworth of the National Trust, Cotehele, said the research adds a new layer to the site’s history and helps connect it to wider global events.

“Cotehele Mill has always been a place shaped by the generations of people who lived and worked here,” she said. “Discoveries like this help us connect the site to wider history, showing how a quiet corner of Cornwall is linked to major global events. Nelson’s story gives us a powerful new way to engage visitors with the mill’s past.”

Naval historian Charlotte Ward-Kelly, who contributed to the podcast, said the naval side of Gallipoli is often overlooked.

“The naval side of Gallipoli is often overlooked, but it was an incredibly intense and dangerous environment,” she said. “Men like Nelson worked below deck in extreme conditions, keeping ships operational under constant threat. His story helps us understand not just the campaign itself, but the human experience behind it.”

A Family History Of… Gallipoli is available now on all major podcast platforms.