A Woman of Noble Wit, by Rosemary Griggs

A Woman of Noble Wit, by Rosemary Griggs

I met Rosemary at the Dartmouth Book Festival. I have just finished reading her book, and heartily commend it. The woman of noble wit in question is Katherine Raleigh née Champernowne, mother of Sir Walter Raleigh, amongst many others. The story starts gently, not at...
Edward III

Edward III

King Edward III of England was crowned on 25th January 1327, following a tumultuous period marked by political instability and the deposition of his father, King Edward II. Born on 13th November 1312, Edward was the son of Edward II and Isabella of France. His early...
William of Orange

William of Orange

On the 24th of January 1568 the Duke of Alva declared William I of Orange an outlaw. William is a character in The Spy who Sank the Armada, the first book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. My account of my ancestor’s life (he was the elder brother of my tenth...
Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell

On the 23rd of January, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn a degree in medicine. I have posted about the education of women before, particularly in medicine.  Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) was a pioneering figure in the...
King Robert II of Scotland

King Robert II of Scotland

I’ve written about Kings of Scotland before, and my word, hasn’t AI got better at creating believable illustrations over the last year. My ancestor Sir Anthony Standen lived through the reigns of English monarchs from Henry VIII (briefly) to James I and perhaps even...