Footnotes in History: Major Peter Burgoine

February 16, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Burgoyne · Governor of Coventry · Major Burgoine · Major Burgoyne · Peter Burgoine · Pride's Purge5 Comments

Diving into the minutiae of history. Some call it research while others, procrastination. I prefer to think of it as inspiration. History is my source for inspiration, and it tends to be the small things that attract my attention. The information you can find in footnotes can be veritable gold. There’s the main historical account and then there are these nuggets of information that don’t quite fit in with the narrative, but were fascinating for the historian nonetheless. It’s like a impromptu “by the way did you know” anecdote; an invitation to explore the rabbit warren. The gaps in history…

Tudor House: 17th century life

February 9, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: 17th century social life · Brewer's Quay · Crabchurch Conspiracy · Featured · Mark Vine · Tudor House · Weymouth12 Comments

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step back into the 17th century? Last summer, I had the pleasure of getting a guided tour of the English Civil War era landmarks in Weymouth by local historian, Mark Vine. What was then the twin towns of Weymouth and Melcombe, separated by the quayside and a bridge, today it’s simply Weymouth. One of the must see haunts is the Tudor House, a beautifully preserved Elizabethan home. It’s situated by Brewers Quay on the harbour, and if you account for the fact that the quayside has been expanded in modern…

Exploring the Banqueting House

January 30, 2017January 23, 2022 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Anne of Denmark · King Charles I · Reubens · The Banqueting House5 Comments

On the anniversary of the execution of King Charles I in 1649, I am reminded of the place where this drama played out–the Banqueting House at Whitehall. Completed in 1622, the Banqueting House is the only remaining structure of Whitehall Palace and is situated across from the Horse Guards. During the Tudor age, the original Banqueting House was little better than a temporary venue. When King James I of England (VI of Scotland) succeeded Elizabeth on the throne in 1603 and ushered in the Stuart Age in England, he got down to work building a proper Banqueting House. His queen, Anne of Denmark, had…

The Household Cavalry

November 22, 2016August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Household Cavalry · Household Guard · King Charles II · Restoration · the Blues and the Royals · Traitor's Knot18 Comments

When the last king of England, your father, has been executed by his enemies and you are finally reclaiming the throne, the first thing you want to do is get yourself a professional bodyguard, a crack force entirely loyal to you. This is what Charles II did when he was restored to the throne of England, Ireland and Scotland. As the Prince of Wales, he had been living with civil war since the age of twelve. He had seen men turn against his father and fight against him on the battlefield and turn him over to his enemies. It’s no surprise that Charles…

Worcester Cathedral

November 3, 2016August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Duke of Hamilton · King John · Prince Arthur · Saint Oswald · Saint Wulfstan · the Commandery · Traitor's Knot · Worcester · Worcester Cathedral3 Comments

This post was originally published for the English Historical Fiction Authors Blog on October 13, 2016. If you are interested in British History, I encourage you to visit the EHFA blog (click here). On the banks of the Severn River stands a magnificent cathedral. Framed against a river of gliding swans, Worcester Cathedral’s history has spanned centuries, serving as the final resting place for royalty and providing a backdrop for major conflicts. Even before the present day cathedral, the site was consecrated by a priory founded in the 7th century. Nothing now remains of this original priory, but in the 10th century,…