AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST

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Blood on the Sawdust: The Brutal World of Victorian BoxingEpisode Overview In this 9th Anniversary Special, we step out of the West End drawing rooms and into the blood-flecked, sawdust-covered floors of 19th-century “Fancy” public houses. Inspired by the depiction of East End street culture in A Thousand Blows, this episode explores the history of Victorian boxing—from the illegal bare-knuckle bouts of the Regency era to the gentrified, gloved sport codified under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules.

We examine how prizefighting evolved from a brutal survival strategy into a national obsession, the legal cat-and-mouse games played across county lines, and the medical and physical toll extracted from the fighters. We also dive into the remarkable life of international combat instructor Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery and uncover the overlooked history of 19th-century female prizefighters.

Key Topics Covered:

Housekeeping & AI Voice Policy: Why the podcast is permanently stepping away from AI-generated voice models in favour of human research, along with updates on replacement recording equipment and audio access.
The “Sweet Science” & Prizefighting History: How bare-knuckle fighting functioned as a mix of martial arts, local wrestling, and survival in an era where the body was often a worker’s sole asset.
The Structural Cage of the Law: The jurisdictional loopholes that allowed fights to flourish on county borders, and the evolution of legal precedents from R v Billingham (1825) to R v Coney (1882).
The Aristocratic “Fancy” & Early Pioneers: The rise of sports journalism via Pierce Egan’s Boxiana, and landmark international contests like the 1810 bout between Tom Cribb and former American slave Tom Molineaux.
Case Study – The Ruin of Harry Broome: Following the career arc of Harry Broome from his controversial match at Acorn Bridge to his defeat by Tom Paddock and his eventual death in poverty.
The Queensberry Transition: Why the introduction of gloves in 1867 was viewed with suspicion by working-class fighters, and how padded gloves inadvertently increased the long-term risk of chronic brain injury.
Gentlemen, Self-Defence & Martial Arts: Highlights from Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery’s C19th treatise Self Defence for Ladies and Gentlemen, including his views on boxing over firearms and his praise for female swordmasters.
Women in the Ring: The subversion of Victorian gender norms, focusing on the 1888 world championship bout between Hattie Leslie and Alice Leary, and the legal outrage that followed.

Sources & FootnotesAcademic Articles & Published Journals Anderson, Jack. “The Right to a Fair Fight: Sporting Lessons on Consensual Harm.” New Criminal Law Review, vol. 17, no. 1, 2014, pp. 55–75. * Betts, John Rickards. “Sporting Journalism in Nineteenth-Century America.” American Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 1, 1953, pp. 39–56. * Brayne, Hugh, Lincoln Sargeant, and Carol Brayne. “Could Boxing Be Banned? A Legal and Epidemiological Perspective.” BMJ, vol. 316, no. 7147, 1998, pp. 1813–15. * Burnett, John. A History of the Cost of Living. Penguin Books, 1969, pp. 219–220. * Cone, Carl B. “The Molineaux-Cribb Fight, 1810: Wuz Tom Molineaux Robbed?” Journal of Sport History, vol. 9, no. 3, 1982, pp. 83–91. * De la Cova, Carlina. “Cultural Patterns of Trauma among 19th-Century-Born Males in Cadaver Collections.” American Anthropologist, vol. 112, no. 4, 2010, pp. 589–606. * Di Méo, Grace. “Women, Gangs, and Criminal Networks: A Social Network Analysis of the Forty Elephants Gang.” Social Science History, vol. 50, 2026, pp. 1–25. * Early, Gerald. “The Black Intellectual and the Sport of Prizefighting.” The Kenyon Review, vol. 10, no. 3, 1988, pp. 102–17. * Godfrey, Emelyne. “Urban Heroes versus Folk Devils: Civilian Self-Defence in London (1880–1914).” Crime, Histoire & Sociétés, vol. 14, no. 2, 2010, pp. 5–30. * Gorn, Elliott J. “John L. Sullivan: ‘The Champion of All Champions’.” The Virginia Quarterly Review, vol. 62, no. 4, 1986, pp. 614–33. * Gorn, Elliott J. “The First American Championship Prizefight.” OAH Magazine of History, vol. 7, no. 1, 1992, pp. 19–23. * Huggins, Mike. “Reading the Funeral Rite: A Cultural Analysis of the Funeral Ceremonials and Burial of Selected Leading Sportsmen in Victorian England, 1864–1888.” Journal of Sport History, vol. 38, no. 3, 2011, pp. 407–24. * Juengel, Scott J. “Bare-Knuckle Boxing and the Pedagogy of National Manhood.” Studies in Popular Culture, vol. 25, no. 3, 2003, pp. 91–110. * Kerr, Douglas. “The Straight Left: Sport and the Nation in Arthur Conan Doyle.” Victorian Literature and Culture, vol. 38, no. 1, 2010, pp. 187–206. * McCrory, Paul. “Boxing and the Risk of Chronic Brain Injury.” BMJ, vol. 335, no. 7624, 2007, pp. 781–82. * McLeod, Hugh. “The ‘Sportsman’ and the ‘Muscular Christian’: Rival Ideals in Nineteenth-Century England.” Gender and Christianity in Modern Europe, edited by Patrick Pasture et al., Leuven University Press, 2012, pp. 85–105. * Monstery, Thomas Hoyer. Self-Defence for Ladies and Gentlemen: A Nineteenth-Century Treatise on Boxing, Kicking, Grappling, and Fencing with the Cane and Quarterstaff. Edited by Ben Miller, Blue Snake Books, 2015. * Moore, Louis. “Fit for Citizenship: Black Sparring Masters, Gymnasium Owners, and the White Body, 1825–1886.” The Journal of African American History, vol. 96, no. 4, 2011, pp. 448–73. * Obi, T. J. Desch. “Black Terror: Bill Richmond’s Revolutionary Boxing.” Journal of Sport History, vol. 36, no. 1, 2009, pp. 99–114. * Oswell, George E. “Antedatings of Some Prize-Fighting Terms.” American Speech, vol. 32, no. 2, 1957, p. 155. * Reynolds, Margaret. “‘In Chancery’ Again: Dickens and Prize-Fighting.” Dickens Studies Newsletter, vol. 14, no. 2, 1983, pp. 48–50. * Ross, Ellen. “‘Fierce Questions and Taunts’: Married Life in Working-Class London, 1870–1914.” Feminist Studies, vol. 8, no. 3, 1982, pp. 575–602. * Ross, Macintosh. “The Boxing Boys in Blue: Gloved Sparring and Bare-Knuckle Prizefighting in the Union Army, 1861–65.” Journal of Sport History, vol. 44, no. 3, 2017, pp. 438–55. * Ryan, James Emmett. “Fight Club, 1880: Boxing, Class, and Literary Culture in John Boyle O’Reilly’s Boston.” Journal of American Studies, vol. 54, no. 4, 2020, pp. 706–36. * Sandhu, Sukhdev. “London Calling.” AA Files, no. 49, 2003, pp. 50–56. * Siegler, J. “The Dangers of Boxing.” BMJ, vol. 307, no. 6900, 1993, p. 379. * Standen, Jeffrey. “The Manly Sports: The Problematic Use of Criminal Law to Regulate Sports Violence.” The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, vol. 99, no. 3, 2009, pp. 619–42. * Wood, Michael T. “Review of Prizefighting and Civilization… by David C. LaFevor.” Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos*, vol. 37, no. 3, 2021, pp. 479–81.

Legal Cases Cited R v Billingham (1825) * R v Perkins (1831) * R v Hunt (1845) * R v Coney* (1882)

Digital & Regional Archival Sources Chevallot, Isabelle. “18th and 19th Century Fight Club: The Beginnings of British Boxing.” Guildhall Library Blog, 2014. * Cox, Sarah Elizabeth. “A Quick Note on A Thousand Blows, Black Boxers in 1880s London, and ‘Woke History’.” Rediscovering the Wrestlers and Boxers of Late-Victorian London, 2025. * Faith-Kelly, Killian. “The True Story of A Thousand Blows‘ Boxing Behemoth Sugar Goodson.” British GQ, 2025. * Shrivenham Heritage Society. “The Prize Fights at Acorn Bridge.” Shrivenham Heritage Archive, Access Date May 2026. * WBAN Member Archive. “Hattie Leslie vs. Alice Leary: The Prizefight That Sent Victorian Era Buffalo into an Uproar.” Women Boxing Archive Network*.

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Episode Overview In the third instalment of our series on famine and revolution, we pull away the veil of headline numbers to investigate the visceral, human reality of the Great Hunger in Ireland. This is an exploration of a land filling with desperation, where the brutal biological mechanics of what happens when the human body begins to consume itself take centre stage. We examine the fate of a terrified people, facing ruin triggered by a disease that wreaked havoc on already weak economies.

From the folklore of the Fear Gorta to the harrowing clinical reports of the era, this episode explores how a society is transformed when it is blindsided by biological disaster and administrative indifference.

Key Topics Covered:

The Information Vacuum: Comparing our modern “Ocean of Information” to the terrifying silence of the 1840s, where the sickly sweet smell of rot was a mystery without an immediate answer.
The Folklore of Famine: Why stories like Hansel and Gretel and the Navajo Dine Bahane carry the genetic memory of starvation, and the specific Irish harbinger of death: the Fear Gorta.
The Structural Cage: A deep dive into the Rundale system and Gavelkind inheritance. We look at why the West was trapped in a cycle of subdivision while Ulster was shielded by the “Linen Shield” and Tenant Right.
The Biology of Starvation: Using modern metabolic science and contemporary medical records to explain the “Blue Nose,” the “Sunken Orbit,” and the terrifying reality of Autophagy—the body cannibalising its own architecture.
The Refeeding Trap: The physiological reason why a crust of bread could become a death sentence for a heart shrunken by atrophy.
Conspicuous Consumption: The stark contrast between the “Workhouse Swineries” and the elite social calendar, including the dinner menus of the Cork Harbour Regatta.
The Gregory Clause: How a single piece of legislation—the Quarter-Acre Clause—was used to engineer the clearances and force the starving into homelessness.
The Ledger of the Dead: Analysis of the 1851 Census and the 20–25% demographic erasure that redefined Ireland forever.

SOURCES

Historical Research & Modern Analysis

Delaney, Enda. (2020, December). “‘There But For The Grace of God Go I’: Middle-Class Catholic Responses to Ireland’s Great Famine.” The English Historical Review, Vol. 135, No. 577, pp. 1433–1460.
Donnelly, James S., Jr. (2002). The Great Irish Potato Famine. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
Guinnane, Timothy W. (1994). “The Great Irish Famine and Population: The Long View.” The American Economic Review, Vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 303–08.
Ó Gráda, Cormac. (2013, March). “Eating people is wrong: Famine’s darkest secret?” UCD Centre for Economic Research, Working Paper No. WP13/02.
O’Riordan, Edmund. (2018, May/June). “‘Every Delicacy of the Season’—Conspicuous Consumption During the Great Hunger.” History Ireland, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 26–29.
Poirteir, Cathal (Ed.). (1999). The Great Irish Famine. Dublin: Mercier Press.
Woodham-Smith, Cecil. (1962). The Great Hunger: Ireland 1845–1849. London: Hamish Hamilton.
Guinnane, Timothy W. “The Great Irish Famine and Population: The Long View.” The American Economic Review, vol. 84, no. 2, 1994, pp. 303–08. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2117848. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026

Scientific & Medical Analysis of Starvation

Anabtawi, O., & Valente, B. (2025, August 12). “The science of starvation: This is what happens to your body when it’s deprived of food.” The Conversation.
Donovan, Daniel. (1848). “Observations on the Peculiar Diseases to Which the Famine of Last Year Gave Origin.” Dublin Medical Press.
Keys, Ancel, et al. (1950). The Biology of Human Starvation. University of Minnesota Press. (References derived from the Minnesota Starvation Experiment).

