No Makeup Day

26 April is National No Makeup Day. This is my history of makeup. 

Happy St George's Day

 Happy St George's Day everyone!

John Paul Jones

 On 22 April 1778 during the American War of Independence, a US ship captained by John Paul Jones attacked the port of Whitehaven in northwest England.

Sunderland

 I wrote a history of the city of Sunderland 

Stockton on Tees

 I wrote a history of the city of Stockton on Tees in Northeast England 

The Lisbon Massacre

 On 19 April 1506, the Lisbon Massacre began. Dominican friars incited churchgoers to massacre Jews. It's not known how many were killed but probably between 2,000 and 4,000 people died. 

Darlington

 I wrote a history of Darlington, a town in Northeast England 

History of corporal punishment of Scottish children

 Paisley Museum posted about the shocking history of corporal punishment in Scotland 

Beverley

 I wrote a brief history of the historic town of Beverley in Yorkshire 

Nuns in the Middle Ages

 I found this very good video about nuns in the Middle Ages and how they were often powerful women. It was made in Switzerland so it has subtitles but in my opinion it its well worth a watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS-LY6p3NWM

Wincanton

 I wrote a history of the small town of Wincanton in Somerset 

Mary Rose Timeline

 A timeline of events at the time of the Mary Rose 

April 9 Tragedy

 On 9 April 1991 Soviet troops crushed an independence demonstration in Georgia killing 21 people and injuring hundreds. It's known as the April 9 Tragedy.  

Great Yarmouth

 I wrote a history of the seaside town of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk 

Tamar the Great

 Tamar the Great was ruler of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. She was a powerful ruler and during her reign, the kingdom flourished. 

Museum of Women in the Arts

On 7 April 1987, the National Museum of Women in the Arts opened in Washington DC, USA.

Life on the Moon

 In 1835 a newspaper called the New York Sun claimed that, using a new powerful telescope people could see plants and animals on the Moon. They could also see 'people' who were half man and half bat. I always think it's a pity it was a hoax. It would be nice if there was life on the Moon.

Bermondsey

I wrote a history of Bermondsey. For centuries it was a village before it became a district of London. 

Warnford

 I wrote a history of the tiny village of Warnford in Hampshire 

The last woman to be sentenced to death in Britain

 Most people know that the last woman to be hanged in Britain was Ruth Ellis in 1955. However, the last woman to be sentenced to death in Britain was Mary Wilson in 1958. 

Wilson was convicted of poisoning two of her husbands with phosphorous. She was sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. The remains of two other husbands were exhumed and found to contain poison but it was felt there was no point in having another trial. Wilson died in prison in 1963.

Did Brides Carry Bouquets to Hide Their BO?

 You sometimes read that people got married in May because they only had a bath once a year - in May. The bridge carried bouquets to hide her BO. This is complete nonsense. People sometimes got married in May because they believed it was good luck to get married in that month. Brides did not carry bouquets to hide their smell. Flowers were once fertility symbols or charms. They were carried to ensure the fertility of the bride. Bouquets also often included certain herbs that people believed would drive away evil spirits or bad luck, in the way that garlic was supposed to repel vampires. 

In the 1800s it became the custom for the bride to throw her bouquet into the air. Whoever caught it would have good luck. That soon changed into the idea that whoever caught it would be the next to get married. Today it’s a bit of fun but once people took these superstitions seriously.

Middlesbrough

 I wrote a history of Middlesbrough, a town in Northeast England 

Emmeline Pankhurst

 On 3 April 1913 suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst was sentenced to 3 years in prison for 'inciting to malicious damage to property' ( she incited others to plant a bomb in the home of David Lloyd George the Chancellor of the Exchequer).

Portchester

 Here are some pictures of Portchester I took. It's a very picturesque place.

Human cannonball

 On 2 April 1877 14-year-old Rossa Matilda Richter known as Zazel became the first human cannonball when she was fired from a cannon.

Physical Punishment in Australia

 A YouTube video about physical punishment in Australia 

April

 Welcome to April. They think its name comes from the Latin word aperire meaning to open because buds open at this time. ⚘

Manatees

 31 March is Manatee Appreciation Day. In 1493 Christopher Columbus reported seeing three mermaids. He complained they were 'not half as beautiful as they are painted'. It's thought he actually saw manatees.

