7 January 1812 opened the sixth session of the fourth parliament of the United Kingdom.
Significant debates were held concerning constitutional change, including Catholic Emancipation, and changes to Parliament itself. Continue reading
1812, When Big Banks Could Go Bankrupt
In 1812, London was the world’s financial capital; and “Boldero and Lushington” were one of the biggest and best known financial firms in 19th century London.
National audit Office, London, photographed by the author February 2011
The firm started in 1738, under the name of Thomas Miners. Then, in 1742 it became Miners and Boldero, as Charles Boldero entered the firm. As the Boldero family’s influence in the firm increased, so did its fortunes.
So it was a huge surprise when, on January 2nd 1812, Boldero, Lusington, Boldero and co. stopped payments. Continue reading
Edinburgh’s New Year Rioting and Robbery
Edinburg, Scotland; John Skelton was apprenticed to a gunsmith. He had a big future ahead of him. And he enjoyed the night’s New year’s Eve celebrations.
Metropolitan Police logo on a police station in London.
But Mr. Skelton soon found he was a wanted man. John Skelton was implicated in robbery and the murder of a policeman, with a reward on his head.
The motive? Booty. A black-watch ribbon, a watch-key of gold. With a cornelian stone set in. A silk purse. And a hatred of the police. Continue reading
The first of all Human Rights
Human rights seem to be falling out of favor. I’ve heard old men deride them, as if they were some new legislative fashion akin to political correctness or “austerity” with their pensions.
Recent events in Europe, with the so-called European Court of Human Rights, have tried to bend the meaning of “human rights” in that political direction. Many forget that the tradition of human rights goes back to long before Eleanor Roosevelt.
Continue reading
The Position
Our brave hero, the Ambitious Candidate (who was exploring the Sea of Jobs for a New Opportunity), was travelling from Interview Bay to FollowupLand, on the Career Peninsula, when his ship (the HJS Network) was blown off course by a barrage of unexpected questions.
A dream, a civilisation, destroyed by savagery
Paul Strathern said it was depressing to see the great sage, Egyptian scholar Abd al-Rahman Al Jabarti, wonder in awe at the simple tricks put on by Institute of Egypt.
Al Jabarti knew the history of his country and others around it. He was versed in philosophy and theology and other fields, but chemistry mystified him. He thought it was a cheap kind of sorcery. Continue reading
Have A Presidential Christmas
Protestors ask President Harding to give amnesty to Political Prisoners, 1922.
This Christmas, you may be hearing rumors that Santa Claus was invented to sell Coca Cola. Well, Christmas is much older the Republican Party. It’s even older than the Pope.
The Founding Fathers inherited the tradition from the European ancestors, but in 1776 Washington’s army had little to celibrate. Continue reading
Never eat eggs with an angry stomach.
"Settin' time" by Keppler (Puck magazine 1908)
Paul from Beligium keeps telling me that eggs are dangerous. I never believed him, as he enjoys crepes and cakes of all kinds.
However, the following story from 1897 (printed in the St. Louis Republic in and reprinted in the Norfolk Virginian) proves that, in 19th century America at least, eating eggs could be deadly.
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Careers with History: Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States
Thomas Woodrow Wilson’s name is often used to sell history degrees. Wilson was the only President ever to earn a PhD. Yet he didn’t learn to read until he was ten years old.
Estonian Lutherans oppose Mormon access to genealogy records.
Pernau – November 22nd 1905, a group of socialists threw an Estonian preacher from the pulpit, causing the congregation to flee in panic.{1} Back then, Estonia was just as religious as anywhere else.
After just a few decades of Soviet rule, Estonia is now one of the least religious countries in Europe.
The largest surviving religion, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, claim just 15 percent of the Estonian population.
Estonia, map and flag. by the US Department of State
During the Soviet era, when Estonia was part of the USSR, the Lutheran church and other churches had their records archived by the state.
Since the fall of communism, the Estonian government has been sharing these records with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, (also known as the LDS church, or the Mormons), who are digitizing and storing them.