Primary Documents & Government Records

Devon Commission. (1845). Report from Her Majesty’s Commissioners of Inquiry into the State of the Law and Practice in respect to the Occupation of Land in Ireland.
Hansard Parliamentary Debates. (1849). HL Deb 15 June 1849 vol 106 cc285-300. (Correspondence of the Earl of Clancarty regarding Ballinasloe).
O’Rourke, Canon John. (1875). The History of the Great Irish Famine of 1847.
Ridgway, James. (1847). The Irish Relief Measures, Past and Future.

Regional Studies & Files

Best, Barbara. (2025). “Local Female Orphans and The Earl Grey Scheme 1848-1850.”
Tobin, J. “The Famine in Ballyduff and the evictions of Arthur Usher Kiely.” Ballyduff Archive.
University College Dublin. (2024). “Hansel and Gretel’s famine folklore origins.” The Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure.

Folklore & Cultural Context

Dine Bahane. Navajo creation mythology regarding resource scarcity and survival.
Fear Gorta (The Hungry Man). Traditional Irish folklore regarding the personification of hunger.
Yoruba Mythology. Oral traditions regarding the “Leopards Famine.”

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SummaryWhile the Great Hunger in Ireland remains one of the most documented tragedies of the nineteenth century, the story of what happened across the Irish Sea in the Scottish Highlands is often overlooked or romanticised. In this episode, we strip away the Hollywood imagery of baronial halls and tartan myths to look at the real experience of the Highland Potato Famine of 1846.

We explore the “Geographic Trap” of the Highland Boundary Fault, the Coastal Squeeze of the Clearances, and the legal engineering of the 1845 Poor Law that left the starving with no right to relief. Using the latest research from Sir Tom Devine and Michael Lynch, we investigate the Empathy Gap between the absentee Landlords and the crofters clinging to the soil in the Western Isles.

As the “Year of Railway Mania” gripped the England and the Lowlands of Scotland, a biological rot was creeping north. This is a story of how a system that prioritised economic efficiency over human survival turned a bad harvest into a national catastrophe.

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In this episode, we discuss: The Geographic Trap: How the verticality and isolation of the Highlands created a “Social Silence.” * The Lumper Dependency: Why the potato became the biological linchpin of the Highland economy. * The Vanishing Middle: The removal of the Tacksman and the death of paternalistic kinship. * The Empathy Gap: The psychological distance between the “Managerial Class” and the poor. * The 1845 Poor Law: How the Scottish legal system was engineered to exclude the able-bodied from help. * The Arrival of the Rot:* The “sickly sweet” smell of 1846 and the biological collapse of the North.

Main SourcesCore Historical Texts

Devine, T. M. To the Ends of the Earth: Scotland’s Global Diaspora, 1750-2010. Allen Lane, 2011.
Lynch, Michael. Scotland: A New History. Century, 1991.
Lynch, Michael (Ed). The Oxford Companion to Scottish History. Oxford University Press.
Gray, Malcolm. ‘The Highland Potato Famine of the 1840’s’, The Economic History Review, Vol. 7, No. 3 (1955).

Crisis, Ideology, and Class Dynamics

Gray, Peter. ‘National Humiliation and the Great Hunger: Fast and Famine in 1847’, Irish Historical Studies, Vol. 32, No. 126 (2000).
Howell, David W. ‘The Land Question in nineteenth-century Wales, Ireland and Scotland’, The Agricultural History Review, Vol. 61, No. 1 (2013).
Porter, James. ‘The Folklore of Northern Scotland: Five Discourses on Cultural Representation’, Folklore, Vol. 109 (1998).
Stroh, Silke. ‘Racist Reversals: Appropriating Racial Typology in Late Nineteenth-Century Pro-Gaelic Discourse’, Gaelic Scotland in the Colonial Imagination (2017).

The Psychology of Wealth and the “Empathy Gap”

Loewenstein, George. ‘Hot-cold empathy gaps and self-control’, Challenges to Happiness: Perspective from Economics and Psychology (2005).
Miller, Lisa. ‘The Money-Empathy Gap’, New York Magazine (July 2012).

Primary Sources & Institutional Records

Hansard Parliamentary Debates. HC Deb 01 February 1847 vol 89 cc603-12. ‘Distress in Scotland’.
The Scotsman. ‘Editorial on the Highland Famine’, 14 November 1846.
Museum of Scottish Railways. A Short History of Britain’s Railways.
Knox. Social Structure and Land Tenure in Scotland, 1840-1940.

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Episode Summary: The Age of Victoria continues its 2026 “Famine & Revolution” series by stepping away from the political scandals of Lola Montez and into the microscopic world of a biological invader. In this episode, we begin our deep dive into the “Hungry Forties” by looking at the environmental and material foundations of the era. Using the “Longue Durée” framework of the Annales School, we explore the forces that dictate the fate of civilizations. We examine the “Malthusian Trap”—the point where surging urban populations outstripped the land’s ability to feed them—and why the humble potato was both the savior and the Achilles’ heel of the 19th-century economy.

Support the Show: This podcast is fiercely independent and relies on listener support to maintain access to academic archives and primary sources. To help us reach our goal of 25 paying patrons this month and keep the history deep, please join the crew at: Patreon.com/ageofvictoria

Key Topics Covered:

The Annales School & Fernand Braudel: Why history is more than just economics or the work of great people—it is the slow, grinding reality of the “Longue Durée”: climate, biology, and the material systems that constrain human action.
The “Biological Invader”: The science of Phytophthora infestans. How a fungus from the Americas managed to cross the Atlantic and “dissolve” the food supply of a continent.
The Malthusian Trap: A demographic analysis of the early 19th century. We look at the “tipping point” where population growth finally collided with limited agricultural resources.
Urbanisation & The Hinterland: How industrial mega-cities like London and Paris broke the traditional link between people and their food sources, creating a precarious global supply chain.
The Chemistry of the Potato: Why the potato was the “perfect” industrial crop—producing more calories per acre than any grain—and why its monoculture became a death trap.
The Global “Hungry Forties”: Debunking the myth that the famine was a localized event; tracing the “Pandemic of Rot” as it moved from the USA to Belgium, Prussia, Scotland, and Ireland.

Works Cited & Sources:

Donnelly, James S., Jr. The Great Irish Potato Famine. (A principal source for the socio-political impact and the progression of the blight).
Braudel, Fernand. The Structures of Everyday Life: The Limits of the Possible. * Allen, Robert C. The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective.
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel.
Bairoch, Paul. Cities and Economic Development: From the Dawn of History to the Present.
Wrigley, E.A. Poverty, Progress and Population.
De Vries, Jan. European Urbanization, 1500–1800.
Grigg, David. The Agricultural Systems of the World: An Evolutionary Approach.
Flinn, M.W. Scottish Population History from the 17th Century to the 1930s.
Vaughan, W.E. and Fitzpatrick, A.J. Irish Historical Statistics: Population 1821–1971.
Bhardwaj, Raju Lal et al. “An Alarming Decline in the Nutritional Quality of Foods.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 13,6 877.
Clark, Stuart. The Annales School: Critical Assessments.
Trinder, “Britain’s industrial revolution.” pp575-602
https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/royal-agricultural-society-of-england/
https://victoryseeds.com/pages/potato-famine
Allen, Robert C., The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective.
Gráda, Cormac Ó. “The Lumper Potato and the Famine.” History Ireland, vol. 1, no. 1, 1993, pp. 22–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27724042. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Solar, Peter M. “Why Ireland Starved and the Big Issues in Pre-Famine Irish Economic History.” Irish Economic and Social History, vol. 42, 2015, pp. 62–75. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26375915. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

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The Age of Victoria returns for the 2026 season with a high-energy prologue to our new series, “Hunger and Revolution”. In this episode, we follow the “magnificent, terrible, magnetic” Lola Montez as she transitions from the stage to the high-stakes world of European politics. Lola becomes an “accidental bunch of dynamite,” moving through the bohemian circles of Paris and the royal halls of Munich. Her volatile relationship with the “rockstar” composer Franz Liszt and her scandalous influence over King Ludwig I of Bavaria serve as a sparking point for the unrest that would soon consume the continent. Against the grim backdrop of the “Continental Famine” and rising industrial tensions, we examine how one woman’s individual actions could help bring the curtain down on the pre-modern age.

Key Topics Covered:

Bohemian Paris in the 1840s: A city of romance and industry undergoing a transformation marked by early railway stations, gas streetlights, and artistic experimentation.
Lisztomania and the Great Composers: Exploring the electric performances and scandalous love life of Franz Liszt—the “rockstar” of the 19th century—who redefined the status of the artist in society.
The Duel of Dujarier: Lola’s time in the French literary scene alongside figures like Victor Hugo ended in tragedy when her lover, journalist Alexandre Henri Dujarier, was killed in a reluctant pistol duel.
The “Gallery of Beauties”: A look at the 36 oil paintings in King Ludwig’s collection, where Lola’s portrait eventually sparked a national scandal.
The Continental Famine: Examining the “parallel story” of the 1845–1847 potato blight across Europe that fueled the urban discontent leading to the 1848 revolutions.
The Fall of Munich: The student riots at the University of Munich involving the “Lolamannen,” the exile of Montez, and King Ludwig I’s ultimate abdication.
“The Battle of Ballarat”: A summary of Lola’s later years, including her infamous whip-fight with a newspaper editor in the Australian goldfields.

Works Cited & Sources:

Edmund B. d’Auvergne: Lola Montez: An Adventuress of the ’Forties (Project Gutenberg).
Dictionary of Irish Biography: “Gilbert, Eliza Rosana (Lola Montez)” by Lawrence William White.
Schloss Nymphenburg: “King Ludwig I’s Gallery of Beauties (Room 15).”
Interlude.hk: “Life of Chopin: The Controversial Chopin Biography by Liszt” by Emily E. Hogstad .
Interlude.hk: “The Spy who loved me! Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth”.
Dance Biographies: “Alexandre Henri Dujarier” & “The Fascinating Lola Montez: The European Years.”
State Library Victoria: “Wild times with Lola Montez” (The Battle of Ballarat).
Elizabeth Kerri Mahon: “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets: The Racy Life of Lola Montez.”
Oktoberfest.de: “The History of Oktoberfest”.
Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions: “Economic Crisis in the first half of 1847” (Ohio.edu).

