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Mourning Parents with dead daughter (center) To commemorate  the morbid occasion of the death of a loved one, or to remember the deceased, Victorians came up with the rather gruesome tradition of having photographs taken of the dead person either with or without the living family! This was especially popular with families with a recently dead children and babies. The photographer would arranged the body so it looked as alive as possible, but the added arrangements and sometimes even effects just seem to make the body look slightly more unsettling and disturbing! Sometimes photographers would use a contraption to prop up the corpse and occasionally, eyes and rosy cheeks were printed onto the image in a vain attempt to make them look more alive. Children would normally be photographed with their favourite toys and sometimes even siblings! The most pleasant and nicest looking images are the ones where the people are photographed to look asleep.  Sources: ~ MNN: 7 most morbid

The Battle of Hastings was triggered when Edward the Confessor died on 5th January 1066, with no heir to the throne. There were many men for the job, but Harold Godwinson had himself crowned as soon as possible because he was the only one of those men in England at that time!  This made some certain people very angry and so in April of that same year William of Normandy prepared to invade England from France. One reason why William won was because he was very prepared and he invested a lot of money into the battle.  For example William brought a mixture of foot-soldiers, archers and cavalry.  William was also a great commander of his troops.  This means that he was much stronger and had a better chance of winning. The timing of William's arrival was pure luck for him.  William arrived in England when Harold was busy fighting off Harald  Hardrada (Viking leader and also one of the men who yearned for the throne of England) for the crown. Then celebrating his victor

Throughout history both writers and actors have been highly influenced various Tudor propagandists and playwrights, such as William Shakespeare, to portray the final Plantagenet king- Richard III as an evil villain and cruel and uncaring uncle. As a result the generations after Richard's defeat, at the Battle of Bosworth, have grown up with the belief that Richard was a nasty, manipulative man who wrangled his way to the throne of England. But was he really as bad as he is describe?  To start off with, Tudor playwright William Shakespeare (1564- 1616) and Medieval historian John Rous (1411- 1491) both describe Richard as an ugly being. Here is some of what they have to say about the Medieval monarch: William Shakespeare: "A poisonous bunch- backed toad, a limping hunch- back with a withered arm." John Rous: "Richard was retained within his mother's womb for two years and emerging with teeth and hair to his shoulders. He was of small stature, with a sho

The Georgian era is incredibly well known for the heavy and sometimes dangerous makeup that aristocratic men and women painted their faces with. Prior the French Revolution, the aristocracy had a desired look to be deathly pale with beauty spots and fake veins drawn onto the skin! Kitty Fisher To achieve the fashionably pale skin, people would paint their faces and skin with pastes and powders usually with lead paint! Now we know that lead is a highly poisonous toxin but this was unknown to the Georgian society! Sadly, the lead paint led to painful open wounds and in some cases even premature death. The famous Georgian socialite Kitty Fisher is suspected to have died due to lead poisoning. However in the Regency era (George IV and William IV), the wealthy wished for their young ladies to have a healthy natural looking skin. Unlike today, where tanned skin is very trendy (especially in Essex!), to have tanned or sun burnt skin was frowned upon because only people who worked

A Workhouse The Poor Law Act of 1834 was a legal act that completely stopped the poor from getting assistance unless they were in dire need of it. It labeled the poor as 'lazy' as well as saying that it was their own faults for becoming poor. Before the act, the poor had received charity from the wealthy but after the government passed this act, the rich began viewing the poor as lazy and dirty scum. From 1834 to the early 1900s, more and more people were being forced into various Workhouses.  Charles Dickens writes negatively about Workhouses, saying that they are awful places run by greedy masters who starve the residents. In his book "Oliver Twist" he describes the fictional orphan- Oliver- pleading the the master for more food but receiving nothing but a harsh punishments. However James Howard, a resident of Swansea's cottage homes (a branch of the Workhouse), went on from the home with a scholarship, attended Cardiff University, later becoming a ch

