Let's discover history together
Discovering the history
Tuesday, 19 May 2026
How Anne Lister Defied Society’s Expectations For Women In Georgian England
The Rise And Fall Of Henry V’s Great Ship The Grace Dieu
The Navy Nurse Who Helped Transform Women’s Roles In Military Service
Monday, 18 May 2026
The Fearless Victorian Explorer Who Refused To Let Illness Stop Her
The Fearless Victorian Explorer Who Refused To Let Illness Stop Her
Today I want to tell you about a remarkable woman of the Victorian era, Isabella
Bird. In an era when many women were expected to live quiet and restricted
lives, Isabella travelled across some of the most difficult and remote parts of
the world completely alone.
She was born on the 15th of October 1831 in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, into
the family of a clergyman. As a child she constantly moved when her father took
up different church positions around England. Isabella was intelligent,
outspoken, and curious about the world, but she also struggled with poor health.
She suffered from back problems, headaches, and insomnia. Doctors believed that
fresh air and travel might improve her condition, and this is something that
would eventually shape the rest of her life.
In 1854, she travelled to the United States. For many Victorian women, this
journey would have been intimidating and maybe even improper, but Isabella
appeared to have love to explore new places. She turned the letters from her
travels into books, and she gradually became known for her travel writing.
She travelled across places including Hawaii, Japan, China, Korea, India,
Persia, and the Rocky Mountains of North America. In Colorado she rode hundreds
of miles through dangerous terrain, often dressed practically and riding in
ways that shocked many in Victorian society. I do admire her determination.
Travel during the nineteenth century was tiring, uncomfortable, and sometimes
dangerous, especially for a woman travelling alone.
In 1880, her sister Henrietta sadly died from typhoid, a loss that affected
her badly. Isabella went on to marry Dr John Bishop, but he also sadly died
only a few years later. During the late 1880s, Isabella’s health suffered
another serious setback when she became ill with scarlet fever. It was dangerous
infectious diseases in the Victorian era, especially for someone already weak. Many
people may have expected her to slow down, but remarkably she recovered and rather
than hiding away from the world, she threw herself even more into her travels
and also humanitarian work. In Kashmir, she helped to establish a hospital for
women in memory of her late husband.
After the death of her husband, Isabella even began studying medicine so
that she could help the people she met during her travels even more, her
journeys seem to no longer be only about exploration but also compassion.
By the 1890s, Isabella Bird had become one of the most famous travellers in
Britain. She became the first woman to be admitted as a fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society, this broke barriers
in a world that was dominated by men. Even in her seventies, she was still
planning new journeys.
She died in Edinburgh on the 7th of October 1904 at the age of 72, only a
few days before what would have been her 73rd birthday on the 15th of October. She
had only just returned from Morocco. She refused to let illness, grief, or
Victorian expectations control her life. I sometimes wonder how many women of her
era must have secretly dreamed of the freedom that Isabella Bird managed to
find.
Do you think she was seen as inspiring during her lifetime, or too
unconventional for many people to fully understand?
The Battle of Sluys And The Medieval Struggle For Control Of The Sea
The Battle of Sluys And The Medieval Struggle For Control Of The Sea
We have been finding out a bit about medieval disasters
recently, it made me think about just how dangerous warfare, particularly at
sea, could be during the Middle Ages. So
I thought we could explore the Battle of Sluys, one of the most devastating
naval battles of the medieval period. The battle took place on the 24th of June
1340 near the port of Sluys in what is now Belgium. It happened during the
early part of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France.
Image info:
Artist: Loyset Liédet
Title: Battle of Sluys, miniture
Date: 15th century
Collection: Bibliothèque nationale de France
The battle happened because both England and France were
struggling for control of the English Channel. King Edward III of England
needed safe sea routes so that he could move soldiers and supplies to the
continent. The French hoped to weaken the English by threatening an invasion
and by cutting off English trade. Tension between the two countries had been
building for years, mostly over land, power, and Edward’s claim to the French
throne. A major clash at sea felt inevitable.