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Christmas is here, and after a brief hiatus due to a hectic workload, Chris Fernandez-Packham returns with the traditional festive special. This year, we raise a glass to the Victorian origins of the cocktail—a “Golden Age” of social and technological evolution that saw the transition from traditional British punches to the precision of the American “sensation-drink”. From the “Ice King” who shipped New England ponds to Calcutta to the middle-class women of Chicago claiming public spaces one Manhattan at a time, we explore how spirits, science, and social change collided. We conclude, as always, with a classic Victorian ghost story: The Shadow in the Corner by M. E. Braddon.

Key Topics Covered:

The Original Manuals: Comparing Jerry Thomas’s legendary Bar-Tender’s Guide (1862) with the defensive British response in Drinking Cups & Their Custom (1869).
The Science of Bitters: The medicinal origins and industrialization of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters.
Technological Breakthroughs: How the Coffey Still revolutionized spirit consistency and Frederic Tudor created the global ice trade.
Cocktails and Gender: The role of the cocktail in helping middle-class women claim public spaces in 19th-century Chicago tea rooms.
New Orleans Chemistry: The multicultural melting pot that gave us the Sazerac, the Absinthe Frappé, and the labor-intensive Ramos Gin Fizz.
Royal Habits: Queen Victoria’s daily Scotch-and-wine habit and her curious refusal to use ice.
Festive Ghost Story: A reading and analysis of The Shadow in the Corner by M. E. Braddon.

Works Cited & Sources:

Jerry Thomas: The Bar-Tender’s Guide / How to Mix Drinks.
Henry Porter & George Roberts: Drinking Cups & Their Custom (1869).
Emily A. Remus: “Tippling Ladies and the Making of Consumer Culture” (The Journal of American History).
Angostura Bitters: “Our Story”. https://angosturabitters.com/our-story/
Scotch Whisky Magazine: “Whisky Heroes: Aeneas Coffey”.
Statista: “U.S. Alcohol Consumption Per Person”.
Big Edition: “Queen Victoria’s Food Habits”.
Smithsonian Magazine: “Did New Orleans Invent the Cocktail?”.
“A Brief History of Ice.” The Alcohol Professor, 19 Mar. 2018, www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/blog/2018/03/19/a-brief-history-of-ice. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
“Commercial Ice – Cambridge Historical Society.” History Cambridge, historycambridge.org/innovation/Ice.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
“Planning and Control in the 19th Century Ice Trade.” Accounting Historians Journal, vol. 11, no. 1, Spring 1984, egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1196&context=aah_journal. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
The Ice King: https://fee.org/articles/frederic-tudor-the-entrepreneur-who-brought-ice-to-calcutta/
Sazerac Recipe and History. New Orleans & Company, www.neworleans.com/drink/cocktails/sazerac/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
“The Sazerac Story.” The Sazerac Company, www.sazerac.com/our-company/our-story.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
“What is a Coffey Still?” Whiskipedia, 22 May 2020, whiskipedia.com/fundamentals/what-is-a-coffey-still/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
The Emergence of New Orleans Cuisine.” The American Menu, 5 June 2024, www.theamericanmenu.com/2024/06/the-emergence-of-new-orleans-cuisine.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
“History of Craft Cocktails in NOLA.” Where Y’at New Orleans, 20 Nov. 2024, www.whereyat.com/new-orleans-craft-cocktail-history. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
“History of the Cocktail.” New Orleans & Company, www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/history/the-history-of-the-cocktail-and-new-orleans/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

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Larger-than-life, scandalous, and unforgettable – Lola Montez blazed across the Victorian stage and into the history books. But who was she really? A glamorous dancer, a political influencer, a femme fatale, or simply a woman determined to seize control of her own life in a world that demanded obedience?

In this episode of the Age of Victoria Podcast, we dive into the extraordinary story of Maria Delores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert – better known as Lola Montez. From her unconventional childhood in India to her explosive marriage, her reinvention as a Spanish dancer, and her stormy debut on the London stage, Lola’s life was anything but ordinary.

We’ll explore the myths, the scandals, and the darker truths – from public whippings and political intrigue to the constant reinvention of her own identity. Was Lola a heroine of independence, a dangerous adventuress, or both?

Join me as we meet the Magnificent Montez, explore her early life and set the stage for her dazzling – and often destructive – career across Europe and beyond.

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Episode SummaryIt’s the 8th anniversary of The Age of Victoria Podcast! Join your host Chris Fernandez-Packham as he celebrates this milestone with a very special episode dedicated to one of the most unforgettable rogues of Victorian historical fiction—Sir Harry Flashman.

In this reflective and richly detailed episode, I explore the character of Flashman, the brilliant mind of his creator George MacDonald Fraser, and how the Flashman Papers have become an unconventional yet insightful lens into the Victorian world.

Expect deep dives into:

The real history behind the Flashman novels
Fraser’s impeccable historical research and cheeky literary hoaxes
The balance between historical truth and fiction
Flashman’s infamous “heroism” in key Victorian conflicts like the First Anglo-Afghan War, the Charge of the Light Brigade, and the US Civil War
A who’s-who of real Victorian figures Flashman bedded, betrayed, or bewildered

Whether you’re already a fan of Flashy or new to this bawdy, cowardly antihero, you’ll leave with a richer understanding of Victorian hypocrisy, heroism, and how luck and PR shaped the Empire’s image.

Key Topics Covered The Flashman Papers* and their place in historical fiction * George MacDonald Fraser’s approach to mixing fact and satire * Flashman’s accidental heroism in major Victorian conflicts * Victorian attitudes toward Empire, honour, and race * Antiheroes in literature and why they matter * Fraser’s links to his own military past and colonial nostalgia * Victorian culture, music, and the role of press in myth-making

Quotable Moments

“If I had been the hero everyone thought I was, or even a half-decent soldier, Lee would have won the battle of Gettysburg…”

“Like them or not, the Victorians strode the stage of history in glorious technicolour.”

“Some of the most interesting people in history—and in fiction—are really awful in some ways.”

Further Reading & Mentions The Flashman Papers* series by George MacDonald Fraser * Fraser’s interview with historian Saul David * Historical figures discussed: Lord Cardigan, Rani of Jhansi, Abraham Lincoln, Lola Montez, and more * British colonial history and the forgotten 14th Army of Burma * Music: “Garryowen” and its curious journey from Ireland to the US Cavalry

Join the Celebration!Thanks to all the listeners who’ve joined the journey over the last 8 years. If you’ve found the show informative, entertaining, or just a good companion on long walks, please consider sharing it or leaving a review.

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INDIA SERIES 10

In this episode of The Age of Victoria Podcast, your host Chris Fernandez-Packham takes a deep dive into the personal and social side of the British presence in early Victorian India. With the wars of the frontier temporarily behind us, we explore what it really meant to travel to India during the 1840s—not as a soldier, but as a settler, civil servant, or family member.

From the monotony of months-long sea voyages to the complexities of Anglo-Indian identity, this episode is packed with insights, untold stories, and plenty of surprising realities about imperial life.

Episode Highlights:
The long, difficult voyage to India—rats, scurvy, seasickness, and cramped cabins.
Life aboard ship: class differences, gender restrictions, and DIY cabin prep tips.
Settling in India: Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay as key British hubs.
The social fabric of Empire: Anglo-Indians, cultural fusion, and community tensions.
Museums, mapping, and the start of Britain’s permanent cultural footprint in India.
The rise of steamships and the decline of the old East Indiamen sailing ships.
The paradox of empire: boredom, brutality, ambition, and adaptation.

Key Takeaways:

(I) Empire wasn’t just built by armies—it was built by administrators, families, and everyday people.

(II) Travel to India in the 1840s was a daunting journey, often filled with discomfort and danger.

(III) Anglo-Indian identity and integration were far more complex than the tidy labels of race and class suggest.

(IV) British settlers and Indian society deeply influenced each other in ways that still resonate today.

Next Episode Teaser:
We’ll continue our look at early Victorian India, focusing on the settlers themselves—their backgrounds, motivations, and the lives they built in a land both foreign and familiar.

Host’s Note:
A big thank you to listener HRW13 for the kind review (and fair feedback)! Spotify access should now be fixed, and as always, your support means everything.

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INDIA SERIES 09

Episode Summary:
The British Empire does not take humiliation lightly. In this episode, we follow the Army of Retribution as it storms back into Afghanistan to rescue prisoners, avenge the disastrous retreat from Kabul, and send a clear message to the world. But was it all just an expensive, bloody display of imperial pride?

Episode Highlights:
General Pollock’s stunning victory at the Khyber Pass—breaking a long-standing military myth.
The dramatic rescue of British prisoners, including officers, women, and children.
The controversial destruction of Kabul’s grand bazaar—vengeance or war crime?
General Nott’s relentless battles in Kandahar.
The war’s ultimate failure—thousands dead, nothing truly gained.
The rise of Sir Charles Napier and Britain’s next imperial adventure in Sind.

Key Takeaways:

The Army of Retribution was about restoring military prestige, not long-term strategy.
Afghanistan remained outside British control, but the empire proved it could strike hard when provoked.
The British were already shifting their focus—India’s northwest frontier was just one piece of a larger imperial puzzle.

With Afghanistan behind them, the British set their sights on Sind. Enter Sir Charles Napier, a man who would Expand the empire in his own unique style.

Host’s Note:
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review or consider supporting on Patreon to keep the show going.

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INDIA SERIES 08

Happy 2025, and welcome back! In this episode, we conclude our deep dive into the 1st Anglo-Afghan War with one of the most infamous military disasters of the Victorian era—the catastrophic retreat from Kabul in 1842. As British forces, led by the indecisive General Elphinstone, attempted to escape through the freezing Khyber Pass, they faced relentless Afghan attacks, starvation, and total collapse.

Episode Highlights:
The disastrous leadership of General Elphinstone and Sir William MacNaughten.
The brutal winter retreat and the suffering of British troops and civilians.
The last stand at Gandamak—courage, chaos, and ultimate defeat.
The survival of Dr. William Brydon and the myths surrounding the retreat.
How this catastrophe shaped Victorian imperial policies and perceptions of Afghanistan.

Key Takeaways:

Leadership failure can turn a bad situation into a total catastrophe.
The realities of empire-building were far bloodier and more chaotic than the myths suggest.
The First Anglo-Afghan War left a lasting legacy, shaping British military thinking for years to come.

Next Episode Teaser:
Stay tuned as we explore the British response to this defeat—because when an empire stumbles, it rarely stays down for long.

Host’s Note:
Thank you for your ongoing support! If you’re enjoying the series, please leave a review and consider joining our Patreon community.

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Get ready for a holly-jolly dive into Christmas history! In this special episode, I unwrap how the Victorians shaped the modern holiday, turning it into a celebration of family, charity, and festive cheer. From Prince Albert’s Christmas trees to the rise of Santa Claus, discover the origins of the traditions we know and love today. Plus, enjoy a classic Victorian ghost story to complete the holiday magic!

