Isaac Newton is one of the most well-known personages of the Stuart and Georgian periods due to his towering intellect and his role with the Royal Society. When we think of those amazingly multi-talented Stuart people, Newton is definitely one of them. Toni Mount, the prolific author of The Sebastian Foxley Medieval Murder Mystery series of books, is… Read on
In England, under Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan regime, drunkenness was considered an ungodly sin but, at the time, as for centuries before, ale or beer were the safest drinks. Water might be a more godly drink but the danger of swallowing disease-causing agents with every mouthful was understood, even if microbes wouldn’t be discovered for another two centuries. Therefore,… Read on
Back in August, my husband and I went camping for one week during our travels throughout Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Whilst we stayed at the campsite near Bovington in Dorset, we traveled down past Weymouth and to the island of Portland. What possible seventeenth-century connections could be there? Well, quite a lot, as I soon found out.… Read on
My article, “When Kensington Palace Became a Royal Residence” is now available on English Historical Fiction Authors. There’s something about Kensington Palace that immediately conjures up the word glamorous. Perhaps it is because in recent memory, it has been the home of notable, glamorous royals such as the late Princess Margaret, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and… Read on
Last Friday, I travelled to Greenwich’s gorgeous Old Royal Naval College (designed by Mr Baroquetastic Sir Christopher Wren) for the Royal Greenwich Early Music Festival & Exhibition 2014. It was amazing! The festival took place from the 13th-15th of November and was filled with events and the exhibition comprised the ‘World’s Largest Early Music Fair’. The Early Music Shop –… Read on
For the readers of this fine blog who don’t have the foggiest idea who I am, may I introduce myself? I’m Tour Guide Girl, tweeter, (sporadic) blogger and owner of Tourbauchery Bawdy Walks in London. Thank you to the 17th Century Lady for inviting me to write a guest article, I’m honoured to oblige! We, as history nerds,… Read on
The Great Fire of London was one of the great catastrophes to hit the reign of Charles II. Following the horrendous Great Plague of 1665, the only silver lining in this conflagration is that it seems to have eradicated the plague. Great! But we don’t really know how many people died, as the records don’t seem to take… Read on
I finally was able to visit the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, and egads! it was an amazing experience. First you see the towering architectural buildings designed by the great Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1698: I looked up to see the intertwined initials of Queen Anne and George, and William… Read on