#43 King of the Beggars & A Sporting Goddess (William "Black Billy" Waters & Marjorie Pollard)

Billy Waters & Marjorie Pollard: Forgotten Black British History & Women in SportWelcome to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast serving up two bite-size biographies of the forgotten people and overlooked lives history quietly erased. Every Wednesday, Annie and Andrea uncover the stories your history teacher never had time for.This episode spans Black British history, American history, and women’s sports history, with two fascinating figures whose legacies deserve far more attention.First, Andrea begins in New York, where William "Billy" Waters, a young Black man born into slavery, finds an unexpected escape by enlisting in the Royal Navy. After a life-changing injury, Billy settles in London, reinventing himself as a talented street musician and performer. But fame comes at a price, and Billy’s public image is cruelly reshaped by others, turning a devoted family man into a caricature. It’s a powerful, eye-opening story about race, representation, and who gets to write history.Then Annie heads back to the dreaded school hockey pitch (cold, muddy, and deeply traumatic for some of us). But for Marjorie Pollard, sport was a lifelong passion. She dedicates her career to championing women in sport, breaking barriers and eventually becoming one of the first women to carve out a role in the male-dominated BBC sports department. It’s an inspiring story of persistence, visibility, and changing the game, literally.If you enjoy funny history podcasts, forgotten Black history, women in history, British social history, and true stories of people who challenged the system, this episode of Mostly Unsung is the perfect place to start.Andrea used these sources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Waters_(busker)https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/21/billy-waters-the-african-american-musician-who-captivated-1820s-londonhttps://stephenliddell.co.uk/2023/09/05/billy-waters-the-king-of-the-beggars/https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2024/06/25/black-in-new-york-city-the-story-of-billy-waters/Annie used these sources:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marjorie-Pollardhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_PollardWhere you can find us:https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/https://www.tiktok.com/@[email protected] you next Wednesday!