Episode Highlights:
How the industrial revolution made Christmas possible.
The Victorian invention of “ancient traditions” (like Christmas cards).
The birth of Santa Claus and his merger with Father Christmas.
Victorian holiday pastimes: poems, ghost stories, and more.
A chilling Victorian ghost story to end the episode.

Key Takeaways:

Christmas, as we know it, is a product of Victorian modernization and commercialization.
Cultural evolution transformed Christmas into a global phenomenon of joy, family, and charity.
Traditions like Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, and holiday cards have complex and fascinating histories.

Stay tuned for more historical deep dives in the new year. Thank you for a wonderful season of learning and laughter!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our listeners! Thank you for your support through a challenging year. We’re excited to bring you even more content in 2025. Cheers to the journey ahead!

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INDIA SERIES 07

Episode Summary:
In this dramatic episode, we unpack the chain of events that led to the catastrophic unraveling of British occupation in Kabul during the First Anglo-Afghan War. From strategic blunders to leadership failures, General Elphinstone’s indecision turns a precarious situation into full-scale disaster. Listen to the cautionary tale of how poor planning, arrogance, and hubris can unravel even the mightiest empires.

Highlights:

Flawed Occupation Strategy: Mismanagement of finances and diplomacy stoked rebellion.
The Fall of “Agent 00Burnes”: The assassination of Alexander Burnes ignited unrest among Kabul’s population.
Indecision in Command: General Elphinstone’s hesitations worsened an already dire situation.
Military Blunders: Failed offensives, logistical failures, and poor morale among British troops.
Historical Parallels: Comparing the First Anglo-Afghan War to modern conflicts in the region.

Key Takeaways:

Effective leadership is critical in crisis management.
Misunderstanding local dynamics and culture can have disastrous consequences.
Historical lessons from imperial conflicts remain relevant today.

Next Episode Teaser:
In our next installment, we follow MacNaughten’s ill-fated attempts to negotiate a resolution and the devastating aftermath of his decisions.

Host’s Note:
Thank you for your patience as I navigate some personal and health challenges. Regular episodes will resume next year with exciting content and bonus shows. Your support means the world—cheers to the journey ahead!

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This episode continues the exploration of the Anglo-Afghan War, focusing on the British occupation and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Key topics covered include:

Death of Sir Henry Durand: The episode begins by discussing the tragic death of Lt. Henry Durand, a prominent British officer, who was crushed by an elephant while passing through a low gateway.
The British Army: The episode provides a brief overview of the ranks of the British Army during the Victorian era.
The attempted return of Dost Mohammed: Dost Mohammed, the former Afghan king, returns to Afghanistan and begins to gather forces to challenge British rule.
British Mistakes: The episode highlights several critical mistakes made by the British, including the establishment of a vulnerable cantonment and the appointment of an incompetent commander.
Ruling by Fear and Western Views on Oriental Despotism: The episode discusses the British belief in the need to rule through fear and intimidation in Asian countries, reflecting Western views on “Oriental despotism.” This approach proved to be counterproductive and further alienated the Afghan population.
General Elphinstone: The episode highlights the incompetence and poor leadership of General Elphinstone, who was appointed to command the British forces in Afghanistan despite his lack of experience and health problems.
Growing Hostility: The Afghan population becomes increasingly hostile towards the British, fuelled by cultural clashes, economic hardship, and the perception of British arrogance.

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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This episode focuses on the continuation of the British invasion of Afghanistan in 1839. Here are the key things I cover:

British capture Kandahar: The poorly prepared British army, led by Generals Keane and Cotton, struggles through deserts and mountains but manages to capture Kandahar with little resistance. Shah Shuja is reinstated as king, but the locals are not enthusiastic.
Difficulties and discontent: The British underestimate the logistical challenges and the hostility of the Afghan people. Food shortages, inflation, and a lack of military intelligence create problems for the British.
Siege of Ghazni: The heavily fortified city of Ghazni stands in the way of the British advance. Despite lacking siege equipment, the British launch a desperate night attack led by Lieutenant Durand and his engineers. After a fierce battle, the British capture the city following a bloody urban warfare.
British brutality: The capture of Ghazni is marred by a brutal rampage by British and Sepoy troops who loot the city and commit rape and murder.
Fall of Dost Mohammed: The fall of Ghazni and illness of his son force Afghan king Dost Mohammed to flee Kabul and negotiate with the British. He proposes a power-sharing deal that is rejected by the British.
Arrival of Shah Shuja: Shah Shuja returns to Kabul as king, but has no real support from the Afghan people. The British establish a military presence in the city.
British incompetence: The episode concludes by highlighting the poor leadership and outdated tactics of the British army.
Next episode: The upcoming episode will delve into the disastrous failures of the British occupation and their eventual retreat from Afghanistan.

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Welcome to the podcast! I’m recording this episode on the 1st Anglo Afghan War while dealing with selling my house and going through a divorce. The podcast is a great escape for me during these difficult times.

Quick housekeeping:I’m pleased to welcome new patron Matt Anderson as a Loveable Chimney Sweep. Update on transcripts: I’ve been working on fully footnoted transcripts back to episode 32. Apple Podcasts now automatically produces transcripts for all episodes, which is great for accessibility. Today we’re continuing our series on the invasion of Afghanistan. If you haven’t listened to episodes 054-056 yet, start there first.

Prelude to the invasion:The First Anglo-Afghan War is remembered as a great military disaster and a masterclass in bad political decision-making. I discuss how this war doesn’t fit neatly into typical frameworks like colonialism or imperialism. The British goal was to install a friendly king as a buffer, not to rule directly.

Different world viewsI explore the concept of Orientalism and how it applied to British views of Afghanistan at the time. We look at quotes from British envoys and compare them to Roman descriptions of Germanic tribes, noting similarities in how “frontier” peoples were viewed. I discuss the Afghan perspective and capabilities, including their use of the jezail rifle.

The key British players introduced:* Lord Auckland (Governor General) * Sir William Macnaughten (Secretary to Governor General) * Alexander Burnes (British agent) * Sir John Keane and Sir Willaby Cotton (Generals leading the invasion force)

Professionals talk logistics
I detail the enormous logistical challenges of planning the invasion, including assembling troops, supplies, and animals. The invasion force had to take a longer desert route instead of the Khyber Pass, covering over 1,200km on foot.

Hunger and missed opportunities
The army starts to starve, and has to force the grim Bolan pass

Next episode:
We’ll follow the army as it pushes deeper into Afghanistan and attempts to put Shah Shuja on the throne.

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you.

You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com,
follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria,
visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com.

The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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Introduction:

Welcome, everyone, to The Age of Victoria Podcast!
Today marks a special milestone – our 7th anniversary!
I’m incredibly grateful for your continued support and enthusiasm over the years.
In this celebratory episode, we’re diving into a fascinating topic: the reality of Sherlock Holmes, despite his fictional origins.
We’ll also explore the core of Holmes’ character and finish off with my top 5 Sherlock Holmes movies and TV series.

Segment 1: Is Sherlock Holmes Real?

Discussing the intriguing philosophical question: Can a fictional character be considered real?
Exploring the concept of “literary realism” and how Sherlock Holmes has transcended fiction to become a cultural icon.

Segment 2: The Core of Sherlock Holmes’ Character

Analyzing the essential traits that make Sherlock Holmes an enduring character:
- His unparalleled intellect and powers of observation.
- The importance of his friendship with Dr. John Watson.
- Holmes’ unique personality quirks and eccentricities.
- The moral and ethical dimensions of his detective work.
Discussing how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle developed Holmes’ character through the stories.
The evolution of Holmes over time and his adaptability to different eras and media.

Segment 3: My Top 5 Sherlock Holmes Movies and TV Series

Sharing my personal favorites and why they stand out:
1. Jeremy Brett (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1984-1994 Granada TV Series) – Featuring the iconic and definitive portrayal of Holmes.
2. Peter Cushing (Various adaptations, including Hammer Films and BBC series) – Known for his intense and meticulous interpretation of the character.
3. Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes, 2009 Film) – Directed by Guy Ritchie, showcasing a dynamic and action-packed Holmes.
4. Ian Richardson (The Sign of Four, 1983 & The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1983 TV Films) – Bringing a classic and sophisticated portrayal to the small screen.
5. Tom Baker (The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1982 BBC TV Film) – Offering a unique and memorable take on Holmes, distinct from his Doctor Who fame.
Discussing the strengths and unique interpretations of each adaptation.
Encouraging listeners to share their favorite Holmes adaptations and why they love them.

Closing:

Wrapping up with a heartfelt thank you to all the listeners who have supported the podcast over the past seven years.
Inviting feedback and suggestions for future episodes.
Reminding everyone to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

Outro:

Thank you for joining me on this special 7th anniversary episode of The Age of Victoria Podcast.
Remember to stay curious and keep exploring the fascinating world of the Victorian era.
Until next time, take care and keep the spirit of adventure alive!
If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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SHOWNOTES:

EP056 INDIA SERIES 03 THE AFGHAN FRONTIER

Introduction* + I discuss enjoying Easter treats like nut-free eggs and binge-watching Shogun. * + Shout out to Two Broads Cider on the west coast of the U.S. * + Note about using some AI voice clips in the previous episode * + Welcome to new Patreon supporter Sean Spada

Main Topic: The Borders of Victorian India and Afghanistan* + Victorian Views on Borders/Imperialism * + Importance of defined borders to nation-states vs. historical blended territories * + Empires tended to use geographic features like rivers/mountains as borders * + Motivations for expanding empire borders: security, resources, preventing rival expansion * + Debate around British motivations – security concern vs. aggression

Geography of Afghanistan* + Overview of Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain and extreme climate variations * + Significance of the Hindu Kush mountain range and Khyber Pass * + Historical importance as a crossroads along Silk Road trade routes + Challenges the terrain posed for military movement/supply lines

Main topic: Afghan culture* + Predominantly Muslim, but rich cultural diversity beyond Taliban stereotypes * + Alignment between conservative Victorian and Muslim values in some areas * + Debate around female dress codes and varying interpretations * + Primacy of tribal/kinship affiliations over national identity * + Ethnic groups like Pushtuns and history of conflicts with groups like Sikhs * + Afghan Border Security Concerns for Britain

Main topic: Preventing Russian expansion from Central Asia into India* + Recent history of Afghan rulers invading India (Mughals) * + Unease over Russian/French intrigues to court Afghan allies against Britain

Main topic: The Adventures of Sir Alexander Burnes* + Early life and join the East India Company’s military * + Daring diplomatic missions mapping rivers and intelligence gathering * + Writing bestseller “Travels into Bokhara” about his experiences

Main topic: Burnes’ Afghan Mission (1836-1838)* + Dispatched to Kabul to monitor Russian influence * + Built relationships with Afghan leaders like Dost Mohammad Khan * + Recommended installing Shah Shuja as British-friendly ruler * + Laid groundwork for the disastrous First Anglo-Afghan War * + Views dismissed by Sir William Macnaghten in favor of war hawks

Main topic: British Decision to Invade Afghanistan* + Fears over Dost Mohammad allying with Russia/Persia against Britain * + Failure to reach terms protecting British interests * + Plan to depose Dost and reinstate former ruler Shah Shuja * + Overconfident manifesto expecting quick regime change * + Inability to concede to Dost’s demands over Peshawar and Sikh rivalry * + Declaration of War!

