All articles in History
28th November, 2018 in History, Society & Culture
Slavery in history
Slavery has existed for millennia in varying forms in all parts of the world. Affecting all races, gender and age groups. It is only in recent times that it has been globally outlawed with the United Nations General Assembly adopting the declaration of hu…
27th November, 2018 in History, Society & Culture, Trivia & Gift
Season’s Greetings: 180 years of the Christmas card
In a bid to get more ‘ordinary’ people to use the newly-formed Post Office, the Penny Post was introduced by Sir Henry Cole, a senior civil servant, in 1840. Just three years later, Sir Henry also had the bright idea of creating a Christmas card which people could post to their f…
21st November, 2018 in History, Local & Family History
The history of Scotland in seven people
Someone once said, “Scotland without people is like a forest without birds: nice and quiet”. That person is lost to history but others presented here are not lost to history. They are written about in authoritative history books and also A Haverin’ History of Scotland. These peop…
31st October, 2018 in History, Military
The Armistice and its aftermath in photographs
A century ago World War I seemed to come to an abrupt end on 11 November 1918 with the signing of the Armistice. The time was marked with both joyful celebrations in the streets of the United Kingdom and the far more sombre tasks of clearing battlefields and creating cemeteries f…
29th October, 2018 in History, Society & Culture
Waterloo to Peterloo: The tragic story of John Lees
When author Colin Brown heard that Mike Leigh was directing a new film on the massacre at Peterloo, he wanted to send a copy of his book Scum of the Earth: What Happened to the Real British Heroes of Waterloo, which contains a chapter on the outrage of 1819, to the filmmaker…
25th October, 2018 in Biography & Memoir, History
Sir Walter Raleigh: The last act
The prisoner was taken from the old Gatehouse close to Westminster Abbey at around 8.00 a.m. by an armed guard of pikemen. He was dressed in a black embroidered velvet nightgown, a hare-coloured satin doublet and a black embroidered waistcoat. He wore a ruff-band, a pair of black…
11th October, 2018 in Biography & Memoir, History
The House of York: Edmund of Langley and his children
Edmund of Langley, first duke of York and founder of the House of York, was born on or a little before 5 June 1341 at the royal palace of Langley in Hertfordshire. He was the seventh child and fifth but fourth eldest surviving son of King Edward III (b. 1312) and Philippa of Hain…
8th October, 2018 in History
The House of Lancaster in seven people
Before the Wars of the Roses culminated in victory for Henry Tudor and the House of Lancaster at the Battle of Bosworth, one of English history’s most famous noble houses had a fascinating history. Edmund of Lancaster, Earl of Lancaster and Leicester (1245-96) A miniature of Edmu…
24th September, 2018 in History, Military
How to make money from the Enigma machine
2018 marks the centenary of the invention by Arthur Scherbius of the Enigma machine. Enigma was probably the most famous of the mechanical cipher devices used in World War Two, its fame assured by the feats of code-breakers at Bletchley Park who devised ways to uncover which of t…
17th September, 2018 in History, Society & Culture
500 years of the Royal College of Physicians
Established in 1518 with the granting of a royal charter by one of history’s most famous monarchs – Henry VIII – the Royal College of Physicians of London is the oldest medical royal college in England and Wales, and amongst the most ancient professional medical organisations sti…
14th September, 2018 in History, Local & Family History
Three things you might not know about Owain Glyndŵr
Like King Arthur, Welsh hero Owain Glyndŵr is rumoured to be awaiting the call to return to Wales and liberate his people. Despite being offered a pardon from King Henry V of England more than once and large rewards being offered for his whereabouts, Glyndŵr never surrendered to…
21st August, 2018 in History, Society & Culture
The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833
On 28 August 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act was given Royal Assent and came into force on the following 1 August 1834. Its full bill title was ‘An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies; for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves; and…