739
American historian David Montgomery credited King Edward VII with bringing peace to Europe, the Empire and the world.
American historian D. H. Montgomery gave this assessment of the reign of King Edward VII in 1912, two years after the king died and two years before war broke out across the world. Whereas some historians like to focus on Edward’s scandals and family quarrels, Montgomery saw quite a different side to the King.
Picture: From Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted May 25 2019
740
When a Tahitian sailor was denied his well-earned wages, the rumour got about that Granville Sharp was on the case.
Although William Wilberforce is rightly remembered as the architect of slavery’s downfall in the British Empire, much credit also goes to Granville Sharp (1735-1813). Sharp’s tireless campaigning put such fear into traffickers that the mere rumour of his involvement could set a man at liberty.
Picture: Anonymous photograph ca. 1875, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted May 14 2019
741
A. A. Milne analyses the popularity of golf, and decides that it’s good to be bad.
In 1880, England had twelve golf courses: by 1914 there were over a thousand. Writing just after the Great War ended, A. A. Milne (of Winnie-the-Pooh fame) gave himself up to wondering what had made golf suddenly so popular south of the border.
Picture: © Wojciech Migda, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.. Source.
Posted May 12 2019
742
The tale of how a prim little English horse cleaned up his Continental stables.
The following anecdote comes from a book of tales published in 1841, introducing children to a selection of Britain’s wild and domestic animals. Apparently all quite true, it tells of a prim little horse who suddenly found himself stabled among the lower classes.
Picture: By Carl Rudolf Huber (1839-1896), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted May 9 2019
743
Sir Thomas Smith, one of Elizabeth I’s diplomats, explains how in her day criminals were brought to trial.
In the 1560s, Sir Thomas Smith wrote a guide to the Kingdom of England, in which he detailed some of the country’s customs and laws. Among them, was the ‘hue and cry’, the pursuit and apprehension of thieves and murderers, which was not the responsibility of law officers only, but the collective responsibility of all.
Picture: © By William Hemsley (?1817-1906), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted May 7 2019
744
The young Christian from ancient Northumbria was healed of a lame leg in a manner that reminded Bede of the archangel Rafael.
As a small boy, Cuthbert had been approached at playtime by a toddler who told him in the most grown-up fashion to cultivate mind as well as body. Some years later, though long before he became a monk, another unearthly visitor came by.
Picture: © Trescastillos, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 4.0.. Source.
Posted May 5 2019