The History of England Magazine
Every month we present new feature articles relating to the history of this green and pleasant land. From ancient battlefields to famous people, hangings to national celebrations, we’ve got something to interest everyone.
You may also be interested in our History of Britain section covering the period from the Act of Union during Queen Anne‘s reign to the modern day.
King Henry I
Born around 1068, very little is known of Henry’s early life: the youngest son of William the Conqueror had never expected to become king…
Earl Godwin, The Lesser Known Kingmaker
The word Kingmaker often evokes the image of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who featured prominently in various plays for power during the Wars of the Roses. But, several hundred years before Warwick’s schemes, another man earned the title of Kingmaker: Godwin, Earl of Wessex…
The Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of the Dark Ages
The six and a half centuries between the end of Roman rule around 410 and the Norman Conquest of 1066, represent the most important period in English history. For it was during these years that a new ‘English’ identity was born, with the country united under one king, sharing a common language and governed by the laws of the land…
Black Bart – Democracy and Medical Insurance in the Golden Age of Piracy
Welshman Bartholomew Roberts, posthumously known as ‘Black Bart’, was a prodigious and successful pirate with four ships and loyal crew under his command, due in no small part to his unique pirate code of conduct and provision of medical insurance…
The Third Army – Lord Stanley at the Battle of Bosworth
Shrewd, scheming and Machiavellian, Lord Stanley’s actions at the Battle of Bosworth effectively decided the outcome of the battle…
Matilda of Flanders
Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by her marriage to William the Conqueror, Matilda of Flanders was an exceptional woman for her time, wielding a great deal of power and influence…
The Great Fire of London
The people of London who had managed to survive the Great Plague in 1665 must have thought that the year 1666 could only be better, and couldn’t possibly be worse! Poor souls, they could not have imagined the new disaster that was to befall them…
Richard the Lionheart and The Accidental Conquest of Cyprus
King Richard I’s adventures on Cyprus are a little-known historical adventure of that most heroic of English kings. This is in part because Cyprus was an accident; Richard had never intended to go to the island, let alone conquer it…
Left Behind After Dunkirk
After the Dunkirk evacuation, pockets of military personnel were left behind in France who had to make their way to the French ports for evacuation as best they could. These were dangerous journeys, along roads blocked with refugees and under bombardment by enemy aircraft. Some of those left behind were women of the ATS…
Treaty of Windsor 1386
On 9th May 1386 the diplomatic alliance between Portugal and England was ratified by the Treaty of Windsor. The oldest peace treaty in Europe was finalised through the marriage of King John I of Portugal to Philippa of Lancaster. This historic relationship, cemented in 1386, perseveres to this day…