Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i History Extra

“As any reader of 1066 and All That will be aware, there are only two “genuine dates” in English history. One is of course the Norman conquest, while the second is 55 BC, when Julius Caesar launched the first Roman invasion of Britain. Sellar and Yeatman may have been writing a parody, but there are good reasons for considering Caesar’s attack to be a major milestone in Britain’s past. For, while the Roman era did not officially begin until 90 years later, these early incursions placed Britain firmly in the Roman orbit and transformed our relationship with Europe for centuries to come. In our cover feature, beginning on page 50, Guy de la Bédoyère revisits these remarkable events. Another figure from the ancient world whose career we are exploring this…

Tuesday 16 January 1912 ought to have been the happiest day of Robert Falcon Scott’s life. After years of preparations, his British expedition team were only a few miles from the south pole, and on the brink of one of the greatest achievements in the history of exploration. And then – disaster. Scott’s journal entry that night captured his dreadful disappointment. “The worst has happened, or nearly the worst,” he wrote. Not long after they had set off in the morning, one of his men had spotted a mysterious ‘black speck’ in the distance. “We marched on, and found that it was a black flag tied to a sledge bearer; near by the remains of a camp; sledge tracks and ski tracks going and coming and the clear trace of…

“The Fifth Monarchists were a sect that emerged in the early 1650s, convinced that the Civil War was part of God’s design to bring about a kingdom of heaven on earth. Their name came from the Old Testament Book of Daniel, whose vision of four great beasts was widely understood to signify four great kingdoms that would be swept away and replaced by a golden age on Earth. The group believed that Cromwell’s parliament had failed to advance God’s plan, and that it was therefore now up to them to help establish the new order by overturning a worldly regime. Venner’s plebeian followers represented the most militant wing of the movement. Their earlier attempt at an uprising in 1657 had been foiled by Cromwell’s spy agency. They saw the restoration…

Archaeologists at the University of Leicester believe that Julius Caesar’s second invasion of Britain, in 54 BC, may have begun at the Isle of Thanet – not Deal, as has long been believed. Dr Andrew Fitzpatrick (left), lead researcher on the Leverhulme Caesar Project, explains more Why do you think Caesar made landfall at the Isle of Thanet? A large defended enclosure has been found during excavations. The site is located on the Isle of Thanet – close to Pegwell Bay near Ramsgate, which is the biggest beach in east Kent, and it dates to the first century BC. The full extent of the site is not yet known but it may be 20 hectares in size, or more. The size and shape of the ditch is similar to those…

“George IV was portrayed as an oriental despot whose lust for power equalled his lust for women, unable to control his appetites for either corruption or carnal indulgence ANNA CLARK” Today we often bemoan the fact that people are distracted from ‘real’ politics by social media clickbait – it’s hard to ignore a lurid headline. But this is nothing new. Since the invention of newspapers, headlines about sex have grabbed people’s attention much more than dry debates about the constitution. However, more than just trivial distractions, these sexual scandals can be wider political metaphors for our times. Looking back to 1820 and the divorce trial of Queen Caroline, for example, we find a sex scandal that exposed the deep divisions within British society. The new king, George IV, wanted to…

“We live in a time of growing calls to right the wrongs of the past” “Can we ever apologise meaningfully for deeds done by others in the past? Can we right the wrongs of history? And what about reparations? Accepting moral guilt is one thing, materially making amends is quite another. Of course, compensation for physical damage and loss after aggressive war goes far back in history. Rome imposed large indemnities on Carthage after the Punic Wars. At the Treaty of Paris in 1815, France agreed to huge war reparations. The Germans and Japanese after 1945 were also held to account for crimes against humanity, especially the genocide of the Holocaust. We live in a time of growing calls to right the wrongs of the past – such as Shashi…

Following a row over historical accuracy in the BBC drama Howards End , what’s more important to you when watching historical drama: accuracy or entertainment? Reb L Coolidge One without the other is pointless. Without accuracy, the intelligent are insulted. Without entertainment, it’s like a sedative. A prudent mixture of both is required David Shearman It depends on the purpose of the show. The Tudors is a good example of historical inaccuracy but it was interesting enough for people to get into the period and engage in real history @VickyyProctor I believe that entertainment must come first. It’s impossible for us to re-enact any historical event entirely accurately and so we should remember that a TV show must, above all, be entertaining @FourRedShoes Accuracy. Otherwise a…

