From Bastard Son to King of England William the Conqueror When I was in France a few years ago, I visited Falaise and found the birthplace of the man who changed the history of England, always later referred to as William the Conqueror. The story of William’s birth goes this way. His father, Robert, Duke […]
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On This Day – June 2 Seventy-three years ago today, a young Princess was crowned Queen in London, England. In London, people filled the streets. Celebrations took place everywhere. Flags were hung; street parties were held. The war was far in the distant past and the second Golden Elizabethan Age was ahead. In the month
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Who Was Catherine Hogarth? During her life, Catherine Hogarth was known by three names, but I doubt you would know two of them. She was born in 1815 in Scotland to Georgina and George Hogarth, but the family moved to London so her father could accept a new editing position with a magazine. Catherine had
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The Strange Thing That Happened One September While investigating the things that have happened throughout time in September, I discovered an alarming thing! In 1752, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the American colonies all officially implemented the Gregorian Calendar which had first been developed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. It would replace and correct
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William Shakespeare – A Man of Many Talents On this day (April 23rd) in 1564, William Shakespeare was born. Fifty-two years later in 1616 he apparently died on the same date. The Bard He was the most renowned playwright of all time who incredibly is still studied in schools and universities over 460 years later.
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Victoria’s Long Naval Connections The Royal Navy’s Colonial connection to British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria, goes back to the settlement days of the Puget Sound farming families in the 1850s. The Skinner Family Families such as the Langfords, the Skinners, and the McKenzies who had arrived in the colony to manage farms for the Puget
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Thomas Harris – Victoria’s First Mayor British Columbia’s capital City had one of the most colorful and controversial figures serving as the first Mayor. His name was Thomas Harris, and he served three terms in office between 1862 and 1865. A butcher by trade, he referred to himself as “just an ‘umble tradesman” who owned
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An Important Day in History Two of the most important events in ancient and modern history happened on this date—September 28 — although neither are celebrated worldwide today or even thought about much. The first was the birth of Confucius, one of the most important people in ancient China, born on this date in 551
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Traditions of Victoria Day Every year the traditional “May 24th” holiday, the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birthday, occurs on a different date. This year it is early – on Monday, 20th May. The holiday weekend consists of celebrations ranging from a parade, boating, festivals and even, on one memorable occasion in 1896, a tragedy. According
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A Charming Appendage As the author of many historical books, both non-fiction and fiction set in British Columbia, plus hundreds of articles all of which have resulted in a great deal of research, it was obvious to me that it was the men folk who invariably made a name for themselves. Their wives, often only
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