Seward's Icebox

 On 30 March 1867, US Secretary of State William Henry Seward signed a treaty to buy Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million - less than 2 cents an acre. However, it took 6 months to persuade Congress to ratify the treaty. Some people called it Seward's Icebox.

Easter 2024

  Happy Easter to all my readers!  😊 

Scarborough

I wrote a history of the Yorkshire town of Scarborough 

Alaska Earthquake

 On 27 March 1964 (local time) Alaska was struck by an earthquake It measured 9.2 on the Richter Scale and killed 131 people. Earthquake Damage Pics from Earthquakes.usgs.gov

Whitby

 My friend wrote a history of Whitby 

The Slave Trade Ends

On 25 March 1807 Britain abolished the slave trade. (The first country to abolish it was Denmark in 1792).

Hungover

You sometimes read that we say 'hungover' because drunk people slept hung over ropes. It's not true. That is not the origin of the term hungover. 

Tea Bag

 According to legend Thomas Sullivan invented the tea bag in 1908. But it seems that tea bags gradually developed and it's difficult to say who first invented them.

Women's Olympiad

 The Women's Olympiad began on 24 March 1921. It was the first international women's sports event.

Cathcold Tower, Southampton

 During World War II an anti-aircraft gun was placed on Catchcold Tower in Southampton. It was the last time the Medieval walls played a part in the defence of the city.

Spring

 It's Spring again. People once called it Lenten, which means lengthen because the days are growing longer. But in the 14th century, people called it springing time because the leaves on trees are springing out. By the 16th century, it was just called Spring. It's so nice to see nature coming back to life. 😎

Tolpuddle Martyrs

 On 19 March 1834, the Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced to 7 years transportation. They were convicted of making an illegal oath. They tried to form a trade union and they swore an oath of secrecy, which was then illegal and gave the authorities an excuse to arrest them.

Pictures of Frome

 I took some pictures of Frome in Somerset 

History of Menstruation

 I wrote a history of menstruation 

Red Letter Days

Why do we say red-letter days? In the Middle Ages, saint's days were marked in red in calendars. People did not work on some saint's days, which were also called holy days. Our word holiday is derived from a holy day.

Diving Suit

 I found an interesting video about the world's oldest diving suit  

Uranus

 On 13 March 1781, William Herschel discovered the Planet Uranus, the first new planet discovered since Ancient Times. https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-the-outer-planets/

Let The Cat Out of The Bag

 Why do we say let the cat out of the bag? This old saying is probably derived from the days when people who sold piglets in bags sometimes put a cat in the bag instead. If you let the cat out of the bag you exposed the trick. I have heard it said, on certain historical ships I could mention that it comes because a cat o'nine tails was kept in a bag. But the cat o'nine tails was not used by the English navy till the mid-17th century and the saying is certainly older than that.

Myths about witchcraft

 This is an interesting article about myths about witchcraft 

Blossom Alley

 I wrote about an unsolved murder in Portsea, Portsmouth in 1923 

Gladys Moss

 Gladys Moss was the first female police officer in Sussex, in 1919

The End of Corporal Punishment

 On 25 February 1982, in a case brought by two Scottish mothers, Grace Campbell and Jane Cosans Grace Campbell the European Court of Human Rights ruled that corporal punishment in schools if it was against the parent's wishes was a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

It was then an untenable situation that teachers could hit certain children but not others so in 1986 the British parliament voted to end corporal punishment in state schools. It became illegal in 1987. Well done ladies.

Arangela Tarbotti

 Arangela Tarbotti was born on 24 February 1604. She was a famous writer who vigorously attacked the condition of women in the 17th century. We don't often hear about her today but in her own time she was highly respected and she corresponded with famous scholars in Europe.

