England
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Battle of Bannockburn
Following the death of Edward I in July 1307, to which the Scots openly rejoiced, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland continued on his campaign to rid Scotland of the English, and the supporters of his rival John Comyn, whom the Bruce had killed the year before. Edward II had taken up the reins of his father’s campaign to bring Scotland to submission. He was however unlike his father in matters of warfare and politics, and thanks largely in part to his insistence on rewarding his favourites with positions of power within court, and titled lands without, his senior nobles were rapidly losing patience with and slowly removing allegiance to…
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Did You Know?
Queen Elizabeth I is recorded as bathing once a month, ‘whether she needs it or no’ which suggests the practice of the time was to bathe less frequently. JJ Related posts: No related posts.
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How to Bathe like a Champ in Tudor England
Living in Tudor England and bathing did not go hand in hand. While bathing was still seen as a social status, as the wealthier you were the cleaner you were, it would still make you nauseous to think about the methods that were employed.It is of no wonder that the people who lived in Elizabethan England were afraid of water. Looking back it is easy to see that dumping your waste into the Thames and then bathing in it is not safe. People became sick and diseased from bathing this way and the onl [...]
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Civilian Recipients of the Victoria Cross
Since its inception, the Victoria Cross warrant has undergone several amendments, initially it was only to be awarded to those acts of specific valour in the face of the enemy, or behind the scenes in an act of preservation, which were survived by the nominee. The deed had to be witnessed by an officer however now is accepted when independently confirmed by three other witnesses. The recipient also had to be a serving member of Her Majesties Forces. Over time, these criteria have been amended to state action must be in the face of the enemy, but now to include (amongst others) posthumous awards – although this amendment was not…
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Gráinne Ní Mháille or Grace O’Malley
In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day, I decided to dedicate today’s post to one of the best. Grace O’Malley was a queen, a pirate and all around bad ass. She went toe to toe with Queen Elizabeth I and won. Not many people did that. Gráinne, or Grace as it was Anglicized, was born in 1530 on the west coast of Ireland to Owen O’Malley, a wealthy trader, seafarer and chieftain. Legend says that as a teenager she begged her father to let her serve with him aboard his ships. He told her no saying her hair would get caught in the rigging. The next day, she showed…
