Bonnie Prince Charlie 1720-1788 (35)

 

1. Who was Bonnie Prince Charlie

Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart and grandson of James II (VII in Scotland) and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1766. During his lifetime, he was known as "the Young Pretender" and "the Young Chevalier" and in popular memory, he is known as Bonnie Prince Charlie. Born in Rome to the exiled Stuart court, he spent much of his life in Italy. In 1744, he travelled to France to take part in a planned invasion to restore the Stuart monarchy under his father. When the French fleet was partly wrecked by storms, Charles resolved to proceed to Scotland following discussion with leading Jacobites. This resulted in Charles landing by ship on the west coast of Scotland, leading to the Jacobite rising of 1745. The Jacobite forces under him initially achieved several victories in the field, including Prestonpans (September 1745) and Falkirk Muir (January 1746). However, in April 1746, he was defeated at Culloden, which effectively ended the Stuart cause. There were subsequent attempts such as a planned French invasion in 1759 but Charles was unable to restore the Stuart monarchy. With the Jacobite cause lost, Charles spent the remainder of his life on the continent, except for one secret visit to London. He lived briefly in France before he was exiled in 1748 under the terms of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. He eventually returned to Italy, where he spent much of his later life in Florence and Rome. He had a number of mistresses before marrying Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern in 1772. In later life, Charles's health declined greatly and he was said to be an alcoholic. However, his escapades during the 1745/46 uprising, as well as his escape from Scotland, led to his portrayal as a romantic figure of heroic failure. His life and the once possible prospects of a restored Stuart monarchy have left an enduring historical legend that continues to have a legacy today.

2. Why did he stop marching to London?

By November 1746 Charles had reached as far suth as Derby but the lack of English Jacobite and French support was unnervung as was the rumour that the government was amassing large forces. Charles had to admit to the Scots Jacobites that he had heard nothing from the English Jacobites since leaving France although he had claimed to have done so. This caused his relationship with some of the Scots to irretrievably break down. On December 6 the Jacobites and Charles left Derby and began their long march north back to Scotland.

3. How did Flora MacDonald help the prince?

Flora MacDonald 1722-1790 is best known for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. MacDonald was visiting Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides when the Bonnie Prince and a small group of aides took refuge there after the Battle of Culloden in June 1746. One of his companions, Captain Conn O'Neill from County Antrim, was distantly related to MacDonald and asked for her help. MacDonald of Sleat had not joined the Rebellion and Benbecula was controlled by a pro-government militia commanded by her step-father, Hugh MacDonald. This connection allowed her to obtain the necessary permits but she apparently hesitated, fearing the consequences for her family if they were caught. She may have been taking less of a risk than it appears, since witnesses later claimed Hugh advised the Prince where to hide from his search parties. Passes were issued allowing passage to the mainland for Flora and a party of eight, including Charles disguised as an Irish maid called Betty Burke. On 27 June, they landed near Sir Alexander's house at Monkstadt, near Kilbride, Skye. In his absence, his wife Lady Margaret arranged lodging with her steward, who told Charles to remove his disguise, as it simply made him more conspicuous. The next day, the Prince was taken from Portree to the island of Raasay, while MacDonald remained on Skye. They never met again. Two weeks later, the boatmen were detained and confessed; MacDonald and Kingsburgh were arrested and taken to the Tower of London. After Lady Margaret interceded on her behalf with the chief Scottish legal officer, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, she was allowed to live outside the Tower under the supervision of a "King's Messenger" and released after the June 1747 Act of Indemnity. Aristocratic sympathisers collected over £1,500 for her, one of the contributors being Frederick, Prince of Wales. She allegedly told Frederick she helped Charles out of charity, and would have done the same for him. Arrested and held in the Tower of London, she was released under a general amnesty in June 1747. She later married Allan MacDonald and the couple emigrated to North Carolina in 1773.

