Scotland
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Skara Brae
A large storm battered the coast of Orkney Island off Scotland in the winter of 1850. This is not unusual as the winds there are so strong that trees cannot grow. What was different about this storm was that the high tides and winds stripped grass and sand from mound known as “Skerrabra” revealing the outline of a number of stone buildings. The outlines of the buildings fascinated one of the landowners, William Watt, and he hired Orcadian Antiquarian, George Petrie, to excavate. Petrie worked at the site and presented his progress at the April 1867 meeting of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. This is the official story…
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Battle of Branxton (Flodden) – 1513
It was early summer 1513, and the 22-year-old King of England, Henry VIII, had travelled with the bulk of his Southern armies to France, in defence of Italy and the Pope, in the siege of Therouanne, part of the War of the League of Cambrai; he fought alongside Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I, against the French King Louis XII. Leaving his Queen, Catherine of Aragon to act as Regent in his absence, he subsequently received a herald with a message that King James IV of Scotland was formally announcing attack (as per the chivalric code of battle) at some point in the near future, as part of his treaty with…
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The Black Dinner- Fact or Fiction
The Bible says, “Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child”, and Scotland was no exception in the 15th century. James I had been murdered leaving the young James II as the king. His mother, Queen Joan Beaufort, and Governor of Scotland, Archibald, 5th Earl of Douglas, we’re co-regents. In 1439, Earl Douglas died and the situation descended further. The Earl’s young son, William, takes his place as the 6th Earl. However, many other nobles think the time of the Douglas’ influence should come to an end. Two nobles decided to take the opportunity to gain more power and abducted Queen Joan and the young king. Sir…
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Lady Agnes Randolph, Countess of Moray- Black Agnes
As a person of Scottish descent, I can attest that you do not mess with a Scottish woman. My grandmother was five foot four and ninety pounds soaking wet, and could put the fear of God in her six foot plus and two hundred pound sons with only a look. I was put in mind of that memory when I researched the story of Lady Agnes Randolph. She faced down an English army without ever raising a sword and won. Born in 1312 to Thomas Randolph 1st Earl of Moray and his wife, Isabel Stewart. The Earl was the nephew of Robert the Bruce, who had become king of Scotland…
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The History of Medicine – The development of early hospitals
Following on from our look at Vesalius and the science of Anatomy, I got the idea for this article from the rulebook of the order known as Camillans, who by the time of its publication had been in service for a little over twenty years in Milan. It is offered as regulation so we can surmise that the contents were rigidly adhered to, by the nursing assistants. The Maggiore hospital in Milan was run by an order of brothers, the Camillans, who offered basic healthcare, interspersed with a substantial amount of religious guidance to the poor. Hospitals such as the Maggiore were designated mainly for the treatment of the poor.…
