Karen Musilova, Historian & Genealogist

24/06/2023

Today, I spent an enjoyable morning in the historic market town of Buckingham, which included a visit to the Old Gaol.

22/06/2023

A distant cousin of mine has completed some fantastic research on one of our relatives - Tom Allen (1764 - 1838), close friend and confidante of Admiral Nelson!

Link: http://www.joadrian.co.uk/TomAllenStory.htm

22/06/2023

The Sun Hotel in Brill, Buckinghamshire, circa the 1920's.

22/06/2023

Children pictured on the village green in Quainton, Buckinghamshire, in 1905.

The windmill in the background was constructed in 1832, and is still standing; it is open to the public between 10am - 12.30pm every Sunday.

20/06/2023

A map of England, as it was in 1086 AD (the year in which the Domesday Book was written).

20/06/2023

It is absolutely fascinating to see what this 7th century teenager probably looked like!

The face of a 16-year-old girl who died more than 1,300 years ago is revealed.

20/06/2023

Boudicca was born in the British Isles circa 30 AD; her name was derived from the Brythonic words 'boudi' ('victory') and 'ka' ('win').

As a young woman, Boudicca married Prasutagus - King of the Iceni tribe, which resided in modern-day Norfolk and Suffolk, along with parts of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire - with whom she had two daughters. Despite Prasutagus leaving his kingdom to his daughters when he died circa 60/61 AD, his will was ignored, and his kingdom was subsequently annexed by the Romans. The Romans also flogged and r***d his wife and daughters.

Refusing to let the invaders win, Boudicca led the Iceni and several other British tribes in revolt, destroying the Roman capital of Camulodonum (Colchester), before setting her sights on Londinium (London). Upon hearing this news, Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus and his soldiers rushed to London from the island of Mona (Anglesey), but they were too late; Boudicca and her warriors destroyed the settlement, along with another called Verulamium (near present-day St Albans).

It is estimated that between 70,000 and 80,000 people - both Romans and Britons - lost their lives during the revolt.

The Roman governor managed to regroup his forces, and - despite being heavily outnumbered - defeated the Britons at an unconfirmed site, possibly in the West Midlands; sadly, brave Boudicca died shortly afterwards, either due to illness or su***de. She would only have been around 30 years old at the time of her death.

Although Boudicca was ultimately unsuccessful in ridding the British Isles of Roman rule, her legacy is one of inspiration and empowerment; she will be forever remembered as a brave woman who valiantly defended her people and way of life, despite the odds. All of this was especially notable for a woman during that period!

19/06/2023

The Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford was named after the then chancellor of the University of Oxford, Gilbert Sheldon, and designed by architect Christopher Wren. It was constructed between 1664 and 1669.

Wren was heavily inspired by the Theatre of Marcellus, which was built in Rome during the 1st century BC.

The postcard below shows the Sheldonian Theatre circa the early 20th century.

19/06/2023

Part of the coroner's inquest into the death of Lady Amy Dudley, née Robsart (1532 - 1560).

The original document is in Latin, and can be viewed in full - along with an English translation - here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/elizabeth-monarchy/coroners-report/

Whilst the inquest found no evidence of foul play, many rumours circulating at the time implied that poor Amy either took her own life due to her husband's close friendship with Queen Elizabeth I, or even that she was murdered... But I guess we will never know for sure!

19/06/2023

A map of Roman Britain.

The words in light blue denote the Celtic tribes that occupied each area at the time of the Roman Occupation.

19/06/2023

During the bubonic plague outbreak of 1665 - 1666, the inhabitants of Eyam, Derbyshire, made an astonishing sacrifice; they deliberately quarantined themselves, in order to prevent the spread of the disease (which had reached them via fabrics that had been brought from London).

By the end of the epidemic, over a quarter of Eyam's 1,000-strong population was dead... But they had succeeded in saving countless other lives.

All around the village, signs and plaques (such as the example below) tell visitors of this devastating period in Eyam's history.

If you happen to be in the area, Eyam Museum is open to the public - click here for more info: https://www.eyam-museum.org.uk/visit-us