The vengeful mother-in-law Marie de Medici As widow of Henri IV and Regent of France, Marie had her husband’s assassin torn apart by horses. Henrietta Maria’s mother arrived at Charles’s court in 1638 with a large train of nobles, monks and dwarves. The king’s opponents drove her out in 1641, and she died the following year, in a house that had belonged to her favourite artist, Peter Paul Rubens, and with her servants burning furniture to keep her warm. The last Boleyn girl Lucy, Countess of Carlisle Like Anne Boleyn, from whose sister she was descended, Lucy Carlisle’s “bright… conquering eyes” held many men in their power. Yet there was more to this last Boleyn girl than beauty. She was a major political figure and the queen’s favourite. She turned…

When asked to name their greatest president, Americans consistently rank Franklin D Roosevelt in the top three. His companions in that assessment – George Washington and Abraham Lincoln – clearly mark Roosevelt out as an exceptional national leader. Not only did he guide the United States through two of the momentous challenges of the 20th century – the Great Depression and the Second World War – he also fought against the endless difficulties facing a disabled man in an unsympathetic era, to be elected to office an unprecedented four times. Known for his boundless optimism and ability to speak to and for the ‘man on the street’ (despite his own patrician origins), Americans met his death in office in April 1945 with genuine national grief. Roosevelt’s reputation and legacy has…

Lady Fanshawe’s Receipt Book by Lucy Moore Atlantic, 432 pages, £20 In the 1670s, and in reduced circumstances, the widowed Lady Ann Fanshawe wrote a memoir of her married life with the royalist diplomat, translator and poet, Sir Richard Fanshawe. Addressed to her only surviving son, it offered a vindication of her husband’s conduct, and a bitter critique of King Charles II. These memoirs are well-known to specialists, but Lucy Moore’s illuminating study breaks new ground by combining them with a less familiar source, Fanshawe’s ‘receipt’ or recipe book, a compilation of medicinal remedies, as well as a compendium for cooks. The importance of such compilations to understanding female roles and networks (as recipes were shared between friends and kin) is now being recognised, and here the ‘receipt book’ contributes…

Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga Pan Macmillan, 624 pages, £9.99 In this remarkable volume, David Olusoga places black Britons and their ancestors at the heart of British, European, African and Caribbean history. After opening the volume with a poignant reflection on his experience of racism as a child of mixed heritage in Britain in the 1980s, Olusoga moves on to analyse the long history of black Britain. In 14 well-researched chapters, he delves into the links between black history in contemporary Britain, archaeological findings relating to black Romans in the north of England and the tight and often painful links that Britain developed with Africa and the American continent from the 16th century. Building on the work of Peter Fryer, James Walvin, Marika Sherwood and many…

Hunting Down the Nazis TV Yesterday Scheduled for Wednesday 3 January A Holocaust survivor who spent more than three years in concentration camps, Simon Wiesenthal (1908–2005) devoted his later life to hunting down Nazis who had gone on the run. Those he searched for included Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Holocaust, and Franz Stangl, a camp commander who oversaw the deaths of thousands. As well as tracing Wiesenthal’s work, this two-part documentary follows the story of Serge and Beate Klarsfeld. With Serge having lost close relatives in the Holocaust, the married couple were key figures in the search for Gestapo officer Klaus Barbie, the ‘Butcher of Lyon’.…

When you take a seat in the alcove of the reading room of Chetham’s Library in Manchester you can sense that it’s a special place. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels sat at this very table, spending the summer of 1845 studying heavy volumes – titles that today’s visitors can still see, such as William Petty’s Essays in Political Arithmetick from 1699 or the 1797 three-volume State of the Poor by Frederick Eden – and fermenting the ideas that would form the basis of The Communist Manifesto, published in 1848. Humphrey Chetham wouldn’t have foreseen the historical significance of the institution – the oldest public library in the English-speaking world – that his estate posthumously provided in 1653. Occupying a medieval building in the centre of Manchester, Chetham’s Library offers an…

“Don’t bring sunglasses,” was the curious advice given to me before my first trip to Marrakech. Wary, I packed them anyway but they stayed firmly stashed in my suitcase. For this is the way to take in Marrakech – unblinkered, and able to drink in the details of the city: mounds of spices and dried herbs in the souks, each a different shade of gold and red; the intricate mosaics of turquoise, white and navy that garland the walls and floors of riads and restaurants; the clean lines of the Koutoubia mosque against the azure sky: and the regular calls to prayer that ring out from mosques across the city. “Come hungry,” would be the advice I would add to this. Marrakech has an engaging and expansive food culture, with…

