By Tim Lambert In the Middle Ages, plays for ordinary people were often religious. They were based on Bible stories or were meant to teach the people Christian values. The actors were usually amateurs and plays were performed on carts or wagons. They were financed by craftsmen’s guilds. However, in Tudor times theatre became separated… Continue reading Tudor Theatre
Category: Articles
Famous British Women
By Tim Lambert There have been many famous women in British history. Below is a list of some of them. Boudicca In 61 AD she led the Iceni tribe of what is now East Anglia in a rebellion against the Romans Berta or Bertha 539-612 In the 6th century AD England was divided into small… Continue reading Famous British Women
A Short History of the Sun
The sun is the center star of our solar system. Its diameter is about 1.39 million kilometers. The sun is so big that the Earth would It would fit inside the sun about 109 times. Its mass is about 330,000 times that of the Earth. The sun is the most important source of energy for… Continue reading A Short History of the Sun
A History of Drayton and Farlington
By Tim Lambert In the 6th century AD, the Saxons landed in Hampshire and they founded a number of villages. One of them was called Dray tun. The Saxon word tun meant farm or settlement and dray meant drag. It is not certain what they dragged. Perhaps boats were dragged onto the shore. Farlington was… Continue reading A History of Drayton and Farlington
A History of Churches in Portsmouth
By Tim Lambert Churches in the Middle Ages Before the town of Portsmouth was founded in about 1180 there were 3 villages on Portsea Island, Fratton, Buckland, and Milton. There has been a church on the site of St Marys in Fratton since the 12th century and probably before. St Marys was probably the parish… Continue reading A History of Churches in Portsmouth
A History of The Hussites
By Tim Lambert Jan Hus was a famous preacher of the Middle Ages. Hus was born in Bohemia (what is now the Czech Republic) in about 1374 and he was educated at the University of Prague. In 1401 he was ordained a priest. Hus was heavily influenced by the English reformer John Wycliffe and he… Continue reading A History of The Hussites
A History of Somerstown, Portsmouth
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Sharon Court Early Somerstown Somerstown was founded in the early 19th century. Until 1809 Portsmouth consisted of Old Portsmouth and Portsea. Then in 1809 the ‘mineral’ streets (Copper Street, Stone Street, etc.) were built outside the city walls. Jubilee Terrace was built in 1810 and Southsea grew into a middle-class… Continue reading A History of Somerstown, Portsmouth
Saxon Portsea Island
By Tim Lambert According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle the Saxons arrived in the year 501. They were led by a man called Port. At that time Portsea Island was probably uninhabited. The Romans built Portchester Castle but there is no evidence of any Roman settlements on Portsea Island. The Roman army left Britain in 407… Continue reading Saxon Portsea Island
A Short History of Guatemala
By Tim Lambert Early Guatemala In 1523 Pedro de Alvarado was sent with a force of Spaniards to Guatemala. The Spaniards had a great technological advantage over the indigenous people and by 1540 they ruled the whole area. The Spaniards then became the ruling class. Meanwhile, the indigenous people were converted to Christianity (although they… Continue reading A Short History of Guatemala
A Brief Biography of John Keats
By Tim Lambert His Early Life John Keats was one of England’s greatest poets. He was born in London on 31 October 1795. His father Thomas Keats was an innkeeper. His mother was called Frances. The couple had 5 children. In 1803 John Keats went to Clarke’s School in Enfield. However, in 1804 tragedy struck… Continue reading A Brief Biography of John Keats