The Black Hole of Calcutta 1756 (36)

 

1. Calcutta

2. The Black Hole of Calcutta

The Black Hole of Calcutta was a dungeon in Fort William, Calcutta, measuring 14 by 18 feet (4.3 m × 5.5 m), in which troops of Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, held British prisoners of war on the night of 20 June 1756.  John Zephaniah Holwell, one of the British prisoners and an employee of the East India Company, said that, after the fall of Fort William, the surviving British soldiers, Indian sepoys and Indian civilians were imprisoned overnight in conditions so cramped that many people died from suffocation and heat exhaustion and that 123 of 146 prisoners of war imprisoned there died. Some modern historians believe that only 64 prisoners were sent into the Hole, and that 43 died there. Some historians put the figure even lower, to about 18 dead, while questioning the veracity of Holwell's account. Fort William was established to protect the East India Company's trade in the city of Calcutta, the principal city of the Bengal Presidency. In 1756 India, there existed the possibility of a battle with the military forces of the French East India Company, so the British reinforced the fort. Siraj ud-Daulah ordered the fortification construction to be stopped by the French and British and the French complied while the British demurred. In consequence to British indifference, Siraj ud-Daulah organised his army and laid siege to Fort William. In an effort to survive the battle, the British commander ordered the surviving soldiers of the garrison to escape, yet left behind 146 soldiers under the civilian command of John Zephaniah Holwell, a senior bureaucrat of the East India Company. once a military surgeon. Desertions of Indian sepoys made the British defence of Fort William ineffective and it fell to the siege of Bengali forces on 20 June 1756. The surviving defenders who were captured and made prisoners of war numbered between 64 and 69, along with an unknown number of Anglo-Indian soldiers and civilians who earlier had been sheltered in Fort William. The British officers and merchants based in Kolkata were rounded up by the forces loyal to Siraj ud-Daulah and forced into a dungeon known as the "Black Hole". In memory of the dead, the British erected a 15-metre (50') high obelisk, now in the graveyard of St John's Church, Calcutta.

The Battle of Trafalgar 1805 (39)

 

1. Who was Napoleon?

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), also known as Napoleon I, was a French military leader and emperor who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution (1789-1799). After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d’état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804.

2. What was Nelson's famous signal?

"England expects that every man will do his duty" is the signal sent by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October, 1805.

3. What happened at the Battle of Trafalgar?

Cape Trafalgar is on the Atlantic coast in Spain, between Cadiz and the strait of Gibraltar. The Battle of Trafalgar is one of the most famous naval battles in British history. Nelson led Britain to victory over a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was shot and died during the battle. The British captured 18 enemy ships, most of which sank in a storm the next day. They lost 449 sailors, with another 1,217 wounded. The French and Spanish had 4,408 killed, 2,545 wounded and 20,000 taken prisoner.

Croesyceiliog Juniors

This is the school where I first encountered Days of Glory. My class teacher was Mr Rees. This was in 1969 when the book was already a few years old. It first came out in 1961 and was republished in 1964. My book would have been stamped with the Monmouthshire County Council Education Committee stamp.

Contemporary Review

In 1962 a review of Days of Glory appeared in a Scottish Educational Journal. Interestingly, even by then the books were felt to be rather old fashioned.

Junior New View Histories. Books 1-4 (Books 3 and 4 in course of preparation) by Rowland W Purton. For Primary Schools: Book 1. Days of Glory; Book 2. Days of Adventure (Collins). 6 s each.

Junior New View Histories.

Book 1 Days of Glory.

Book 2 Days of Adventure.

By R. W. Purton.

Collins.

Intended as class texts, these books follow a theory of history teaching that is under severe attack. Book 1 is a series of unconnected biopraphies, chronologically ordered, thin in material, Young children will merely confuse the personages without learning their importance. Book 2 continues the biographies under the heading "Heroes and Heroines" the first is Caradoc and the last Tensing and briefly examines "Life in the Middle Ages" and "Homes Through the Ages". All in all, an old-fashioned approach.

Caedmon (17)

 

1. What happened to Caedmon in the cowshed?

He slept there and as he slept he dreamed. In the dream he was ordered to sing but he replied that he coud not. However, he was commanded to sing the creation and he found that when he tried he could. When he woke in the morning he found he could still sing.

2. Caedmon telling the Abbess Hilda how he came to sing

Abbess Hilda last night the most remarkable thing happened to me. When everyone was singing and in good spirits last night the harp was passed to me and I was unable to sing, as had always been the case, and so I left the company and went to sleep in the cowshed. As I slept I heard a voice that called on me to sing. I explained that I was unable to sing but the voice insisted I sing the creation and when I tried I found I could. Even since I woke I have found anew ability to do ths thing I never could before. Do you think it is a miracle from God?

3. What kinds of songs did Caedmon sing?

There is only one poem by Caemon that has survived and it is a piece of worship that focuses on the creation. Any other poems would most likely have been based on things found in the Bible. Bede rendered Caedmon's hymn thus: "Now we must praise the Maker of the heavenly kingdom, the power of the Creator and his counsel, the deeds of the Father of glory and how he, since he is the eternal God, was the Author of all marvels and first created the heavens as a roof for the children of men and then, the almightly Guardian of the human race, created the Earth."

