How to Rescue the Reputation of the Nasty Normans
The villains of British history, the Normans can be a difficult sell. But going off script has its rewards.
England
The Women who Forged Medieval England
Who were the female blacksmiths of medieval England?
King John’s Lost Treasure
The loss of his treasure on the road to war was said to have brought about King John’s demise. What happened to it?
Richard III and Kingly Justice for All?
Was Richard III a just king or just doing what a king should do?
Britain’s First Milk Bar Opens
Entrepreneur Hugh Donald McIntosh struck white gold when London’s Black and White Bar opened on 1 August 1935.
‘Cunning Folk’ by Tabitha Stanmore review
Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic by Tabitha Stanmore gives a human face to magic in medieval and early modern England.
A Dangerous Game on the Jacobean Stage
For nine days Thomas Middleton’s A Game at Chess was the greatest box office phenomenon of the English Renaissance. Then a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The Mystery of Thomas More’s Birthplace
Was Sir Thomas More born on Milk Street – and does it matter?
A Brief History of English Numeracy
The people of late medieval and early modern England were almost universally numerate. Is our ability to count the thing that makes us human?
Highwaymen: The Road to Infamy
Highwaymen’s reputations plummeted in the 17th century. Once praised as heroes in the manner of Robin Hood, the media now lauded the brave bystanders who resisted them.