Lady Jane Grey
On 12th February 1554 Lady Jane Grey was executed after only nine days as queen. Jane was born in 1537, the great-granddaughter of Henry VII through her mother, Lady Frances Brandon, who was the daughter of Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister. This royal lineage placed...
Shylock
Claire and I went to see a quite brilliant performance of The Merchant of Venice last night at the Theatre Royal in Bath. Claire said it was the most moving performance she has seen of any play, anywhere, and I wholeheartedly agree. There were a few adaptations:...
Britannicus
On 11th February 55 AD Britannicus was murdered. I recently posted about the murder of Emperor Commodus, but it’s never too soon for another grisly Roman murder. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, commonly known as Britannicus, was the son of the Roman Emperor...
William Davenant
On 10th February 1635 William Davenant’s play, “The Temple of Love”, was performed at Whitehall featuring Queen Henrietta Maria. Sir William Davenant was an English poet, playwright, and theatrical figure, best known for his role in the development of English drama...
Cinque Ports
On the 9th of February 1287 a massive storm across south-east England hit the Cinque Ports and the port of New Romney was stranded a mile inland. The Cinque Ports were a medieval confederation of five key coastal towns in southeastern England, originally granted...
Mary Queen of Scots
On 8th February 1587 Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle. I have posted about Mary before, because she knighted my ancestor, Elizabethan Spy, Sir Anthony Standen. The execution itself was rather a gruesome mess. Mary was led to the Great Hall of...
Lord Byron
On the 7th of February 1812, Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) made his maiden speech in the House of Lords. He spoke in defence of the Luddites. The trial of the Luddites took place during the height of the Luddite movement, a workers’ rebellion against mechanisation...
Suffragettes
On the 6th February 1918 women over the age of 30 were granted the vote in the United Kingdon. The suffragettes were a group of women activists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who fought for women’s right to vote. Their movement, which emerged primarily in...
King Alfonso V
On the 5th of February 1428 King Alfonso V ordered Sicily’s Jews to attend conversion sermons. Yet he was, for the time, relatively supportive towards his Jewish subjects. King Alfonso V of Aragon, also known as Alfonso the Magnanimous, was a prominent figure of the...
Lady Jane Grey
On 12th February 1554 Lady Jane Grey was executed after only nine days as queen. Jane was born in 1537, the great-granddaughter of Henry VII through her mother, Lady Frances Brandon, who was the daughter of Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister. This royal lineage placed...
Shylock
Claire and I went to see a quite brilliant performance of The Merchant of Venice last night at the Theatre Royal in Bath. Claire said it was the most moving performance she has seen of any play, anywhere, and I wholeheartedly agree. There were a few adaptations:...
Britannicus
On 11th February 55 AD Britannicus was murdered. I recently posted about the murder of Emperor Commodus, but it’s never too soon for another grisly Roman murder. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, commonly known as Britannicus, was the son of the Roman Emperor...
William Davenant
On 10th February 1635 William Davenant’s play, “The Temple of Love”, was performed at Whitehall featuring Queen Henrietta Maria. Sir William Davenant was an English poet, playwright, and theatrical figure, best known for his role in the development of English drama...
Cinque Ports
On the 9th of February 1287 a massive storm across south-east England hit the Cinque Ports and the port of New Romney was stranded a mile inland. The Cinque Ports were a medieval confederation of five key coastal towns in southeastern England, originally granted...
Mary Queen of Scots
On 8th February 1587 Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle. I have posted about Mary before, because she knighted my ancestor, Elizabethan Spy, Sir Anthony Standen. The execution itself was rather a gruesome mess. Mary was led to the Great Hall of...
Lord Byron
On the 7th of February 1812, Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) made his maiden speech in the House of Lords. He spoke in defence of the Luddites. The trial of the Luddites took place during the height of the Luddite movement, a workers’ rebellion against mechanisation...
Suffragettes
On the 6th February 1918 women over the age of 30 were granted the vote in the United Kingdon. The suffragettes were a group of women activists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who fought for women’s right to vote. Their movement, which emerged primarily in...
King Alfonso V
On the 5th of February 1428 King Alfonso V ordered Sicily’s Jews to attend conversion sermons. Yet he was, for the time, relatively supportive towards his Jewish subjects. King Alfonso V of Aragon, also known as Alfonso the Magnanimous, was a prominent figure of the...