Friday 31 January 2020

Medieval Towns

The thing that would strike us most about medieval towns would be their small size. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 London probably had a population of about 18,000. Winchester, the capital of England, probably had about 8,000 people. At that time a 'large' town, like Lincoln or Dublin had about 4,000 or 5,000 inhabitants and a 'medium sized' town, like Colchester had about 2,500 people. Many towns were much smaller. www.localhistories.org/towns.html

Thursday 30 January 2020

History of Firefighting

In the mid 17th century the only tools for fighting fire were buckets, hooks and handheld pumps. (Gunpowder could be used to blow up buildings and create fire breaks). However, in 1672 Jan Van der Heiden invented a flexible leather hose with brass fittings. Van der Heiden also pioneered hand-pumped fire engines to use with the hose. localhistories.org/a-history-of-firefighting

Calgary

I wrote a history of Calgary in Canada

Emsworth

This is my video about Emsworth in Hampshire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHIoE0EIpQ0

Wednesday 29 January 2020

Caroline Herschel

Caroline Herschel was a famous astronomer. In 1846 she was given the Prussian Gold Medal for science. She was then 96. Caroline lived from 1750 to January 1848. She died at the age of 97. So even in those days, some people did live to extreme old age. 

Horndean, Hampshire

This is my Youtube video about the history of the charming village of Horndean in Hampshire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1-vfsWJHqk

Winnipeg

Winnipeg stands at the confluence of two rivers. Its name comes from native words meaning murky waters. The French built a fur trading post on the site in 1738 called Fort Rouge. However, the fort was later abandoned. Then in 1810, the North West Company built a new fort called Fort Gibraltar. Slowly the settlement grew and in 1873 Winnipeg was incorporated as a city. 

Tuesday 28 January 2020

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was published on 28 January 1813 www.localhistories.org/austen.html 

Lego

Happy birthday lego, patented 28 January 1958 localhistories.org/a-history-of-toys  

History of Poverty

I made a video about the history of poverty. It's a grim subject but I found it interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quNVFsfMrGI 

The City of Regina

The city of Regina was once a place called Pile O'Bones because of the bones left there by hunters. Then in 1882, the first settlers arrived at the site. The new settlement grew rapidly and it was renamed Regina (Latin for queen) for Queen Victoria. 

Monday 27 January 2020

Blendworth, Hampshire

Egyptian Surgery

In Ancient Egypt surgeons treated wounds and broken bones and dealt with boils and abscesses. Egyptian surgeons used clamps, sutures, and cauterization. They had surgical instruments like probes, saws, forceps, scalpels, and scissors.

They also knew that honey helped to prevent wounds from becoming infected. (It is a natural antiseptic). They also dressed wounds with willow bark, which has the same effect. Read more in my history of surgery

Southampton City

My video about the history of Southampton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UgUROF6GFY 

Edmonton

I wrote a history of the Canadian city of Edmonton. It began as a trading post called Fort Edmonton, built in 1795. It was named after Edmonton in England, which was then a town north of London. 

Friday 24 January 2020

Yorkshire Pudding

A Yorkshire pudding was originally called a dripping pudding. In 1747 a woman named Hannah Glasse, who was famous for her books on cookery, called it a Yorkshire pudding. She was the first recorded person to call it that. It sounds much nicer than 'dripping pudding' so thank you, Hannah. Read more in my history of food

Thursday 23 January 2020

History of Brazil

The Portuguese discovered Brazil by accident. Pedro Alvares Cabral landed on 23 April 1500. Then, in 1501 Amerigo Vespucci led another expedition to the new land. However, at first, the Portuguese showed little interest in Brazil although merchants set up coastal trading stations and they exported Brazil wood. 

Wednesday 22 January 2020

The Guillotine

On 21 January 1790 in France Dr Joseph Guillotin proposed a new humane device for executing people by slicing their head off. However the idea was not new, a mechanical device for beheading people was recorded in Dublin in 1307. 

