No further information available.
The English Royal Mint was responsible for the making of coins according to exact compositions, weights, dimensions and tolerances, usually determined by law. Minting in England was reorganised by King Edward I to facilitate a general recoinage in 1279. This established a unified system which was run from the Royal Mint in London by the Master and Warden of the Mint. There remained smaller mints in Canterbury and elsewhere until 1553, when English minting was concentrated into a single establishment in London. For several centuries control of policy relating to the coinage rested soley with the monarch, with Parliament finally gaining control following the Revolution of 1688. The Mint itself worked as an independent body until that date, when it came under the control of the Treasury.
Vincenzo Bellini, Italian opera composer, was born in Catania, Sicily, Italy in 1801. Having grown up in a musical household, it is alleged that he was a child prodigy, playing piano well by the age of five, and composing at six. Bellini is best known for his opera 'Norma' (1831) the title role of which is considered the most difficult role in the soprano repertoire. He composed Bel Canto operas, including 'Adelson e Salvini' (1825), 'Bianca e Gernando' (1826), 'Il pirata (1827), 'Bianca e Fernando (1828), 'La straniera' (1829), 'Zaira' (1829), 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi' (1830), 'La sonnambula' (1831), 'Beatrice di Tenda' (1833) and 'I puritani di Scozia' (1835). Bellini died in Puteaux, near Paris in 1835, and was buried next to Chopin in Pere Lachaise.
No further information available at present.
Born Dublin, June 1943; came to England with his family when he was 11; studied at Xaverian College, Manchester, and read history at Merton College, Oxford, where he became actively involved with politics as a member of the Labour Party and also joined several socialist and Trotskyite groupings. Clinton gained his PhD at Chelsea College, University of London, researching trades council activity (under Ralph Miliband) and industrial relations were to remain his main intellectual interest, publishing the book The Trade Union Rank And File: Trades Councils in Britain 1900-1940 in 1977. In the 1980s, Clinton wrote books on printed ephemera, libraries, unions, housing and safety at work. His large work, Post Office Workers: A Trade Union And Social History was published in 1984. During the 1970s, Clinton was instrumental in setting up the Workers' Socialist League and devoted much time to its campaigning and publications. In 1982, he was elected to Islington council and almost immediately became chief whip; in 1986, he became deputy leader to Margaret Hodge, and leader himself, 1994-1997. As well as politics, Clinton also taught widely, holding temporary posts at Leeds University, the Bodleian Library, Oxford, Imperial College, South Bank Polytechnic, the Institute of Housing, the Irish Studies Centre and North London Polytechnic. In 1988, he took more permanent employment as a history lecturer at Bristol Polytechnic (subsequently the University of the West of England). Clinton's last work Jean Moulin, 1899-1943: The French Resistance And The Republic was published in 2001. He died in January 2005.
Thomas Lloyd Humberstone (1876-1957) was a prominent member of the Convocation of the University of London. He gained a degree in science from the University of London in 1899, although his career as a schoolmaster had begun two years previously. He taught at a number of schools, including Dolgelley (1898-1900) and Highgate School (1903) before taking a job in 1904 in the Office of the Academic Register of the University of London. In the previous year, he had founded the reference book of secondary education, the Schoolmasters Yearbook and Directory. Humberstone was a prolific writer on education and on the University of London in particular: he was frequent contributor to journals such as The Journal of Education.
Brabant was a feudal duchy, centred in Louvain and Brussels. Famed for its democratic and constitutionalist tendencies, it was divided into two parts in the 17th century, the northern section remaining under Dutch control, and the southern eventually becoming part of Belgium. Limburg is a province in northeastern Belgium. It is bounded by the Netherlands on the north and east, where the Meuse River marks the frontier. Largely Flemish-speaking, it was formerly part of the feudal duchy of Limburg, which was divided between Belgium and the Netherlands in 1839.
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
Excise are inland duties levied on articles at the time of their manufacture, notably, alcoholic drinks, but has also included salt, paper and glass. A permanent board of Excise for England and Wales was established in 1683 with separate boards for Ireland in 1682 and Scotland in 1707.
The term 'customs' applied to customary payments or dues of any kind, regal, episcopal or ecclesiastical until it became restricted to duties payable to the King upon export or import of certain articles of commerce. A Board of Customs for England and Wales was created by Letter Patent in 1671.
During this period there was much enclosing of land. Records show that enclosure by acts of Parliament in the periods 1761-80 and 1791-1870 enclosed one third of the county of Lincolnshire.
The Royal Navy is the naval military organization of the United Kingdom, charged with the national defense at sea, protection of shipping, and fulfillment of international military agreements.
