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History club

Whether you're interested in Roman, military, British or art history, join our History forum to discuss your passion with other MNers.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Do you have any historical figures who fascinate you?

198 replies

WilburIsSomePig · 09/04/2015 21:18

Just watched a programme about Mary Queen of Scots. Well she had a real shady taste in men and made some rubbish decisions but my god the woman really did have a shite time of it. I have always been a bit obsessed with her so are there any historical figures that really capture your thoughts?

OP posts:
Wannabestepfordwife · 11/04/2015 19:41

Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk- I'm obsessed actually the whole Howard family (including Ann Boleyn) fascinate me
Henry VIII
All three of the Grey sisters
Lady Margaret Douglas
John of Gaunt
Richard II
Catherine of Valois
Alice Perriers (hope I've spelt that right) Edward III mistress
All of the "She Wolves"
Mary Queen of Scots
Catherine Medici
Marie Antoinette
Charles II

Mrsjayy · 11/04/2015 20:41

Mary queen of scots was executed by Elizabeth I for plotting to over throw her

Mrsjayy · 11/04/2015 20:42

Oh misread you what happened to her husband not her sorry

scandip · 11/04/2015 22:14

I am fascinated by Perkin Warbeck. What if he wasn't a pretender at all?

John Dee is interesting.

Shoemakerelves · 11/04/2015 22:22

Edward 4th. I studied the Wars of the Roses for A'level' and loved the Yorkists. He was my geeky teenage crush.

Anne of Cleves- what a fantastically clever and resourceful woman she was. More than a match from Henry V111- she made the best of her life after an inauspicious start.Henry came to treat her like a beloved sister and she was by all accounts a good "aunt" to his children

Guy Fawkes- an incredibly brave man- much maligned on November 5th

Richard 3rd of course (Yorkist too)

Baddz · 11/04/2015 22:32

The borgias
Fascinating

WilburIsSomePig · 11/04/2015 22:53

God all you amazing people have given me so many people I want to find out about.

I wonder who people will look back on from this time and find amazing/fascinating/horrific?

OP posts:
simpson · 11/04/2015 23:02

Lady Jane Grey
Elizabeth 1st
Emmaline Pankhurst
Louis Braille
Henry 8th.

DD (7) has inherited my obsession fascination with history & is into:
The 6 wives of Henry 8th.
Henry 8th's family (mainly his older brother Arthur)
Lady Jane Grey
Beatrix Potter

DS (9) on the other hand is not into history at all sadly.

simpson · 11/04/2015 23:03

Ahhh Emmeline Blush

AliceLidl · 12/04/2015 10:21

I read that Lady of Hay book (and hated it, far too many excuses for modern day rape and violence to women, with the lead female seeming to enjoy both as a sign of love) but was very interested to learn more about Matilda de Braose because of it. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be that much known about her, even the place she died is disputed.

She was also known as Maud de Braose and she lived from 1155 - 1210.

She and her son were starved to death in Corfe Castle (or possibly Windsor Castle) after Matilda and her husband fell from the favour of the King.

The reason given her husband owed the king a large amount of money, and the kind demanded their eldest son as his hostage until the money was paid.

Matilda refused to send her child to a king who she claimed murdered his own nephew so the king seized their property and put Matilda and her son William in prison in the castle (Corfe or Windsor, nobody seems certain), where they starved to death together. Her husband escaped to France but died there not long afterwards.

The deaths of Matilda and William shocked people so much that a clause was added to the Magna Carta when it was signed in 1215 because of them, stating that nobody should be prosecuted, imprisoned or outlawed without trial.

EmeraldThief · 12/04/2015 10:45

The Russian royal family, and in particular the four daughters of Tsar Nicolas ii. Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia.

AHotDenseState · 12/04/2015 12:25

Henrietta Lacks - not so much her but how she represents the treatment of African-Americans in that period.