Try your hand at this month’s history quiz 1. He was born in Acton in 1645, died in the Tower in 1689 and was described by Lord Macaulay as “malevolent and despotic”. Who was he? 2. How are the 18th-century Friars of Medmenham better known? 3. On 20 February 1864 a 16-year-old actress (left) married a 46-year-old artist. Who were they? 4. Which famous Shropshire landmark was nearly sold for scrap in the 1960s? 5. Who was the object of the affections of 16th-century French poet Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard? 6. What building is shown below and which famous fugitive hid there? QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Judge George Jeffreys. 2. The Hellfire Club. 3. Ellen Terry and George Frederick Watts. 4. The Iron Bridge across the river Severn. 5. Mary,…

Field Marshal William ‘Bill’ Joseph Slim commanded the ‘forgotten’ 14th Army, which eventually triumphed against the Japanese in Burma in the Second World War. After serving in the First World War and being injured at Gallipoli, he joined the Indian Army and became a lieutenant colonel in the Gurkha Rifles in the 1930s. In 1942 he was given command of the Burma Corps, before taking command of the newly created 14th Army. He was governor general of Australia from 1953 to 1959. In 1960 he was created Viscount Slim. When did you first hear about Slim? Growing up I used to get weekly comics like Eagle and it was there I think I first read about him. I’ve always been interested in the Burma campaign because my doctor father served…

Things may seem uncertain now, but Churchill had only been prime minister for a few days when he found himself facing an unprecedented political and military crisis. As an archivist, it is interesting to revisit the sources. • Allen chronicles the first, fraught days of Winston Churchill’s premiership on page 20 People have always worried about their health. I’m exploring the ways in which ideas about medicine and religion influenced sexual behaviour, and concerns about sexual health, in medieval England. • Katherine turns medieval sex doctor on page 57 The ’secret rooms’ at Belvoir Castle hold the world’s greatest private collection of Civil War manuscripts. I had exclusive access for my research and found royal letters that give a fresh voice to Charles I and his maligned queen. They are…

World’s oldest wine found in Georgia? Scientists believe they have discovered the earliest evidence of grape wine-making, from 8,000 years ago. The study of pottery jars found at two Neolithic sites south of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, have revealed residual wine compounds as well as images of grape clusters and a dancing man. If confirmed, the findings would predate the earliest evidence we currently have, from Iran, which dates back to c5,400–5,000 BC. Ancient texts reveal locations of 11 ‘lost cities’ Analysis of clay tablets found in the Turkish city of Kanesh – some as many as 4,000 years old and written in cuneiform text – may reveal the whereabouts of 11 ancient cities whose precise locations are no longer known. Researchers used mathematical models to reconstruct the economic network…

Hampshire Chronicle 12 January 1784 What makes a man, a man? For the Hampshire Chronicle of 1784, it was not a large farm, a good business head or someone with strict morals, but a man’s ability to dance that set him apart from the lowlifes and common criminals who could be found in everyday society. “No man can be well prepared in any sort of genteel Trades, Professions, Sciences, Employments, Servitudes, Music, the Army, or Navy, unless they can Dance exceedingly well,” was the view trumpeted from the Chronicle’s pages in early January. At that time, England was caught up in a heady mix of youth and war, with the loss of America from the empire, unrest in France, and the 24-year-old prime minister William Pitt the Younger leading the…

Offensive and one-sided? As the proud descendent of a Confederate soldier, I found your article Why Are America’s White Supremacists on the March Again? (November) offensive and extremely one-sided. Most Confederate monuments were erected to honour husbands, fathers and sons who never returned home, including my ancestor who died and was buried on a battlefield somewhere in Virginia. Since these men had no funeral and no grave site to visit, monuments were put up in small towns throughout the south as a way to honour them and to have closure for loved ones who lay in unknown locations in foreign ground. As a history magazine, you should understand that the victors write the history. The people of the south were devastated by that war and they suffer still to this…