The French fleet gathered near Sluys and chained many of
their ships together to form what they thought would be a strong defensive
barrier across the harbour entrance. They had a large fleet which was made up
of warships, merchant vessels, and hired Genoese ships. Thousands of sailors,
knights, archers, and soldiers were on them. Medieval ships were quite often
packed tightly with people of all ages. Experienced knights fought alongside
teenage squires, common sailors, and young archers who may only have been in
their mid to late teens. Life at sea was already dangerous before any battle
even began.
Edward III sailed with a large English fleet and arrived off
the coast. Chroniclers suggest the battle lasted for many hours, possibly from
late morning into the evening. The English had several advantages. Their ships
were more mobile, and English longbowmen proved to be devastating to the French.
As the fleets closed together, arrows rained down onto the French ships. Once the
vessels locked together, they were forced into brutal hand-to-hand fighting. Many
men met an horrific end.
The French defensive formation actually worked against them.
Because so many vessels had been tied together, it became difficult to
manoeuvre or escape once the panic began to spread. The English were able to
attack ship after ship in succession. Edward III fought aggressively and he
inspired confidence among his men, but confusion appears to have spread through
parts of the French fleet.
The loss of life was catastrophic. Medieval chroniclers
often exaggerated numbers, but thousands were believed to have died. Some
estimates suggest over 15,000 French sailors and soldiers may have lost their lives,
although the real figure was probably lower. Many men were unable to save themselves
because of the heavy armour after they had fallen into the water. English
losses were far smaller but still significant. Around 190 French ships were
believed to have been captured, destroyed, or sunk.
The English victory changed the course of the war. Control
of the Channel gave Edward III much greater freedom to invade France and
continue his campaigns overseas. It also damaged the French naval strength for many
years after and it reduced the immediate threat of a French invasion of
England.
Unlike battles on land, there was often no escape at sea. If
your ship sank, the cold water usually became your grave.
Do you think the French defeat at Sluys was unavoidable once
they chained their fleet together, or could the battle have ended very
differently with another strategy?
The Navy Nurse Who Sewed Hope Inside a Japanese Prison Camp
The Navy Nurse Who Sewed Hope Inside a Japanese Prison Camp
Today I have been learning a little more about some of the
nurses who served during the World Wars. Today I want to talk about Goldia
O’Haver.
Goldia Aimee O’Haver was born on the 3rd of December 1902 in
Rock Island County, Illinois. In 1929, she joined the United States Navy as a
surgical nurse. Nursing was already demanding work, but the world was moving ever
closer to war and many military nurses found themselves facing dangers far
beyond what they had expected.
During the Second World War, Goldia was stationed at Cañacao
Hospital near Cavite Naval Base in the Philippines. In January 1942, after
Japanese forces advanced into Manila, she and eleven other Navy nurses were
captured. These women later became known as the “Twelve Anchors.”
In 1943, the nurses were transferred to the prison camp at
Los Baños. Conditions were extremely harsh. Supplies were scarce, food was
limited, and illness spread really easily. She continued to help others. She
used small scraps of fabric and managed to create uniforms, sheets, gowns, and
clothing for the patients in the camp hospital. Even in captivity, she still found
ways to bring comfort and dignity to the people around her.
After more than three years as a prisoner, Goldia was
finally liberated in February 1945. She was weak from malnutrition and she ended
up being hospitalised in San Francisco. She received both a Gold Star and a
Bronze Star for her wartime service.
Soon after the war, she married fellow former prisoner
Robert Heath Merrill. She retired from the Navy Nurse Corps in 1946 and settled
in California, where she lived until her death in 1997 at the age of 94.
Sunday, 17 May 2026
The Victorian Journalist Who Revealed London’s Hidden World of Poverty
How Anne Lister Defied Society’s Expectations For Women In Georgian England
How Anne Lister Defied Society’s Expectations For Women In Georgian England Today I want to talk about Anne Lister. She lived in a time when...
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Arthur, Prince of Wales circa 1500 Private collection, Hever Castle, Kent Arthur, Prince of Wales was born on the 19th or 20th o...
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BOSWORTH FIELD Bosworth Field was a hugely important part of British history, it was the start of the Tudor dynasty. Everybody has heard of...
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A Life of Duty and Sacrifice: John Thayer on Titanic I have been learning about some of the people who were on board the Titanic, I want t...