One of the first books to be published in Bolton was ‘A Description of Sieges and Battles of the Civil War’. Printed J Drake in 1785 it includes a picture of the execution of the earl of Derby in Churchgate, Bolton, in 1651. This appears to be a line drawing showing the earl making his […]
Research
A Curious Headstone
I’ve long had a fascination with gravestones. It’s the stories of those who lie there which fascinate me. I always wondered who they were, what were their lives like, what happened to them. It is no wonder then that I became a historian though I view it as a collector of people’s stories. I came […]
Selim Rothwell, Artist
I have a print of a painting of Churchgate in Bolton circa 1840. I love looking at this picture because it looks so different to the Churchgate of today. It is full of people; some strolling along, others selling from the numerous stalls lining the road. St Peter’s is in the background, looking more like […]
The Cursed Shoes of Papillon Hall
Market Harborough, like many places, has its share of ghosts and haunted buildings. However, this post concerns a haunted building just outside Market Harborough. Papillon Hall used to stand on the way to Lubenham and was built around 1624 by David Papillon. The Papillon family originated from France. David along with his mother and two […]
Plague!
Oh Lord save us! A great pestilence is upon us. Reports reached London in 1347 of a terrifying and incurable disease which was spreading from the East. It reached England in 1348 and is thought to have killed millions of people. There are three different types of plague; bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic. The most common […]
James Dodds
A while ago I came across this photograph on Ebay. A fine, handsome chap named James Dodds, with his birthdate conveniently written. It’s not often you come across photos with names and dates and I felt sorry for him thinking he must belong to someone’s family. So who was James Dodds? On the back of […]
Gem in the Parish Register
Every now and then you come across a gem in the parish registers. I came across this entry in the registers of St Paul’s Church, Leicester: Gertrude Vernon Harper ch. 1 Oct 1874; parents – Herbert and Ethel Vernon; Occupation – Gentleman. In the abode column it looks as though ‘deceased’ has been written. Also […]