Hever Castle Hever Castle, with its beautiful gardens and well- kept walls, is about 700 year old. It was originally built as a medieval house in 1270.  In the 15th and 16th centurys the castle was residence to one of the most powerful families in England, the Boleyns, who added the Tudor style architecture and furnishings within the walls. Hever Castle is located in Kent, England.  Anne Boleyn , the second wife of King Henry VIII of England, her brother George and their sister Mary spent their early childhood at Hever castle. Their father, the nobleman Thomas Boleyn, inherited the castle from his father in 1505.  Anne of  Cleves  Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536, along with her brother George, for incest and adultery and, worst of all, high treason. The court put shame on Thomas Boleyn, and he lived for two more unhappy years until his death in 1538. The castle was then given to the crown. It later formed part of the settlement of  Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of

Sources: ~ Six Wives Info: Tudor Ruff Think of Tudor dress. Do you think of the famous ruffs? Many people do, and I can tell you they are very impressive! One of the Kentwell gentlemen walks around in a slashed doublets, hose complete with a giant ruff! The ruffs were made famous by the Elizabethans but they were still fashionable in the Stuart era. Originally designed for practical use by the Spanish, the garment soon became a fashion statement, the bigger the ruff, the better the man/ woman! They were designed to stop the expensive fabrics of the clothing from getting spoilt.  Made out of starched linen, ruffs were pinned up to ears or held up by wire! Ruffs were crafted for the rich as the poor could not afford such fine linen and garments. The most exquisite and finest ruffs, like the ones worn by Elizabeth I, were created out of expensive lace. The slightly cheaper ones were made out of fine linen.  Here are some images of ruffs:

This unfortunate and tragic event occurred during the Belvoir Witch Trials (1618-1619). Mistress Flower died in 1619. Joan Flower and her daughters- Margaret and Phillipa were employed as servants in an Earl's household in Lincolnshire. Around that time, it was well known by the locals that Mistress Flower was a firm atheist with 'witchy' facial features and a boastful nature. Shortly after Margaret was dismissed from the Earl's home for theft, the whole of the family that they were serving became sick.  The eldest son- Lord Henry Ross passed away and his parents and family  naturally wanted somebody to blame. As a result Mistress Flower and her daughters were rounded up. Whilst Margaret and Phillipa openly confessed of being 'possessed' at their trial, Mistress Flower would not. In an attempt to try and prove her innocence, Mistress Flower asked for some bread and butter. She then said that if she was guilty then she would choke yet if she was innocent

We would love to hear what you think about historicall.y! You can comment below, subscribe, subscribe by email to let us know your thoughts. We also have an email address: historicallly@gmail.com, so feel free to contact us and we also have a brand new Instagram account which is managed by Esther: historicallly@gmail.com.  Best Wishes: Mae and Esther :-)

Hi! Previously I have signed posts as 'Beth' which is my Tudor name from Kentwell, but since the shout out from Claire on the Anne Boleyn Files Facebook page , I have decided to be known as my birth name- Mae. I apologise for any inconveniences,  Mae (aka Beth)  

The chemist William Henry Perkins When William Henry Perkins discorvered synthetic dyes in 1856, he was only eighteen. Before that invention, bright dyes were incredibly expensive and therefore reserved for the wealthy upper class. The colours that the poor could afford would be the dull muddy colours such as off greens, browns and pale blues. This was because the first batch of dye was the brightest and as a result it was the most expensive but the cheaper, more affordable colours were the last batches of a particular colour. After the discovery, synthetic dyes became a mass produced product.  The discovery was an accident, William Henry Perkins was actually in his home lab attempting to find a cheaper alternative to the natural drug- quinine. This was because, at that time, there was an epidemic of malaria breaking out in India and the only known drug that could prevent the disease was quinine. The people who could afford it, as it was costly, would add it to alcohol and d

We have reached 100 blog posts since the launch of the blog! As a result, we are launching a competition. To enter send a post about any era or subject in history on a word document and email it to us at historicallly@gmail.com and the best one will be posted on this blog! Closing date is the 5th March 2017 . Good luck!!! - Beth and Esther