Warrington

 I wrote a brief history of the town of Warrington in Cheshire 

Wrexham

 I wrote a history of the Welsh town of Wrexham 

The Well of Loneliness

 Lesbianism has never been illegal in England. In 1921 an act to make it illegal was introduced into parliament but it was rejected by the House of Lords. But in 1928 a lesbian novel called The Well of Loneliness was banned in Britain on the grounds it was obscene. It was banned in Britain until 1959. In the USA in 1929 the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice tried to have the book banned but they lost the court case.

Quacksalver

 Why do we call doctors quacks? A quacksalver was a man who sold potions or salves that he claimed could heal diseases. He 'quacked' or made a loud noise about his salves and potions.

Stafford

 I wrote a history of the old English town of Stafford 

Killed by a Tiger

 In 1703 Hannah Twynnoy became the first known person in Britain to be killed by a tiger. It was with a travelling fair and it was chained to a staple in the ground. Twynnoy kept annoying the tiger and eventually, it pulled up the staple and mauled her to death.

Chester

 I wrote about the town of Chester 

Wigan

 I wrote a history of Wigan 

Weddings

At a wedding, a bride throws a bouquet into the air and according to tradition the woman who catches it will be the next to get married. It was once thought that touching the bride would bring good luck. People also tried to rip off pieces of her dress to bring them luck. Throwing the bouquet into the air began as a way of distracting the crowd. People thought if you caught the bouquet she carried it would pass on her luck to you. In time that came to mean that you would be the next to get married. 

Petersfield Museum

 I went to Petersfield Museum. It's very good. Petersfield was once St Peters Feld an area of open land by St Peters Church. They built a church because there were several villages all too small for their own church so they built one they could share. A market began in the shadow of the church and a town grew up.

The Museum of Farnham

I visited the Museum of Farnham. It's very good. I recommend it to everyone. 

Pictures of Farnham

I made a new file, my pictures of Farnham

Charles Dickens

 Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812

Women Outlaws

Some of the most notorious outlaws of the Wild West were women 

Dirt poor

 I made a video about a myth about the phrase dirt poor 

Tamworth

 I wrote about the English town of Tamworth 

Lichfield

 I wrote about the cathedral city of Lichfield 

Escape from the Tower of London

 For centuries the Tower of London was used to hold important prisoners. The first was Ranulf Flambard the Bishop of Durham. When King William Rufus was killed in 1100 his brother became Henry I. The new king promptly arrested the bishop for simony (selling positions in the church for money).

However, the bishop escaped. He was allowed certain privileges such as being able to buy his own food and wine. On 2 February 1101, the bishop generously invited his guards to a feast. When the guards became drunk he managed to squeeze through a window and climb down a rope. However, the rope was not long enough and he had to drop the final distance. The bishop was met by friends who rowed him across the river and he then rode a horse to the coast where he escaped on a ship.

Wolverhampton

 I wrote a brief history of Wolverhampton in the Midlands

Sit-in

 On 1 February 1960 four African American men staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina after they were refused service. They stayed till the store closed and then returned the next day. More people joined the sit-in the next day. Woolworths was eventually forced to give in, at the end of July. Meanwhile, the sit-in movement spread across the USA.

Walsall

 I wrote a history of the city of Walsall in the Midlands 

Mozambique

 I wrote a brief history of Mozambique 

Bishop's Stortford

 I wrote a brief history of the English town of Bishop's Stortford 

Teacher killed a student

 In 1860 a teacher named Thomas Hopley beat a boy to death. The boy was 14-year-old Reginald Chancellor and he had a learning disability. Among other things, the teacher hit him with a candlestick because he could not repeat the multiplication table.

The teacher was charged with manslaughter, not murder because the intent to kill could not be proved. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Discipline in the 19th century was brutal but even by their standards beating a child to death was going a bit too far.

Stamford

 I wrote a history of the old English town of Stamford 

Mongolia

 I wrote a history of Mongolia 

Spain

 I wrote a brief history of Spain  

Derek Bentley

 Derek Bentley was hanged on 28 January 1953. His conviction was quashed in 1998. This is my history of capital punishment. 

The 19th Amendment

 This is an interesting article. Myths about the 19th Amendment. 

