Category Archives: England

The Gloucester Miser

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 214. 184 years ago today, the “richest commoner” in Britain died.  James (Jemmy) Wood made his money in banking, and had wealth of around £900,000.  Calculating the value of that money in today’s terms is notoriously difficult, and depending … Continue reading →

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The Child Actor Who Caused a Riot

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 208.  Every so often a child actor rises to levels of fame that seems to eclipse that of their adult equivalents. It doesn’t happen all that often, but when a child actor makes a strong impact in a particular … Continue reading →

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A Widow’s Cruel Fate

Posted on August 1, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Max of the Month 5.  When reading non-fiction books from the 19th Century, one finds no shortage of great writers who have now been largely forgotten. However, occasionally a writer comes to light whose work is so entertaining, and who … Continue reading →

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Lewis Carroll says “Non!”

Posted on July 11, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Windows into History… in Wonderland 4. We have a connecting theme this month: Lewis Carroll (Rev. Charles Dodgson) and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Dodgson was not generally keen on foreign travel, preferring to spend his summers at Eastbourne or on … Continue reading →

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Who was Lewis Carroll?

Posted on July 8, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Windows into History… in Wonderland 3. We have a connecting theme this month: Lewis Carroll (Rev. Charles Dodgson) and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Dodgson was generally very keen to keep his own life separate from the work of “Lewis Carroll” … Continue reading →

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The Genesis of Alice

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Windows into History… in Wonderland 2. We have a connecting theme this month: Lewis Carroll (Rev. Charles Dodgson) and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  It is not by accident that I chose July for this.  Exactly 157 years ago, on 4th … Continue reading →

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A Scarecrow in Petticoats

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Max of the Month 4.  When reading non-fiction books from the 19th Century, one finds no shortage of great writers who have now been largely forgotten. However, occasionally a writer comes to light whose work is so entertaining, and who … Continue reading →

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Midhurst Local Issues, 1908

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Roger Pocock

The following quote is taken from the Bognor Regis Observer, 16th September 1908, and features three small pieces of news relating to Midhurst: Workhouse Struck by Lightning. At the last meeting of the Midhurst Guardians it was reported that the … Continue reading →

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Married Twice in One Day

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Roger Pocock

Snippets 202. Everyone hopes their wedding day will be the perfect occasion, but what happens when something goes wrong?  For today’s “snippet”, let’s take a look at two newspaper reports of wedding-related incidents, both from the late 19th Century.  The … Continue reading →

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Midhurst: Rotten Borough?

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Roger Pocock

The Reform Act of 1832 disenfranchised 57 “rotten” boroughs, areas of the country sending members to parliament despite very small populations.  The most notorious of these was Old Sarum, a constituency of just seven voters that was responsible for the … Continue reading →

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