News

Dear all, The first half of the 2019-20 programme has seen some very interesting lectures and big attendances. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, the committee made a major effort to involve schools with the selection of topics. Our decision to focus on the Tudor period was a response to their input. The two Tudor lectures drew a very ...
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The Tudor Rebellions by Stephen David No English King had died on the battlefield since King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and  Henry Tudor, according to propaganda, bought peace and stability to the country. By 1486, Lord Lovell a lifelong companion to King Richard III, organized a rebellion in Yorkshire, an area of traditional support of King Richard III ...
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1919: The Year that Changed China by Dr Elisabeth Forster, Lecturer of Modern China (University of Southampton) 1919 was the year in Chinese history, that generated the most significant and radical changes in Chinese history. At the beginning  of 1919, nobody in China, could of predicted that changes that were going to take place in that year. Among the changes, ...
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Last year at this time I appealed for help to upgrade and modernize our website. A hero did step forward-Derek Linney- he has made the site much more user friendly and much more appealing. As Chairman, I wish to record my personal thanks to the committee who make things tick over so smoothly. Attendances in 2018-9 have been approaching maximum ...
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Dr Ian Archer: Associate Professor in History, Keble College, University of Oxford. In 1550, the population in London was 75, 000, which made London the sixth most populous city in Europe. London was smaller in population, in 1550, than in 1300, as a consequence of the Black Death. By 1700, the population of London had increased to 575, 000, which ...
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Professor Lawrence Goldman, St Peters College, University of Oxford Disraeli was the grandson of an eighteenth century Italian immigrants, with his parents being booksellers in Buckinghamshire. Disraeli commenced his career in journalism, which proved to be disastrous, with the consequences of heavy debt, but Disraeli pursued a more successful career as a novelist. He began his career, as a Whig ...
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Professor David Egerton: History of Science and Technology and Modern British History, King’s College, London The United Kingdom in the 1900s was an exceptional country. British coal was exported throughout the world, and the country was the largest exporter in the world, of energy (coal). With Argentina, the country turned to the UK, to power its railways, as well as ...
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Not so much an Empire more a World System: The British Empire in Global Perspectives There are currently 3 myths concerning European colonial empires 1)      Empires are only a European phenomenon  and the British Empire being even more unique phenomenon among European empires, with the British empire arriving late in history in comparison to other empires, for example the Mongol ...
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The first half of the branch’s lecture series has seen some excellent presentations that have drawn large audiences of members. We remain keen to encourage schools attendance. The most important announcement is a reminder that all meetings in 2019 will take place at St. Nicolas Hall. The problems of County School parking are behind us. We will miss the County’s ...
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Professor David Carpenter: Professor of Medieval History, Kings College, London - Henry III, Simon de Montfort and the Crisis of Kingship in the Thirteenth Century Guildford Castle was a very much favoured castle, often used by King Henry III and his son, King Edward I. Magna Carta placed many restrictions on the monarch, but did not impose a council on ...
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Professor Mark Cornwall: Professor of Modern European History, University of Southampton This year is the hundredth anniversary of the last Emperor, Karl, standing down as Emperor of the Habsburg Empire. Within the history of the Habsburg Empire, there has always been a history of tension and rivalry between the nationalities that made up the Habsburg Empire. The Habsburg Empire during ...
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The Road to the Armistice: How the First World War Ended by Professor David Stevenson: International History, LSE November 1918: The railway wagon, number 2491D, constructed before the beginning of the 1st World War, was taken to the forest of Compiegne, where the German delegates accepted the terms of peace, dictated by the Allies. This carriage was used again by ...
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