Category Archives: medieval

The Cotton or Cottonian Library

A bust of Robert Cotton by Louis-François Roubiliac ~ Public Domain ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Cotton,_1st_Baronet,_of_Connington#/media/File:Robert_Bruce_Cotton_bust_BM_1924_0412_1.jpg Keeping with Wednesday’s post on Circulating Libraries, I thought I might mention a library some, especially in the U.S. have not considered. The Cotton Library was founded by … Continue reading

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An Old-Fashioned Holiday Season. Perhaps Not! Be Careful for What You Wish!

Have we lost the meaning of the holidays? As many of us have already run through our budget for gifts, others are wondering how we lost the true meaning of the Christmas season. Christians bemoaned the lost of the story … Continue reading

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The Rise of the Paston Family from Yeomanry to the Ranks of the Greatest Landowners in England and The Paston Letters

Although they are not held as a single collection, the Paston Letters provide insight into 15th Century life, which no other set of documents can. They are a record of a family’s correspondence, from different members of the Paston family, … Continue reading

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Craigievar Castle, the Inspiration for Walt Disney’s Trademark Castle and a Ghostly Experience

  Are you still looking for the ghosts and goblins of Halloween? Permit me to introduce you to Craigievar Castle in Scotland, where you might hear ‘Red’ Sir John tell of ancient feuds between the clans and the murder of … Continue reading

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The First Autobiography Ever Written in the English Language

Likely, many of you reading this piece will have never heard of Margery Kempe, but her autobiography was the first recorded in the English language. First, we must realize Mrs. Kempe was born in 1373 in Lynn (later Bishop’s Lynn … Continue reading

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The Paston Letters, the Earliest Known Archive of Private Correspondence in English

The Paston Letters is a remarkable collection of letters between different members of the Paston family, their staff and their friends. In truth, the collection might better be referred to as the Paston Archive, as the medieval section contains many … Continue reading

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Consecration of Westminster Abbey, 28 December 1065

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster is a large Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, London, England, situated to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It was a Benedictine monastic church until the monastery was … Continue reading

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Christmas Romance Month with “Last Woman Standing”

Last Woman Standing first made its appearance in October 2019 as part of the Christmas anthology, A Regency Christmas Proposal. It is now a stand alone short romance available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.  Kindle eBook: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Woman-Standing-Regency-Christmas-ebook/dp/B089DNBJS6/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=last+woman+standing&qid=1591300412&sr=8-6 Read for FREE … Continue reading

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The Provisions of Oxford

Most people know something of Oxford, England, through Oxford University, the home of England’s first university. However, Oxford is also known for the “Provisions of Oxford,” which in 1258 placed the king under a Council of Fifteen. All this began … Continue reading

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The Uffington White Horse

Near the village of Uffington in Oxfordshire, England, one can find a most miraculous symbol, the oldest of the English hill figures. Some 3000 years old, the Uffington White Horse is a stick figure-style horse nearly the size of a … Continue reading

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