England

’Hanging the Mistletoe‘ by Dante Gabriel Charles Rossetti, 1860. Bridgeman Images.

Victorian Romantic Rituals and Charms

The proper pastime for a young lady in the 19th century was the pursuit of marriage – the magical rituals and folk charms she used might be less proper.

Polly Bergen (as Lizzie Bennet), Phyllis Newman (Jane Bennet) and Lauri Peters (Kitty Bennet) in the stage production of Pride and Prejudice, c. 1959. New York Public Library. Public Domain.

‘Jane Austen’s Wardrobe’ by Hilary Davidson review

Jane Austen’s Wardrobe by Hilary Davidson seeks to provide the context that more than two centuries of changes in fashion have obscured.

The Battle of Verneuil from the Vigiles du roi Charles VII, c. 1484. Bibliothèque nationale de France. Public Domain.

‘The Hundred Years War Vol 5’ by Jonathan Sumption review

The Hundred Years War Vol 5: Triumph and Illusion by Jonathan Sumption charts the English downfall and France’s triumph to bring the epic five-volume history to its conclusion.

A Charles I shilling, minted in 1644-45, showing signs of clipping as part of the Yellow Trade. The Portable Antiquities Scheme/ The Trustees of the British Museum (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Yellow Trade in Counterfeit Coins

How Yorkshire’s Yellow Trade of coin clippers and counterfeiters changed Britain’s economy in the 18th century.

Angels are cast into the mouth of Hell, 20th-century illustration of the Cædmon Manuscript, 10th century. Lebrecht Authors/Bridgeman Images.

Archbishop Wulfstan: England’s Forgotten Lawmaker

As Anglo-Saxon England faced conquests and apocalypse, Archbishop Wulfstan saw hope for the kingdom in a radical restructuring of society.

Saint Edmund of Abingdon bringing about the reconciliation of Gilbert Marshal and Henry III, from Matthew Paris’ Historia Anglorum, 1250s. © British Library Board/Bridgeman Images.

Edmund of Abingdon’s Dream Job

How a vision led Edmund of Abingdon to elevate the role of Medieval teacher to saintly levels.

The London Necropolis Railway station at Westminster Bridge Road from Living London Vol. III by George Sims, 1903. Public Domain.

London Necropolis Railway Opens

On 13 November 1854, the Victorians combined their love of heavy industry and heavy mourning, with the opening of the London Necropolis Railway.

Mortuary Chest at Winchester Cathedral, containing the remains of six Anglo-Saxon monarchs and two bishops. Amanda Slater (CC BY-SA 2.0).

‘The Bone Chests’ by Cat Jarman review

The Bone Chests: Unlocking the Secrets of the Anglo-Saxons by Cat Jarman is an enthusiastic guide through England’s early medieval past.

‘The Courtship of Anne Boleyn’ by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, c. 1846. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Public Domain.

Hunting the Falcon by John Guy and Julia Fox review

Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the Marriage That Shook Europe by John Guy and Julia Fox is a well-told account that shies away from debate.