Category Archives: history

Roger Ascham, Serving Four Monarchs

 Born in Kirby Wiske (a village in the North Riding), Yorkshire, in 1515, Roger Ascham was the third son of John and Margaret Ascham. Ascham was the steward to Baron Scrope of Bolton. Roger Ascham was a scholar and didactic … Continue reading

Posted in British history, drama, Elizabethan drama, history, legacy, literature, Tudors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Court of Star Chamber During Henry VII’s Reign

Court of Star Chamber is, in English law, the court made up of judges and privy councillors that grew from the medieval king’s council as a supplement to the regular justice of the common-law courts. The room was so named for stars were … Continue reading

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Church of England, history, kings and queens, religion, royalty, Tudor | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reginald Christie, 10 Rilling Place Serial Killer

 John Reginald Halliday Christie, known to his family and friends as Reg Christie, was an English serial killer active during the 1940s and early 1950s and is the subject a new film based upon his life of crime. Personally, the … Continue reading

Posted in British history, film, Great Britain, history | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at, Yorkshire Unofficial Anthem

The traditional English folk song, ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at,’comes from the County of Yorkshire, and it is written in Yorkshire dialect. In The Yorkshire Dictionary (Arnold Kellett, 2002) says the dialect used in the song is representative of the area … Continue reading

Posted in ballads, British history, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, history, legends, music | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Do You Know These Words and Phrases?

 Do you know “bromide”? A bromide is a phrase or platitude or cliché whose excessive use suggests insincerity or a lack of originality in the speaker. The term “bromide” derives from the antiquated use of bromide salts in medicine as mild tranquilizers and … Continue reading

Posted in American History, British history, history | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Thomas More’s Life and Literature and Being a Reformation Martyr

 I am continued my journey through my undergraduate degree by looking at English literature through the ages. Today we have Sir Thomas More. Thomas More was born on Milk Street, London on February 7, 1478, son of Sir John More, … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, history, kings and queens, religion, research, Tudor, Tudors | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Queen Victoria’s Grief at Losing Her Beloved Albert

On December 14, 1861, Prince Albert succumbed to what was believed to be typhoid fever, although a recent book Magnificent Obsession by historian Helen Rappenport suggest the prince suffered from Crohn’s disease. (The Daily Mail). Queen Victoria’s grief over the loss … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, history, kings and queens, Living in the UK, marriage, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Queen Victoria Chooses a Husband for Her Second Daughter, Princess Alice

 With the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, to the future Frederick III of Prussia, Queen Victoria turned her “matchmaking” skills upon her second daughter, Princess Alice Maud Mary. Although she promoted the idea of love matches for all her children, … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Church of England, history, kings and queens, legacy, marriage, marriage customs, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, to Prussian Prince Frederick William

Who actually first initiated the idea of a marriage between Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa of Great Britain and Prince Frederick William of Prussia is not as important as the impact of the marriage. Some think Queen Victoria’s uncle, Leopold  I, “nudged” … Continue reading

Posted in British history, family, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, marriage, marriage customs, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert, Fourth Son of Queen Victoria and a Hemophiliac

On 7 April 1853, Queen Victoria delivered her fourth son and eighth child. Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert was the first of the queen’s children to be delivered with the aid of chloroform, a controversial procedure at the time. The … Continue reading

Posted in British history, history, Living in the UK, medicine, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments