by David West | May 14, 2025 | News
On the 14th of May, 1610, King Henry IV was assassinated. The assassin was François Ravaillac. Born in 1578 in Angoulême, France, François Ravaillac came from a relatively humble background. His family was of minor nobility, yet they struggled financially. Raised as a...
by David West | May 13, 2025 | News
On the 13th of May, 1568, Mary Queen of Scots was defeated at the Battle of Langside. My ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, was Master of Horse to Lord Darnley, and accompanied him to Edinburgh in February 1565. Standen was knighted by Mary for saving her life during the...
by David West | May 12, 2025 | News
On the 12th of May, 1593, London playwright, Thomas Kyd, was arrested and tortured for suspected heretical and treasonable activity. The world of Elizabethan drama was one of intense energy and creativity, a time that produced some of the greatest playwrights in...
by David West | May 11, 2025 | News
On the 11th of May, 1812, Prime Minister Spencer Percival was assassinated in the lobby of the House of Commons. John Bellingham, a merchant with personal grievances against the government, shot Perceval at point-blank range. This shocking event sent ripples through...
by David West | May 10, 2025 | News
On the 10th of May, 1933, the Nazis staged massive public book burnings. These events, infamous for their brutality and intolerance, were not merely acts of destruction but served a wider agenda of ideological control and suppression of dissenting voices. The book...
by David West | May 9, 2025 | News
On the 9th of May, 1671, Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempted to steal the Crown Jewels. Thomas Blood, often referred to as Colonel Blood, was a man of many faces—an officer, a thief, and a master of disguise. Born in Ireland in 1618, Blood initially...