Pomegranates

 Some useless fruit related information: Pomegranates were native to Iran and they have been grown for thousands of years. They were eaten by the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Greeks and the Romans. Pomegranates were eaten in Europe in the Middle Ages and they were mentioned by Shakespeare. Pomegranates were introduced into the New World in the 16th century.

Pomegranate is believed to be a corruption of the old French words pome garnete, which meant seed apple.

St Albans

 I wrote a history of the old English town of St Albans 

Thailand

 I wrote a brief history of Thailand. It is a fascinating country. 

Hoddesdon

 I wrote a history of the town of Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire 

Louth

 I wrote a history of the town of Louth in Lincolnshire 

Wisbech

 I wrote a history of the town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire 

The two finger gesture

 I made a video about a common myth about the origin of a famous gesture 

Chulmleigh

I wrote a history of the village of Chulmleigh in Devon

Elizabeth Blackwell

 On 23 January 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to qualify as a doctor in the USA. This is my history of women doctors.

St Austell

 I wrote about the Cornish town of St Austell 

Crewkerne

 I wrote a brief history of the village of Crewkerne in Somerset 

Pictures of Clapham

 I uploaded some pictures I took of Clapham 

Clapham

 I wrote a history of Clapham. In the 18th century, it was a fashionable place to live. Many distinguished men lived there including the scientists Henry Cavendish and Benjamin Franklin. 

Redruth

 I wrote a history of the Cornish town of Redruth 

The Masque of the Red Death

 This is an excellent animation of my favourite short story The Masque of the Red Death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKPlapqoRwk 

Catherine Hayes

 I wrote about Catherine Hayes. She was executed for the murder of her husband in 1727. 

Liberia

 I wrote a brief history of Liberia 

Newton Abbot

 I wrote a history of the town of Newton Abbot in Devon 

Roget's Thesaurus

 Peter Mark Roget was born on 18 January 1779. He is famous for Roget's Thesaurus. Happy, cheerful, contented, joyful, joyous jubilant, blessed, merry, blissful, birthday, natal day, date-of-birth, name-day Mr. Roget.

Truro

 I wrote a history of the Cornish town of Truro 

Birmingham

 I wrote a history of the great British city of Birmingham 

Bodmin

 I wrote a brief history of the Cornish town of Bodmin 

Ivan the Terrible

 Ivan the Terrible was crowned Tsar on 16 January 1547. He was the first ruler of Russia to have the title of Tsar.

Liskeard

 I wrote about the Cornish town of Liskeard 

Hat Day

 15 January is National Hat Day  

Queen Elizabeth I

 Queen Elizabeth I, was crowned Queen of England on 15 January 1559 

Doncaster

 I wrote a brief history of the town of Doncaster in Yorkshire 

Sun Tans

 For centuries it was fashionable for women to have pale skin. If you had a tan it meant you had to work outdoors. Having pale skin was a status symbol because it meant you could stay indoors. But from the 1920s tans became popular. A man named Eugene Schueller invented sunscreen in 1936.

Derby

 I wrote a history of the English city of Derby 

Launceston

 I wrote a history of the old Cornish town of Launceston  

Electricity

 I wrote a brief history of electricity 

Guatemala

 I wrote a short history of the Central American country of Guatemala 

Chard

 I wrote a brief history of the town of Chard in Somerset 

Hamble le Rice

 I wrote a history of the Hampshire village of Hamble le Rice 

The Upper Crust

 Today’s myth: in the Middle Ages and the 16th century in big houses they cut the top off loaves of bread because the bottom might be burned. The upper crust was given to the rich and the burned bottom was given to the servants. So we call the upper class the upper crust. It seems people did sometimes cut off the top of the loaf (it’s mentioned in a book published in the 15th century). 

But it’s most unlikely that is the origin of the phrase. There is no evidence that the upper class was ever called the upper crust at that time. The rich were first called the upper crust in the 19th century, long afterward. The phrase was probably just a joke, comparing them to the upper crust of a loaf. It probably has nothing to do with actual loaves. 🍞

Thoughts on Poverty

  In the 1980s an old man told me that he was born into a reasonably well-off family early in the 20th century. He said that until the radio was coming in about 1925 you didn't see 'the hard side of life'. There were no supermarkets just lots of small shops like grocers, bakers, butchers, etc. People tended to stay in their own area of the city. Middle-class people just didn't see the poverty and hardship that existed in some areas.

