Sea Beggars and the the Gorkum Martyrs
On this day in 1572 Admiral William de la Marck ordered the execution of nineteen Catholic priests in the Dutch town of Brielle. Prince William of Orange had issued an order that priests were not to be molested, but de la Marck ignored this instruction. They became...
Sedgemoor, Errol Flynn, Spies, and Robinson Crusoe
On this day in 1685, James II’s army defeated the Duke of Monmouth’s forces, at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Monmouth's rebel army, largely comprised of discontented peasants and Protestant supporters, faced off against the well-trained and disciplined forces of King...
The Carew family and Antony House
Today we visited Antony House, the home of the Carew family. There is a painting of Charles I at his trial displayed in the main hall. John Carew was one of the 59 men who signed King Charles I’s death warrant. When Charles II took the throne, he vowed to execute all...
Earl of Essex
I use the onthisday.com website to inspire many of my posts. Sometimes I see something on my travels which gives me an idea. Yesterday my walk to Plymouth Hoe triggered my post about the Spanish Armada. I explained that there were three armadas, and that Sir Anthony...
The Spanish Armada
The statue of Sir Francis Drake stands on Plymouth Hoe looking out to sea. Drake played bowls while waiting for the Armada. Of course he was probably waiting for the tide too. Actually there were three armadas, but we tend to focus on the first one of 1588. The 2nd...
Franz Ferdinand
Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie, on this day in 1914. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and Gavirilo Princip was a Bosnian Serb nationalist. The assassination triggered a series of...
Pub Signs
I saw this unusual pub sign in Falmouth today. Apparently there was a prison called Pennycomequick in Plymouth. Pen y cwm coet means the head of a wooded valley in Cornish, and that would fit quite well with the pub’s location. The unusual pub sign made me think about...
Galileo and Infallibility
The church forced Galileo to recant his heresy, on this day in 1633. Galileo believed that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Whereas the church believed that the Sun revolves around the Earth. Galileo plays a major role in my second book, Fire and Earth. When I...
Farriers
I posted recently about my ancestor Elias Standen who was a sergeant farrier at the battle of Waterloo. I didn’t know very much about Farriers, so had to do some research. Farriers are skilled professionals who play an essential role in maintaining the health and...
Sea Beggars and the the Gorkum Martyrs
On this day in 1572 Admiral William de la Marck ordered the execution of nineteen Catholic priests in the Dutch town of Brielle. Prince William of Orange had issued an order that priests were not to be molested, but de la Marck ignored this instruction. They became...
Sedgemoor, Errol Flynn, Spies, and Robinson Crusoe
On this day in 1685, James II’s army defeated the Duke of Monmouth’s forces, at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Monmouth's rebel army, largely comprised of discontented peasants and Protestant supporters, faced off against the well-trained and disciplined forces of King...
The Carew family and Antony House
Today we visited Antony House, the home of the Carew family. There is a painting of Charles I at his trial displayed in the main hall. John Carew was one of the 59 men who signed King Charles I’s death warrant. When Charles II took the throne, he vowed to execute all...
Earl of Essex
I use the onthisday.com website to inspire many of my posts. Sometimes I see something on my travels which gives me an idea. Yesterday my walk to Plymouth Hoe triggered my post about the Spanish Armada. I explained that there were three armadas, and that Sir Anthony...
The Spanish Armada
The statue of Sir Francis Drake stands on Plymouth Hoe looking out to sea. Drake played bowls while waiting for the Armada. Of course he was probably waiting for the tide too. Actually there were three armadas, but we tend to focus on the first one of 1588. The 2nd...
Franz Ferdinand
Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie, on this day in 1914. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and Gavirilo Princip was a Bosnian Serb nationalist. The assassination triggered a series of...
Pub Signs
I saw this unusual pub sign in Falmouth today. Apparently there was a prison called Pennycomequick in Plymouth. Pen y cwm coet means the head of a wooded valley in Cornish, and that would fit quite well with the pub’s location. The unusual pub sign made me think about...
Galileo and Infallibility
The church forced Galileo to recant his heresy, on this day in 1633. Galileo believed that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Whereas the church believed that the Sun revolves around the Earth. Galileo plays a major role in my second book, Fire and Earth. When I...
Farriers
I posted recently about my ancestor Elias Standen who was a sergeant farrier at the battle of Waterloo. I didn’t know very much about Farriers, so had to do some research. Farriers are skilled professionals who play an essential role in maintaining the health and...