The History of Coats of Arms and Heraldry | Historic UK
A coat of arms is a hereditary device, borne upon a shield, and devised according to a recognised system. This system was developed in northern Europe in the mid-12th century for the purpose of identification and was very widely adopted by kings, princes, knights and other major power holders throughout western Europe.
The Abolition of Slavery In Britain - Historic UK
13 min read. On 28th August 1833 a very important act received its Royal Assent. The Slavery Abolition Law would finally be enacted, after years of campaigning, suffering and injustice. This act was a crucial step in a much wider and ongoing process designed to bring an end to the slave trade. Only a few decades previously, in 1807 another act ...
Timeline of the British Empire - Historic UK
Feb 8, 2019 · 1664 – The English gained control of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, renaming the settlement New York. 1666 – The Bahamas were successfully colonised. 1668 – English East India Company takes over Bombay. 1690 – Job Charnock formally founded Calcutta on behalf of the East India Company.
The history of afternoon tea - a great British tradition
Afternoon tea, that most quintessential of English customs is, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively new tradition. Whilst the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China and was popularised in England during the 1660s by King Charles II and his wife the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza, it was not until the mid 19th century that the concept of …
History and Traditions of Halloween in Britain | Historic UK
The origins of these celebrations however date back thousands of years, to pagan times. Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Until 2,000 years ago, the Celts lived across the lands we now know as Britain, Ireland and northern France. Essentially a farming and agricultural people, the Pre-Christian Celtic year ...
The Game of Conkers - Historic UK
The Game of Conkers. In early autumn, the fruits of the horse chestnut tree, known as conkers, begin to fall from the trees. Inside the prickly green casings lie the fruits – brown, shiny, and hard – ready to be collected by children all over Britain for …
Who was King Arthur and where was Camelot? - Historic UK
Caerleon, South Wales. Both Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes place Camelot, Arthur’s chief court and fortress, in Caerleon, South Wales, one of three Roman legionary forts in Britain. Although the name ‘Caerleon’ sounds typically Celtic, it is actually a corruption of the Latin words castrum (fortress) and legio (legion).
Timeline of events in 1918 and the end of World War One
8 Aug. Start of the Battle of Amiens, the opening phase of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive, that will ultimately lead to the end of World War I. Allied armoured divisions smash through the once impregnable German trenches. Erich Ludendorff calls it …
The 1960s The Decade that Shook Britain - Historic UK
May 15, 2015 · By the end of the decade, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved the impossible by becoming the first men on the moon in 1969. It ended the decade on a note of optimism and the ability to dream for something bigger and better. The 1960s was a decade of rapid change. Blink for one second and you would have missed it.
The Origins of Fairies - Historic UK
May 20, 2015 · Most of the nature fairies are perhaps descendents of pre-Christian gods and goddesses or are the spirits of trees and streams. Black Annis, a blue-faced hag, haunts the Dane Hills in Leicestershire and Gentle Annie who governs storms in the Scottish lowlands, are perhaps descended from the Celtic goddess Danu, mother of Ireland’s cave fairies.