Tag: Research
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GETTING SHIPWRECKED, February 2024
C19th Phrases for Drinking & Drunkenness February may be the month of pancakes and love for some, but for others it marks the end of Dry January and a return to celebrating (almost) anything with a tipple or two (it’s Friday!) Most of us know drunkenness was a major social problem in the nineteenth century.…
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MUG MAY: A Brief History of Mugs, May 2022
‘Mug (n.) “small, cylindrical drinking vessel, often with a handle,” 1560s, “bowl, pot, jug,” of unknown origin, perhaps from Scandinavian (compare Swedish mugg “earthen cup, jug,” Norwegian mugge “pitcher, open can for warm drinks”), or Low German mokke, mukke “mug,” also of unknown origin. Hence mug-hunter (1883) “one who enters sporting contests solely to win prizes” (frequently in the form of engraved…
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COFFEE WITH AN ARCHIVIST: Neil R.A. Bell, Leicestershire Police, November 2021
I’m delighted to welcome widely respected student of the Jack the Ripper case Neil R. A. Bell to this month’s blog. His book Capturing Jack the Ripper: In the Boots of a Bobby in Victorian London is a must-read for anyone fascinated with the case and policing in the Victorian Era. With Adam Wood, he also wrote…
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COPPERING IN THE WEST COUNTRY, December 2021
Exploring policing heritage beyond London Over the course of my blog, I’ve interviewed many fascinating people connected to the Metropolitan Police. Whether that be by preserving its heritage through museum collections and archives, or recounting personal experiences from their time working within the service. Clearly, the British police and its history extends beyond the limits…
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COPPERING BY THE CODE, September 2021
Top 5 Quotes from Sir Howard Vincent’s Police Code (1889) If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know I wanted to be a police officer when I was younger but couldn’t for health reasons. In spite of this, I’m still fascinated by the culture and psyche of policing. I believe it’s an…
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WRITING NOTES: Blind Characters, July 2021
During my visit to the Bow Street Police Museum in June my friend and I read about the magistrate John Fielding, otherwise known as the Blind Beak of Bow Street. She remarked to he clearly hadn’t allowed his impairment to hinder his career and how I had done the same. Although I’m not blind my…
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SUMMER ENTERTAINMENTS IN VICTORIAN LONDON, August 2020
We’ve experienced a few intense heat waves over the course of this Summer, and it’s not over yet. The pandemic has also affected our plans for holidays abroad, parties, and even dining out. Yet, what entertainments would’ve been available to the members of the Bow Street Society in 1896? Whilst foreign travel was reserved for…