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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In today’s episode, I’m taking you on a journey back in time to explore the Honourable East India Company (EIC), focusing on its monumental role during the Victorian era. We’ll dive deep into its interactions with the Mughal Empire, its profound influence on art, the Maratha Wars, and the governance under Governor Hastings. Join me as we uncover the legacy of what was once the world’s most powerful corporation and its foundational impact on the British Empire in India.

Introduction

I start with a brief overview of the EIC’s origins and its meteoric rise to power, setting the stage for a saga of commerce, conquest, and culture.
I reflect on the company’s unique status as a corporate behemoth wielding the might of a sovereign nation.

The Victorian Era and the EIC

I delve into how the EIC evolved during the Victorian era, influencing and being influenced by British colonial policies in India.
I share thoughts on Victorian society’s fascination with India, from tea to textiles, and how this shaped British culture and perceptions.

Art and the East India Company

Art holds a mirror to history, and in this segment, I explore the EIC’s impact on art in Britain and India.
I discuss the patronage of Indian artisans by the company and the introduction of Indian aesthetics to the British isles.
Highlighting notable artists and works, I reveal stories of cultural fusion that still resonate today.

The EIC and the Mughal Empire

The declining Mughal Empire presented both an opportunity and a challenge for the EIC. I recount how the company navigated this complex relationship to expand its territories.
Key battles and treaties illustrate the delicate dance of diplomacy and warfare.

The Maratha Wars

The Maratha Wars were a turning point for the EIC. I share insights into the military engagements that reshaped the Indian subcontinent’s power dynamics.
The outcomes and strategies of these conflicts offer lessons in resilience and strategy.

Governor Hastings

Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, is a figure of controversy and reform. I take a closer look at his tenure, exploring his reforms, the controversies he was embroiled in, and his contributions to the EIC’s dominion in India.
Reflecting on Hastings’ legacy, I ponder the complexities of governance and morality in the context of empire.

Conclusion

I wrap up by considering the enduring impact of the EIC on both India and Britain, contemplating the historical lessons we can draw from this extraordinary chapter in global history.

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In this year’s festive episode, dive into the enchanting world of Victorian curiosities and captivating storytelling.

First, join me for a mesmerising 10-minute journey through intriguing Victorian trivia, unraveling captivating tales from an era of innovation and eccentricity. From lesser-known facts to enthralling historical anecdotes, this brief exploration sheds light on the unique essence of the Victorian age. Discover the astonishing details behind events like the Sonning cutting railway disaster, providing a glimpse into the quirks and tragedies of the time.

Following this insightful introduction, the episode unfolds into a spellbinding narrative as I take listeners on a literary adventure. Prepare to be transported to the ethereal realm of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Phantom Rickshaw.” Through my evocative reading, experience the haunting and gripping tale set against the backdrop of colonial India, where love, tragedy, and the supernatural intertwine in a captivating narrative.

I invite you to immerse yourself in the essence of the Victorian era, uncovering its mysteries and indulging in the timeless allure of storytelling.

Join me for a delightful holiday treat as to celebrate the spirit of Christmas in the grandeur of Victorian storytelling, painting vivid landscapes and evoking emotions that transcend time.

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To become a patron on Patreon, CLICK HERE

Join me as I embark on a captivating journey through India’s vibrant history and cultural intricacies during the Victorian era. Join me as I start uncover the complexities of the Victorian’s in India.

Delve into some fascinating transformations of place names that shaped India’s identity during this era. Explore the reasons behind these changes and their enduring impact on the country’s cultural fabric.

I provide a succinct yet comprehensive overview of India’s history up to the Victorian era from cave paintings to the first great civilisation.

Explore the simmering tensions between Hindu nationalism and the Muslim population, dissecting the socio-political nuances that left an indelible mark on Victorian-era India and continue to resonate today.

Immerse yourself in the diverse geographical landscapes that define India, from the majestic Himalayas to the tropical coastlines. Explore how India’s geography intertwined with its history and Victorian experience

Finally discover an intriguing array of potential topics that will be further explored in upcoming episodes. From the East India Company’s influence to social reforms, industrialization, and cultural exchange, oh and of course sex and cricket.

To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name.

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In this episode I’ll delve into the fascinating world of Prince Albert, the consort to Queen Victoria. I’ll explore his significant role in transforming Buckingham Palace, his artistic endeavors, his influential involvement in redecorating the Houses of Parliament, and the controversial dismissal of Baroness Lehzen.

In the early 19th century, Buckingham Palace was in a state of disrepair. Prince Albert, however, had a grand vision for the royal residence. He saw it not only as a home for the monarchy but as a symbol of British culture and innovation.

Prince Albert’s reforms included architectural updates, the incorporation of modern amenities, and a focus on art and culture within the palace walls.

Prince Albert’s influence extended beyond Buckingham Palace. His involvement in the extensive redecoration of the Houses of Parliament left an indelible mark on the iconic building. Learn about the aesthetic choices, architectural improvements, and the political implications of Prince Albert’s contributions to the Houses of Parliament.

In a surprising turn of events, we’ll discuss the controversial decision by Prince Albert to dismiss Baroness Lehzen, Queen Victoria’s trusted governess and advisor. Uncover the reasons behind this decision, the impact it had on the royal household, and the reactions from Queen Victoria and the court. This episode will explore the political intrigues surrounding this event, and his first huge argument with the Queen, with its implications for the monarchy.

I will also take you through the birth of the unique British art scene in the early Victorian era, the importance of Raphael and Fresco’s, and the influence of William Dyce, as British art steps onto the world stage.

Thanks for joining me. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I did! Don’t forget to subscribe and share the Age of Victoria Podcast with your fellow history enthusiasts. Until next time, keep exploring the past and embracing the knowledge it offers.

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com.

The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria.

Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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I’m excited to take you on a journey through time today as we cover Queen Victoria’s first pregnancy & child. Together, we’ll delve into the intriguing world of historical events, focusing on the remarkable early reign of Queen Victoria and the dramatic affairs that unfolded during this era. Recap Starting with a recap of the […]

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Celebrating 6 years of the podcast. I delve into the world of detectives in England during the 1840s. It’s time to explore the fascinating development of Victorian detective work, and how it was used to solve some of the most notorious crimes of the era, including the Bermondsey Horror.

I begin by looking at the emergence of detectives in England during the early 19th century. Learn how detective work evolved from the work of primitive thief-takers and the Bow Street Runners, and how the creation of the Metropolitan Police in 1829 helped to professionalize the field of criminal investigation.

Then I’ll show how one of the most sensational crimes of the era: the murder of Daniel Good in 1842, turned into the catalyst for the new kind of policeman – the detective. I’ll show how the case showed a desperate need for detectives as an essential part of the criminal justice system, but also highlights the barbarity of the Victorian public execution. Then I’ll put it all in context, bringing together changes in society & technology, set against the background of crime & then look at what kind of people these early detectives were.

With the detectives in place, I’ll help you explore another gruesome crime that shocked Victorian England: the Bermondsey Horror of 1849. A descent into the slums together together to see detectives working tirelessly to unravel the mystery of the crime, and. We’ll also discuss how the case highlighted the darker side of Victorian society, including poverty, vice, and crime.

Finally I’ll show you the inevitable outcome of the crime; a scaffold and a rope. I’ll help you understand the fear of the victim and criminal to leave you to muse philosophically on crime and the death penalty.

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This is the final episode in the series on Charles Darwin’s five-year journey aboard the HMS Beagle. I delve into Darwin’s impressions of Australia and the European contact history during his visit in 1835.

Episode Highlights:

Arrival in Australia: After months of sailing, HMS Beagle arrived in Sydney, Australia, in January 1836. Darwin was fascinated by the diversity of flora and fauna that he encountered upon his arrival. He marveled at the unique wildlife, including kangaroos, platypus, and various species of parrots, which were vastly different from what he had seen in other parts of the world.
Interaction with Indigenous People: During his time in Australia, Darwin also had the opportunity to interact with the indigenous people. He was struck by their unique cultures, customs, and ways of life. He observed their hunting techniques, studied their tools and weapons, and learned about their rich spiritual beliefs and traditions. However, Darwin also noted the detrimental effects of European colonization on the indigenous populations, including the loss of land, resources, and cultural heritage. Darwin reflected on the impact of colonization on the local ecosystems, including deforestation, introduction of foreign species, and disruption of natural habitats.
Scientific Observations: As a naturalist, Darwin made extensive scientific observations during his time in Australia. He collected specimens of plants, animals, and fossils, and conducted studies on geology, zoology, and botany. His observations and collections from Australia provided critical evidence for his later work on the theory of evolution, including his groundbreaking book “On the Origin of Species.”
Impacts on Darwin’s Thinking: Darwin’s time in Australia had a profound impact on his scientific thinking. He witnessed firsthand the rich biodiversity and complex ecosystems of the continent, which contributed to his understanding of the interconnectedness of life on Earth. He also witnessed the consequences of human activity on the environment and indigenous cultures, which influenced his ideas on adaptation, natural selection, and the fragile balance of ecosystems.
Keeling Islands: During his voyage on HMS Beagle, Darwin also visited the Keeling Islands, a remote group of coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, which are now known as the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Darwin was fascinated by the unique ecosystems of these islands, including the diverse marine life and the complex interactions between coral reefs and their inhabitants. He conducted extensive studies on the geology, flora, and fauna of the islands, and his observations contributed to his understanding of the formation and evolution of coral atolls, as well as the adaptation of species to their environments.
Mauritius: Darwin’s journey then took him to Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. During his time there, he studied the island’s rich biodiversity, including its unique flora and fauna. He was particularly interested in the giant tortoises of Mauritius, which were endemic to the island and had a significant impact on the local ecosystem. Darwin’s observations of the extinct dodo, a flightless bird that once inhabited Mauritius, also provided important insights into the concept of extinction and the vulnerability of species to environmental changes. His time in Mauritius further enriched his understanding of the interplay between species, ecosystems, and environmental conditions.
Reflections on His First Three Years Back in England: After his voyage on HMS Beagle, Darwin returned to England in 1836 and spent the next three years reflecting on his experiences and conducting further research. He meticulously documented his findings and worked on analyzing the vast amount of data he had collected during his voyage. He corresponded with fellow scientists, including botanists, geologists, and zoologists, and shared his observations and ideas. Darwin also continued to explore and study specimens from his collections, including fossils, plants, and animals, which further deepened his understanding of the natural world.
Evolution vs Religion: During this period, Darwin also faced challenges in reconciling his scientific discoveries with his religious beliefs, as his observations on the voyage had challenged traditional Christian views on the origin and diversity of life. His thoughts on evolution and natural selection began to take shape, and he started to develop the framework for his groundbreaking theory of evolution, which he would later publish in his seminal work, “On the Origin of Species.”
The voyage home: Charles Darwin’s voyage on HMS Beagle to Australia, the Keeling Islands, and Mauritius was just the beginning of his remarkable scientific journey. His reflections and research during the first three years back in England after his voyage were crucial in shaping his groundbreaking theories on evolution and natural selection. Darwin’s scientific legacy continues to influence our understanding of the natural world and remains a cornerstone of modern biology, making him one of the most significant and enduring figures in the history of science.