The Hudson Bay Company was incorporated in England on May 2, 1670, to seek a northwest passage to the Pacific, to occupy the lands adjacent to Hudson Bay, and to carry on any commerce with those lands that might prove profitable. The Company engaged in the fur trade during its first two centuries of existence. In the 1670s and '80s the company established a number of posts on the shores of James and Hudson bays. Most of these posts were captured by the French and were in French hands between 1686 and 1713, when they were restored to the company by the Treaty of Utrecht. It still exists as a commercial company active in real estate, merchandising, and natural resources, with headquarters in Toronto.
Cosimo de Medici, Duke of Florence from 1537 until his death in 1574, was head of the Florentine Republic, and was assisted in its government by the senate, the assembly and the council. Pisa, intermittently under Florentine control since 1406, was reconquered and occupied by them in 1509.
Dugald Stewart (1753-1828) was a renowned philosopher, who numbered Thomas Reid, Sir Archibald Alison and Sir Walter Scott amongst his friends, and Henry John Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston, and Lord John Russell, 1st Earl Russell as his pupils. He was a Professor of Moral Philosophy at Edinburgh from 1785 to 1820. He wrote numerous works of biography and philosophy (see the British Library catalogue for details).
The East India Company, also known as the Governor And Company Of Merchants Of London Trading Into The East Indies (1600-1708) and the United Company Of Merchants Of England Trading To The East Indies (1708-1873), was an English company formed for the exploitation of trade with East and Southeast Asia and India, incorporated by royal charter on 31 Dec 1600. Starting as a monopolistic trading body, the company became involved in politics and acted as an agent of British imperialism in India from the early 18th century to the mid19th century.
Rogers Ruding (1751-1820) was educated at Merton College Oxford University, and gained an MA in 1775. A well known numismatist, he was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Ruding held the living of Malden from 1793. Publications: A proposal for restoring the antient constitution of the mint, so far as relates to the expence of coinage. Together with the outline of a plan for the improvement of the money; and for increasing the difficulty of counterfeiting (London, 1799); Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its dependencies; from the earliest period to the end of the fiftieth year of the reign of his present Majesty (Nichols, Son, and Bentley: London, 1817-19).
Bombay was ceded to the East India Company by the English crown in 1668. With the destruction of Maratha power, trade and communications to the mainland were established and those to Europe were extended. In 1857 the first spinning and weaving mill was established, and by 1860 Bombay had become the largest cotton market in India.
Kent was one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England.
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne département in the Picardie région of France. During the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) Laon changed hands a number of times but was finally retaken by the French king.
The Commission was set up under the Great Seal (Privy Council) on 1 Jul 1626, to try and reduce debts incurred by the Royal Household.
Excise are inland duties levied on articles at the time of their manufacture, notably, alcoholic drinks, but has also included salt, paper and glass. In 1643 a Board of Excise was established by the Long Parliament, to organize the collection of duties in London and the provinces. Excise duty was settled by statute in 1660. A permanent board of Excise for England and Wales was established in 1683 with separate boards for Ireland in 1682 and Scotland in 1707.
Early in his adult life Campbell was appointed by Parliament to be Captain of His Majesty's Foot Guards. In 1658 he was imprisoned for not swearing to a renunciation of the Stuarts. After a further sentence was rescinded in 1662 he was restored his grandfather's title of Earl of Argyll and to his estate. In 1664 he gained a place on the Scottish Privy Council, although he was not too concerned with public affairs, turning his attention instead to raising the fallen estate of the family. He faced more controversy and sentencing after disagreements concerning civil servants and clergy having to declare firm adherence to the Protestant religion. Escaping prison Campbell went on to spend some considerable time in Holland. On hearing of the death of Charles he returned to Scotland to attempt an uprising. He was captured and executed on old sentences of false oaths and treason, being beheaded on 30th June 1685.
Sir Thomas Culpeper the Younger (fl 1655-1673). Publications: The Advantages which will manifestly accrue to this kingdom by Abatement of interest from six to four per cent (Christopher Wilkinson, London, 1668); Morall Discourses and Essayes upon severall select subjects (Charles Adams, London, 1655); A Discourse, shewing the many Advantages which will accrue to this Kingdom by the Abatement of Usury (Tho. Leach for Christopher Wilkinson, London, 1668); The Necessity of abating Usury re-asserted...Together with a familiar and inoffensive way propounded for the future discovery of summes at interest, that so they may be charged with their equal share of publick taxes and burthens (Christopher Wilkinson, London, 1670).
Acts of Sederunt were the ordinances of the Scottish Court of Session for the ordering of processes and expediting of justice. The Court of Session was the supreme Scottish court, instituted in 1532.
