A career in crime
Edwin Ansell received several mentions in the local press, but not for anything of renown, as Jackie Hendry discovered. Finding a criminal in the family was not really what I…
The Riot Act
By Nell Darby. The Riot Act came into effect in England on 1 August 1715, a response to a series of civil disturbances that had taken place across England over…
The Liverpool to Manchester Railway
By Nell Darby. It was on 15 September 1830 that the first locomotive-hauled railway to connect two cities opened. The Prime Minister, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, rode on the…
The Bethnal Green tragedy
By Nell Darby. The construction of Bethnal Green tube station, as part of the Central Line extension, was still incomplete in March 1943, although the tunnels had been largely finished….
Fire festivals
Cate Williams wards off the cold weather by exploring the history of these winter celebrations. Origins Many celebrations involving light and fire have their origins in ancient pagan rituals. One…
Stonehenge renewed
You may not be able to trace your forebears to Neolithic times, but Stonehenge is at last worth visiting again, writes Andrew Chapman. Everyone’s been to Stonehenge already, haven’t they?…
A visit to Liverpool’s past
Liverpool’s fortunes have been shaped by its port and associated industries – and, as Nicola Lisle explores, your ancestors could have been involved. Originally known as Liuerpul, meaning ‘muddy creek’…
Mischief night
Lucy Williams looks at this autumnal celebration of troublemaking. Origins Mischief Night, also known in more recent years as Mizzy or Miggy Night, is an annual celebration of troublemaking popular…
The Battle of Preston, 1715
The last battle on English soil saw a Jacobite uprising fall apart, as Kev Lochun explains. November 2015 marked the 300th anniversary of what is widely held to be the…
A visit to the People’s History Museum
This museum focuses on the lives of the ordinary – yet extraordinary – people who fought for democracy, writes Nell Darby. The People’s History Museum is one of our all-time…