Language of the court
The language of the court is that which is spoken by the aristocracy. It is deemed to be the most prestigious and […]
Read MoreAuthor: Purple Brolly
My aim is to give a flavour of these precious islands we call 'the UK'. All research is based on a minimum of two public domain sources, usually more.
Feudalism
The feudal system prevailed in Britain between 800 and 1500, when a government with centralised control became the new method of ruling […]
Read MoreThe feudal system prevailed in Britain between 800 and 1500, when a government with centralised control became the new method of ruling the country. Feudalism had served its purpose well, but after the catastrophe of the Black Death, the Peasants’ Revolt and the revelations being made by science and exploration of the globe, societal changes were inevitable. The growth of towns and cities gave alternatives to rural life.
The medieval belief was that there was a hierarchy of closeness to God ~ the Pope, then the King, dukes, earls, barons, knights and, at the bottom, peasants. The monarch was, and still is, the absolute owner of the country’s land and everyone below him or her was/is a tenant. The term ‘freehold’ comes from the feudal system and means that your tenancy is indefinite.
Under feudalism, peasants were given a cottage and up to five acres of farmland, usually by a baron, in return for food, taxes and membership of the baron’s private army, signified by a ceremonial oath of fealty and homage. This type of relationship was replicated up the chain to the King. At a time with no welfare state, police or judiciary, this was a sensible, mutually beneficial community arrangement.
(Images: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain)
The Norfolk Broads
The Norfolk Broads comprise an area of rivers, dykes, streams and lakes in the easternmost part of England. The city of Norwich […]
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Henry Moore, sculptor
Yorkshireman Henry Moore (1898-1986) was the most acclaimed, prolific British sculptor of the twentieth century. His creations can be seen in thirty-eight […]
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The partition of Ireland
In 1800, Britain and Ireland passed the Acts of Union which abolished the Irish Parliament and put Irish MPs and Lords into […]
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Bruce Forsyth
Rightly dubbed ‘Mr. Entertainment’, Sir Bruce Forsyth, CBE (1928-2017) had a show business career from age fourteen to just a couple of […]
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Ultrasound scanning
Ian Donald, CBE (1910-87) was born in Cornwall and, although he was always interested in machines and electronics, he entered the medical […]
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The Foreign Secretary
Short for ‘His/Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’, the position of Foreign Secretary is one of the […]
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James Watt and the steam engine
Devon-born Thomas Newcomen (1664-1729) was among the early inventors of small steam engines and his beam engine, used solely to pump water […]
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The rule of law
British society is underpinned by the principle of ‘the rule of law‘, first stipulated in Magna Carta Libertatum in the thirteenth century. […]
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