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This is episode four of series on Charles Darwin’s five-year journey aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin arrived in Tahiti in November 1835 and spent a month there. He was struck by the beauty of the island and its people, whom he described as “the finest race of savages in the world.” He was particularly impressed by their hospitality, noting that they were “good-tempered and cheerful, honest and obliging.” Darwin also observed the Tahitians’ social customs, such as their elaborate tattoos and their practice of polygamy.

Learn about his time on the island, the start of European colonisation, and the coming of Christianity. Conflict and conquest cast a shadow over Tahiti’s future. European contact with Tahiti had immense consequences for the Tahitians. It brought new technologies and goods, such as firearms and textiles, but it also introduced diseases such as smallpox, which decimated the population. See how European visitors and traders exploited the Tahitians, leading to conflict and resentment. There was also the immense impact of the London Missionary Society, and the spread of Christianity. Missionaries viewed Tahiti less as paradise, and more as a place of vice and paganism.

Despite these challenges, the Tahitians maintained their distinct culture and way of life. Darwin’s visit to the island provided a glimpse into their world and contributed to his understanding of the diversity of human societies. In 1842, France claimed Tahiti as a protectorate, and in 1843, it established a naval base on the island. This led to a series of conflicts between the French and the Tahitians, culminating in the French Tahitian War in 1844.

Darwin’s visit was a window into a vanishing world. Join me as we cover Darwin’s time in paradise and learn about the last decade of independent Tahiti before the arrival of the French in the 1840s.

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The world can be a dangerous place. For explorers like Darwin to see the treasures of nature, they had to go boldly to the ends of the world. Join me as Darwin sails into savage and stormy seas, and find breathtaking beauty.

Intro.
The lonely lands of Tierra Del Fuego.
Isolation.
A fragile speak on a vast stormy sea.
The Beagle Channel
Into the Pacific
Chile & the great quake
Exploring the Andes
More evidence – the scientific data mounts up
Onwards to the Tortoises
Of tortoises and more interesting animals. If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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Listener Philip volunteers with a children’s history club and for homework my club have been doing independent research projects and presentations on a topic of their choosing and one group decided to about Victorian London. Their presentation went well and it was so interesting. Everyone learnt a lot! One of the students, Alice has suggested this is a great article on Big Ben. Thank you Alice!

https://www.jomashop.com/blog/articles/big-ben-the-history-of-the-worlds-most-famous-clock

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January is here, and we are all feeling poor after Christmas. Time to talk about money. This is the first in a series of minisodes on Victorian money. To get things started we are looking at Victorian Coins. The age of gold, silver, sound money, and not having two farthings to rub together

Intro, thank you’s and reviews.
Choosing a topic
Its pre-decimal so I’m going slightly mad
Remember this long list of coins
This is not a very difficult question – time for some maths
Some problems with the coins
A matter of design; florins, shillings, and silver six pence
A stunning Gothic Silver Crown
What’s money worth in tough times?
Looting the Summer Palace
Is imperial loot really priceless?
Victorian coins in practice
Victorian coins have some drawbacks
Liquidity, mental maths, and not enough change. If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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Christmas is here, so we really need to watch Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” but how to choose the best version? Sentimental? Accurate? Musical? This episode has got you covered;

Intro, thank you’s and reviews.
A little reminder of the essentials
Honourable mentions
Pick a film, any film
A traditional ghost story.

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Darwin’s great voyage of discovery continues. The ancient past was a vast mystery, with many claiming that God alone was the explanation for all things. As Darwin travelled and jotted his observations in his little notebooks, he began to lift the veil on the ancient past. New species, now long vanished, were discovered. Darwin began […]

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Darwin, and his Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection; in this podcast we’ve covered the creation of the new settler Empire and the transition to the new energy form of coal & steam, then the railways, but Darwin had a bigger impact on civilisation than even those. This episode is the start of a series […]

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Just for fun, here’s a fiendishly difficult pub quiz which has been requested by many listeners. Good luck!

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The death of Queen Elizabeth II is a momentous event in modern British history. This special episode contains some facts about her life, reflections on events, thoughts about King Charles III, the Royal Finances, the constitution, national decline, the Commonwealth, and possibilities for the future. This episode covers; Intro Birth, coronation & television WW2 & […]

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The essential guide to the Victorian class system. There was more to being middle class than drinking tea, and the working class weren’t all up the Chimney. From the well dressed footman, to the Haymarket prostitute, to the pie seller, and duke. All of Victorian life is here. This episode covers. Intro. A discussion of […]

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This much requested episode deals with the important but fun topic of women’s clothes and fashions in the 1840s. If you want to understand how a Victorian woman dressed and why, this is the episode for you. This episode covers. Intro & reviews. The importance of dressing well. We don’t do business casual. Victoria, a […]

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This episode deals with the real and harrow position for women during with contraception, pregnancy, and abortion in the Victorian era. Campaigners like Annie Besant attacked the patriarchy, and fought for the right to be heard. Women risked their lives getting dangerous abortions, in constant fear of the law, whilst the great scandal of the […]

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This is the famous work “Fading Away” by Henry Peach Robinson. He took 5 different negatives and put them together to form one stunning photo of a girl dying surrounded by family. It was highly controversial. Many critics complained that it was essentially a fake, whilst others bitterly attacked the intrusive nature of the photo on […]

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Deveria was a noted photographer and cataloguer of French Egyptology. He was vital in a key expedition with Auguste Mariette in 1859 which excavated Karnak.

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Moulin was, like Braquehais mostly known for his female nudes. These were called Academies and used for artists. Moulin skated the line with pornography and was jailed for a month for the possession and sale of obscene objects. He was released and continued his photographic career. He travelled and took photo’s, as well as photographing […]

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This is one of many of Bruno Braquehais’s female nudes, which were used as still life’s for artists in place of live models. It was intended for art classes and would not have been viewed as pornographic. It was probably colourised by his wife Laurie.

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This Daguerreotype was taken at a studio in Brighton. The photographer was probably William Constable, working under a daguerreotype license from Richard Beard. It is extremely faded, and would have been far sharper when first taken. It was the first photo of a member of royalty in world history, and underlined Prince Albert’s fascination with modernisation.

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This anniversary is a memorable event and naturally deserves to be photographed by the paparazzi. But what was the story of the invention of the photograph, and how did it become a Victorian icon? A story filled with invention, persistence, a lot of daring do, and possibly holding back some manly tears. Not to mention […]

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Our dive under the covers continues. How did sex and religion come together in the Victorian era? How was the bible such an influence on men & women’s sexuality? Should a religious Victorian be having sex? Some evolutionary pitfalls, social problems and a couple of wedding nights to talk about. This episode covers. Intro & […]

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Why yes, we will be asking what Victoria did with Albert. We will be asking about the how’s and why’s of Victorian sex & sexualities. There’s a lot to say, so we are getting started with just how reserved were they really, and did the have a lot of sex? This episode covers. Intro & […]

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What could be more of a traditional Victorian Christmas than carols by candlelight with an orchestra, piano and harp? Quite a bit actually. Victorian piano’s were a late addition and the carols were a really new thing. Find out how carols and piano’s go together like new age German synth and wannabe edgy 20 somethings. […]

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Marriage isn’t easy, even in the early days, especially a royal marriage. It’s even harder if you are an intellectual who dabbles in cutting edge music, but your wife only thinks of you as a sex object. It wasn’t easy being Albert. Victoria had a lot of on her plate too, what with being a […]

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An ancient tradition, but surely one that the Victorians didn’t celebrate? Wrong, they did celebrate. Oh boy was it a big dangerous, flaming drunken party of a holiday. Join me to explore a Victorian Halloween. This episode covers Intro & reviews. The birth of Halloween. The ancient rites. Religion & superstition. The loss of the […]

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With the hardships of the voyage across the ocean over, the settlers had to build a life in South Africa. An unsettled land, with slavery, war, opportunity, growth and social conflict, early colonial South Africa was no paradise for the rich and idle of Britain. For the lucky and hard working, their were opportunities and […]

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An empire lives on the backs of people; its own or those it conquers. For the British, South Africa needed colonists to clear the forests, build the farms, and man the armies. But getting them from Britain to South Africa was no easy task. Learn about the hard start to a colonists voyage from the […]

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The story of the British Empire in South Africa continues. The first battles were being won, but the cost was blood on the soil, spilt by the British and shed by the native peoples as well as the soldiers in red. This episode covers Intro & reviews. Col Graham and the imperial mindset. Warfare is […]