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
Sir Edwin Sandys (1561-1629) was Prebendary of York from 1582-1602, and MP for Andover, 1586, and Plympton, 1589 and 1593. He travelled abroad with Archbishop Cramner, where he wrote 'Europae Speculum' (1599), which was piratically published as A Relation of the state of religion; and with what hopes and policies it hath beene framed and is maintained in the severall states of these westerne parts of the world, (S Waterson, London, 1605). On his return to England in 1603, Sandys was knighted, became MP for Stockbridge, and assumed a leading position in the House of Commons. He was later MP for Sandwich, 1621, Kent, 1624, and Penryn, 1625 and 1626. In addition, Sandys was deeply involved in the colonisation and government of Virginia, acting as joint Manager, 1617, and Treasurer, 1619-1620, of the Virginia Company. Sandys died in 1629.
The Hohenzollern dynasty was prominent in European history, chiefly as the ruling house of Brandenburg-Prussia (1415-1918) and of imperial Germany (1871-1918). Frederick II (1712-1768), also known as Frederick the Great, was King of Prussia from 1740. He was the eldest son of Frederick William I (1688-1740), the second King of Prussia.
Friendly societies comprised a group of people contributing to a mutual fund so that they could receive benefits in times of need. The concept had been popular for hundreds of years, but in the 1800s, their role was acknowledged by the government and membership was encouraged. The early meetings were often held as a social gathering when the subscriptions would be paid. Prior to the Welfare State they were often the only way a working person had to receive help in times of ill health, or old age.
Great Britain was the first country to impose a general income tax (1799) to finance the Napoleonic Wars. It was alternately repealed and reimposed until the 1880s, by which time it was generally accepted as a permanent levy.
The years of Louis XIV of France's minority were dominated by the civil disturbances known as The Frondes. These were caused by the attempts of the Government, and especially Cardinal Jules Mazarin, to raise revenue for the war with Spain using arbitrary measures which antagonised a wide cross-section of Parisian society. The two outbreaks were the Fronde of the Parlement (1648-1649) and the Fronde of the Princes (1650-1652), the latter being led by Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Condé. Though dominant for a short period, the Grand Condé was eventually defeated and fled to the Spanish Netherlands. Louis XIV entered Paris in triumph on October 21, 1652.
John Davies was born in 1569. He became a barrister in Middle Temple, London, in 1595, and was elected as MP for Corfe Castle in 1601. Davies was appointed Solicitor General for Ireland in 1603, and served as Attorney-General from 1606-1619. During this period he was MP for County Fermanagh and Speaker of the Irish Parliament, 1613, and MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, 1614 and 1621. He was appointed Chief Justice of England in 1626, but died before he was able to take up office. Davies wrote extensively on government history and also wrote poetry.
Publications: A full list of the works of Sir John Davies may be found in the British Library catalogue.
Born in 1575, Sir Thomas Reade became High Sheriff of the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire. He died in 1650.
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, first opened in 1663 under a Royal Charter from Charles II. In 1672 it was badly damaged by fire, and replaced by a new theatre designed by Sir Christopher Wren, which was opened in 1674.
The Mappa Mundi is a thirteenth century map bearing the name of 'Richard de Haldingham e de Lafford', who some scholars have identified as Richard de Bello, Prebendary of Lafford, in the diocese of Lincoln. The map has been dated to around 1290.Drawn on a sheet of vellum, the Mappa Mundi depicts a world with Jerusalem at its centre , based on the writings of the fifth century scholar Orosius. It includes drawings and descriptions illustrating man's history, the marvels of the natural world, and the imagined inhabitants of distant lands, though in other respects is relatively geographically accurate.The map is held at Hereford Cathedral.
William Wordsworth was born in the Lake District in 1770. An orphan by the age of 13, he was sent to be educated at Hawkshead grammar school. He then moved on to St John's College, Cambridge University, where he achieved only a pass in his degree. In 1791 Wordsworth travelled to France, where he formed a romantic attachment to a woman named Marie Vallon. Before their child was born in December 1792, Wordsworth had to return to England and was cut off by the outbreak of war between England and France. He did not meet his daughter Caroline until she was nine years old.
For the next few years he remained in London, associating with radicals such as William Godwin. In 1795, a legacy from a friend enabled him to be reunited with his sister Dorothy, and the pair moved into Alfoxden House near Bristol, where they met Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey. Wordsworth and Southey embarked on a partnership which was to change the former's style of poetry from long poems of social protest the short lyrical and dramatic poems for which he is best known. In 1798 Coleridge and Wordsworth published Lyrical Ballads. It is at this point that Wordsworth began work on The Prelude, a poem which was finally published in 1850.
Following a tour of the Lake District, the Wordsworths and Coleridge moved to the Lake District, the former two moving into Dove Cottage in Ambleside. In 1802, William married his childhood companion, Mary Hutchinson. As their family grew, the Wordsworths moved several times, finally settling at Rydal Mount in 1813. During this time, Wordsworth wrote and published some of his best known work, including Poems in two volumes (1807), Poems (1815), The excursion (1814), The White Doe of Rylstone (1815), Thanksgiving ode (1816), Peter Bell (1819), The Waggonier (1819) and Ecclesiastical sketches (1822).Wordsworth was made Poet Laureate in 1843, a post which he held until his death in 1850.
