By Tim Lambert Trial by combat or trial by battle was common in Europe in the Middle Ages. If a man was accused of a serious crime he had the right to fight his accuser. People believed that God would ensure that right would prevail and that if a person was innocent he would win.… Continue reading A History of Duelling
Category: Articles
A History of Weymouth
By Tim Lambert Early Weymouth In the Middle Ages, there were two small settlements on either side of the River Wey. They were Weymouth and Melcombe. Both grew into little ports. In 1252 Weymouth was made a borough (being made a borough gave it certain liberties). Melcome was made a borough in 1280. In the… Continue reading A History of Weymouth
A History of Westbury
By Tim Lambert Early Westbury The town of Westbury in Wiltshire began as a Saxon settlement. It was called west burh, meaning west fortified settlement. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 Westbury probably had a population of about 700. It would seem very small to us but by the standards of the… Continue reading A History of Westbury
A Brief Biography of Anne Boleyn
By Tim Lambert We are not sure exactly when Anne Boleyn was born, but it was probably around 1501. She was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn and his wife Elizabeth. She had a brother George and a sister Mary. Anne grew up in Hever Castle in Kent but in 1513 she was sent to the… Continue reading A Brief Biography of Anne Boleyn
Last Orders at The Bar
A Timeline of Capital Punishment
By Tim Lambert 1307 A mechanical beheading device is recorded in Dublin 1608 The first execution takes place in the North American colonies 1685 Alice Lisle becomes the last woman beheaded in Britain 1747 Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat becomes the last person beheaded on Tower Hill by the Tower of London 1790 In Britain, death… Continue reading A Timeline of Capital Punishment
A History of Gillingham Dorset
By Tim Lambert There was a Roman settlement on the site of Gillingham. However, the modern town began as a Saxon village. Its name was probably Gylla inga ham, which means the village belonging to Gylla. By the time of the Domesday Book, in 1086 Gillingham was a large settlement. It had a population of… Continue reading A History of Gillingham Dorset
A History of Sherborne
By Tim Lambert Early Sherborne The small market town of Sherborne was founded by the Saxons in the 7th century when they conquered this part of England. Its name comes from the Saxon words scir burne, meaning clear stream. For centuries Sherborne was an important settlement. In 705 Aldhelm became the first bishop of the… Continue reading A History of Sherborne
Localhistories Links Page
By Tim Lambert Below is a list of websites that I like or support. There are many museums, cathedrals, and other attractions around the world that I would recommend to anyone. This is a list of their websites. The Anchorage Museum Anne Frank House Arundel Castle The Brickworks Museum Cardiff Castle Chichester Cathedral Christ Church… Continue reading Localhistories Links Page
A Brief Biography of Thomas Hardy
By Tim Lambert Thomas Hardy was a great British writer of the 19th century. Thomas was born in the village of Higher Bockhampton, Dorset on 2 June 1840. His father, also called Thomas was a stonemason. His mother was named Jemima. They had 4 children. (Thomas had a brother and two sisters). Thomas was the… Continue reading A Brief Biography of Thomas Hardy