A mythological masterpiece Cupid and Psyche by Anthony van Dyck, 1639-40 “Portraiture was perhaps the most common genre of art in 17th-century England, particularly at the royal court,” says Lucy Chiswell. “This was reflected in the career of Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, who became court painter to Charles I in 1632.” Van Dyck created several portraits of Charles and the royal family. But his true artistic love was of the mythological and narrative paintings of the Italian Renaissance. So he would have particularly relished painting this interpretation of the legend of Cupid and Psyche for the Queen’s House at Greenwich. “This work is a beautiful mix of Italian and English influences,” Chiswell explains. “The oak tree that dominates the piece places the painting firmly in England, but the reclining…

In late August 54 BC, Cicero, the celebrated Roman lawyer, was on the edge of his seat. His brother Quintus, commander of the XIV Legion, was with Julius Caesar on his second invasion of Britain. As Quintus’s letters arrived, taking about four weeks to reach Cicero in Rome, tales unfolded of the ocean, the tribes and settlements of the Britons, the battles, and the brilliance of Caesar’s leadership. Cicero gushed at the romance and glamour. “Oh, what a delightful letter was yours to me about Britain! I dreaded the ocean, I dreaded the coast of that island… what battles you have to write about!” Nothing could better illustrate one of Caesar’s main reasons for being in Britain at all. Invading this little known and remote island was a brilliant publicity…

On the Ocean by Barry Cunliffe Focusing on both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, Sir Barry Cunliffe’s latest fascinating book charts how these two seas have helped shape human outlook, invention, discovery, decisions and events from prehistory to AD 1500. What fascinates Cunliffe is the complex relationship homo sapiens have with the sea. On the one hand, it feeds and nurtures us, excites our curiosity, stimulates our ingenuity and encourages us to rise to a challenge. Yet at the same time, it is something of which we are innately – and rightly – fearful, thanks to its wilful and unpredictable nature. As Cunliffe puts it: “The sea is known to be alien and dangerous, yet few can resist its challenge.” The importance of human engagement with and on the water…

Hannibal by Patrick N Hunt Simon and Schuster, 384 pages, £18.99 Most famous for crossing the Alps with elephants and invading Italy, Hannibal still fascinates historians and military instructors. The Carthaginian’s career was certainly remarkable. In 216 BC, his cavalry thrashed the Romans at Cannae. After lumbering around southern Italy until 203 BC, he was recalled to north Africa where he was defeated by Scipio at Zama in 202 BC. Later, he tried to reform Carthage’s oligarchs but was forced out and took refuge in Asia with King Antiochus III. He unsuccessfully urged yet another war against Rome, and was left to circulate among minor Asian dynasts, remaining a feared name among Romans. Finally, aged 64, he took poison to avoid being captured. Little is known about Hannibal personally and…

Lady Jane Grey TV BBC Four Scheduled for January In a three-part series, Helen Castor traces the life and times of Lady Jane Grey. The story that’s been passed down the years is that Grey was an innocent and pliant teen who, as a Protestant, was briefly put on the throne to stop the Catholic Mary Tudor from becoming England’s monarch. After only nine days in the top job in July 1553, Grey was deposed and later executed as a traitor. But this version is an oversimplification, argues Castor, as she uncovers a much more complicated tale of dynastic rivalry, intrigue and betrayal.…

Victoria & Abdul DVD (Universal Pictures, £14.99) Despite being empress of India, Queen Victoria never visited the country. However, in a sense, India came to her in the person of Abdul Karim. A servant who joined the royal household in 1887, Karim became the monarch’s favourite in her dotage, and was appointed her ‘munshi’ or teacher. Director Stephen Frears’ drama traces the friendship. Like Mrs Brown (1997), which focused on Victoria’s similarly unlikely relationship with Scottish servant John Brown, it stars Judi Dench. Once again, she has terrific fun as the imperious and difficult queen. Whether Victoria & Abdul is as satisfying as Mrs Brown is another matter. The script draws Karim rather too sketchily for Ali Fazal to bring him to life as vibrantly as he might. Meanwhile, there’s…

1 British Library CENTRAL LONDON Where most books can be found The largest library in Europe (based on the number of its catalogued holdings), the British Library was part of the British Museum until 1972 and shared the same site until 1997. The library receives a copy of every book published in the UK, a legal stipulation upon all publishers. bl.uk 2 Liverpool Central Library LIVERPOOL Where grade II meets spanking new After an extensive £50m refit, Liverpool’s main library now has a thoroughly modern interior. But keeping its place among the lattice of staircases and escalators is the tremendous grade II-listed Picton Reading Room, the first library in Britain to be illuminated by electric light. liverpool.gov.uk/libraries 3 The National Library of Scotland EDINBURGH Where all Scottish life is recorded…