St Patrick c 385-461 (13)

 

1. The story of Patrick

Despite being very much connected with Ireland, Patrick wsa probably born in Scotland or Wales. Exact dates are still uncertain but this was around the year 385 AD. His real name was Maewyn Succat. When a teenager, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold to an Irish farmer in County Antrim. Here, he was treated like a slave and forced to look after sheep and pigs on a lonely hill. He suffered hunger and neglect but eventually turned to God and to Christianity in his troubles. He was kept there for six years and turned to the Bible and prayer for comfort. One night, he heard God speak to him in a dream. He was told to escape the mountain and go to a harbour, where there would be a boat waiting for him to take him home. With his newfound faith, he trusted the voice and escaped on a ship heading back home. He continued to pray and eventually became a priest at a monastery in Tours, France, and eventually became a Bishop, before returning to Britain. At the time, Ireland was a Pagan country. Patrick wanted to change this, so he returned to Ireland to teach them about God and the faith. When he arrived in Ireland trying to spread the word, he was first met with a lot of resistance. Eventually, he managed to spread his teachings throughout the island. He recognised that there were many Pagan spiritual beliefs and practices that had taken hold across Ireland. He incorporated some of these rituals into his form of Christianity – many believe he introduced the Celtic Cross, for example, a combination of Pagan sun-worship symbology with the traditional Christian cross. He is also thought to have used the Irish shamrock as a parable, where each leaf of the Shamrock represents one person in the Trinity. For 60 years, Patrick travelled around Ireland, spreading the word of God. He consecrated over 350 Bishops during this time to help complete this work. He eventually died on March 17, 461 AD, supposedly in an area now known as County Down. Legend has it that patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Truth is Ireland never had any natural snakes. He did drive out Paganism from Ireland, however, and may be that is the point. Patrick is also said to have been tempted by the Devil while on a pilgrimage across Ireland. He refused to let the devil tempt him and God rewarded him with a wish and he wished that Ireland be spared Judgement day and that he himself get to judge the people of Ireland. Again, only a legend.

2. Why did Patrick want to go back to Ireland after he had escaped?

He wanted to tell the people abot Jeus and see them converted to Christianity

3. St Patrick's Day is on March 17

In the style of ...

 

Rowland W Purton

Seven Sisters Primary School

Rowland William Crisby Purton was born in 1925 and died in 1984. He wrote many text books for children between 1958 and 1979.

He trained at Westminster College, London, where he gained a teaching certificate and did further studies, studying part time at London University, 1959-1961.

In 1965 he became the headmaster of Seven Sisters Junior Schoool, Tottenham, in the London Borough of Haringey. He did not retire until 1983. Previous to that he was a teacher at various primary and secondary schools in the East London boroughs of Leyton, Loughton and West Ham, 1949-1965.

He married Marie Ellen Pain in 1949 and they latterly lived with their children, Colleen and Andrew, in a four bedroom house in Newham. Marie died on Christmas Day, 1974.

Among his hobbies were photography and making scale model ships. He was a Methodist lay preacher from the time he was 22.

Among his publications are these:

Our Heritage, 1958; Our Commonwealth, 1958; Our People, 1958; Our Democracy, 1958;

Days of Glory, 1961; Days of Adventure, 1961; Days of Challenge, 1962; Days of Discovery, 1962;

Surrounded by Books, 1962, rev. ed. 1970;

Discovering Ports and Harbours, 1964;

Man in Antarctica, 1964; Man in Australia, 1964; Man in Canada, 1964; Man in New Zealand, 1964;

Man and Games, 1966;

Man Tells Time, 1966;

English for Work and Play (4 books), 1966-67;

Man in the West Indies, 1967;

Captain Scott, 1968; Doctor Livingstone, 1968;

Man in the Bible Lands, 1969;

Trailblazer 1 - Forests, 1969; Trailblazer 3 - Farming, 1969;

Study Book of the Fire Service, 1969;
Surrounded by Books, Libraries in Primary and Middle Schools, 1970;

Let's Look at Maps and Mapmaking, 1971;

Farms and Farming, 1972; Churches and Religions, 1972; Ports and Sea Transport, 1972;

Know Your Town 1-4, 1972;

Rivers and Canals, 1972;

Day by Day, 1973;

Markets and Fairs, 1973; Parks and Open Spaces, 1974;

Assemblies, 1979.

