Month: October 2018

History

In the News: English Heritage – ‘Nominate Female Candidates for New Blue Plaques’

Only 14% of London’s blue plaques celebrate women.  English Heritage is trying to redress the balance. Since they began a campaign in 2016 more than half of the plaques awarded have celebrated women. However, they are seeking more nominations from the public. What a wonderful way to engage with public history! You can check out the selection criteria here. One of the rules states that … Continue reading In the News: English Heritage – ‘Nominate Female Candidates for New Blue Plaques’

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History

Royal Memorabilia: Must Have Mementoes​ or Kitsch to Ignore?

A few years ago, I failed to buy a commemorative dish memorialising the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817. I’ve bemoaned my loss of this ever since. I’ve browsed for another on eBay and have almost been tempted to buy again. Some of the Princess Charlotte memorabilia is very pricey, that said it is 200-years-old! Love it or loathe it, royal memorabilia is big business. … Continue reading Royal Memorabilia: Must Have Mementoes​ or Kitsch to Ignore?

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20th Century, BAME History, Family History, History

Black History Month: Nursing in the NHS and Me

With the proliferation of #BlackHistoryMonth hashtags haunting various social media sites [I’m sure haunting is the correct term during October], you may have noticed that October is Black History Month in the UK.  It is the time that we celebrate our diversity, learn about other cultures and the people who have settled in Britain in the near and distant past. While we embrace our differences, during … Continue reading Black History Month: Nursing in the NHS and Me

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19th Century, History

The Sale of Arsenic Regulation Act 1851

The 1851 Act regulated the sale of arsenic by imposing a series of measures aimed to ultimately control the arsenic panic that gripped the country. The six parts to the Act covered: On every Sale of Arsenic, Particulars of Sale to be entered in a Book by the Seller in Form set forth in Schedule to this Act. Restrictions as to Sale of Arsenic Provision for … Continue reading The Sale of Arsenic Regulation Act 1851

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19th Century, History

The Children of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales married Princess Alexandra of Denmark on 10 March 1863 at Windsor Castle. The Prince and Princess of Wales, Bertie and Alix, as they were known, went on to have six children, five surviving to adulthood. The nine children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married into many European royal households and subsequently, King Edward VII was known as the uncle … Continue reading The Children of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

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20th Century, History

Norwich Cathedral and the Grave of Edith Cavell

Friday 12 October was the 103rd anniversary of the death of Edith Cavell. Edith was executed during the First World War for helping allied soldiers escape German-occupied Belgium. She is rightly seen as a heroine who sacrificed herself for the greater good of her country. You can read my anniversary post about her here. Edith’s body was repatriated after the war and buried in Norwich … Continue reading Norwich Cathedral and the Grave of Edith Cavell

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20th Century, History, Postal History

Edwardian Postcards: a Glimpse into an Earlier Life

At my last visit to a postcard fair, I bought a small bundle of twenty-two postcards dating from 1910-15. Individually they weren’t expensive, just 50p each (the seller sold them for £10) and I hoped to be able to share a snippet or two from the collection.  The address of one of the cards initially attracted me to them, ‘Mr Cyril Smith, Post Office, Sudbury, … Continue reading Edwardian Postcards: a Glimpse into an Earlier Life

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20th Century, History

12 October 1915: Edith Cavell Executed for Treason

Edith Cavell died at dawn on 12 October 1915 at Tir National firing range, Brussels. Her statue, near Trafalgar Square, London, England, bears the words she spoke the night before her death; ‘Patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness for anyone.’ There are few statues of non-royal women in the country and the fact that there is one of Edith, and … Continue reading 12 October 1915: Edith Cavell Executed for Treason

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19th Century, History

The Children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Victoria, Princess Royal. Married Prince Frederick William of Prussia She was born 21 November 1840 and died 5 August 1901 Her eldest son, Kaiser Willhelm II, was on the opposing side to his cousin King George V of Great Britain during World War One Albert, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Married Princess Alexandra of Denmark Born 9 November 1841 and died 6 May … Continue reading The Children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

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History

Herbert Hoover Lived Here

Driving through Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England, I happened upon a blue plaque. You may recall that blue plaques were my featured content in July. Of course, I had to pull over so I could take a snap.  The plaque states ‘Herbert Hoover President of the USA (1929-1933) Lived here in 1902’. Herbert Hoover was the thirty-first President of the United States. What was he doing … Continue reading Herbert Hoover Lived Here

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History, In the News

In the News: Swedish Girl’s Exciting Lake Discovery

Like something out of Arthurian legend, in July 2018, an eight-year-old girl on her summer holiday with her family found a 1500-year-old sword that pre-dates the Vikings! With drought conditions at the time, the water was much lower than usual in Lake Vidostern, Jonkoping County, Sweden. The young girl found what she believed to be a stick and picked it up, noticing the handle, she … Continue reading In the News: Swedish Girl’s Exciting Lake Discovery

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BAME History, History, In the News

In the News: Black History Month 2018

October marks Black History Month in the UK. It has been celebrated for more than 30 years by schools and councils with discourse and community events highlighting black heritage for the wider population. However, this year a row has overshadowed one of the highlights of the cultural calendar. Some councils have changed the name ‘Black History Month’ to be inclusive of other diverse cultures now … Continue reading In the News: Black History Month 2018

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18th Century, BAME History, History

The ‘Black Boy’of the Philanthropic Society

Originally posted on HistorianRuby: An Historian's Miscellany:
This article was first published on history@kingston, February 2015 So much of London’s fascinating black history is hidden from the historical record, so when I noticed the phrase ‘Black Boy’ written in the minutes of the Philanthropic Society during research for my recent MA dissertation on juvenile delinquency and philanthropy in the late eighteenth century, I was… Continue reading The ‘Black Boy’of the Philanthropic Society

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