What questions do you have about stuff from History, or am I the only one?

[EverySongbirdSays]

Hi all, HQ here. We're moving this thread over to History Club now where Songbird will be starting a Part 2 thread for more History quizzical shenanigans

The main history thing I've been pondering for the last couple of days since the weather shifted is the history of clothes.

So... how did Early Man manage in the winter, how did they make clothes out of animal skin?

After that, I understand that clothes production as we know it today began with the industrial revolution.

But how did people manage for clothes you know before we had cotton or machinery

How/when did we realise you could knit wool to make a jumper?

I'm sorry if it's a bit of a stupid question

Has anyone got any stupid questions I might know the answer to ?

Considering all the fascinating periods of History that exist...

The Reformation, The Renaissance, The Civil War, The Early Church, The Normans etc.

What is it about the Tudors that makes them so often written about, dramatised and discussed. I know jack all about the Hanovers in comparison

And nothing about William and Mary and Queen Anne

srta

I used to go to the Westminster Garden of Remembrance every year and every year there was a lone tribute in one of the Great War 'slots', written in pen on those poppy stakes you can fill in yourself. 'For all the brave Beljun Soljers'.

People remember things.

This is why I use mumsnet even though I'm not a mum and don't intend to be. I heard it referred to as a coven of witches and thought "I want to check out this website!" because we all know that it's the smart interesting women who get labelled as witches! ;)

every being from N Ireland, sadly I know far too much about bloody William and Mary

treacle

How did we end up with a Dutch king, and why was he so interested in Ulster?

oh, you've put me on the spot a bit. I'm no expert, just that it is very much part of the history here!

Ok, as I understand it he had no particular interest at all in Ireland, it was just that that was where the battle occurred that ousted James II. I think it was all part of just part of the overall situation in Europe and trying to contain France. I think so anyway!

I love that even today the Viking influence is still obvious in northern England, in place names and occasionally (though dying out) the regional use of "thou" for "you" and other similar Norse influenced words. Language seemed to change quite slowly back in the day, it feels like it is changing very fast now

He was next in Line to crown after Jame II and his son with second wife - and James II second wife children Mary and ANN from his first marriage

Charles II had no issue with his wife and while his oldest bastard tried for the crown Jame II prevailed. Jame II turned catholic - panicked when public opinion turned and fled with wife and child.

Ann then put about idea that baby was not her brother but one bought in a bed pan - though others were present for the birth.

Charlies eldest sister married dutch prince - had William. William and Mary said would only reign jointly - so he kept English crown after she died then her sister Ann took over.

I'm less clear on Ireland other than they were mainly catholic - and may have favoured James II having the crown.

Do know the dutch brought over national debt idea - which help develop English economy.

And he came to be King of England because there were people within England who encouraged him to invade because they didn't want a Catholic on the throne.

I know that is a very very simplistic explanation of a much more complex situation though.

I thought William and Mary (together - our only co-regnants) were offered the throne because they were the only acceptable option that had a legitimate claim?

Williamandmary, to any "1066 And All That" fans (highly recommended if you want a quick, but irreverent overview of British history )

What is it about the Tudors that makes them so often written about, dramatised and discussed. I know jack all about the Hanovers in comparison

Excellent question. We seem to be fascinated by the Tudors for some reason. I don't know why tbh, there are plenty of other larger than life characters throughout our history.

Mary had a distant claim to the throne in her own right as well I think?

Basically William and Mary were first cousins - both with a good claim to English and Scottish crown - but not as good as Mary's new half brother who now had two catholic parents.

This is a pretty good summary of King Billy and the Battle of the Boyne

Ireland came into it because it was meant to be the base James would use to recapture the English throne, he was backed by France.

The were niece and nephew of charles II - one by oldest brother, Mary, and one by a oldest sister, William.

There were 2 and fourth in line after new baby of James II. Ann sister to Mary was in-between them. I'm pretty sure that is right.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_and_Mary

"Mary had a distant claim to the throne in her own right as well I think?"

It should have been just her throne really, (if you skip the Catholics) but he wanted it more than she did and she'd promised to obey him in her wedding vows apparently...so joint rulers, and the order of succession was to go their children, her sister if there were none and then his children with a second wife if they were none from Anne either.

But none of them had surviving children so George I got it instead.

Thank you for this thread. It is fascinating.

I've often wondered random things Like who invented cake. Or decided what different words meant.

How did the first translators translate other languages into English? Obviously of a French person points to a table and says the French word for it wed realise what they meant. But other words?

I guess the Tudors are the perfect blend of interesting people (Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Mary QofS..., Anne Boleyn...), genuinely history changing stuff (the Reformation), international intrigue and war (the Armada, alliances and conflict with Spain, France...), sex (affairs, accusations of incest, unconsummated marriages...) etc etc...

Do the Hanovers have all that? I think Henry VIII probably had the most profound impact on the UK since William the Conqueror and no-one since has matched him - though happy to be told about others that we should consider in the same vein!

They were back really far for George I - they went back to James 1 of England and 6 th Scotland Daughter descendants - her Daughter son.

Just to avoid all the Catholics - though I've read some account that suggest they skipped a few non Catholics as well.

I have just gone from the William and Mary page to the Queen Anne page

Christ it's upsetting. She was pregnant 17 times. SEVENTEEN. 15 of these were either stillbiths, miscarriages or died with an hour(s) of birth

Two girls who were two of her first 3 children made it to toddlerhood before being wiped out by smallpox.

The poor POOR woman.

Why don't we know more about Queen Anne? In general. Books, documentaries, plays.

Lots of English words have the same Latin root as the French - and of course Latin was a commonly used lingua franca amongst the clergy in the Middle Ages (and probably beyond), so they could fall back on that to understand difficult to translate words and concepts

Love love LOVE this thread. Free-ranging over Royalty, animal husbandry and domestication of animals, speech and language, food and hygiene and on and on.

Well done peeps [pistol fingers]