In 1923 a woman was murdered in Portsmouth. What shocked people was not just the murder but the terrible conditions she was living in. Most people in the city had no idea those slums existed.

Nottingham

 I wrote a history of the English city of Nottingham 

South Africa

 I wrote a brief history of South Africa 

Glastonbury

 I wrote a history of the old town of Glastonbury 

Leicester

 I wrote a history of the city of Leicester. It began as a Roman town. 

Trinidad

 I wrote a brief history of Trinidad 

Northampton

 I wrote a brief history of the old English town of Northampton 

A myth about archers and a salute

 Once again I heard the story that the two-finger gesture started because, in the Middle Ages, French soldiers cut two fingers off captured English archers (or threatened to do that) so they could no longer use a bow. So English archers waved two fingers at the French as a gesture of defiance. It's a myth. The two-finger gesture was first recorded in 1901. It's thought it started in the 19th century but nobody is sure how or why.

But there is no evidence it has anything to do with archery. There is no evidence at all that the French ever cut two fingers off captured English archers or threatened to do that. Why would they? If the French captured an English archer wouldn't it be easier just to kill him? There is, of course, no evidence that English archers ever waved two fingers at the French. Unfortunately, it's an entertaining myth so it tends to get passed around a lot.

Peru

 I wrote a brief history of the South American country of Peru 

Calais

 On 7 January 1558, the French captured Calais from the English. During the 14th and 15th centuries, English kings claimed they were also kings of France. At various times they conquered parts of France but in 1453 the French liberated all of France except Calais. However English monarchs continued to use the title king (or queen) of France for centuries. Finally, in 1800 King George III realised it was a bit too silly to keep that title.

Somerton

 I wrote a brief history of the small town of Somerton in Somerset 

Panama

 I wrote a brief history of Panama 

Ilchester

 I wrote about Ilchester in Somerset. It was once a large and important Roman town. 

Roxelana

 I read about a woman named Roxelana (Hurrem Sultan). She was born in Ukraine in about 1502 but she was kidnapped and made a slave. She was forced to be a concubine but later became the wife of the Ottoman Emperor Suleyman the Magnificent. She was a highly influential woman.

Bird Day

 5 January is National Bird Day 

Frome

 I wrote a brief history of the Somerset town of Frome 

Nicaragua

 I wrote a brief history of the Central American nation of Nicaragua 

Peterborough

 I wrote a brief history of the English city of Peterborough 

Hortensia

 Today's useless info: Hortensia was a famous Roman orator of the 1st century BC. She once gave a speech against a proposed tax. The rulers of Rome proposed to tax the property of 1,400 rich women (as a wartime measure). Hortensia gave a public speech saying women should not be taxed without representation. The rulers of Rome partly backed down and agreed to tax only 400 women.

Bridgwater

 I wrote a brief history of the Somerset town of Bridgwater 

Alaska Becomes a State

 On 3 January 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the USA. Congratulations Alaska.

Cambridge

 I wrote a brief history of the old English city of Cambridge 

Perihelion Day

 3 January 2024 is Perihelion Day. On this day the Earth is closer to the Sun than on any other day in the year. The Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, not a circle so sometimes it is slightly closer to the Sun than at others. The point when the Sun is farthest away from the Sun is called the Aphelion. It is usually on 4 July.

Laos

 I wrote a brief history of the Asian nation of Laos 

Plymouth

 I wrote a brief history of the great English port of Plymouth, in Devon 

Iron Bridge

 On 1 January 1781, the world's first iron bridge opened to the public. When John Wesley saw it he compared it to the seven wonders of the Ancient World. Today we take it for granted that large structures are made of metal but before the Industrial Revolution, it would have been unthinkable.

Frankenstein

 The famous story Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was published on 1 January 1818.

Shepton Mallet

 I wrote a history of the small but attractive town of Shepton Mallet in Somerset

Happy New Year

 Happy New Year everyone 

Haiti

 1 January is Haiti Independence Day