PERIOD OF HISTORY

Medieval Leprosy

Medieval leprosy

Medieval leprosy was a complicated part of Medieval society. The idea of the leper as being a carrier of disease is too simplistic. The leper was a person who carried the outward mark of sin, whose purgatory on Earth would be rewarded in heaven.

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King Henry V

King Henry V of England is portrayed as a a great military ruler, Shakespeare did his best to represent Henry as a ‘golden King’ but was he really a cruel and aloof man whose autocratic leadership, piety and belief he was God’s chosen put him at odds with those he ruled?

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British Union of Fascists Riots

British Union of Fascists

The British Union of Fascists rose to power under Oswald Mosley in the 1930’s, the riots that ensued in the streets of the East End have something to teach us about the rise of far right politics in today’s political climate.

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Post 1754 Marriage Registers

Hardwicke's Marriage Act 1754

Post 1754 marriage registers following Hardwickes Act of the same year give a wealth of information for the family and local historian. Details of the bride and groom are obvious but who were the witnesses and what was their relationship to the couple?

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Tariff Reform League

Tariff reform league

The Tariff Reform League was the 1903 dream of Joseph Chamberlain, he rejected free trade, what can we learn from this in the build up to Brexit? Was he misguided in his political view or did he have a point of view worth re-examining in light of the upcoming trade negotiations?

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The Edwardian Era

The Edwardian era lasted only nine years and yet it was an age of social change and political and intellectual brilliance, what happened in this ear to promote such change?

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English Medieval Pilgrimage

English Medieval Pilgrimage

The English Medieval pilgrimage holds up a mirror to what life was really like in Britain during these fraught and terrifying times. Who undertook these journeys and why?

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Wynkyn de Worde Printer

Sign of the Sun

Wynkyn de Worde the printer and publisher of Shoe Lane Fleet Street who became a great typographist in addition to the 800 books he produced during the early part of the 16th century.

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Laura Bassi Scientist

Laura Bassi

Laura Bassi was born in Bologna in 1711, the same year as St Paul’s Cathedral in London was completed. Laura Maria Caterina Bassi was a brilliant and erudite young woman, born into a heady atmosphere of early 18th century Bologna, a melting pot of ideas and fusion of like minded scholars, caught in the bosom…

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