July meeting

"We all enjoyed our interesting walk round the Southampton City walls in June.

We discussed the history of Southampton from its beginnings, thousands of years ago when it was just a series of isolated settlements on the banks of the Test and Itchen.
The Romans had a settlement at Bitterne called Clausentum, which started as a military fort to subdue the local population.
The Saxons started to arrive in the late 5th Century and founded Hamwic. By the 7th Century this area was part of a Royal Estate called Stanham = modern Stoneham, which took its name from the stones remaining from the Roman Settlement at Bitterne.
Because of the Viking raids , trade disruption and reorganisation of defences under King Alfred, Winchester re-emerged as the centre of Royal control and Hamwic slid into decay.
The 1338 raid by French and Genoese soldiers brought an orgy of destruction bringing to an end nearly 2 Centuries of prosperity. Virtual martial law was installed,the rest of the town walls built and the number of the garrison was increased.
For over half of the 18th Century Southampton became a very popular Spa Town.This began when Frederick, Prince of Wales visited the town and ended when the Napoleanic Wars started.
In Victorian times the coming of the Railways,Iron Ships and the building of the Docks helped expand Southampton to what it is today.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 15th September when we will be discussing "The Wars of the Roses".

Michael Page.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Southampton City Walls
18 of us met at the Bargate for our Group outing on Monday 16th June - an excellent tour around the Southampton City Walls led by Southampton Tourist Guide, Pamela Boyes.

First our guide gave us a short history of the Bargate itself, including the lead lions and the statue of George III dressed as Emperor Hadrian.

We then proceeded along the western side where most of the wall remains are,learning the history of each area,including Arundel Tower, Catchcold Tower, 40 steps, the Castle, the Arcades, Tudor Merchants' Hall and the Maritime Museum. We were also shown around two of the many vaults in the city.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 14th July at Kim House, when we will be talking about our trip and the history of Southampton.

Please note that this is the second Monday of the month (not the usual 3rd Monday).

Michael Page


# posted by Mike @ 5:07 PM 0 comments
Saturday, May 24, 2008

Influential Women in the 19th and 20th Century.
This proved very interesting as we spanned the years, talking about women who have made their contribution to society and life in so many different ways.
There were such names as Mrs Beaton, Mrs Thatcher, Mrs Pankhurst, Margaret Mead
plus Forence Nightingale and Mary Secole of Crimea War fame. Women have also played their part in the field of invention, with a variety of products from the bra to windscreen wiper blades.

Disparaging remarks about women were soon quashed -the men are in a minority in this group!!!!And luckily they know their place!!!!

Everyone enjoyed the discussion so much that we are going to put this subject in our programme again next year.

Our next gathering will be on Monday 16th June, when we will be having a guided tour around the Southampton City walls, starting from the Bargate at 11 am.

Michael Page.


# posted by Mike @ 10:55 AM 0 comments
Thursday, May 01, 2008

Jacobites
Fourteen of us enjoyed our April meeting ,when we talked about the Jacobites. These are the Stuarts - James II and his descendants and followers - who were in exile on the continent after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

In 1689 James II landed in Ireland with French troops and money, but was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne and fled back to the continent where he died in 1701.

James Edward Stuart- son of James II - was called the Old Pretender until the death of his father, when he was proclaimed King James III of England and James VIII of Scotland. He unsuccessfully tried to invade Scotland in 1708 and again landed in Scotland in 1715 after his followers had won a victory for him at the Battle of Sheriffmuir, but by February 1716 he was forced to flee. He settled in Italy, remaining there during the 1745 uprising of his son Charles Edward Stuart.He was buried in St Peters Basilica,Rome.

Charles Edward Stuart landed in Scotland in 1745 and gathered around him Clans that were loyal to him. They took all before them on their way South, but at Derby they were forced to turn back and were defeated at the Battle of Culloden Moor. He fled to France after 6 months hiding in the Western Isles, and finally died a drunkard's death in Rome.

And so the Jacobite cause ended in failure and with the resulting Highland clearances and mass emigration, it became just a distant memory.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 19th May when we will be discussing Influential Women in 19th and 20th Century. Judging by the suggestions being banded about at the end of the last meeting, this should be a lively session!!

Michael Page.


# posted by Mike @ 8:19 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, March 25, 2008

WHAT IF ?
For our April meeting the topic was "What if?"

What if events at a certain point in history had gone differently, how would things have turned out:-

Here was a chance for our members to use their imagination!!!And they did!!

Just some of the many interesting topics were as follows:-

1). In about 7000 BC, our land connection with the continent- Isle of Wight to Newcastle- was flooded. If this had not happened, would we be part of another country and what language might we be speaking?.....

2)If the Vikings had not been given the piece of land in France that we call Normandy, would we still have been invaded and conquered by another country?

3)If Richard III had won the Battle of Bosworth, there would probably have been no Tudor monarchs, and maybe no Stuarts......

4)If Henry VIII's daughter, Mary had been a boy, would we still be a Catholic nation, and where would Henry have got his money from if he had not closed the Monastries?

5)If the Arch-Duke had not been assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, would WWI still have taken place?.....

6)If Mrs Simpson had not met Edward VIII, would we still have been involved in WWII, bearing in mind his friendliness with Hitler?

