Valentine’s Day in its present iteration is inexorably linked to both romantic love and commercialism. It inspires strong feelings, both for and against this day of chocolate boxes and heart-shaped cards. However, the day and its traditions have not been static. In performing a simple search for ‘Valentine’s Day’ on The British Newspaper Archive, you can start to see the ways in which the holiday — and its reception — have changed (and, occasionally, stayed the same) over the years. …
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‘Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more’. – William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene V These are the lines with which Sir Ian McKellen opens his episode of Who Do You Think You Are? As a septuagenarian, looking backwards to discover from whence (and from whom) he came, it is fitting that he should read these particular lines of Macbeth’s. Furthermore, they are …
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On 26 January 1788, the First Fleet arrived in New South Wales, which saw the flag of Great Britain raised at Sydney Cove and the settlement of the first penal colony. The arrival also marked Britain’s proclamation of sovereignty over Australia’s eastern seaboard. This day has since become a national holiday in Australia: Australia Day. To mark this day, we’ve taken a look into its history and evolution. You can find articles on this historic landing of the First Fleet in …
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In celebration of National Pet Day, the world’s first holiday dedicated to man’s best friend, we have been searching through the archive for examples of incredible canines throughout history. Search the newspapers From daring rescuers to lovable rogues, we have put together a selection of magnificent mutts whose remarkable stories are guaranteed to warm the hearts of even the most determined cat lovers. Swansea Jack Swansea Jack was a black retriever with a longish coat who lived with his owner, William Thomas, near the …
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This Sunday is known in some parts of England as Stir-up Sunday. It’s an old Anglican nickname for the last Sunday before Advent and it’s not actually about baking, or cooking of any kind. The day has been known that way at least since the 19th century although probably a lot longer as the name comes from a reading, or Collect, found in The Book of Common Prayer first published in 1549. The designated text for that particular Sunday, “Stir up, …
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Wednesday, September 9th 2015 marks a significant milestone for Britain’s monarchy. It’s the day that Queen Elizabeth II become the longest ruling British monarch in history, breaking the record of her great grandmother Victoria. To commemorate this occasion, we’ve taken a look back on contemporary newspaper reactions to Victoria breaking the same record in 1897. A diamond jubilee was a brand new concept for the Victorian British, as no monarch had yet ruled for longer than 60 years, the closest …
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‘The British Newspaper Archive is a grand project on a scale the Victorian themselves would applaud’ – Jeremy Clay The BNA as a muse for writing books In addition to using the BNA for ancestral research, there are many researchers who visit The Archive to do other types of historical research. On top of that, there are a fair few folk who are writing books about what they’ve been finding in the BNA. One such person is Jeremy Clay, who …
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We’re often moved by the amazing stories you tell us about what you’ve been discovering in The Archive. Jan Barlow, a professional genealogist based in SE England, recently tweeted to tell us about some of the stories she’s been finding about her family ancestors in the BNA. Poignantly, Jan’s research has uncovered some very sad facts regarding the many dangers of the workplace during the Victorian era. Jan has written a fascinating article about her “bus driver’s holiday” ancestral research, …
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Historical Newspaper Images of the Princess Elizabeth and Her Family With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee taking place this bank holiday weekend, we thought we’d mark this historic occasion by posting a few photos of Princess Elizabeth and her family. If you’d like to see more photos of the Princess Elizabeth, visit the visit gallery on our Facebook page. – www.facebook.com/TheBritishNewspaperArchive The interesting thing about reading stories in the newspaper archive about the Queen is the fact that she was still …
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Old Newspaper Stories from Previous Hogmanay and New Year‘s Days With time’s winged chariot parked half on the pavement and New Year‘s Day just about to knock on the door and first-foot us all, we thought it‘d be a good time to post some ’On this day‘ Hogmanay and Ne‘erday stories on our Facebook page. Abraham Lincoln‘s New Year Resolution of 1863 As the first of January is often a day for new legislation to arrive on the statute books, …