The Royal George

 On 29 August 1782, the warship Royal George sank while anchored at Spithead off Portsmouth. More than 800 people died including about 300 wives and 60 children of the sailors who were visiting to say goodbye before the ship sailed.

Battle of Crecy

On 23 September 1338, the English and the French fought a naval battle. Records say that an English ship called The Cristofer had 3 cannons and a handgun. It was the first recorded time that a ship used guns in battle.  

On 26 August 1346, the English totally defeated the French at the Battle of Crecy. English longbowmen played a decisive part in the battle.

It's a popular myth 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 isn't true. 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. There is no evidence it has anything to do with archery. There is no evidence 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?

A Pauper's Funeral

 In the 18th century if you died poor the local authorities had to pay for your funeral. In the village of Buriton in Hampshire, an old woman was sick. Realising she was dying the authorities put her on a cart and took her to the town of Petersfield. They dumped her in the street. Legally if she died in Petersfield they would have to pay for her burial. Thank you so much. Petersfield refused to pay and they took the case to court. They won.

Sack of Baltimore

 The sack of Baltimore happened on 20 June 1631. People from North Africa often raided Europe for slaves. On this day in 1631, they raided Baltimore in Ireland and they took many slaves. 

Selling Your wife

 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 being sold but the man was prosecuted.

A Cock and Bull Story

 A ‘cock and bull story’ means a story that isn’t true. It’s a persistent myth that it’s because some town or village had two inns, one called the cock and another called the bull. You would hear one version of a story in a pub called the cock and another version in the bull. So if a story was doubtful it was a cock and bull story. It’s true that several places in England had two inns, one called the cock and the other called the bull.

But it’s very unlikely that the saying has anything to do with inns. The truth is that the phrase was originally ‘he/she told me a story about a cock and a bull’. Far more recently it was shortened to ‘he/she told me a cock and bull story’. There was probably once a story about a cock and a bull that has now been lost. There is no evidence the saying has anything to do with inns.

Pancakes

 Happy Pancake Day! Pancakes were first mentioned in England in 1439. People were not supposed to eat butter and eggs during the 40 days of Lent so they used them up by making pancakes. It's also called Shrove Tuesday. To shrive meant to confess your sins so people shrove their sins before Lent. The name Lent comes from an Old English word meaning 'lengthen' because the days are getting longer.