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Drum roll then because it is time to meet Victoria herself.
I want to emphasise now that it was originally unlikely that the young girl would go on to be Queen. The Hanoverian and British King George III had four legitimate male children. His oldest, George would be the Prince Regent and later King George IV. He would be despised as few other English monarchs. He had married to his Catholic mistress in a secret ceremony before eventually marrying the Protestant Princess Caroline. The couple would come to hate each other with a passion almost unequalled in royal history. The Prince was loathed by a huge number of his subjects. Princess Caroline was given more sympathy, including by Jane Austin.
If you listened to my previous episodes on the Mt Tambora eruption and the subsequent climate disasters they unleashed which lead to famine and mass epidemics, as well as the episode on the Peterloo massacre of 1819, you will know that he took the Maria Antoinette line of letting them all eat cake. He had compounded this with his immense spending and love of fashion whilst the people starved in poverty. He seems to have approved of the repressive measures of his Prime Minister Lord Liverpool. His carriage was stoned on one occasion, so it wasn’t just his wife who loathed him. The fickle British public turned on her when the Regent became King and he barred her from the coronation.
They did manage to have a daughter, during the marriage, Princess Charlotte. She was the legitimate heir to the Throne, since the legions of illegitimate children of the various Hanoverian Dukes were excluded. When she married Prince Leopold of Coburg, the nation rejoiced. Princess Charlotte was being fetished into the perfect future monarch, an antidote to her hated father George IV. He and Charlotte had a difficult relationship and there were times when he treated her with appalling viciousness. One area where he did pay her attention was when it came to using her to wring money out of the public purse to keep her in the style the Hanoverians had become accustomed to. Lord Liverpool eventually agreed to an allowance of £50,000, plus £10,000 for the Princesses maids, and an addition £60,000 pound for furniture. This was the kind of figure that was undreamed of by almost the entire population, and could have easily paid for and outfitted a full ship of the line – sort of like if the US decided to spend the cost of an aircraft carrier on a Presidents 4 year wages. Since this was at the height of the year without summer, and the massive famines, it was incredibly resented. Her wedding dress cost an additional £10,000.
Still, unlike her father at his wedding, she and the groom were deeply in love. Popular adulation of the couple reached a fever pitch. Prince Leopold was unlike the Regent; he didn’t have rages and spend recklessly or turn into a belligerent drunk. You might want to remember Leopold, the man who was almost King because he will pop up in this podcast more than once as Victoria’s Uncle Leopold.
I’d like to point out that if you only know about the Prince Regent from the old Blackadder show, s3 when he was played as a loveable idiot by Hugh Laurie then this might be shocking. Blackadder went easy on him. That’s because TV can’t make a main character too unlikeable otherwise you won’t support them. Usually the way they do it is by making a nasty person a bit stupid, a bit out of touch and more self centred than nasty. That works for TV, but it hides the real character of the historical person. The people of Britain in 1819 would probably have absolutely killed to have the Blackadder version.
The real Prince Regent was vain, arrogant, totally selfish, petty, spiteful, clever, vindictive and ultra conservative. He was also obscenely impatient for his father to die so he could be king. Astonishingly the Duke of Wellington loathed him, and considered him worse than Louie XVIII. When he eventually became king, he weighed 245 pounds, was addicted to Opium and had a 51” waist. He was a huge Jane Austin fan, purchasing Sense and Sensibility before it was released and offering her suggestions for improvement, but she hated his guts. Plus telling Jane Austin how to write is the ultimate piece of Mansplaining.
His wife said he was a bad king but would have made a great hairdresser. He certainly had an eye for art, and he was at least responsible for a large part of the exquisite restoration and redesign of Windsor Castle. He had the overall Gothic design rolled out to the whole building, including increasing the height of the grand tower, more striking battlements, new towers, new apartments, new grand corridors and a riot of incredible styles inside the rooms. Work wasn’t finished till after his death, but the modern skyline of Windsor Castle is down to George IV. Typically of him it cost an absolute fortune whilst the poor continued to starve and suffer.
As I said in the previous main episode on Peterloo, even after the massacre he was immensely unpopular and was the subject of vitriolic attacks in the press and from reformers. I mentioned the vicious satire that went on after the massacre targeting the despised Prince Regent.
Princess Charlotte soon fell pregnant and the nation was enraptured. She was determined to please her serious husband and live up to his ideals. That included the always popular habit of promptly settling bills rather than running up debts. The increasingly fat and unhealthy Prince Regent would surely not live a long life and now the heir was on the verge of having an heir. Leopold shrewdly used the opportunity to press his sister, Victorie on one of the Prince Regents Brothers, The Duke of Kent.
The future seemed rosey. Disaster struck during the pregnancy. Princess Charlotte was weak and listless. The royal doctors argued and Sir Richard Croft took over sole treatment of the patient. He decided what was needed was to reduce the weight of the baby and mother, so a rigorous course of diet and bleeding was required. In November a long labour stretched to 36 hours. A nearly starved Charlotte lost all her energy by the end. The doctors panicked. They came to the view forceps would be needed, but the lack of sterility meant these often killed even no one understood why. No doctor wanted to be blamed for killing the only legitimate heir to the throne. Almost inevitably the poor child was still born.
Only after birth did the doctors decide to do something. They tried to remove the placenta with their bare hands and gave the grieving Leopold a powerful sedative. He would not wake up in time to see his wife’s agonising death. Charlotte was left alone after the birth in an act of breath taking complacency. She later woke in incredible pain and died bleeding badly. The nation was plunged into grief and despair. Bryon would include lines in his great poem Child Harold about the event.
That sounds like medical incompetence and we will often see during the podcast that Royal medical care was usually bad because the doctors were appointed for the wrong reasons and were too busy sucking up to their patient to do the job properly. Still we haven’t been into the history and life story of these doctors. Plus their tools and medical knowledge lacked some of the most important parts of modern medicine like germ theory. Picture some men dressed a little like Mr Darcy in a Jane Austin adaptation with nothing more than brandy, needle and tread, forceps, scalpels and clamps, and perhaps a tincture of poppy juice. That’s not much to work with for a modern doctor during a difficult labour. Let alone with Regency era medical knowledge. They had no ultra sounds or even a basic stethoscope. Sir Richard Croft never recovered from the experience. At another difficult birth, he broke down, took out a pistol and blew his brains out.
The nobility were equally upset, except for the Prince Regents surviving brothers. The race to be the first to produce a legitimate heir to the throne was on.
Ok, let’s break that down a bit. The Prince Regent couldn’t produce a legitimate heir unless he could divorce the wife he loathed and re-marry. He would be King if he outlived his father, but the throne would have to go to a legitimate brother. Historian Kate Williams notes in her excellent book “Becoming Queen”
The King was wailing in madness at Windsor and the Prince Regent was estranged from his wife. Unless the Prince or one of his siblings had a child, the Hanoverian line would be at an end. It has been calculated that George III had an astonishing 56 grandchildren but did not have one legitimate heir. The vision of Charlotte had sustained the people through the direst years of the Regency. Without her all hope seemed gone. [END QUOTE]
The nation was horrified. The Prince Regents daughters were all too old to have children. I’m afraid this means we need to pause and have a look now at the complex family tree of the Hanoverians. At the top we have George III. The mad king. I emphasise mad, because the spectre of his madness would haunt the family & be used as a weapon against Victoria.
He had four legitimate sons.
Since the Royal Marriages Act 1772 said the sons could only marry with Royal Approval, which would never be given for the marriage to a mistress, they were unmarried and not producing legitimate heirs. Succession was by Primogentiure. The Throne passed to the sons in order of birth, then passed to the daughters in order, going down the line. So a king with 2 sons means that the eldest son gets the throne, but if he dies childless it would then go to his brother. If however the son who inherited the throne had a daughter, she would inherit the Throne, but if she had a younger brother it would skip down to him.
For us then, remember that the Prince Regent was 1st in line for the Throne, then Frederick, then William, then Edward. You can see how dramatically an heir would change things for the individuals in a family.
The Duke of York was estranged from his wife. He would be heir presumptive for a while when the Prince Regent became George IV, but died too soon. He is mostly remembered for the Nursery Rhyme “The Grand Old Duke of York” which is totally unfair since he did in large part reform the army & much of the Napoleonic British Army was a result of his activities. History can be like that, and at least everyone will remember him. The Duke of Sussex was in an illegal marriage so ruled himself out.
That left the Dukes of Clarence, Cambridge, and Kent as possibly able to produce a legitimate heir. This wasn’t a trivial thing. The monarchy was the central foundation of the constitution, albeit that most functional power rested with Parliament. A vacant throne could lead to anything from minor squabbling to all out European war as various claimants appeared out of the woodwork.
The brothers were all hated almost as much as the Prince Regent. The thought of the brutal Ernest, Duke of Cumberland becoming King seemed terrifying and he was surrounded with rumours of murder and incest. Of them all, the Duke of Kent was regarded as probably the best. All of the brothers had illegitimate children, so surely if they married at least one would produce an heir at least. Parliament was also adamant – “Get on with it” As soon as Charlotte died, the brothers were pressed to get married.
First off when the starting gun fired was the Duke of Cambridge, who proposed to Augusta Princess of Hesse-Cassel in 10 days.
William, Duke of Clarence aged 52 quickly followed with a marriage to Princess Amelia of Saxe Meinengen despite him being in love with another woman who he had got involved with after jilting his long term mistress and another suitor. Princess Amelia was only 25. Still she was intelligent, kind and willing to be step mother to the Dukes 10 illegitimate children. Her patience must have been nearly saintly.
In 1814 Ernest, Duke of Cumberland married Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz but the pair were intensely disliked and their daughter was still born in 1817. Dark rumours surrounded them concerning murder, and their daughter had been still born.
Finally the Prince Edward, Duke of Kent entered the race. He had been eating breakfast with his long term mistress Thérèse-Bernardine Montgenet when they learned from the paper of the prospect of all the brothers racing to marry, with the Duke of Kent ’s name linked to some of Leopold’s sisters. The Duke of Kent naturally reassured his lover of 28 years that he would never, ever leave her. Nice try there but we all know how that’s going to turn out when the throne of the United Kingdom is up for grabs.
It was vital for the dukes, all of whom had been living in massive debt, & were expecting the public to bail them out eventually. Even the rockiest rock of the establishment, bastion of the old order par excellence and supporter of Loius XVIII, the Duke of Wellington considered them The damnedest millstones about the necks of any government that might be imagined. [END QUOTE]
Still, someone had to be put on the Throne. If not one of the Dukes with a child, then to whom could the nation turn? A foreign duke? An English one? A descendent of the House of Stuart? One of the Habsburg’s? All of these prospects were fraught with immense difficulties. Could England by wrecked by a War of English Succession as Spain had been. Were England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales really ready to play the Game of Thrones? Was England to become a battleground for Austria, Prussia and Spain with rival claimants. Would thousands die, fortunes be drained and fields burnt by rival claimants & continental mercenaries & adventurers? Could the United Kingdom splinter like Italy? The country was in dire straights as you know from the Mt Tambora & Peterloo episodes I did. To add a war of succession would have been catastrophic.
To ensure stability the Duke of Kent was adamant that he was prepared to make the supreme sacrifice of becoming King or father of the heir. He was doing it for his country, trusting only that they would give him a generous allowance and pay off his small debts as he called them, which was frankly stretching the term small. He had a genuinely mixed military record ranging from being AWOL, to being brave enough to be mentioned in dispatches & receiving the thanks of Parliament for his West Indies campaign, and he did excellent military & civil engineering work in Nova Scotia. But he was trained as a harsh disciplinarian, perhaps against his natural character. This lead to him being sent to Gibraltar to restore order to the forces there, only to tip them into outright mutiny with his brutality. In fairness, things were already especially bad there so it was perhaps unavoidable. His mistress stood by him through all this, making the later abandonment of her particularly harsh.
Victoria’s father did have good qualities. He was brave, self disciplined, and according to the Duke of Wellington, he was an excellent public speaker. He was 6’ tall, tough, well muscled & didn’t live a wild life of drinking and parties like his brothers. He was a bit of a romantic. He had smuggled love letters for Princess Charlotte to Leopold, and seems to have been her favourite uncle. He was a patron of 53 charities, he was a liberal as understood in the early C19th, intelligent, and interested in good government unlike his brothers. He supported popular education, Catholic emancipation, and the abolition of slavery. Princess Victorie had rebuffed him once before Charlotte died when he was secretly hunting for wives behind his mistresses back to get himself out of debt.
The death of Princess Charlotte changed things immensely. The Duke was penniless but in line for the throne. He was in robust good health and confident he would outlive his dissolute brothers. Leopold was determined his sister would marry the Duke. Intense negotiations followed and Victorie finally agreed once her terms were met. It long shot as it was with all the other brothers, but who knew, maybe she would be Queen of the United Kingdom or at least the Queen Mother.
Victorie was a fine match. She got points straight away for not being French or having any Napoleonic attachments. She was from Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, that had suffered from Napoleon’s snatch of Germany territory, but was Protestant, known to be fertile and had a pleasant personality combine with a cheery nature, rosy cheeks, brown hair and a plump short figure. They soon found themselves, against the odds, actually in love. In later life Queen Victoria read her mothers notebooks after the Duchess died, and was amazed by How very, very much she and my beloved father loved each other. Such love and affection, I hardly knew it was to that extent. [END QUOTE] As a digression, the sad thing about quoting Victoria’s diaries is that it can’t show you the wonderful emphasises that she does in her text with underlining and italics that show you that she was probably writing just how she would have spoken.
Whilst Parliament was pleased with marriages, it was not happy with paying large allowances. The Prince Regent redoubled his efforts to get a divorce from his hated wife.
On 29 May in 1818 the Duke and Duchess of Kent married in Coburg in Germany, then returned to England. The Prince Regent had agreed to have the wedding solemnised at Kew by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Theythen moved back to Germany to save money, escape the Dukes growing debts and make the Duchess Victorie happier.
This might surprise you, but the couple actually seemed to have a happy marriage. The Duke was patient with his wife’s poor English, he gave her affection and she seemed to enjoy having a man to rely on. He enjoyed her good looks, her connection to Leopold and even congratulated himself on having treated his mistress so well during the breakup, although I don’t think she entirely agreed.
The Duke was happy to go to Germany, and now we introduce some really key players in Victoria’s early life. Princess Victorie had a daughter from her previous marriage named Feo dora, who would be Victoria’s half sister, and the Duke of Kent brought to the family ensemble a 32 year Irishman called Sir John Conroy. If you have even a passing knowledge of Victoria’s childhood and life you will know what an immense impact he would have on her.
News came in November 1818 that the Duke of Clarence’s child died after a premature birth. The Duke of Kent knew that they had to get back to England now to put their expected child into the limelight. Sir John Conroy was an efficient organiser and sorted the trip so in March 1819, despite being 8 months pregnant, the Duchess of Kent travelled to England on the royal yacht, grudgingly sent by the Prince Regent.
After a short 6 hour labour, the Duchess of Kent gave birth to a health baby girl. The event was witnessed by the Duke of Wellington, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the future Prime Minister George Canning, the Duke of Sussex and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Duke of Kent himself. No one would be able to question the little girls legitimacy or the circumstances of her birth at 16:15 on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace. She was 5th in line to the throne. A series of unlikely deaths brought her to the throne.
The family and relatives were overjoyed. The baby was described as a
pretty little princess, as plump as a partridge [END QUOTE]. The Duchess of Kent was delighted. She even decided to breast feed the baby. This really wasn’t common for noble women at the time and probably caused a few raised eyebrows. It also had the critical effect of delaying any further pregnancies.
Ironically very nearby in Saxe-Coburg, the sister in law of Leopold and the Duchess of Kent gave birth to a boy called Francis Charles Augustus Albert Emmanuel better known to history as Prince Albert, delivered by the same obstetrician Frau Charlotte Siebold. He was Victoria’s first cousin. The Duke of Kent was thrilled with having a healthy daughter, and was happy to boast about it.
The Prince Regent was less than thrilled about hearing the news. The Prince Regent might be fat, hated, ill and often heavily dosed with laudanum but he could still manage to be spiteful. He declared the child would only get a small christening. No dress uniforms or public celebrations. This was a big slap in the face for the Duke of Kent. In an age when symbolism really, really mattered, forcing a low key minor ceremony denied the Kents and the child the proper level of ceremony that was due their social rank.
Much to the Prince Regents irritation, Tsar Alexander of Russia offered to sponsor the child and even the Prince Regent couldn’t outright reject the powerful Tsar.
The Tsars intervention made the naming difficulty. Originally she was going to be named Victorie Georgiana Alexandrina Charlotte Augusta. Now at this point you are probably thinking, “Hang on, you are supposed to be telling us about Victoria, the English Queen. Are you sure you’ve got the right baby? She sounds like a German aristocrat with connections to Russia.” I hear you metaphorical listener. But bare with me here. We really have got the right baby. That or Barry Allen has been messing with the time lines again.
Anyway the night before the christening the Prince Regent decided he wasn’t happy with the name. He couldn’t put his feminised name ahead of the Tsars name, only the actual King could do that without giving offence. But being the Prince Regent and frankly a bit of a dick, he wasn’t going to go after the Tsars name either so he did what he did best. He made it all about him and told everyone he was going to choose the names. Charlotte as a name was out for a start. Which you can at least understand due to the grief of losing his but still.
Not that he made up his mind quickly. At 15:00 on 24 June 1819, the actual heir to the English throne and all the guests including the Archbishop of Canterbury were in the Cupola Room at the christening in Kensington Palace waiting on the name. I like to think of the Archbishop there, in his absolute finery, dropping hints about how this would be a lot easier if the baby had an actual name for this event. He probably said he would even notte spelling.
The Prince Regent decided she was going to be called Alexandrina. The Duke of Kent asked if she could have a second name, as you know was the custom and we did give you a long list remember. How about Elizabeth the Duke suggested. That’s got pedigree. The Prince Regent said no, reducing the Duchess of Kent to tears, and then he virtually snapped and said Give her the mothers name also then, but it cannot precede that of the Emperor. [END QUOTE] So if any of you are still baffled by why the whole country hated the guy, it is stuff like this.
Importantly for us though, the little girl and possible heir to the Throne had a name; Alexandrina. Future Queen Alexandrina of England. Wait, what? Ok well the full name was Alexandrina Victoria. According to Historian Kate Williams at a lecture she gave in Winchester, the name Victoria was chosen as the mothers name Victorie was French and so to Anglicise it and turn it into Latin it had to be turned into Victoria. Which is the first time the name is ever used in England. Seriously, Queen V was always going to be a trend setter. Not that anyone called her Queen yet, or V or even Victoria. When she was a baby her mother referred to her as “Vickelchen.” Mostly she was called by her nickname “Drina” short for Alexandrina. When she became Queen she decided to adopt Victoria as a regnal name and drop the Alexandrina. Like everything else in her childhood, things had been rough and unfair to the little girl. We will find out more next time.
Before we go then, I’ve got some scheduling announcements. As you know, it is December and Christmas is a big thing for the family & I. So I will be releasing some kind of short episode just before Xmas – I’ve got an idea or two up my sleeve.
There will not be a release of a main narrative show till February. I simply won’t have time over Christmas to sort it out. So the next main show will be on 01 February. I’ll try to give you a nice minisode in January to tide everyone over. If I can grab a enough time I’ll also try to start re-mastering the first three episodes of the show.
Right, I’ll get on with the Christmas show, wrapping presents, and doing my new role at work, which is incredibly challenging. One day I might do a podcast series on it or write a book for posterity.

