In the 17th Century, Christmas Day was more than just a religious date – it marked the beginning of the traditional ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ between Christmas and Epiphany Eve, commonly called ‘Twelfth Night’ – we know it from the much later song, but for people in Stuart England this period was a highlight of…
In the 17th Century, Christmas Day was more than just a religious date – it marked the beginning of the traditional ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ between Christmas and Epiphany Eve, commonly called ‘Twelfth Night’ – we know it from the much later song, but for people in Stuart England this period was a highlight of…
Over the next 48 hours, the inventiveness of the nation’s cooks will be being put sorely to the test as the remains of innumerable turkeys are whittled down into pies, curries, and soups for those not yet tired of this magnificent fowl.
How ‘gunpowder, treason and plot’ turned into ‘bonfires, fireworks and vandalism’… (Plus the surprising connection with the Earl of Manchester!) Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night, Squib-Night, Plot Night, or simply ‘The Fifth’ are just some of the names that have been used to describe one of the most popular events of the traditional year for…
Every Hallowe’en, the internet is awash with stories of the ‘witches’ and witch-finders of the 17th Century. But although Matthew Hopkins, the notorious ‘Witchfinder General’ is undoubtedly the most famous witch-hunter, he was by no means alone. The practice of ‘witch-finding’ was relatively rare in England and most accusations of witchcraft would have been dealt…
History has made Matthew Hopkins something of a boogeyman. Helped in no small part by folktales, books, TV shows and films, including the 1968 Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price, he has become a symbol of the archaic past, of the madness of religious zealotry and of superstition. But who was Matthew Hopkins, more commonly known…
While the siege continues in the teeth of a bitter winter, a Parliamentarian soldier is sent out to find firewood amidst the snow but must avoid enemy patrols and angry locals. During a winter siege, collecting ‘faggots’ of wood was an important task – but who knows what threats a soldier might stumble across? With…
The English Civil Wars, The British Civil Wars, The English Revolution, The Puritan Revolution, The Great Rebellion, The Wars of the Three Kingdoms… one thing pretty much all historians of the period agree on is that the term ‘The English Civil War’ isn’t accurate (the old joke goes that it’s incorrect in three ways – it wasn’t English, it…
The Battle of Boldon Hill was a skirmish fought in March 1644, between a Royalist army trying to bring the army of the Scottish Covenanters to battle. It was one of a number of skirmishes and inconclusive battles in the North East of England between the Royalist general William Cavandish, The Marquess of Newcastle (pictured left),…