History of Christmas

Some of the following article may be familiar to some of you but hopefully you will enjoy a refresher.  It all started with the Midwinter Solstice thousands of years ago.  Did you know that masters served slaves during the Roman midwinter celebration but what was it called and what would they have eaten?  Christmas comes from the medieval Christ Mass but when was it first recorded?  How long did they celebrate for in medieval times?  And what was the Yule Log?  What were the Christmas Sugar Banquets?  It is widely known that Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband introduced Christmas trees and decorations to Britain but what Victorian tradition brought about Boxing Day?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/the-history-of-christmas/

History Quiz

I thought a history quiz may be enjoyable over the festive period so here are 57 questions from History Extra.  The questions are on page one and the answers can be found on page two of the following link:  

https://www.historyextra.com/magazine/history-quiz-questions-list/

The Feast and Fast of Traditional Advent

Most of us enjoy the countdown to Christmas and opening the Advent windows but what are the origins of Advent?  Was it a countdown to a celebration or something completely different?  What were the early Advent boxes?  What did St Martin’s Day signify?  How was medieval stollen made?  What was wassailing?  To find out the answers to these questions and more related information, please select the following link:

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Traditional-Advent/

Heavens Above!

If it’s easy to overlook many things, it is perhaps just as easy to ‘under look’ many fine things that loom above us as we pass through an historic city like Norwich. A good example of this tendency is the wonderful fifteenth century vaulted ceiling to be found underneath the west tower of St John Maddermarket, central Norwich. 

This passageway was built to accomodate the religious processions that were a key part of the late medieval liturgy. The quality of this carved ceiling was undoubtedly financed by a wealthy donor - in this part of the city, most probably a merchant. No doubt their hope was that such an investment would facilitate their passage through the tortures of purgatory.

The Victorian Workhouse

Here is a related article about life in a workhouse.  So were workhouses the awful places described by Dickens?  The origins of the workhouse go back to the Black Death but why did individuals enter a workhouse?  The Poor Laws forced some husbands to sell their wives to reduce the cost to the authorities.  The Deepwade Union Workhouse was built in 1836 two years after the Poor Law Amendment Act but what change did this statute bring?  One of the tasks inmates were forced to do was “picking oakum” which involved unpicking a piece of rope into many corkscrew strands.  If you want to find the answers to these questions and more related information, then select the following link:

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Victorian-Workhouse/

Deepwade Union Workhouse

I attended a Ramblers walk at Pulham Market last Thursday and the starting point was the Deepwade Union Workhouse on the A140 just before the Old Ram public house at Tivetshall.  I have driven past this building on numerous occasions and have always thought that it was an old workhouse, so here is an article on it’s history.  It was erected in 1836 but who built it?  Why was an attempt made to burn it down in 1844?  What was the ticket system?  It became a Public Assistance Institution in 1930 which was effectively a workhouse under local government control.  It’s purpose changed serval times after this date and if you want to find the answers to these questions and more related information, then select the following link:

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Depwade/

History of Almhouses

Doughty’s Hospital was an Almshouse.  So what was an Almshouse?  Here is an article on the history of Almshouses.  How were they impacted by the dissolution of the monasteries?  How were these linked to craft guilds and Dick Whittington?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:

https://www.almshouses.org/history-of-almshouses/

Doughty's Hospital

I attended a Magdelan Walks presentation on Norwich Social Housing on Saturday.  It was an interesting presentation and initially talked about the early hospitals; The Great Hospital of 1249 and Doughty’s Hospital of 1677.  I had never heard of Doughty’s Hospital so I thought a related article would be of interest.  It can be located on Golden Dog Lane, near the St. Crispin’s and Magdelan Street flyover.  Of course in the 17th century it wasn’t a hospital as we know it but more of a home for the poor.   So what was the Quid Pro Quo arrangement that enabled Willam Doughty to build the hospital?  Given that William Doughty was a Puritan, did he impose any religious restrictions or requirements as part of building the new hospital?  To find out the answers to these questions and more related information please select the following link:  

https://norfolktalesmyths.com/2018/05/18/doughtys-hospital-its-beginnings/

Voilet Aitken

Another formidable lady mentioned during the talk by Frank Meeres was Voilet Aitken.  She was the daughter of Canon Aitken of Norwich Cathedral.  What were her activities as a Suffragette and was she ever sent to prison?  Did she have to endure hunger strike and force-feeding?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Aitken

Ethel Leach

I attended the talk by Frank Meeres called Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives on Thursday and learned about a number of Norfolk women who had fought for women’s rights.  One of these was Ethel Leach, so I thought a related article would be of interest.  When did she found the Great Yarmouth Women’s Suffrage Society and when was she elected to the Great Yarmouth School Board?  Did you know she became a councillor, an alderman and Great Yarmouth’s first female mayor?  To find out the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link:

https://yarmouthmuseums.wordpress.com/2020/11/05/ethel-leach/

Music for the Angels - St Edmund, Acle, and Ancient Secrets at St Gregory, Heckingham

These are a couple of articles written by Colin on the Ragged Ramblers Blog.  What did the angels bagpipes sound like at St Edmund, Acle?  What are the ancient secrets of St Gregory, Heckingham?  What was the story of John and Elizabeth Crowe’s daughters?  What is a palimpsest?  How are the members of the nearby Union Workhouse commemorated?  Why is there no rood screen?  Also, please take time to view the wonderfully carved Romanesque South doorway.  To find the answers to these questions and more information please select the following link, you will need to scroll down to find the St Gregory article:

http://raggedramblers.blogspot.com/?m=0

The Norwich Hippodrome, St. Giles Street, Norwich

I wasn’t aware that there was a Norwich Hippodrome on St Giles Street.  It was located where the multi-storey car park is now.  So when was it built and who was the architect?  It was erected as an opera house and playhouse with a seating capacity of 1,836.  Who appeared there?  What happened to it in 1942?  And when was it closed?  To find the answers to these questions and more information please select the following links:

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/NorwichTheatres.htm#hipp

https://historyofnorfolk.com/norwich/hippodrome-history/