All of Henry V's wives - would love to know if Anne Boleyn really had affairs. Did she love Henry or was it just about power?

Byron

The Kennedys - also a it of a JFK conspiracy fan. Would he still be so revered if he'd lived and had a second term? Can't decide!

Great thread btw - so much googling. I love the 'Stuff you Missed in History Class' podcast which I listed to in the car on the way to work. Great for some quirky little historical nuggets.

thewomaninwhitefluffybunnyears · 12/04/2015 13:50

Queen Victoria, her children etc.

I really want to see the Mary Queen of Scots documentary now :)

I have the book about Churchill too, it's on my to do list.

I love history. I am now off to google some names from this thread I don't know.

RJnomore · 12/04/2015 14:10

I never knew what happened to both well. That's shocking. If you are of a particularly gruesome nature there are photos online of his mummy.

I've been doing a lot if googling based on this thread, thanks.

workhouse · 12/04/2015 15:38

Sorry I haven't read the thread yet,

Bonny Parker and Clyde Barrow and all their exploits have always intrigued me, probably from seeing the film with Faye Dunaway.

Also Lady Caroline lamb, and Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, fascinating people.

workhouse · 12/04/2015 15:40

Yes, and Lucrezia Borgia, I wish there was more known about her.

TyrannosaurusBex · 12/04/2015 17:45

I'm intrigued by the Marchesa Casati, she who wished to be 'a living work of art'.
Jeremy Bentham.
Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra.
Lady Castlemaine.
More recent - Diana Vreeland.

IsabellaofFrance · 12/04/2015 19:06

Katherine Swynford is my current obsession. After reading Anya Seton's fabulous book I was hooked.

Shoemakerelves · 12/04/2015 19:10

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Barry_(surgeon)

Also fascinating is the story of James Barry, the woman who lived her life as a man so she could become a surgeon.

In a similar vein I also wish the story of Pope Joan was real.

TheTravellingLemon · 12/04/2015 19:11

I love that book Isabella, I read it many many years ago and it inspired a love of historical fiction that is still going strong.

Shoemakerelves · 12/04/2015 19:20

This Thing of Darkness is a wonderful fictionalised recreation of Darwin and Vice-Admiral Fitzroy's friendship which was formed during the time they spent together voyage on the Beagle.

Admiral Fitzroy's story is by turns fascinating, compelling and his descent into oblivion whilst Darwin's star rises ultimately tragic.

JoffreyBaratheon · 12/04/2015 19:31

Shelley - been fascinated by him since I first read Richard Holmes' 'Shelley: The Pursuit', years ago. I like the contradiction of him being an aristocrat who was a revolutionary. Also an early veggie and atheist.

Also Keats. Just the sheer horror of having enough medical training to recognise his own symptoms and know he was dying and the drama of the horrible guardian who didn't even tell him he had money in Chancery, so he died in huge debt to all his friends, having been conned out of most of his money by his brother.

And the Luddites. They are fascinating. Not even certain everyone hung was a Luddite and all they were doing was trying to protect their livelihoods.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 12/04/2015 20:24

Michael Collins - my paternal grand father claimed to have met Collins several times, which was quite possible given that he himself took a very active role in the Irish War of Independence. So, that whole period and the people involved has always been fascinating to me.

Eamon De Valera is an intriguing character and I'm still not sure what to make of him.

I've always been interested in the life of Erskine Childers - a British national who converted to Irish republicanism and who played a key role in setting up the Free State. Sadly, like many others he was a victim to internal divisions and was executed in 1922. (His 1903 novel, The Riddle of the Sands was once voted among the Top 100 novels of all time by The Observer).

80schild · 12/04/2015 22:34

I love learning history through novels so as a result I love Charles Dickens, as a writer and social historian / comic of his times. - I have read all his books and find his life and times fascinating.

BlueChampagne · 12/04/2015 22:39

Another for Alexander the Great. Blame Mary Renault!