This poem was written by Roland Leighton shortly before his death in 1915 to his fiancé Vera Brittain.  Violets from Plug Street Wood, Sweet I send you over sea. (It is strange they should be blue, Blue when his soaked blood was red, For they grew around his head: It is strange they should be blue.) Think what they have meant to me- Life and Hope and Love and You. (and you did not see them grow Where his mangled body lay Hiding horrors from the day; Sweetest, it was better so.) Violets from over sea, To you dear, far, forgotten land These I send in memory Knowing you'll understand. Sources ~ Oxford University: Roland Aubrey Leighton

We are now clueless of what to write, please comment down below requests!- Beth and Esther

Aged only seventeen, Lady Jane Grey meet her end at the executioner's axe with courage and dignity. The young girl had been placed on the throne by manipulative relatives and powerful men, who's soul desire was to ensure that the rightful heir to the throne of England- the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon: Mary Tudor (aka ' Bloody Mary '). After reigning for just thirteen days, Mary's army stormed London and many of Lady Jane's supporters switched sides. Next Mary had herself crowned and arrested her cousin Jane, Jane's husband Guildford Dudley, Guildford's father the Duke of Northumberland and many more people. They were tried for treason and many, if not all, of them were found guilty and sentenced to death. Guildford and Jane were sentenced to be beheaded by the axe whereas Northumberland was executed by hanging- drawing- and- quartering. They were imprisoned in the Tower of London. Because Jane was a Prot

For the allies such as France and the United Kingdom, the enemies were the axis such as Germany and Turkey in the First World War and Germany and Italy in the Second World War. For the axis the enemies were the allies. In this post I want to stress how not all enemies were real enemies . Many of the 'enemies' were just ordinary men and women like you or me.  Admittedly the ordinary people were fighting for some enemies like the Nazis and power- crazed lunatics but they fought because they had no choice. We all seem to forget how everyone has at least one loved one and we all are humans with human emotions and feelings! In World War II the Nazis brainwashed the Germans with promises of a brighter future following the chaos caused by the First World War. And in both wars the people were persuaded by propaganda created by the governments. Therefore I plead that each and every reader and person does not look at the dreadful history of the wars and label each and every ci

Possibly the worst conflict in human history, during World War I (1914- 1918) there were no families not affected by the end of the First World War. The 38 million casualties in Great Britain and a further 17 million deaths not only the military but also civilians. As you can imagine many, many hospitals were needed to treat the wounded and the people also effected mentally. As a result most manor houses became military hospitals and bases. Not only were there hospitals based just behind the Frontline in France and Belgium, there were also hospitals based in England. There were manor house hospital bases such as Kentwell Hall but generally original hospitals were used such as the one at Birmingham University. If a soldier was wounded or caught a disease in the Frontline trenches then depending on the severity of the injury they stranded a chance of survival but there was little chance for survival for those who were shot down in the charge across No Man's Land because they w

The Anne Boleyn Files is a blog that was started by Claire Ridgway in 2009. It is a wonderful blog all about Tudors. Claire also advertises some excellent merchandise click below to be taken to the website! - Beth and Esther   The Anne Boleyn Files

George III was the third monarch in the line of royalty known as the House of Hanover, which finished with the famous rule of Queen Victoria. Unlike many kings, George arranged his own political marriage and even kept a diary which has been kept in Windsor Castle.  The marriage he arranged was to Charlotte of Mecklenburg- Strelitz, together they produced fifteen children, two of which become kings of England and one was also the father of Queen Victoria. However the genius of a monarch is best known as being an insane man who lost America! But was he really mad? Certainly during his later years, King George III experienced several incidents where he went slightly crazy and the country had to be ruled by his greedy son, George (IV), the Prince of Wales; but the key question that has been studied by many people of society is: was he mad and if so, why?  Because there are medical reports from the times of his illness, which began to show in 1765, we can assume he was mentally in

