The Porteous Riot, 1736
H.T. Dickinson & Kenneth Logue describe the events of a Scottish protest against the Act of Union with England.
England
The Oxford Movement
At Oxford, in 1833, writes K. Theodore Hoppen, a group of earnest reformers set out to infuse new spiritual life into the Established Church.
Scottish Independence: Roots of the Thistle
At what point did the Scots first see themselves as a distinct kingdom separate but equal to that of England? Dauvit Broun explores the medieval origins of Scottish sovereignty and independence.
The City of London in the 19th Century: The Growth of Insurance
The history of insurance reflects the rapid development of commercial and industrial Britain. Nicholas Lane describes how its pioneers broke down the monopolies that had existed since the days of the South Sea Bubble.
The Birth of the Dictionary
Among Johnson’s principal aims, he wrote, was to produce a volume, ‘for the use of such as aspire to exactness of criticism or elegance of style’. H.P. Collins assesses whether he succeeded.
The Archivist and His Records
Maurice Bond analyses the changing landscape of primary source historical research in Britain.
Sir William Coventry: Pepys’s Mentor
Bernard Pool introduces Secretary to James, Duke of York, 1660-7, and a Commissioner for the Navy.
Save the Cromwell Museum
As interest in the Protector grows, the axe hangs over his former school.
Napoleon III and Napoleon IV
Joanna Richardson describes how the last Emperor of the French died at Chislehurst, Kent; his son was killed in the British Zulu war.
Lord Rochester and the Court of Charles II
In his career as rake and satirist, writes John Redwood, Rochester illustrated both the vices and virtues of the Restoration court.