In an interview Purton once stated that he came into writing almost by accident when he could not find a suitable text-book for teaching constitutional history and civics to fourteen-year olds and solved the problem by putting his lesson notes together for Our Democracy, which evolved into "New View Hastones, For him Day by Day was in more than one sense the climax of his writing." He notes that "In British schools the day begins with a short religious service. This book provides enough material, in stories and prayers, for an assembly every school day for two years without repeating ... it is not only the largest of my books but the one which endeavours to highlight a set of values for life."

The Complete Set

 

As stated, I now have the complete set of Junior New View Histories by Rowland W Purton.

Days of Discovery

I have amanged to rtrack down the fourth and final book in the series. It arrived yesterday.

John Metcalfe 1717-1810 (38)

1. Why did people like John Metcalfe to guide them at night?

He knew the ground so well that he could feel where he was by listening to the horses' hoofs and so it made no difference whether it was night or day.

2. Yorkshire

3. How did John Metcalfe know where to go?

He could feel the road with his stick

Horatius (8)

1. How did Horatius save the city of Rome?

Publius Horatius Cocles was an officer in the army of the early Roman Republic who famously defended the Pons Sublicius from the invading army of Etruscan King Lars Porsena of Clusium in the late 6th century BC, during the war between Rome and Clusium. By defending the narrow end of the bridge, he and his companions were able to hold off the attacking army long enough to allow other Romans to destroy the bridge behind him, blocking the Etruscans' advance and saving the city. The story is told in many sources though some are sceptical of its truth.

2. Horatis at the bridge

3. Rome

Lord Shaftesbury (Anthony Ashley Cooper) 1801-1885 (41)

 

1. What were "climbing boys"?

Climbing boys (sometimes girls) were technically called chimney sweeps' apprentices, and were apprenticed to a master sweep, who, being an adult, was too large to fit into a chimney or flue to clean it. They were usually arouond 5-10 years old. Some sweeps were paid by the parish to teach orphans or paupers the chimney sweeping craft. It was this aspect of child labour that Parliament first focussed on when it finally began to deal with the scandal.

2. What did Lord Shaftesbury do?

A social reformer, known as the "Poor Man's Earl", Shaftesbry used his postion to campaign for better working conditions, to reform to lunacy laws, to advance education and to limit child labour. He was also an early supporter of the Zionist movement and the YMCA and a leading figure in the evangelical movement in the Church of England.

3. Read about the lttle climbing boy in The water babies

The water babies is an 1862 novel by Charles Kingsley. The novel is often credited with being the catalyst for the passing of the Chimney Sweeper's Act of 1864. It focusses on Tom, a climbing boy who is apprenticed to a Mr Grimes but who becomes a "water baby". Illiterate and perpetually dirty, Tom ‘cried half his time, and laughed the other half. He cried when he had to climb the dark flues, rubbing his poor knees and his elbows sore ... and when his master beat him ... and when he had not enough to eat ... and he laughed when he was tossing halfpennies with the other boys ... or bowling stones at the horses’ legs as they trotted by, which was excellent fun.’

Alexander the Great 356-323 BC (7)

 

1. Write what you know about Alexander and Bucephalus

Many people in the ancient world had a love for horses. They saw them not simply as useful in battle or the hunt but as status symbols and creatures to be admired. Alexander's horse Bucephalus is one of the most famous in history. He was described as being black with a large white star on his forehead. Hi anme is made up of the Greek bous, ox and kephalos, head, perhaps a nod to his intractable nature. According to Plutarch, writing in the 2nd century AD, in his Life of Alexander Bucephalus was a gift to Alexander from his father, Philip II. The horse proved to be vicious and unmanageable and would not allow anyone to mount him. Alexander, just a boy at the time, undertook the challenge to tame the horse, much to the amusement of the older men. Alexander, however, had noticed that the horse was afraid of its shadow and gently turned its head toward the sun so that he was able to mount him and attach the bridle. Philip was so impressed he declared that Alexander would secure for himself a large kingdom, as Macedonia was too small for him. An alternative story from the same period is found in The Alexander Romance. Bucephalus is probably the horse depicted in the Alexander Mosaic, uncovered at the Roman site of Pompeii in the House of the Faun that was probably based on a 4th century BC wall painting. Alexander rode Bucephalus until the horse's death at the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC. In his honour, Alexander named a local city, Bucephala after him (Jhelum in the Punjab in Pakistan?).