7)If Prince Charles had been allowed to marry Camilla instead of Diana, how would their lives and those of the Royal Family have turned out?


The next meeting will be on Monday 21st April, starting at 10 am, and the topic will be "The Jacobites".


# posted by Mike @ 3:58 PM 0 comments
Sunday, February 24, 2008

PILGRIM FATHERS
At our February meeting, we had a lively talk about the Pilgrim Fathers who boldly sailed across the Atlantic to make a new life and founded the colony of Plymouth in Massachusetts. This sounds very romantic, but the reality was that they were escaping Religious persecution, and as English Calvinists, did not want to transform the Church of England, but had left it to form their own church. This sect appears to have started towards the end of Elizabeth 1's reign and the early years of James 1's reign.

This was not the first voyage as Walter Raleigh had founded Jamestown in Virginia in 1607 and trade had started, Also English fishermen were already fishing in these waters and had made contact with the native Indians.
They finally set sail from Plymouth in the Mayflower.The other ship ,called the Speedwell, had to be left behind as it was not in a sea worthy condition. There were 102 passengers(part Pilgrim Fathers and others called Strangers) crammed into a ship 30 metres long and 10 metres wide at its maximum point. Icy water leaked in everywhere and as the voyagers had to live on dried meat and biscuits, a number of them suffered from scurvy at the end of the two month voyage.One man fell overboard and could not be saved.

The Pilgrims' constant singing of psalms and praying and their disdainful attitude infuriated the "strangers" and as a result of much conflict between the groups, an agreement was signed in the Captain's cabin. This agreement was called the "Mayflower Compact" which stated that all free men, whether Pilgrims or strangers,would elect a Governor and a civil Body Politic or Assembly(servants and women could not vote as they were chattels and the private property of the freeman). Once elected the Governor would not be responsible to James 1 or the Plymouth Company,who had organised the voyage,but only to those who had elected him.

Even after arrival it took a month of sailing along the coast before a suitable landing was made and the colony founded. However that winter a terrible disease, which the settlers called "General Sickness", struck the community and half the population died. The disease was pneumonia aggravated by scurvy. The dead were buried at night in secret since the settlers knew they were constantly being watched by the native indians.

Despite all their problems,the colony grew.Over time, as more people moved in to colonize the rest of North America, the United States of America was formed.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 17th March and the subject will be "What If?"

Michael Page


# posted by Mike @ 10:07 AM 0 comments
Sunday, January 27, 2008

Victorian Achievements.
The History Group would like to wish all Branch Members a Happy New Year.

For our first meeting of the year, with our group numbering 18, we discussed Victorian Achievements.

It was amazing how much the Victorians achieved, free from World Wars; although there were
many local wars around the world all through the reign.

Achievements included the London sewer system (still in use today), safety matches, an envelope making machine, gas Lighting, electricity, telephones, pneumatic tyres for vehicles, the start of the Underground train service and, of course, there was Brunel who designed ships, tunnels, buildings, railways etc. that helped to make our country great.

It was a very successful and interesting meeting and all members enjoyed themselves and learned a lot! There was enough material for several meetings here, so perhaps we will come back to the Victorians at a later date.

Thanks also to the tea lady !!!!

The next meeting will be on Monday 18th February at 10 am. The topic will be "The Pilgrim Fathers".

Michael.


# posted by Mike @ 3:28 PM 0 comments
Monday, November 19, 2007

The Gunpowder plot
At our November meeting we discussed the causes and consequences of the Gunpowder Plot.

In 1605 ,James I had been on the throne for only 2 years and, in that time, had succeeded in upsetting people of all different faiths because of his very narrow religious views. Henry VIII and Elizabeth had ruled with the consent of Parliament, but James tried to insist that the Members of Parliament were there simply to do as he told them. He believed in the Divine Right of Kings.

So a group of Catholic gentlemen led by Robert Catesby and including Guy (Guido) Fawkes got together and hatched a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament and everyone in it on the day of the state opening. They rented a building next door and started to dig a tunnel to come up underneath the House of Lords, but it took a long time as they were not used to this sort of work. However, a cellar underneath the House of Lords became available to rent. The cellar was taken and Guy Fawkes installed as servant of the new owner. Guy Fawkes and conspirators smuggled about 2 tons of gunpowder inside ready for the day. However, at the last moment , one of the conspirators-probably Francis Tresham- sent a warning note to his brother-in-law, Lord Mounteagle and he in turn informed the Lord Chancellor.

The plot was discovered and Guy Fawkes arrested. Although he refused to name the others, they were finally captured (Catesby was killed in a gunfight). All were executed, except Francis Tresham who was imprisoned in the tower, and died shortly afterwards. Poison was suspected but never proved.

Since then no cellars under the House of Lords have been let!!!! and to this day a careful search is made of them before the opening of Parliament.

In 1620 - because of James I's narrow religious views - the Pilgrim Fathers sailed to America to found the new colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts. So the United States of America owes its beginnings to the stupidity of a narrow-minded English King.

The next meeting will be held at Kim House on Monday 21st January 2008 and the topic will be "Victorian achievements".

Michael


# posted by Mike @ 9:02 PM 0 comments