Blog Archives - Meandering Through Time

Great Paul

20/5/2017

20th May 1882

In 1881, my great great grandfather Thomas Goodacre, was working in an iron works in Loughborough, Leicestershire. There were a number of foundries in the town at that time, one of them was John Taylor's Bell Foundry.

That year Taylor's cast "Great Paul", which is the largest British cast bell in Britain, and destined to be hung in St Paul's Cathedral, it was rung for the first time in Loughborough on the 18th March 1882.

On the 20th May that year, as you can see in the image the bell left Loughborough for London.

I haven't found out yet if Thomas worked on the famous bell, it would be great if he did don't you think?

Family History Travels

18/5/2017

The West Country : 1216

I cannot believe how lovely it is outside my window today (it's rained and rained here for two days solid!) - the very day I have set aside for family history research. Anyway, a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do!

Before I headed downstairs to collect together all my books on the reign of King John and Henry III, I had a quick look on the internet for any interesting facts on these two king's activities in the County of Devon.

The first thing to pop up was a number of articles on an eight hundred year old tree named the King John's Oak. This oak is said to be the

"largest and probably the oldest oak tree in the West Country."

This tree grew in what was a medieval deer park at Shute near Axminster in Devon and was one of the king's many hunting parks.

You can see it in the above image, you never know, King John may have ridden past it when it was a tiny sapling while he considered his options on how best to deal with his rebellious barons.

By Rodw - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

In Axbridge in Somerset (not Devon I know) there is a mid 15th century wool-merchant's house that is known as King John's Hunting Lodge. Inside this rather lovely building there are parts of another building that was known as The King's Head Inn. Also inside there is a fine wooden bust of a king and a replica outside the building. This bust is considered to be King John on the basis that the original building was built in 1216. However it is unlikely that John had much time for the pleasures of the hunt that year, or stop off for a pint or two at a local tavern as he was campaigning in the north and east of the country from January to March. In the May he was sorting out King Louis of France in Kent and by September he was in the Cotswold's. By the October he had passed by my mother in laws house on his way to Newark where he died.

Of course I might be totally wrong, and my books may tell me otherwise, they may mention the fact that he did pop down to the West Country for a stag hunt and a glass of cider.

I'll let you know.

Death of Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury

17/5/2017

17th May 1575

Parker served as chaplain to Anne Boleyn, was involved in implementing the Thirty Nine Articles, a set of doctrines within the Church of England, he was also an avid book collector, salvaging medieval manuscripts that were set to be destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries. His efforts meant he left us a priceless collection of manuscripts that are now housed at the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Parker's death is partly attributed to exhaustion, being at the beck and call of Elizabeth and taking the blame for her unpopular laws. He was buried in Lambeth Church. His tomb was desecrated in 1648, but his remains were re interred, with the epitaph,

'Corpus Matthaei Archiepiscopi hic tandem quiescit'.

Here's an interesting thing - Did you know that Parker was the first 'Nosy Parker'?

A nosey parker as you will all know, means someone who pokes their nose into other peoples business. Allegedly, people thought Parker was far too inquisitive about church matters for his own good, they also thought he had rather a long nose.

Here's the man himself, his nose looks okay to me.

Monte Cassino Taken

17/5/2017

On this day in 1944, the Italian town of Monte Cassino was taken by Allied forces during World War II.

My paternal great uncle Samuel Taylor took part in this battle, he was Batman to the noted English pianist Gerald Moore.

Moore was best known for his career as one of the most in-demand accompanists of his day, accompanying many of the world's most famous musicians. He accompanied notable instrumentalists such as Pablo Casals. As a commissioned officer in the Second World War Moore was assigned his own Batman, a soldier chosen personally from his own men. Moore would have chosen Samuel because he must have been a trustworthy, loyal, hardworking soldier. With a position like this Samuel would have been exempt from more onerous duties and would have received better rations and other favours. Senior officers' batmen usually received fast promotion to a higher rank.

Below is an extract from my family story

Samuel enlisted as part of the 6th Battalion of The York and Lancaster Regiment. In 1943 the 6th Battalion was part of the 46th Infantry Division, who in 1943 and until the end of the war fought with the Eighth Army in Italy.