Hi all! We really hope that you are enjoying our blog. Please vote your honest feelings about it on the right hand side poll and also click the 'G+1' button on the side. As well as that, please, please, please comment down below on any posts because we would love to see what you think and also suggestions for new posts would be welcome as we a swiftly running low on ideas! - Beth and Esther

When Henry VIII married his sixth wife- Katherine Parr, she was already twice widowed and a step- mother, although she had no children herself. Yet, at the age of fifty- two years, Henry was unhealthy and struggling with his ever increasing weight. He did not really require a wife because it was obvious that he probably wouldn't procreate any more offspring, but, to be honest, he more than likely married Katherine so he could have a nurse. On the other hand it has been recorded that the king and queen did have an intimate relationship. History remembers Henry VIII's sixth wife as a kind, beautiful woman who was a devoted Reformer and highly intelligent scholar, she actually wrote a best seller titled: "Lamentations of a Sinner"! However Katherine also enjoyed pretty gowns, entertainment and was a successful step- mother. During her marriage to Henry, the queen bought together his estranged family. As a child her mother, Maud Green (aka Lady Maud Parr) educated h

Portrait of Catherine Howard by Hans Holbein the Younger Despite the ridiculous age gap, King Henry VIII, who was aged forty- nine, took nineteen year old Catherine Howard to be his fifth wife on 28th July 1540! Henry doted on his young wife and presented her with beautiful gifts and tokens of love. Catherine was Henry's 'rose without thorns' and a 'perfect jewel of womanhood'. However, after no more than two years marriage, Catherine was laying her fragile neck upon her husband's chopping block. Upon arriving at court in 1540 from her step- grandmother's residence, Catherine was to serve the king's German wife: Anne of Cleves. She quickly attracted attention from the king because of her confidence and cheerful personality. Her paternal uncle: the Duke of Norfolk urged on his niece, as he had with his other niece the late Anne Boleyn (!) (Catherine's first cousin). Her one flaw which would assist in leading her to the executioner was her fl

Today there is a surprising amount of birthdays from historical figures including Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln! To find out more click here to be transported to a very informative website!

Thomas Gainsborough was an incredibly famous painter who came from Sudbury. Here are some of Thomas Gainsborough's most famous and memorable paintings: Cornard Wood: 1747 Mr. and Mrs. Andrews: 1750 Girl with Pigs: 1782 The Blue Boy: 1770

On 6th January 1540 Henry VIII married the German princess Anne of Cleves, in a politically arranged marriage. The king's advisor Thomas Cromwell persuaded the him to re- marry because it had been three years since Jane Seymour had passed away after succeeding giving Henry the thing he wanted most: a son.  Hans Holbein the Younger was sent to Cleves in Germany with the orders to paint the Duke of Cleve's daughters. Two very flattering images were sent back to the king but he chose the older sister- Anne above the younger sister- Amalia. Henry was about 49 years old whereas Anne was about 25 and a year older than Henry's eldest daughter Mary! Thankfully, unlike most of the other candidates to be the queen, Anne's family had already agreed to let Henry wed there daughter!  Henry first met Anne at Rochester Abby where she was standing by a window watching the bull- bating in the courtyard. With a group of friends, he disguised himself and entered the room. Accord

During the 1800s, this cake was extremely popular. In fact, Charlotte Brontë describes Jane Eyre and her childhood friend Helen Burns eating seed cake in Miss Temple's room in her popular novel: Jane Eyre! Ingredients: 450g butter at room temperature 450g plain flour 350g sugar 20g caraway seeds 6 whisked eggs 200ml milk grated nutmeg to taste ground mace to taste Equipment: Scales Whisk Measuring Jug Large Cake Tin Grease Proof Paper Wooden Spoon Mixing Bowl Grater Wire Cooling Rack WASH YOUR HANDS FOR HYGIENE PURPOSES!!! Method: Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease the baking tin and/or lay greaseproof paper on the bottom to prevent the cake from sticking. Using the wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a mixing bowl. Stir in the plain flour. Add the seeds, nut meg and mace to the mixture. Into another bowl, break the eggs and whisk together. Gradually adding the whisked eggs, mix the concoction unti