By Tim Lambert The First Council Houses In the late 19th century housing for the poor was often terrible. In some cases, whole families lived in one room. The first council houses in Portsmouth were built in 1911 in Portsea in Curzon Howe Road on the site of Whites Row, a notorious slum. The new… Continue reading A History of Council Houses in Portsmouth
Author: Tim Lambert
Life in Prehistoric England
By Tim Lambert Stone Age Hunters The first people lived in England at about 450,000 BC. At that time England was much warmer than it is today. Animals like elephants, lions, and rhinoceros lived in England alongside deer, horses, bears, and wolves. The humans made simple stone tools and lived in caves. In 15,000 BC… Continue reading Life in Prehistoric England
A Biography of Beatrix Potter
By Tim Lambert Helen Beatrix Potter was a famous author of the early 20th century. Beatrix was born in South Kensington, London on 28 July 1866. Her father, Rupert Potter was a lawyer. Since her mother was also called Helen she was called by her middle name, Beatrix. She had one brother who was 6… Continue reading A Biography of Beatrix Potter
A Biography of Isaac Newton
By Tim Lambert The early life of Newton Isaac Newton was born at Woolsthorpe near Grantham in Lincolnshire, England on 4 January 1643. His father died before he was born and in 1645 his mother married a clergyman from North Welham in Leicestershire. She went to live with him while Isaac Newton lived with his… Continue reading A Biography of Isaac Newton
A Biography of Christopher Wren
By Tim Lambert Christopher Wren was one of the greatest architects of the 17th century. He is, of course, famous for St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Wren was born on 20 October 1632 in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England. His father was a clergyman. Christopher was educated at Westminster School and in 1650 he went to… Continue reading A Biography of Christopher Wren
A History of Bermondsey
By Tim Lambert Early Bermondsey Bermondsey takes its name from a Saxon landowner. It was Beormund’s eg. The word eg meant an island, a promontory of land or in this case an ‘island’ of dry land surrounded by marsh. In the Middle Ages, a Cluniac Abbey stood in the heart of the settlement. It was… Continue reading A History of Bermondsey
A History of Southwark
By Tim Lambert Southwark in the Middle Ages The Romans built a ‘suburb’ south of the River Thames on the site of modern Southwark. However, it was abandoned in the 5th century when the Romans left Britain. Yet under the Saxons, a new ‘suburb’ grew up and flourished. It was called the South work and… Continue reading A History of Southwark
A history of Clapham
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Lucinda Wilde Early Clapham The Roman road called Stane Street, which ran from London to Chichester went through the area where Clapham now stands. However, Clapham began as a Saxon village. Its name was originally clopp ham, which meant the village (ham) by the short hill (clopp). At the time… Continue reading A history of Clapham
A History of Chelsea
By Tim Lambert Early Chelsea Chelsea began life as a Saxon village some miles from the thriving town of London. The name Chelsea is derived from the Saxon words cealc hythe. The word hythe meant a landing place for boats. The word cealc meant chalk so perhaps it was a chalky landing place for boats.… Continue reading A History of Chelsea
A History of Westminster
By Tim Lambert Early Westminster Edward the Confessor (1042-1066) built a royal palace in the countryside outside the walls of London. He also built a church, Westminster Abbey, consecrated in December 1065. In December 1066 William the Conqueror was crowned in Westminster Abbey. Since then every English monarch has been crowned there (except for Edward V and… Continue reading A History of Westminster