The House of Commons is the effective legislative authority in Great Britain. It alone has the right to impose taxes and to vote money to, or withhold it from, the monarch and the various public departments and services. The passage of legislation is the House of Commons' primary function.
William Sanderson (1586-1676) was secretary to Henry Rich, Earl of Holland, whilst the latter was Chancellor of Cambridge University. During the English Civil War, Sanderson took the side of the royalists, leading to his appointment as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Charles II, who bestowed a knighthood upon him. Publications: A Compleat History of the life and raigne of King Charles from his cradle to his grave (London, 1658), A Compleat History of the lives and reigns of Mary Queen of Scotland, and of her son ... James the Sixth (H Moseley, R. Tomlins, and G. Sawbridge: London, 1656-55).
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully (1560-1641) was a French statesman, who acted as director of the king's Council of Finance in 1596, and sole superintendent of finances, 1598.
The Thirty Years War was a series of wars fought by various European nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. Its destructive campaigns and battles occurred over most of Europe.
Parliament is the legislative body of England, and has the right to impose taxes and to vote money to, or withhold it from, the monarch and the various public departments and services. Excise are inland duties levied on articles at the time of their manufacture, notably, alcoholic drinks, but has also included salt, paper and glass. In 1643 a Board of Excise was established by the Long Parliament, to organize the collection of duties in London and the provinces. Excise duty was settled by statute despite widespread aversion in 1660.
William Sanderson (1586-1676) was secretary to Henry Rich, Earl of Holland, whilst the latter was Chancellor of Cambridge University. During the English Civil War, Sanderson took the side of the royalists, leading to his appointment as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Charles II, who bestowed a knighthood upon him. Publications: A Compleat History of the life and raigne of King Charles from his cradle to his grave (London, 1658), A Compleat History of the lives and reigns of Mary Queen of Scotland, and of her son ... James the Sixth (H Moseley, R. Tomlins, and G. Sawbridge: London, 1656-55).
The company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1812 and the first meeting of what was known as the Court of Directors was held at 27 Norfolk Street, Strand on 24 June 1812. Offices were set up at 96 Pall Mall and a wharf and house rented at Cannon Row, Westminster, became the site for the works. In 1818 the company leased premises at Orchard Street, Poplar to establish a tar works and the Brick Lane and Westminster works began their own ammonia products works so the company could make the most of coal burning by-products. This also led to a large Products Works being built at Beckton in 1868. Another by-product coke was sold on to a wide domestic market. The rapid expansion of the Gas Light & Coke Co. led to the need for a large transport fleet. Every type of transport was used and usually owned by the company. Shipping, barges and railway engines were often used for the import and export of coal and by-products at the works. Road transport ranging from horse drawn carts to wagons catered for other supplies and maintenance needs. The expansion of the company and competition from electricity in the late nineteenth century led to development of the domestic market. Lady Demonstrators were employed to promote gas cooking and the Home Service eventually developed into a full advisory service on domestic gas use. As a large employer the company took its social obligations seriously and provided various pension, sickness and benefit funds. Links were established with the Territorial Army and by the time of the Boer War in 1899, company employees were eligible for duty as reservists and volunteers were given leave of absence. The company was so large that after nationalisation of the gas industry in 1949 the area it covered, which stretched from Pinner in North West London to Southend-on-Sea in Essex, became a single regional Gas Board called North Thames.
The Magistracy sat at Zeeland (also spelt Zealand) which constitutes the Southwest region of the Netherlands.
No information available at present.
During this period Hamburg was one of the most economically important towns in Germany. A stock exchange was founded in 1558 and the Bank of Hamburg in 1619; a convoy system for shipping was inaugurated in 1662, Hamburg's merchantmen being the first to be escorted on the high seas by men-of-war.
Dixon was born in Manchester on 30 June 1821. He began contributing to magazines and journals in the early 1840s. In 1846 he moved to London, where he entered the Inner Temple. Dixon never practised law and decided instead to pursue a literary career. He contributed regularly to the Athenaeum and Daily News. He also published a series of articles on prisons and a book on the prison reformer John Howard. In 1850 Dixon published, The London Prisons. In 1853 Dixon became the editor of the Athenaeum, a post held until 1869. He also travelled widely in Europe, North Africa and North America and published books and articles on the countries he had visited. Dixon also served in public office as a deputy commissioner for the Great Exhibition 1851, Justice of the Peace for Middlesex and Westminster and as a member of the London School Board. He died on 26 December 1879.
No information was discovered at the time of compilation.
A formulary is a book or other list of stated and fixed forms.