historicall.y

The infamous picture of that woman on the English £5 note is Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker from Norwich.  She is famous for being a Victorian philanthropist because she changed the system of prison life in England.  Elizabeth was born on 21st April 1780 in Norwich to John Gurney, banker and owner of a factory, and Catherine Bell. As a child, Elizabeth was brought up with her mother's faith- a denomination of Christianity called Quaker. Part of a large family, she lived in Earlham Hall, built in 1642, with her ten siblings: Joseph, Samuel, Louisa, Daniel, Priscilla, Rachel, John, Hannah, Catherine and Richenda and their parents. At the age of twelve, Elizabeth's beloved mother died and so she had to assist in the bringing up of her brothers and sisters. As a youth, she embraced bright colours and wore French style hats in support of the French Revolution!  When Elizabeth was twenty, in 1800, she married a fellow Quaker- Joseph Fry. Together they had eleven children and m...

The most famous abbey in Britain, probably the world, is Westminster Abbey in London which is a gothic architecture piece. Westminster Abbey was originally a small monastery situated in the dark ages London, founded by the Benedictine monks but adapted to be a church by Edward the Confessor. It was completed in 1065. From 1066, when William the Conquerer decided to have his coronation in the church, every English monarch has been crowned king or queen there. It is also the burial place for many monarchs such as Henry VII, James II and Elizabeth I, as well as the burial place for some famous and iconic people throughout history including: Margaret Douglas (daughter of Henry VII's daughter Margaret), Neville Chamberlain and Charles Dickens. It has also been host to several royal weddings such as: our reigning Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip, Henry I to Matilda (aka: Maud or Edith Swan- neck) and Richard II to Anne of Bohemia. http://westminster-abbey.org/home