The Eighth Army participated in the Italian Campaign which began with Operation Husky, the invasion of the island of Sicily by Eighth Army and U.S. Seventh Army. When the Allies subsequently invaded mainland Italy elements of Eighth Army landed in the 'toe' of Italy in Operation Baytown and at Taranto in Operation Slapstick. After linking its left flank with the US Fifth Army which had landed at Salerno on the west coast of Italy south of Naples, Eighth Army continued fighting its way up Italy on the eastern flank of the Allied forces. At the end of 1943 General Montgomery was transferred to Britain to begin preparations for the Normandy invasion. Command of the Eighth Army was given to Lieutenant General Oliver Leese. Following three unsuccessful attempts in early 1944 by US Fifth Army to break through the German Winter Line, the Eighth Army was covertly switched from the Adriatic coast in April 1944 to concentrate all forces, except the V Corps, on the western side of the Apennine Mountains alongside US Fifth Army in order to mount a major offensive with them and punch through to Rome. This fourth Battle of Monte Cassino was successful with Eighth Army breaking into central Italy and Fifth Army entering Rome in early June.

Samuel certainly saw action during his career but chose not to talk about it. He did however, whilst serving in Italy, meet a young Italian girl with whom he fell in love and intended to marry. He arrived home to Yorkshire and informed his family of his plans, his mother was, by all accounts furious, and refused to let him marry her and forbade him not to return to her in Italy, he did as he was told.

Samuel died unmarried in 1954.

Clearing ponds to the 13th Century and back in time for tea.

14/5/2017

I've been in the garden all morning with the grandson, he has been clearing the fish pond with his granddad and I have been re potting my tomato plants and watering the peas and beans whose little heads are just appearing through the soil. The grandson has now gone home, so it is time to head back to 13th century Devon and have a quick look at the reigns of the six kings, not including William the Conqueror who rule England since my ancestor's lands appeared in the Domesday Book.

These kings were the conqueror’s son William Rufus, his brother Henry I, Stephen, Henry II, Richard I and John. In the hundred and fifty years these king reigned my Meavy family moved from their rudimentary Anglo-Saxon wooden home to the stone and rubble walled manor house you can see in the second image.

Here's is their story so far

meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/meavy-12th-to-14th-century.html

Jack Cade's Rebellion Begins

8/5/2017

Beginning in the first weeks of May 1450, rumblings of unrest could be heard in the English County of Kent; men began to band together and make their way to London under the leadership of Jack Cade.

This revolt would end in much bloodshed and would be known as Jack Cade's Rebellion.

Jack Cade is a favourite historical figure of mine; here he is appearing in a piece of art work about the history of the Old Kent Road by Adam Kossowski.

Cade looks as a country bumpkin/Cornish Fisherman, - this is not how I see him at all.

Edward V Arrives in London

4/5/2017

On the 4th of May 1483, Edward V made his way into the city of London via Ludgate Hill, the king riding between his uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Buckingham, the four carts of weapons with the Woodville insignia preceding the king's procession, proof, it is said, that the Woodville faction did indeed intend to deprive Richard of his life.

The above is an extract from my blog on the life of Thomas Vaughan, executed in 1483.
meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/chapter-nine-the-arrest.html

John Cabot Sails for North America

2/5/2017

It was on this day, 2nd May 1497, that Italian born John Cabot left the English port of Bristol to discover North America. He was funded by English investors, he had also received a patent from Henry VII.

In 1497, a letter, thought to be addressed to Christopher Columbus, written by John Day a Bristol merchant states:

"This year, on St. John the Baptist's Day the land of America was found by the Merchants of Bristow in a shippe of Bristowe, called the Mathew; the which said the ship departed from the port of Bristowe, the second day of May, and came home again the 6th of August next following."

A replica of John Cabots shipthe Matthew in Bristol

You can read more of this discovery on my website:

meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-blog/category/john-cabot

Medieval Practices

1/5/2017

Did you know that the chastity belt, a contraption a bit like a metal version of a sumo wrestlers pants that women where forced to wear when their husbands cleared off for months on end, is thought to have never existed.

Thank goodness for that.

If you are wondering why I have illustrated this blog with a image of a unicorn it is because this mystic creature represented purity and feminine chastity.