The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a series of chronological histories, dating from the ninth century to the twelfth century. Although only nine copies of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle survive, at one time, there were multiple copies of the Chronicle, which were distributed to religious houses throughout England, with further copies being made by monks. Once copies had been made…
An illustrated prayer book or Bible was one of the most rare and valuable possessions a medieval person could own. The traditional image of a medieval manuscript is a highly illustrated and detailed document written in a beautiful hand. Creating and writing a medieval manuscript was a process which took weeks to complete, making written…
Hywel Dda, translated as “Howell the Good”, ruled Deheubarth in 10th-century SW Wales and left a body of codified law which had centuries of influence. Hywel Dda (Hywel ap Cadell), grandson of legendary Welsh king Rhodri Mawr, did not just inherit his title and epithet from his heroic family, but earned it through education, wise…
The Welsh border town is famous for its bookshops but its history goes back much further. Hay-on-Wye is situated on the border between England and Wales and is renowned for its many bookshops. It actually has two castles. One is a small motte on the western side of the town and the other is situated…
By the mid 19th century, South Wales was synonymous with mining. Within decades, immigrants had created something similar on the other side of the world Wherever travellers set up home, they always bring something of their past with them. Take Australia for example. The country is littered with English place names – Darlington, Exeter, Croydon,…
In Wales, Welsh school children were punished for speaking their own language, in the belief that the English language would solve all their educational problems. Welsh is the oldest language in Europe, dating back at least 2500 years. However, it nearly died out in the 19th century, due to a belief that English was superior,…
Wedding cake trivia, the birth of wedding cakes and royal wedding cakes. Wedding Cake Traditions There used to be some long-standing traditions regarding wedding cake. In the fifties and sixties, the wedding cake had a larger role in the ceremony than it does today. At the wedding banquet, it was displayed on the head table…
Catherine of Aragon came to England to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales. His early death was to have significant repercussions for her – and for the country. Catherine of Aragon is best known as the first wife of Henry VIII and for the fact that she was put aside to allow him to marry Anne…
Brief history of one of the most haunted sites in all of Britain. Founded in 1562, Greyfriars Kirkyard is seemingly no different than the countless other cemeteries that dot the countryside in Britain. The history surrounding it however is a completely different story. Located in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland just outside of the Royal…
Dominating the landscape, Stirling Castle has been a royal palace and military fortess. More recently, its history has made it a popular visitor attraction. Castles, in the shape of the fortified buildings which we know today, came to Scotland only in the twelfth century (Chris Tabraham). There was certainly a royal fortress at Stirling by…
The demon rum has claimed many victims over the years and the rather pathetic parade of topers published by Ancestry.co.uk (March 2010) is typical of the breed. The Birmingham Pub Blacklist The genealogy search company has posted a “Birmingham Pub Blacklist, detailing the drunkards whose loutish behaviour saw them barred from the city’s pubs and clubs at the turn…
Some have suggested that the Californian did not see the Titanic‘s rockets, but rather flares fired from a fishing boat to alert its longboats to its position. However, there is no contemporary support for that theory; Gibson and Stone testified specifically that they saw white rockets, not flares. Captain Smith and the Improper Distress Signal? When one concedes…
Henry VIII married six women, all of whom were related, some to him and some as closely as first or second cousins to each other. Arthur, Prince of Wales, Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon To discover this complex relationship, it is necessary to look at the marriages of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of…
Thesiger was a great man who spent a large part of his life exploring, photographing and finding out about the people who lived in the Middle East. By the mid-20th century very few areas of the globe remained to be explored, and so the exploits of men such as Thesiger can be seen as much…
Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse is possibly the most influential West African spiritual leader of the 20th century. Who was this sufi saint and what was his legacy? Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse has left a legacy of millions of followers around the world. He is known as one of the most prolific Islamic revivalists of the 20st century….
Sudan’s ceaseless conflicts have been interpreted from many different angles. The best possible explanation, however, is that country’s colonial history. Sudan, Africa’s largest country (i.e. until the recent secession of the South) and home to one of the greatest empires on the continent has come to symbolize conflict. The two most prominent of these conflicts…