New York

The Dutch built a little town on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. It was called New Amsterdam and it flourished by selling skins. The settlers sold otter, beaver, mink and seal skins. However, New Amsterdam was a tiny town with only about 1,500 inhabitants in the mid-17th century. However, some farmers cultivated the land in Manhattan and in Brooklyn. (The Bowery takes its name from Bouwerie the Dutch word for farm). www.localhistories.org/newyork.html

Tuesday 21 January 2020

Rasputin

According to some sources, Rasputin was born on 21 January 1869 

Monday 20 January 2020

Saturday 18 January 2020

Friday 17 January 2020

Thursday 16 January 2020

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the Terrible was crowned Tsar of Russia on 16 January 1547 www.localhistories.org/russia.html

Wednesday 15 January 2020

Tuesday 14 January 2020

Egyptian cosmetics

The Egyptians are known for their cleanliness (they bathed frequently) and they used many cosmetics. They used black eyeliner and green pigment for their eyelids. They also used rouge for their cheeks. The Egyptians also used perfume. localhistories.org/a-history-of-cosmetics

Wickham, Hampshire

My video about Wickham in Hampshire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LugkbClUDyI

Monday 13 January 2020

History of England

A brief history of England http://www.localhistories.org/england.html

Women's Boxing

Women's boxing has a long history. It was popular in England in the 18th century. https://allthatsinteresting.com/womens-boxing-history

Women's Education

I wrote a history of women's education. There have always been some educated women. In the past, generally, upper-class women were well-educated. Middle-class women often had some education.  

Women's Underwear

Ancient Greek women wore a form of bra called an apodesme. Both Roman men and women wore a loincloth or shorts called subligaculum. Women also wore a band of cloth or leather around their chest called a strophium or mamilare. localhistories.org/a-history-of-women's-underwear

Saturday 11 January 2020

Cardiff

I wrote a history of the capital of Wales, Cardiff 

Female Gladiators

Shoes

In the Middle Ages shoe makers were called cordwainers. The word is derived from cordovan the name for leather from Cordova in Spain. Learn more in my history of shoes

Friday 10 January 2020

Women Doctors

I wrote a little history of women doctors www.localhistories.org/womendocs.html

Sheffield

Sheffield takes its name from the River Sheaf. It was once called the Sceaf, which means border so it was the border river. Sheffield was founded in the early 12th century by the Lord of the Manor, William de Lovetot. He built a castle on the site of Castle Market. A little town grew up between the castle and the church. 

Thursday 9 January 2020

Edinburgh

Edinburgh began as a fort. Castle Rock is an easily defended position so from the earliest times it was the site of a fort. In the 7th century, the English captured this part of Scotland and they called this place Eiden's burgh (burgh is an old word for fort). 

Bellona

The Romans had a god of war called Mars, but they also had a goddess of war called Bellona. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8nBdh4Ahu0

Wednesday 8 January 2020

Lindisfarne

On 8 January 793 the Vikings attacked the monastery at Lindisfarne in Northeast England. It was the beginning of 200 years of Viking raids. www.localhistories.org/vikings.html  

History of Gardening

In the hot and arid climate of ancient Egypt rich people liked to rest in the shade of trees. They created gardens enclosed by walls with trees planted with trees in rows. Sometimes the Egyptians planted alternating species. They grew trees like sycamores, date palms, fig trees, nut trees, and pomegranate trees. They also grew willows. Read more in my history of gardening

Tuesday 7 January 2020

Medieval towns

It's a myth that in the Middle Ages the streets of towns were very dirty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnnHXtbct1E 

Galileo

On 7 January 1610 Galileo announced his discovery of four moons orbiting Jupiter www.localhistories.org/galileo.html

Monday 6 January 2020

Liverpool

This is my history of the English port of Liverpool. It was founded as a town by King John.  

Joan of Arc

According to tradition Joan of Arc was born on 6 January 1412 www.localhistories.org/joan.html 

East Meon

This is my video about the history of East Meon in Hampshire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_3dUoojCmU

Saturday 4 January 2020

Myths about the Middle Ages

This is my video about myths about the Middle Ages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xNlwU2_rGs

Braille

Louis Braille, the man who invented a system of writing for the blind was born on 4 January 1809. Read more in my history of communications

Friday 3 January 2020

Alaska

On 3 January 1959 Alaska became the 49th state of the union www.localhistories.org/alaska.html

Thursday 2 January 2020

History of Women's Clothes

Inca women made clothes from wool or (in warmer areas) from cotton. Ordinary people wore coarse alpaca wool but nobles wore fine vicuna wool. Inca women wore a long dress with a cloak on top fastened with a brooch. localhistories.org/a-history-of-women's-clothes

History of Shoes

In the 15th century, rich people wore shoes with long pointed toes. They were called crakows because they were believed to have originated in Krakow. (However only the upper classes wore them. Ordinary people had shoes with round toes). However, at the end of the 15th century long toes went out of fashion and the wealthy began to wear shoes with square or round toes. localhistories.org/a-history-of-shoes