Tag: Liverpool

18th Century, BAME History, History

How the Emergence of Capitalism in the Early Modern Period Fuelled the African Slave Trade as Britain Became an Industrial Nation

This paper was written at the end of my first semester at university in 2010. The study of history through an economic lens was new to me. It sparked an interest in US history and I picked up a second module covering Slavery and Race in the USA for my second year. I was awarded a hugely encouraging A* grade. I felt very passionate about … Continue reading How the Emergence of Capitalism in the Early Modern Period Fuelled the African Slave Trade as Britain Became an Industrial Nation

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20th Century, History

Blitzed: and HistorianRuby in the Museum of Liverpool

Earlier this month I published this post, about the excellent exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool, Blitzed: Liverpool lives. It shares photographs taken by Liverpool City Police during the Blitz when Liverpool was bombarded day and night by enemy aeroplanes. One was taken after the bombing of a residential street on the very day that my fourteen-year-old uncle was machine-gunned by low-flying planes aiming for … Continue reading Blitzed: and HistorianRuby in the Museum of Liverpool

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20th Century, History

Museum of Liverpool: Blitzed Liverpool Lives

Blitzed: Liverpool Lives is an exhibition that has been on display since June this year and will continue until 2021. It’s a careful curation of black and white photographs taken by the city’s police between 1940 and 1941. They demonstrate clearly the destruction the city faced during the onslaught of The Blitz during World War II. More than 4,000 people were killed in Merseyside during … Continue reading Museum of Liverpool: Blitzed Liverpool Lives

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Family History, History

Liverpool: 812 Years Young Today!

Liverpool, the city that gave us the Liver Birds, The Beatles, Scouse, Ferries ‘Cross the Mersey and you, me, is 812 years old today! Liverpool is forever my home, yet I only lived there for 9 months. I lived in New Brighton (over the water) for 17 years and then in South-West London for another 31 years! However, a trip to Liverpool, a walk along … Continue reading Liverpool: 812 Years Young Today!

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Blogmas, Family History, History

A Forces Christmas Card: 1917

Seated is my grandfather, William James Gray, not to be confused with my uncle of the same name who you can read about here. Nearly every photograph we have of grandad Gray (and there aren’t many), show him seated. He was almost 6 foot 4 inches tall according to his Attestation Paper, although my mother always said he was 6 foot 5 inches. He was often … Continue reading A Forces Christmas Card: 1917

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20th Century, Family History, History

World War One: when War Reunited a Family

In Killed by Enemy Action: a Family Tragedy I wrote about my uncle Joseph Boyland, who was machine-gunned walking along Scotland Road, Liverpool, in September 1940. That was a story about a family devastated by the consequences of war, yet a generation earlier war had brought the Boyland family together.  John Boyland, Joseph’s father, fought for the Liverpool King’s 5th Regiment during World War One. … Continue reading World War One: when War Reunited a Family

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20th Century, Family History, History

Killed by Enemy Action: A Family Tragedy

On Tuesday 17 September 1940, Joseph Boyland, Joey to his brothers, was machine-gunned walking down Scotland Road, Liverpool. He died the following day at the city’s Royal Infirmary. Aged fourteen, he had left school and was about to ‘go to sea’. The Merchant Navy was a common occupation for young men in Liverpool at the time. The Liverpool Evening News briefly reported on 18 September … Continue reading Killed by Enemy Action: A Family Tragedy

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19th Century, BAME History, History, Women's History

Emma Clarke, Born 1875: Britain’s First Black Female Footballer

As I noted in The ‘Black Boy’ of the Philanthropic Society, much of Britain’s black history is hidden from the historical record, not least because histories were generally recorded of rich, white men;  women and minorities are hard to locate unless they married into the aristocracy, did something extraordinary or found themselves in trouble with the law. It also relies on the person recording any … Continue reading Emma Clarke, Born 1875: Britain’s First Black Female Footballer

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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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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

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19th Century, History

Walton Prison’s First Execution: Elizabeth Berry, Serial Poisoner?

Originally posted on HistorianRuby: An Historian's Miscellany:
Thirty-two years after being built, Walton Prison in Liverpool witnessed its first execution. On 14 March 1887, Elizabeth Berry suffered the ignominy of being the first prisoner and one of only two women to be executed there. The execution chamber was hastily built. It appears that a reprieve for the prisoner was expected and when this was… Continue reading Walton Prison’s First Execution: Elizabeth Berry, Serial Poisoner?

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20th Century, History

Titanic Captain Edward John Smith Lived Here

On the night of 15 April 1912, Captain Edward John Smith died along with 1500 other people when RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic. Edward John Smith was born on 27 January 1850. In 1875 he earned his master’s certificate, a qualification necessary for him to serve as a ship’s captain. In 1880 he became a junior officer with the … Continue reading Titanic Captain Edward John Smith Lived Here

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20th Century, Family History, Guest Blogs, History

Guest Blog: a Post-War Childhood in Liverpool

A guest post from George Boyland. George is a regular contributor to The Guardian’s Readers’ Recommend music blog. During World War Two, frightened Luftwaffe pilots, seeing the flak over Manchester and Liverpool, would turn back and drop their bombs over the last city before the North Sea – Hull. That city had it bad. But, apart from the East End of London, nowhere had it … Continue reading Guest Blog: a Post-War Childhood in Liverpool

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Family History, History

Tracing my Boyland and Gray Ancestors

I started this blog to share fascinating stories from history. Not least of those, are my family history posts. I have researched my family’s history on and off for three decades, with more off than on, and usually with an intense burst of activity after travelling to a specific archive or record office.  This blog is now two-years-old and this is its 94th article! So I … Continue reading Tracing my Boyland and Gray Ancestors

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