Impressment, colloquially known as “ the press” or the “press gang” [1] , was a means by which European navies could forcibly compel men into service during the 17th-century and up to the early 19th-century either to crew their fleets at the outbreak of war or to replace men lost to death or desertion. Essentially no different to conscription employed by the British Army, the Royal Navy’s system began in 1664, although the practice can be traced back to the time of King Edwa

Wrecking Wrecking is the practice of taking valuables from a shipwreck which has foundered or run aground close to shore. Wrecks were frequent in Devon and Cornwall where the rocky coastline, and strong prevailing onshore winds helped scupper many merchant ships and warships. A tradition still exists that, during the 17th- and 18th-centuries, wreckers deliberately decoyed ships on to coasts using tricks, especially false lights, so that they ran aground for easy plundering. W

Pictured below is a spear recovered from an outbuilding at a former family residence, at the time called “Parthia”, in Beckhampton, Wiltshire. It has been in the author’s possession since the 1980s but in the intervening 40+ years precisely what it was or where it came from was unknown. While its origin remains a mystery, the desire to identify whether it is, as suspected, an African spear finally demanded some research. Based on the evidence so far, it appears it is a possib

Crucifixion?...Good. Out of the door. Line on the left. One cross each. Next... Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a tree, stake, beam or large wooden cross, and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by, among others. the ancient Greeks, Persians, Carthaginians and the Romans. Supposedly one of the keenest practitioners of crucifixion historically, to the Romans crucifixion was a punishment reserved

In an earlier article we explored the origin of the French dish Chicken à la Marengo which was named, according to a popular myth, after the battle of the same name where the French army of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte defeated an Austrian army in June 1800. While researching and writing that article we also came across some other familiar things also reputedly named after famous battles. What follows, therefore, is a brief exploration of their origin stories starting with the

February 12th , 1554 : England's forgotten queen, Lady Jane Grey, is executed for treason. In most popular histories, and as taught in probably all UK schools, succession of British monarchs in the early modern period goes Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary 1 and Elizabeth I. There is, however, a notable absence in this list of Tudor kings and queens, namely Lady Jane Grey. Admittedly the title 'lady' does not make her regal connection immediately obvious, but neither wou

In warfare, throwing weapons at your enemies has a very long history indeed. In its simplest form, rocks could be hand-thrown by early man either to wound or kill their intended prey, whether animal or a rival human. The fire-hardened stick, or spear, also developed quite early on evolving first into a weapon tipped with knapped flint [1] and later, as metallurgy was discovered and harnessed, fitted with bronze and iron blades. Spears can be broadly divided into two categori

On This Day , December 17th , the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia began. Held in honour of the deity Saturnus , as its name implies, the festivities were later extended through to December 23rd. The Origin story With the conclusion of autumn planting, and to coincide with the winter solstice, Saturnus , the god of seed and sowing, was honoured with a festival. In Roman mythology, he was an agricultural deity, identified with the Greek god Kronos , who was said to have

The diet of a Roman soldier consisted of wheat, rations of smoked bacon or fresh meat (when available, usually pork), vegetables, legumes, cheese, vinegar, olive oil, and wine. These rations were issued several times per week so that every soldier would have carried food for around three days. The cost of the ration, around 60 Denarii per year, was deducted from each soldier’s pay. Food Just like for Roman civilians the bulk of the diet of a Roman soldier consisted of wheat t

Over the years we have periodically encountered claims that prostitutes in the Roman Iron Age and then later in the Mediæval period wore yellow garments or other yellow markings of some sort as signs of their profession. It seems this stems from the idea that people in the past wished to distinguish sex workers from respectable citizens. It is not entirely clear, however, whether a single colour or symbol was ever used to differentiate social class or social roles throughout

September 13th , 1944 : On This Day SOE operator Noor Inayat Khan was executed at Dachau concentration camp in Bavaria. At dawn on September 13th, 1944 [1] four women were led into a yard within the camp. There they were told to kneel and their death sentences were read out. Men of the Nazi SS (‘Schutzstaffel’) stepped forward and shot each woman in the back of the neck. One of them, however, despite having been severely beaten uttered her final word “ liberté ” . Such brave

What follows was inspired by the tweet on May 25th, 2022 by @HistoryFilmClub shown right . Like many who responded naming just one historical inaccuracy in a film or TV show proved far too difficult. Sadly, and despite directors, producers, costume designers et al. claiming the opposite, most productions with a historical theme are littered with inaccuracies. It would be easy to fall into the role of critics, but we thought there is an opportunity to highlight some of the mor

August 26th , 55 BC : Gaius Julius Caesar first ‘invasion’ of Britain takes place. Britain was not unknown to the Classical world. As early as the 4th century BC, the Greeks, Phoenicians and Carthaginians traded for Cornish tin. Greek authors even refer to the Cassiterides, or 'tin islands' describing them being situated somewhere near the West coast of Europe (cf. Eratosthenes map below ). The first direct contact with the Romans, however, came when the general and future di

Created by Peter Bowker, “ World on Fire ” is a British war drama television series set in the Second World War. It follows the intertwined lives of ordinary civilians across Europe who are caught up in World War II. The first series, broadcast in 2019, covered the lead up to and first year of the war from March 1939 to July 1940. The series revolved around events such as the Defence of the Polish Post Office in Danzig, the Battle of the River Plate, the Dunkirk evacuation a

The Known Knowns Since at least the 16th century, Boudica, Queen of the Iceni, has retained a compelling hold on the British imagination and identity. In reality she is known to us only by a few paragraphs that are found in incomplete classical texts written by her adversaries. The defiant warrior queen, who led such a ferocious revolt that the Romans feared they would lose the province of Britannia, has been celebrated in literature, art and film. Even today, more than 1,9

A recent tweet described Tintagel Castle on the North coast of Cornwall as a ‘medieval fortification’, built in the 13th century, and associated with the legend of ‘King Arthur’. But to call it a ‘fortress’ is probably stretching the definition a tad too far. Looking at the construction and the materials used is more suggestive of a folly than a defensible castle. The walls are clearly built from a local stone, but the mortared slabs used are more akin to bricks than the larg

It is highly unlikely that Mediæval divorce was ever settled by combat. Yet a handful of sources do mention judicial duels fought between men and women, most famously Hans Talhoffer’s Fechtbuch ( “ Fight Book ” ) of 1467. This richly illustrated volume explains how a couple could clash, the man buried up to his waist, in a fight to the death, with God deciding who was the wronged party. Yet judicial duels and trials by ordeal were viewed with extreme scepticism in the Middle

Dispelling the myths about ancient Roman 'vomitoria'.

A beginner's guide to the history of duels and duelling.

June 29th , 1613 : The Globe Theatre burns to the ground. The first recorded performance of William Shakespeare’s “ All is True ” took place at The Globe Theatre on the banks of the River Thames in June 1613. The play, now more commonly called “ Henry VIII ” , is not one of Shakespeare’s best known and may have disappeared into obscurity if it had not been for the disaster that befell the theatre. The production, which focuses on Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, was