World History – Page 34 – General History

Normandy, Normans and the Norman Conquest

Normandy was once the home of Celtic tribes in north-western France. It was the kingdom of Clovis, founder of the Frankish empire (466 – 511). It came under Meringovian rule and was invaded and occupied by the Vikings (q.v.) in the 9^th century. Rollo was the Viking leader who accepted Normandy as a fief from the King of France, which was gentlemanly of him as the French King was quite powerless to do anything else but accept the norsemen’s occupation. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-11-08T12:22:41+00:00 November 8th, 2012|British History, English History, French History, Scottish history, Today, World History|0 Comments

New England and New France

Of course we have all heard of New England, though its composition may confuse us at times, but did we know that there was a New France?

America first: New England is a region in the north-east, comprising the six states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. If such a thing exists still in America, it is the classiest region in the United States, but not necessarily the richest. If you descend from a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, your permanent residence is likely to be in New England. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-11-07T13:02:51+00:00 November 7th, 2012|A History of North America, British History, English History, French History, Today, US History, World History|0 Comments

Titus Oates (1649 – 1705): a great scoundrel

Titus Oates / findagrave.com

Oates had an erratic career; he was certainly a pathological liar, and lived in a dream world of his own, people with conspirators whom he determined to stamp out, not recognising himself in them.

Has ordained as an Anglican clergyman, but he accused a schoolmaster of his acquaintance of maintaining sexual relations with his pupils. The court found Oates guilty of false accusation and sent him to prison to cool off. Released, he got into the Navy as a chaplain, but was quickly drummed out – prosecuted (perversely enough) for sodomy. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-11-04T12:01:10+00:00 November 4th, 2012|British History, English History, French History, Spanish History, World History|0 Comments

Quis? Who is the man in the ancient photograph?

The seventh in our new series of pictures from the past; can you tell us who this is? Here is the clue:

His mind was full of songs of the earth.

By Dean Swift| 2012-11-03T09:57:10+00:00 November 3rd, 2012|World History|0 Comments

Two proud Dukes of Buckingham (too proud perhaps?)

George Villiers (pronounced ‘Villers’) Duke of Buckingham / nowportsmouth.co.uk

Henry Stafford, 2^nd Duke of Buckingham was born around 1454 in Salisbury, Wiltshire. He was a member of the House of Lancaster, being a descendent of Edward III, and most of his forebears had lost their lives fighting the House of York in the interminable wars over royal succession (1455 – 85).

In 1460, only six years old, he succeeded his grandfather as Duke of Buckingham. At twelve he was dynastically married to Catherine Woodville, a sister-in-law of the Yorkist King Edward IV. Edward had married Elizabeth Woodville, a strong-minded woman of mean temper, probably as his second wife, though the first marriage was supposed to be a secret. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-11-02T18:33:44+00:00 November 2nd, 2012|British History, Dutch History, English History, French History, History of the Low Countries, Scottish history, Spanish History, World History|0 Comments

John Brown and his body

The hanging of old John Brown / civiliansscholars.com

“John Brown’s body lies a mouldr’n in his grave . . .” The words and music are American, but the song remembering Brown and what happened to him is truly international. In the Spanish Catholic church there is even a hymn sung to the same music, though few priests will admit it.

Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut in 1800. His family was religious, and strongly affected by insanity. As he grew up he became convinced that he had been placed on Earth especially by God to save the blacks and abolish slavery. In 1851, at Springfield, Mass., he organised a black defence group called The League of Gileadites, trained to attack slave-catchers, help escaped slaves to the North on the ’Underground Railroad’, and prevent captured slaves from being returned to the South. As part of a band of the Free Soilers, in 1856 his men savagely murdered five pro-slavery farmers at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-10-31T09:19:08+00:00 October 31st, 2012|A History of North America, US History, World History|0 Comments

Powerful women in history: the Empress Dowager Cixi

The Dowager Empress Cixi of China / en.wikipedia.com

She was the real ruler in China from 1861 – 1908. She was intelligent, literate, well able to express herself, and able in all matters. She did not like foreigners and said so. She was also the only woman to exercise true power within the Quing Dynasty which ruled China from 1644 to 1912. They were originally Manchus, a hunting tribe from ther north-east, It was the Quing who extended China’s control to Mongolia, Tibet and part of Turkestan. None of these had been a part of China under the Mings (1368 – 1644). The Quings were the first to hold Tibet. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-10-29T10:28:54+00:00 October 29th, 2012|French History, History of China, History of the Cinema, US History, World History|0 Comments

QUIS? Who was this woman?

Can you identitfy the woman shown in this ancient photograph? If you can, let us know using the Comment facility on this website. Be quick because this series of quizzes has proved most popular and the air waves are buzzing!

Clues:

She had a stage name.

Her real surname was Scottish though she was born in Amsterdam.

She died young.

She might have been invented by John le Carré but wasn’t.

By Dean Swift| 2012-10-28T11:44:20+00:00 October 28th, 2012|World History|1 Comment

Quis? Who was the man in the photograph?

The fifth in our series in which you must identify someone appearing in an usual and invariably ancient photograph.Please use the Comment facility to tell us whom you think it is.

Clues:

G.K. Chesterton once famously said that the subject was ‘full of piss and wind’.

Here he was acting as a war correspondent.

He lived to a great age, despite smoking.

By Dean Swift| 2012-10-26T11:42:10+00:00 October 26th, 2012|World History|0 Comments

Quis? Who is the man in the photograph?

We now start the second series of ‘Quis?’ Let us know using the Comments if you know who this is. Here are some clues:-

He was not a gangster.

He was not American.

He did not have a deep bass voice.

By Dean Swift| 2012-10-25T08:27:23+00:00 October 25th, 2012|World History|0 Comments