Ferguson’s Grave
~ by Avellina Balestri Reader Advisory: Contains violence/blood and character death. ~ A lament for British Major Patrick Ferguson, killed at the Battle of King’s Mountain, October 7, 1780 *** Ferguson, lying beneath cold stones,…
Tag: British Isles
Anne, Princess of Variolation: The Story of a Royal Brush with Smallpox
Whilst writing my book, Life in the Georgian Court, smallpox was never far away from my research notes (metaphorically, of course). In fact, it was a royal brush with smallpox that changed forever the way…
A Hair of Him for Memory: The Story of John Hampden’s Auburn Locks on the Antique Market
Great antiques are not necessarily defined by great expense or rarity. Nor need they come from afar, or boast a provenance from some prestigious auction house or country manor. Rather, great antiques are simply the…
A Kingdom Unites: How England and Scotland Became Great Britain
Great Britain was born on the first of May, 310 years ago. Of course, the ancient kingdoms of England and Scotland had been in existence on the island of Great Britain for nearly a…
An Ordeal of Honour: The 13th King's and the Somme Offensive
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Somme Offensive, the costliest and bloodiest offensive in British military history. This was the first major military action in which the so-called 'New Armies' played a…
Passing the Mantle: The Story of General Edward Braddock and Colonel George Washington
The British General Edward Braddock and his young colonial aide George Washington are often portrayed as symbols of the antagonism brewing between Britain and her American Colonies during the French and Indian War, which would…
A Meditation on the Ocean
Newport Sands, Pembrokeshire’s North Coast A familiar welcome from a new friend. Pembrokeshire coast fights off the western seas like Cornwall. Big waves, long estuary, craggy cliffs. Early evening walk to the…
Rehabilitating the Romantic Roundhead
I have an axe to grind - or more specifically, I have a 36" munitions quality Birmingham steel cavalry backsword. This "Poldark " thing is starting to really irritate me. The scarred, brooding,…
Thomas Andrews: Master Shipbuilder and Hero
Over a century after she slid beneath the waves, the Titanic continues to fascinate the world. The story of the legendary British ocean liner and its tragic maiden voyage ending on that cold April…
Saint Patrick: A Scholarly Search for His Birth Place and Date
This is an article on the background of Saint Patrick rather than looking at his faith or his missionary work for the Irish. Although some of Saint Patrick’s own writings, the Confessio and…