British Monarchs and Their Spouses: from the Windsors to the Tudors

Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip of Greece – 20 November 1947 King George VI married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon – 23 April 1923 King Edward VIII – abdicated the throne in December 1936 to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simpson – 3 June 1937 King George V married Princess Mary of Teck – 6 July 1893. She was originally engaged to his brother Prince Albert, who was … Continue reading British Monarchs and Their Spouses: from the Windsors to the Tudors

HistorianRuby27/09/201830/12/20185 Comments

20th Century, History

Spanish Flu: The Deadliest Pandemic the World has Ever Seen

As World War One drew to a close, a new terror materialised that would more than double, and some suggest treble, the 16 million people killed during the conflict. A deadly global pandemic was facilitated by an airborne virus, the movement of troops around Europe, global commerce and migration. More died in a single year than four years of the black death, or bubonic plague … Continue reading Spanish Flu: The Deadliest Pandemic the World has Ever Seen

HistorianRuby25/09/201825 Comments

History

Bushy House: the Former Home of Actress Dora Jordan and the Duke of Clarence

Bushy House, a mansion which is set inside Bushy’s Park’s thousand acres of parkland, was also the home of Adelaide, the Duchess of Clarence from 1818. William and Adelaide ruled as King William IV and Queen Adelaide from 1830 – 1837. Dowager Queen Adelaide lived there part-time from 1837 until her death in 1849. Bushy House is only open to the public once a year. … Continue reading Bushy House: the Former Home of Actress Dora Jordan and the Duke of Clarence

HistorianRuby24/09/201824/09/20183 Comments

18th Century, History

22 September 1761: the Coronation of George III

I have a soft spot for King George III and have written about him previously in my ‘Thoughts on George III’ post and when I commemorated his date of birth in my post ‘4 June 1738: the Birth of George III’. He was proclaimed King of Great Britain when his grandfather died in October 1760 and was crowned on 22 September 1761, aged 22. It … Continue reading 22 September 1761: the Coronation of George III

HistorianRuby22/09/201822/09/20184 Comments

20th Century, History, In the News

In the News: Newly Discovered Suffragette Letter and Romanov Family Photographs Exhibited

Letter from Annie Kenney to her Sister Nell Found A letter written in 1905 by leading Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) suffragette Annie Kenney has been discovered in a Canadian archive. Kenney is doubly interesting: not only is she one of the earliest militant suffragettes at the heart of the movement along with the Pankhursts, but she was also from an altogether different background, working-class … Continue reading In the News: Newly Discovered Suffragette Letter and Romanov Family Photographs Exhibited

HistorianRuby22/09/20189 Comments

20th Century, History, Women's History

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: the Tiaras of a Duchess and Queen

Hours after posting Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: Consort of George VI, unable to let go (sadly quite normal for me), I was still flicking through the pictures I’d saved of her prior to becoming Queen when I noticed I’d missed a pretty special picture out of my post. And there you have my gratuitous reason to share more pictures of Queen Elizabeth, the queen … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: the Tiaras of a Duchess and Queen

HistorianRuby19/09/201812/10/201815 Comments

20th Century, History, Women's History

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: Consort of King George VI

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born 4 August 1900, the ninth child of Claude George Bowes-Lyon and Nina Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Lord and Lady Glamis. The family divided its time between Glamis Castle in Scotland and homes in Hertfordshire and St James’s Square, London. When war broke out in 1914, Glamis Castle was used as a reception centre and hospital for the wounded and young Elizabeth … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: Consort of King George VI

HistorianRuby18/09/201826/04/202113 Comments

Family History, History

Digital v Physical Archives: a Personal Account, Part 1 OR a Little Bit of Family History

I began my family tree research in my late teens. I sat down with my father and listed all family members past and present that he could remember. Still only eighteen, I moved from Merseyside to Wimbledon and bought a copy of Tracing Your Family Tree, by Jean Cole and Michael Armstrong. I was ideally placed to visit the capital’s repositories, but then hit a … Continue reading Digital v Physical Archives: a Personal Account, Part 1 OR a Little Bit of Family History

HistorianRuby15/09/201808/11/201821 Comments

History

Woburn Abbey and Gardens

I visited Woburn Abbey and Gardens two weeks ago, on a beautiful late summer Sunday. To reach the historic house, I had to drive through stunning parkland, where deer roam free. Once into the grounds of Woburn Abbey I had the choice to visit the both the house and gardens or just gardens. Of course, I did both. Woburn Abbey has belonged to the Russell family … Continue reading Woburn Abbey and Gardens

HistorianRuby14/09/201814/09/201810 Comments

Blogging, History

A Trip to the Museum Blog Party: a Review

Last week I hosted my first blog party. I’ve participated in a few blog parties over the summer and really enjoyed meeting new bloggers, which got me thinking about hosting my own event, but it would have to fit into my blog’s history theme. Bloggers who hosted blog parties: The Little Mermaid Kaylaannauthor And most recently, The Daily Flabbergast Indeed, it was with Floatinggold’s block party … Continue reading A Trip to the Museum Blog Party: a Review

HistorianRuby12/09/201817 Comments

History

September 11 2001: Remembered

September 11, 2018, marks the seventeenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and flight 93, which was brought down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nineteen Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes in coordinated attacks, two planes flew into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, one plane crashed into the Pentagon, Washington D.C., a fourth plane crashed without … Continue reading September 11 2001: Remembered

HistorianRuby11/09/201811/09/20187 Comments

History

A stone-ground history regarding bread

HistorianRuby’s ‘Trip to the Museum’ post inspired Jonny from science.casual to write a fascinating article about a ruined Roman watermill in France. Its size suggests that the Barbegal complex had a more industrial purpose, sending flour to the nearest port, rather than for domestic consumption. I urge you to take a look at science.casual – its science written for the layperson, which is fab for … Continue reading A stone-ground history regarding bread

HistorianRuby10/09/2018Leave a comment

History

Lovekyn Chapel

The Chantry Chapel of St Mary Magdalene at Norbiton was founded by Edward Lovekyn in 1309 and is known locally as the Lovekyn Chapel. It is the oldest complete building in Kingston Upon Thames and is Grade 2 listed. It underwent numerous renovations before it received listed status in 1927. It is also the one remaining free-standing chantry chapel in England. The Chapel is small, … Continue reading Lovekyn Chapel

HistorianRuby10/09/201809/09/20184 Comments

History

You’re all Welcome to Join HistorianRuby on a Trip to the Museum!

Originally posted on HistorianRuby: An Historian's Miscellany:
HistorianRuby invites you all to participate in a blog trip of your choice! You don’t like history? Really? You may be surprised at how many ways we can consume history – if you’re not sure, take a look at my post The Many Ways to Consume History. Did you stop to look at that statue that had a… Continue reading You’re all Welcome to Join HistorianRuby on a Trip to the Museum!

HistorianRuby09/09/201810/09/20189 Comments

History

Heritage Open Days 2018: Don’t Miss Out

Two weekends in September offer the chance to discover history for free! Heritage Open Days 2018 is this weekend 6-9 September AND next weekend 13-16 September. Explore what’s going on in your area and don’t miss out! ‘Every September some 40,000 volunteers across England organise 5,000 events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new … Continue reading Heritage Open Days 2018: Don’t Miss Out

HistorianRuby08/09/20188 Comments