BEST TIME TO GO Marrakech can swelter in the summer, so stick to spring and autumn in order to soak up the sunshine while avoiding the pressing heat. The winter months can be quite cool, so if you do visit in December or January be sure to pack some jumpers. GETTING THERE Flights land at Marrakech Menara airport, which is just a short way from the city and taxis are plentiful. Alternatively, you can fly into Essaouira on the coast, spend a few days eating the wonderful seafood, and then catch a bus that will get you to Marrakech three to four hours later. WHAT TO PACK Light clothing and comfortable shoes so you can wander the city. Leave adequate space in your suitcase for the things you will buy…

Vinegar pie If vinegar makes you think of fish and chips or pickled onions, think again: this sweet and smooth American dessert is far from sour or acidic. Instead, it uses apple cider vinegar to imitate the tart, tangy taste of a lemon meringue or apple pie. Recipes for vinegar pie date back to the 1800s. Known as a ‘desperation pie’, it required only a few basic non-seasonal ingredients to replicate a classic fruit pie when fresh produce was sparse. This made it a popular dish for 19th-century mid-westerners looking to rustle up a tasty dessert in tough times without breaking the budget. INGREDIENTS 1 unbaked 9-inch piecrust (either made or bought) 2 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tbsp cider vinegar 2 tbsp flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp ground…

Today the British Red Cross has 20,500 volunteers and 4,000 staff helping millions of people to cope with all kinds of crises – from responding to major disasters abroad to supporting people in a street like your own. Gifts in wills help make sure volunteers are ready as soon as an emergency strikes, whether that’s an earthquake, a conflict or someone in the UK needing to get home from hospital. The kindness of people like you is essential in funding everything the Red Cross does, and ensuring it can continue to support vulnerable people for many years to come. Without the dedication of its volunteers, the British Red Cross wouldn’t have the resources to help those in need, and without the generosity of its supporters, there would be no help…

1 He was illegitimate Leonardo da Vinci was born about 25 miles from Florence, near the village of Vinci. His father was Piero da Vinci, a respected Florentine notary, while his mother was a young peasant woman named Caterina. 2 He was a ground-breaking anatomist Da Vinci devoted much of his time to the study of anatomy, even dissecting human bodies in his quest for knowledge. Among his observations was that the heart, not the liver, is at the core of the blood system. 3 He designed an early helicopter Da Vinci designed many types of machinery, including a predecessor to the modern helicopter. Named the ‘aerial screw’, it was designed to compress air to obtain flight, and was to be powered by four men standing on a central platform,…

The opening picture of An Appointment at the House of Death (December) is somewhat misleading. Rather than exemplifying the undoubted horrors of mid-19th-century surgery, it actually depicts a glimmer of hope – the first anaesthetic in England. On 21 December 1846, at University College Hospital, Robert Liston performed a leg amputation on a butler named Frederick Churchill who had been administered ether. To the right of the original picture, but not appearing in your printed version, the glass apparatus used to provide the vapour is clearly seen. It may also be noted in the picture that the patient appears to be unconscious – or at least not recoiling in horror. Ether anaesthesia had first been demonstrated in Boston on 16 October; the news crossed the Atlantic remarkably quickly. Liston’s laconic…

1 I’m a man who is in love with someone who doesn’t love me back. What can I do? The medieval sex doctor replies: Many men in your situation will turn to love magic, and there are plenty of potions and spells that may help you to secure a woman’s affections. Some say that putting ant eggs in a woman’s bath will arouse her passions, or that sprinkling periwinkle in food will encourage love. Wearing henbane about your person may also make you irresistibly attractive. Of course, the church does not approve of such activities, and if you are accused of using love magic you may find yourself hauled before the church courts. So proceed with caution! I am also concerned that you may be suffering from lovesickness, due to…

