Author Topic: This day is History  (Read 13817 times)

cheryllwith2ls

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This day is History
« on: September 07, 2014, 09:43:02 AM »
What do you all think of posting a 'This day in history' post? Say, weekly? Please join in if you've found something interesting. It will be fun! :)

THIS DAY IN HISTORY - SEPT. 7TH

September 7 in Scottish History
On the 7th of September 1736, Captain Porteous was dragged from prison and lynched by an angry mob in Edinburgh. The "Porteous Riots" had erupted in April 1736, when Andrew Wilson, a smuggler, was hanged in the Grassmarket for robbing a customs officer. The public rioting that followed Wilson's death was quashed by the locally born John Porteous, when he ordered his troops to open fire on the angry crowd, killing and wounding up to 30 people. Porteous was sentenced to death but later reprieved, leading to the lynch mob descending in fury on the prison, enraged that Porteous's appeal had been successful, and that he'd escaped the fate that had been meted out to a common man. The angry growd stormed the Tolbooth, escorted Porteous to the Grassmarket, and hanged him from a dyer's pole. Incidents of the Porteous Riots are used by Walter Scott in "The Heart of Midlothian".

This day in 1836 saw the birth of Henry Campbell Bannerman, the British Prime Minister. Born in Glasgow and educated at Glasgow and Cambridge, Bannerman became the Liberal MP for Stirling in 1868, a position he held until his death. He climbed the parliamentary ranks, serving as Secretary for Ireland during Gladstone's administration in 1884 and entering the cabinet as Secretary for War in 1886, before becoming leader of the Liberal Party in 1899. Bannerman became Prime Minister in 1905 following Balfour's resignation, and led his party to a landslide victory in the 1906 general election. His brilliant cabinet included Asquith, Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill. Ill health forced Bannerman to hand over the leadership to Asquith, and he died two weeks later in 1908.
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

Stirling Thompson

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2014, 02:17:14 PM »
Great idea but sometimes these recurring threads can be difficult to keep up with, as with my jokes and poetry threads.
Stu
Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

cheryllwith2ls

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2014, 05:24:13 PM »
Well, I'm just going to post something once a week. If you guys want to join in and add something, that would be great...if not, that's fine too.
And just FYI - I enjoy your poetry finds. :)
I may not always have something to say about them, but I do always read 'em.
Cheryll
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

Stirling Thompson

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2014, 05:32:44 AM »
The Battle of Flodden Field

On 9 September 1513 the Scots army, under King James IV, faced the English forces of King Henry VIII under the command of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. The battle was ferocious and bloody - men were felled by artillery, arrows, pikes, bills and swords. Around 14,000 men died, including James IV, the last British king to die in battle.

James IV was married to one of Henry VIII’s sisters - Margaret Tudor - but the Scots king, honouring the Auld Alliance with France, had invaded Northumberland to divert Henry’s troops from their campaign against the French. The Scots were joined by some French troops, and carried some French weapons.

James IV had superior numbers - around 35,000 to 40,000 men to the English force’s 26,000 - but the Scots force lacked experience and discipline.

The Bishop of Durham later told Thomas Wolsey, ‘...though the Scots fought sore and valiantly with their swords, yet they could not resist the bills that lighted so thick and sore upon them.’

The Scots were outmanoeuvred; part of the English force circled around their position. James IV charged into the midst of the battle - leading his men from the front - and was cut down within ‘a spear’s length’ of the Earl of Surrey.

About 4,000 of Henry VIII’s English force were killed while Scotland lost up to 10,000 men. Among the dead were King James IV and his son Alexander, as well as other nobles and churchmen. The bodies of thousands of dead and dying men littered the battlefield as night fell.

The Battle of Flodden Field was immortalised by Jean Elliott in her song ‘The Floo’ers o’ the Forest’:

...I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Lassies a-lilting before dawn o' day;
But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;
"The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.”

Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

Stirling Thompson

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2014, 05:35:53 AM »
Oh yes, on this date in 1543, at the ripe old age of 9 months, Mary Stuart was crowned 'Queen of the Scots' in Stirling.
Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

cheryllwith2ls

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2014, 10:30:18 AM »
A very historical day! Thanks Stu!

I'm going to put this on Facebook, if you don't mind.
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

Stirling Thompson

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2014, 06:36:05 AM »
On September 21 1745 Prince Charles Edward Stuart emerged victorious at the Battle of Prestonpans. The Jacobite army of just over 3,000 under Bonnie Prince Charlie heavily defeated the English Royal forces led by Sir John Cope. This episode gave rise to the famous Jacobite song Johnnie Cope.

