While researching her new book Regency Spies (published by Pen & Sword this month), Sue Wilkes uncovered the story of a desperate plot to kill George III and overthrow the British government… Colonel Despard (1751–1803) has gone down in history as the leader of a wildly impractical, hopeless scheme. Despard was the leader of a group known as the United Britons, which had links with rebel Irishmen. Unfortunately for their plans, some members of the group were government spies, who …
historic newspapers
On the night of the 19th January 1915, two German Zeppelins appeared out of the dark on the Norfolk coast and conducted the first airship attack on British soil. They had set out for Humberside, but strong winds had seen them divert to the areas around Great Yarmouth, Sheringham and King’s Lynn. It would be the first of over 50 Zeppelin attacks on the UK. Strategically, they proved largely ineffective, with night raids and bad weather conditions making it difficult …
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On 15 January 1878, a meeting was held at the University of London to decide whether women should be awarded degrees by the institution. The next day, the meeting was documented in the London Evening Standard. In an article discussing the importance of education for all, the typo in the subheadline was hopefully someone’s idea of a joke… The article goes on to record the views of a number of speakers. We’ve picked out a few of our favourites… H.M. Bompas: …
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Introduction and background We love hearing about your discoveries in The British Newspaper Archive. John Bland of the Lincolnshire Family History Society dropped us a line to tell us about his family history research in The British Newspaper Archive. John has been researching the millers and blacksmiths in his family (research that involves learning about major legislation such as the Enclosures and the Corn Laws) and, thanks to The British Newspaper Archive, has just learned that one of his ancestors also …
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To mark the hundred years since the signing of the Armistice on Monday 11 November 1918, which ended the First World War, we take a look at the poignant images published that historic day across our various publications. A significant theme running throughout, of course, is that of peace, and freedom, at last, as featured in the Nottingham Evening Post and the Liverpool Echo. Nottingham Evening Post | 11 November 1918 Liverpool Echo | 11 November 1918 Other newspapers, such as the Evening Despatch and the Sheffield Independent capture the …