Alaska Treaty

 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. localhistories.org/a-history-of-alaska

Botley

This is my Youtube video about the history of Botley in Hampshire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3DYXlLWC0c

Selling your wife (or husband)

 In the 18th century and 19th-century men sometimes sold their wives. (There were also cases where women sold their husbands). This strange custom arose because poor people could not divorce. (Until 1857 it took an act of parliament to dissolve a marriage so divorce was only possible for the rich). However, the wife had to consent to the sale, and often she was sold to her lover. Selling your husband or wife was not actually legal but in the early 19th century it was tolerated, especially in rural communities. However, divorce became easier after 1857 and the police began to prosecute men who sold their wives. The last known case of a man selling his wife in Britain was in Leeds in 1926. He sold her for £10 (a large amount of money at that time). The woman consented to be sold but the man was prosecuted.

Thomas Cranmer

 On 21 March 1556 the Thomas Cranmer, Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury was burned to death during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary https://englishhistory.net/tudor/thomas-cranmer-death/?fbclid=IwAR3Gh9MSbCIVFo2SVEPEj4T-jd_Ts2SZu8r3jMHHZvIR2KnSqi16_pt_XEE

Myths About Corsets

 Most of us have grown up with myths about corsets - they were like instruments of torture, they made women faint etc. This article says it's all myths, corsets were not dangerous or even uncomfortable. https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/everything-you-know-about-corsets-is-false/?fbclid=IwAR1mhjfZ66EG1ZHBBdWJHCu1GBsZdWXpdQ65QXOlMuqUbOr7bwMnrmkU6Lo

Saint Patrick

 According to legend Saint Patrick was captured when he was young and made a slave in Ireland. He escaped back to Britain but eventually returned to Ireland to preach. It's probably not true. It's more likely Patrick was a slave trader himself. https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/saint-patrick-slave-trader?fbclid=IwAR3x6HLSaykzwliVIjcwqzld4L7rbVMEyag49EUBQsbH7XnV6kVpClaF4yE

Caroline Herschel

 The great astronomer Caroline Herschel was born on 16 March1750. In 1828 The Royal Astronomical Society awarded Caroline the gold medal for science. In 1846 she was given the Prussian Gold Medal for science. https://localhistories.org/a-brief-biography-of-caroline-herschel/