2. Which city did Alexander name after himself?

Alexander commemorated his conquests by founding dozens of cities (usually built up around previous military forts), which he invariably named Alexandria. The most famous of these is the one at the mouth of the Nile, founded in 331 BC. Today it is Egypt's second-largest city.

3. Alexander's travels

Days of Challenge

 

I have now located a copy and bought the third in the Junior New View Histories series. Very similar in style. Just one more to track down now. I've seen a copy but the price is too high.

The Spanish Armada 1588 (33)

1. What was the Spanish Armada?

The Spanish Armada was one part of a planned invasion of England by King Philip II of Spain. Launched in 1588, 'la felicissima armada', or 'the most fortunate fleet', was made up of roughly 150 ships and 18,000 men. Despite its state of the art make up and large numbers, it failed.

2. A galleon

3. Pretend you are Francis Drake and tell how you attacked the Armada

In 1587 we heard that the Spanish were amassing a fleet to attack our shores. We arranged for four of our ships to sail to Spain and see what was going on. We were four galleons, all the Queen's own ships. I was in the Elizabeth Bonaventur.. We left Plymouth in good Spring weather but by the time we rounded Galicia, northern Spain, it had turned foul. We knew that Sir Francis Walsingham was feeding false information to the Spanish so we didn't feel ourselves to be in danger though now near the Spanish coast. We decided to re-group after the storm and were joined by two Dutch ships. The Dutch had intelligence that the Spanish were gathering their ships in Cadiz, southern Spain. We needed to act quickly. We were able to sail into Cadiz at dusk. We flew no flags and were as silent as we coould be. The galleons in port were under the command of one Pedro de Acuña who initially sailed out to confront us but we pushed him back. The Spanish galleons proved no match for us though they tried to retaliate with gunfire from the shoreline. The battle went on all night and into the following day. We managed to severely damage about 25 of the ships. Some we looted, some we burnt and some we sunk. As I heard one of my crew say, we singed the King of Spain's beard that day. This pre-emptive strike put the whole project back a year and gave us precious time to prepare for invasion. When it eventually came we were more than ready. We harried them and drove them away with ease by the grace of God who sent a terrific storm at just the right time.

The Crusades 1095-1291 (23)

1. Why were Christian people sad when Saladin captured the Holy Land?

Perhaps rather sentimentally, it seemed wrong that the very places where Jesus had trod were now in the hands of Muslims, a rellgion little understood in Chrustendom but that was clearly not Christian.

2. A crusader

3. Why was King Richard nicknamed "Lionheart"?

Richard Cœur de Lion or Quor de lion or Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199) was so called because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. This reputation was forged even before he began on what was the third crusade. By the age of 16, he had already taken command of his own army, putting down rebellions in Poitou against his father, Henry II.

Marco Polo 1254-1324 (27)

1. Italy, Venice, China, Persia on a map

2. Who was Kublai Khan?

Kublai Khan (1215-1294) was a Mongolian general and statesman, the grandson and greatest successor of Genghis Khan. As fifth emperor (reign 1260–94) of the Yuan, or Mongol, dynasty (1206–1368), he completed the conquest of China (1279) begun by Genghis Khan (1211). He thus became the first Yuan ruler of the whole of China. He was, at the same time, the overlord of all the other Mongol dominions, which included areas as diverse as that of the Golden Horde in southern Russia, the Il-Khanate of Persia (today Iran) and the steppe heartlands where Mongol princes were still living the traditional nomadic life. To govern China, with its long and individual political and cultural history, demanded statecraft of a special order. When he met Marco Kublai was impressed by his intelligence and humility. He appointed him to serve as his foreign emissary. Marco was sent on many diplomatic missions throughout the empire and Southeast Asia, such as to present-day Burma, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. As part of his appointment, Marco also travelled extensively inside China, living in the emperor's lands for 17 years and seeing many things previously unknown to Europeans.

3. Imagine you are Marco Polo. Tell your friends about your travels.

I have been away for a long time and I have travelled a great distance. You will not believe some of the amazing things I have seen. Far away there is a civilisation that is very different to our own and where unusual things are seen. For example, you know how heavy money can be if you have a lot of it. There they have a system of paper money and so you can carry hundreds of pounds in your pocket and hrdly know its there. And yu know how hard fire making can be. Well they use this black stuff, coal, and it will keep a fire going for ages. Some of their jewellery is amazing too and wonderfully delicate porcelain cups and smooth silk clothing made from stuff that worms produce. I'm going to write my story in a book.