Till Time’s Last Sand: A History of the Bank of England 1694-2013 by David Kynaston Bloomsbury, 896 pages, £26.99 Central banking has undoubtedly been a controversial area of economic and political debate in recent years. On the one hand, central banks have been accused of failing in their duty of care to the financial system by not preventing one of the greatest financial crises in history. On the other, their quick action to help the market recover its nerve by bailing out some banks and providing funds to repair others is widely credited with avoiding another economic depression. Central bankers themselves have become public figures, appearing regularly in front of parliamentary committees and in the media to explain their decisions. Right now central banking is returning to our attention, with…

A Short History of Drunkenness by Mark Forsyth Viking, 256 pages, £12.99 Covering the entire story of “how, why, where and when mankind has got merry, from the Stone Age to the present” is a tall order for a self-proclaimed ‘short history’. Indeed, a little over 200 pages is not much to relate thousands of years’ history of anything, let alone drunkenness, which – as Mark Forsyth points out – probably predates human society itself. Yet, he succeeds in distilling a coherent narrative with a dry sense of humour, making for a highly readable account. Forsyth’s search for the sozzled of centuries past results in a romp through an array of historical drinking occasions. The reader is whisked from an ancient Sumerian bar to a 1920s New York speakeasy, via…

The City of Marvels Eduardo Mendoza (1988) Spanning the years between Barcelona’s two world fairs (1888 and 1929), Mendoza’s rich and panoramic novel follows the often criminal career of its anti-hero Onofre Bouvila. A peasant from a small Catalonian village, Bouvila’s first job after arriving in Barcelona is selling anarchist literature, but he soon moves on to bigger things. Thanks to his ruthless eye for the main chance, he is, by the end of the story, the richest man in Spain. The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon (2005) A bestseller around the world, Zafon’s complex and compelling story begins in Barcelona in the years after the Spanish Civil War. A young boy, Daniel Sempere, is taken by his father to the so-called ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’, a library…

The House TV BBC Two Scheduled for January For any of us who live in an old house, says historian David Olusoga, there’s one question that endlessly fascinates: “Who lived here before me?” The House addresses this question by taking an in-depth look at the stories of the residents of a single Georgian terraced home down the years. “The phrase ‘if walls could talk’ sums up what The House is really all about,” says Olusoga, who is presenting the new series. “That burning desire to know who owned the house before you. Whose bedroom was it before it was your bedroom?” The titular house is on Falkner Street in Liverpool. This location isn’t surprising when you consider how the series uses individual stories to chart wider British social and economic…

Radio 4 will begin the new year by looking back at the recent past. In The Cameron Years (January), political journalist Steve Richards chronicles the former prime minister’s rise to power and his shockingly swift, Brexit-powered downfall. Also on Radio 4, The Sweet Taste of Success (January) finds Bee Wilson exploring the history of sugar. On Yesterday, the highlights include Wartime Crime (Thursday 4 January), which traces how gangs, looters and deserters all got up to no good as the Second World War raged. More darkly still, we also hear tales of sexual predators and serial killers. When the blood-curdling Vikings (History, Tuesday 9 January) returns, the focus of the series turns from patriarch Ragnar to his sons. Also on History, Empires of Blood (Thursday 11 January) looks at how…

Body and mind EXHIBITION / FREE ENTRY Ayurvedic Man: Encounters with Indian Medicine Wellcome Collection, London Until 8 April - 020 7611 2222 • wellcomecollection.org Taking its title and inspiration from the Ayurvedic Man – an 18th-century Nepali painting that depicts the organs and vessels of the male body according to the traditional Ayurveda system of medicine – this exhibition explores how both Ayurveda and Indian medicine have been shaped by multiple cultural encounters over thousands of years. One of the main principles of Ayurveda medicine is the connection between mind and body, with the former having the power to heal and transform the latter. The exhibition showcases a range of relevant objects from the Wellcome Collection including Sanskrit, Persian and Tibetan manuscripts, vibrant gouache paintings (a type of watercolour),…

Q Did medieval women carry a purse and, if so, what would have been inside? Michele Turfler, by email A The simple answer is yes, medieval women did wear purses. They would usually hang from their girdles, as men’s purses did and, like men, they would normally keep coins in them. The more complicated answer would include a number of caveats. First, you only need coins if you are receiving or dispensing money. Prior to the late 12th century, people rarely needed to do this because there were relatively few market towns. You don’t need a purse if you are bartering and otherwise self-sufficient. Location also makes a difference. Women are not often shown wearing purses in illuminated manuscripts because they generally appear in more feminine environments – sewing, weaving…