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On this day in 1756 John McAdam, the surveyor who introduced the macadam system of road surfacing, was born in Ayr.

MacAdam spent his childhood in New York but returned to Scotland in 1783 having made enough money to purchase an estate in Ayrshire. He noticed that the roads on the estate were in very poor condition and undertook a series of experiments to find a better material to surface roads with. MacAdam moved to the south coast of England in 1798 after being forced to sell his estate to pay business debts, where he continued his experiments and in 1815 was appointed Surveyor to the Bristol Roads.

His works, Remarks on the Present System of Road-Making (1816) and A Practical Essay on the Scientific Repair and Preservation of Roads (1819) document his work and a parliamentary enquiry of 1823 led to the adoption of his ideas by public authorities.

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The novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott died aged 61 on this day in 1832.

Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh in 1771 but was sent to live on his grandfather's farm near Kelso after he contracted poliomyelitis at the age of 18 months. He stayed there until 1777, and it is thought that it during his period of convalescence that he absorbed the historical and literary culture of the Borders, having heard the traditional ballads and legends about the Border heroes and reivers. Scott is best known for his novels such as The Heart of Midlothian, Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, and The Fair Maid of Perth. However, he also published translations, reviewed extensively, and wrote historical tracts. Regarded in his day as one of the greatest writers, Scott's reputation since then has been subject to intense scrutiny and he has been criticised for presenting a mythical, overly romantic image of Scotland.

Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

MICHAEL the Canadian

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2014, 09:39:42 AM »
Great Stuff Stu, Chery LL , It is great to step back in history . Stu i am just watching the show OUTLANDER where a women name Claire is transported back in time to the era where the Mackenzie s are collecting taxes in the highlands and also collecting money from the same villagers for the Jacobite army, at the moment the show is 3 years before the battle of Culloden april 16 , 1745. It is interesting for this to be here at the same time I am watching a show that relates back to the same time period. thanks for the history lessons.
 

MICHAEL the Canadian

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2014, 09:41:23 AM »
Sorry date of battle was april 16,1746

Stirling Thompson

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2014, 09:04:36 AM »
On this day in 1947 the paddle steamer Waverley was launched from A. & J. Inglis's yard on the Clyde. The Waverley is the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world. She was in danger of de-comissionning in the early 70s, but in 1974 she was bought by enthusiasts from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society for the bargain price of one pound from owners CalMac.

She underwent a major rebuild in 2000, and passengers can still cruise the Clyde from Glasgow to Dunoon and the isles of Bute and Arran during the summer months.
Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

cheryllwith2ls

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2014, 02:41:35 PM »
October 3rd in Scottish History -----

On this day in 1357, the Treaty of Berwick was signed, freeing David II from imprisonment by the English.

The son and heir of Robert the Bruce, David's reign was plagued by misfortune. He took the throne at a very young age and a series of regents were appointed, each of whom ended up dead. By the time he was old enough to reign, Scotland's nobles had become unruly, accustomed to having no king. He was then taken prisoner after losing the battle of Neville's Cross to the English, and was only released 11 years later with the agreement of a huge ransom. Despite this burden, and the troublesome nobles, the last years of his reign were peaceful - it seems David was a wise, if unlucky, king.
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

MICHAEL the Canadian

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2014, 08:02:17 AM »
Just a word saying thanks for the history tidbits.

Stirling Thompson

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2014, 06:07:27 AM »
20 October

On this day in 1792 the famous general, Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde, was born in Glasgow.

Campbell was born Colin MacIver, and it is likely he assumed his mother's maiden name of Campbell when accepting his commission to help his army career. Campbell fought in every major campaign the British army was involved in, from the Napoleonic War to the Crimea, and rose quickly through the ranks. His crowning moment was as Commander-in-Chief of the British forces during the Indian Mutiny, 1857. He was a shrewd and careful General, with a deep regard for the welfare of his men, and was particularly well regarded by the Highlanders under his command - it was these soldiers who held the famous 'Thin Red Line' during the Battle of Balaclava.
Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu

cheryllwith2ls

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2014, 07:55:09 AM »
I posted some 'this day in history' on Facebook but forgot to post it here! Sorry. Kinda late for Oct. 18th & 19th now. Thanks Stu :)
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

Stirling Thompson

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Re: This day is History
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2015, 06:21:59 AM »
March 12 in Scottish History

On the 12th of March 1852, the last salmon was caught in the River Kelvin. The salmon population in the river had been in decline due to the rise of industrial pollution in the area. However, in February 1999, after £43.95 million of investment, salmon again spawned in the river and anglers were allowed back.

1881 - Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain.

Must have been a slow day!
Semper Fidelis! Semper Familia!
Stu