I wrote a history of Kings Lynn. It was once a large and important town and port.
A blog about history and true crime. Historical trivia and stories about true crime.
Tuesday, 19 December 2023
A Christmas Carol
In the 19th century, it was traditional to tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve (not sure why). The most famous Christmas ghost story is, of course, A Christmas Carol, which was published on 19 December 1843. I love old Scrooge. Bah! Humbug!
Monday, 18 December 2023
Garden Gnomes
Today we have garden gnomes but in the 18th century, rich people sometimes paid human beings to pose in their gardens. They were called ornamental hermits and they usually lived in a hut on the grounds of a large house. Often they were paid to wear strange clothes (sometimes they were dressed as druids). Sometimes they were supposed to just stand or sit in the garden without speaking to anyone. Garden gnomes were introduced in the 19th century.
Waterlooville
I wrote a brief history of Waterlooville in Hampshire. It began as a town in the early 19th century.