Raglan Castle 🏰

Still one of my favourites. My photos compared to those sketched in a book on Raglan 1880. In August 1646, Raglan was surrendered by the Royalists to Sir Thomas Fairfax, commander of Cromwell's forces and the place was looted. Most tragically, the library, which held ancient Welsh texts was destroyed: "At the dismantling of the …

A Medicinal History of … Dropsy

Dropsy can be seen in literature, biographies and historical articles as an ailment of the rich and poor alike. But what was it? Dropsy is an antiquated term for oedema being a collection of fluid stuck and building up inside body tissues and cavities such as the peritoneal space in the abdomen (ascites). Oedma appeared …

Book Cover Reveal for my new book – Florence Nightingale’s Rivals: Nursing through the Crimea.

Absolutely love what my publisher Pen & Sword have come up with. This is the story about nursing relationships during what was a first for nursing, for social history and for women; taking part in an 'experiment' for military nursing, in the theatre of war. The hardships these women went through is beyond our imagination …

#OTD 1352 The Tragic Death of Alice Plantagenet of Norfolk

Remains of Bungay Castle, Suffolk, Alice's ancestral home and place of her attack by her husband and eventual death. Image courtesy of Ashley Dace at geograph.co.uk 672 years ago (or thereabouts, given the Julian calendar was in use in 14th century England) on Monday 30 January 1352 it was stated in the Calendar of Fine …

A Medicinal History of … Tisane

Ancient medicinal and food crop - Barley. Drawing by Fauget (1867), Histoire de Plantes The word Tisane is derived from the Ancient Greek ptisane which developed into the French tisane meaning medicinal tea and today known as a herbal tea. Under the Syrian Arab Republic, tisane is recognised as a pharmaceutical method of administering herbs …

A 14th Century Poisoning – what was used?

"Stephen Segrave was Constable of the Tower ofLondon in August 1323 during the escape of Roger Mortimer, whowould eventually overthrow Edward II (in conjunction with Edward’swife, Queen Isabella) ... The deputyconstable of the Tower in August 1323 was a man called GerardAlspaye and it was he who aided in the sedation of Segrave and theother …