Happy Anniversary, Dear Blog

September 3, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Anniversary · Battle of Dunbar · Battle of Worcester · Charles Stuart · Durham · Oliver Cromwell · Oliver Cromwell's death mask2 Comments

A year ago, I launched this site. Happy Anniversary Blog! We’ve had a lovely year together, exploring 17th Century history while musing about history and storytelling in general. I was a little nervous about how we would get on. Was I taking on too much of a commitment? Would I be shackled to the computer, checking stats and worrying if I could keep up the stream of postings my blog might expect? I didn’t have to worry after all. It’s a been a rewarding year. I want to thank all the visitors to my blog this past year–all 2,000 of you!…

The Battle of Upton

August 28, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: battle of Upton · Edward Massie · General Lambert · King Charles II · Oliver Cromwell · Worcester4 Comments

In the pre-dawn hours of 28 August 1651, eighteen Parliamentary soldiers inched along a narrow board, that was stretched across a broken bridge, while the high waters of the Severn swirled below them. Their mission: to surprise the Royalist forces holding Upton-upon-Severn on the opposite shore and open the way to Worcester where the King’s army was garrisoned. Fourteen months of a Cromwell the Cat and Charles the Mouse game were finally coming to a head. Background Following the execution of his father, King Charles I, by Parliament in 1649, Charles Stuart sought allies to reclaim the throne and found in Scotland a willing partner….

Battle Scenes

August 6, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th century · CreativityTags: 17th century · Battle · English Civil War · English Civil War Society · King Charles II · Oliver Cromwell · Royalist · Siege of Wallingford2 Comments

That’s it. I’m just going to say it. I love battle scenes. I have no idea why, but they make me mad with excitement. I want to grab a sword or a pistol (a doglock pistol, thank you) and just rush into the thick of it. On a fine horse, of course. Fine dresses and jewels? Not as exciting as buff coats and bandoliers. It doesn’t matter if the battle scene happens on the sea (Master and Commander), on a beach (Robin Hood), in the Hellmouth (Buffy), or even in this excellent YouTube video produced by the English Civil War Society about…

The Start

July 23, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Battle of Worcester · Charles Stuart · Escape of King Charles II · The Duke of Buckingham · The Start4 Comments

Following the execution of his father by Parliament in 1649, Charles Stuart (later Charles II) was a king without a throne. He scanned the dance floor for likely partners to help him reclaim his crown, but France, Spain and the Netherlands were taking turns examining the potted plants. There were no takers until Scotland stepped forward and motioned to the orchestra. It was a slow and hesitating waltz, broken by alternate periods of negotiation and stubbornness on both sides. Scotland was looking for a Covenanted king, one who would uphold Presbyterianism across the three kingdoms (Scotland, England and Ireland). Reluctantly Charles agreed, and…

The Provenance of a Book

May 2, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: antique books · Forbes Library · Scottish proverbs3 Comments

A friend and fellow writer, Gwen Tuinman, recently gave me a book she’d knew I’d enjoy: The Proverbs of Scotland, by Alexander Hislop. It’s a well-read old book, worn at the spine and a bit chewed at the top, but just the right size to fit in your hand. And it has lovely Scottish proverbs rich in language and personality. No matter that you can probably find these sayings on the internet, they seem to carry more weight nestled on yellowed paper. After initially poring over the proverbs–there’s even a glossary of Scottish words (how convenient!)–I became curious to know how old…