The post TRANSCRIPT: EP017 A QUEEN (VICTORIA IS BORN) appeared first on AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST.

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In this show we are going to cover one of the key events in the lead into the period of Victoria’s life. It was very much a pebble that started a landslide throughout the Victorian era. We will be talking about Manchester and the Peterloo massacre.

The United Kingdom in 1819 was not a happy place. In fact it teetered on the brink of disaster. If you’ve listened to my episodes on the year without summer 1816, and heard about the climate disasters that caused food shortages and famines world wide, then you will know that not only was Britain struggling with a post Napoleonic War slump, but it was doing it during a period massive climate disturbance. Against the backdrop of all the daily struggles, a historic even occurred. The notorious Peterloo Massacre.
Against the backdrop of all the struggle, a historic event occurred. The notorious Peterloo Massacre. Food rioting had continued since 1816 as desperate people tried to get food. Remember when I say desperate, I mean really desperate because they and their families were literally starving to death with no prospect of employment, and when I say people I mean huge portions of the population.
There was a popular song written in the 1820’s called “Hand Weavers Lament” sung quite often by the Lancashire weavers that captures the feeling of the masses during the period up to 1830. You gentlemen and tradesmen, that ride about at will, Look down on these poor people; its enough to make you chill, Look down on these poor people, as you ride up and down. I think there is a God above will your pride quite down. Chorus You tyrants of England, your race may soon be run.You may be brought to account for what you’ve sorely done. You pull down our wages, shamefully to tell. You go into markets and say you cannot sell and when that we do ask you when these bad times will mend. You quickly give an answer ‘when the wars are at an end’ [END QUOTE]
Well the wars were over, but times were desperately hard for nearly everyone outside the upper class, or the upper middle class. The climate disaster caused by Mt Tambora and the post war economic collapse had left people utterly destitute.
The problems in British society were more deep rooted. The main view people usually have when they talk about the industrial revolution is that everyone except a few aristocrats started out poor, but then the industrial revolution happened and everyone got richer. If pressed they might say that perhaps people working in the factories had it hard, but in the end everyone was better off. This kind of fits with the history as an upward progress view that a lot of people have. You know the kind you see on the wall chart at school. We start off with the stone age, and they are really badly off and it is terrible, then comes the farmers and everyone is better fed, then the Egyptians and this people from the bible with the complicated names, and then there’s the Greeks and Romans and things get really good, and those ungrateful barbarians ruin it all for everyone, but then we get to the middle ages and the Reneissance, and then the enlightenment which is when we doing amazing science, then the industrial revolution happens and everyone gets better food and clothes, then we get the craziness of WW1 and WW2, then we finally get to now at the top of the chart.
As you carry on listening to this show you will start to notice how silly this wall chart really is. History isn’t a march of progress, although a lot of Victorians might have claimed it was. Instead, the chart we talked about is really showing a history of the development of technology. That’s fine, I’d accept that for most purposes the development of writing is a really fantastic achievement and the phonetic alphabet is superior to the hieroglyphic one. The problem with this chart, is it really doesn’t take account of individuals and what we might call everyday realities. Think of history as more like a tide coming in on a beach in a cove. Most of the time, the tide is coming up the beach, so it is rising, but sometimes the waves retreat a little bit more than the previous waves did. Perhaps some of the tide washes over a beloved sandcastle and cuts some people off from shore. At the end of the day the tide is in, the fishing boats can go out and everyone is basically better off, but a few trapped people drowned along the way.
Maybe not my best metaphor, but I think you can see why the wall chart is a bit off. What I’m saying is that even if society appears better off, it doesn’t mean individuals or even huge numbers of people in society can’t be worse off even as technology improves. A lot of it depends on your perspective. For those of us living in the modern Western World (including Australia) looking back, the industrial revolution was great, we got railways, refrigeration, modern medicine, mass education and sanitation, but those weren’t immediate or universal. Plus we also got unbelievably deadly weapons by historical standards. Guns like the Martini Henry, effective out to 400 yards firing 12 rounds a minute. That was welcomed by the Victorian British soldier, but it brought deaths to tens of thousands of people around the world. The views of a Native American or the Australian Indigenous people’s on how the wall chart really looked, and where they appeared on it, would be very different.
I’m going to quote from historian E.P.Thompson on how uneven the gains of the industrial revolution actually were In fifty years of the Industrial Revolution the working class share of the national product had almost certainly fallen relative to the share of the property owning and professional classes. The average working man remained very close to subsistence level at a time when he was surrounded by the evidence of the increase national wealth, much of it transparently the product of his own labour, and passing, by equally transparent means, into the hands of his employers. In psychological terms this felt very much like a decline in standards. His own share in the benefits of economic progress consisted of more potatoes, a few articles of cotton clothing for his family, soap, candles, some tea and sugar and a great many articles in the Economic History review [END QUOTE]
Now as I’ve often said reality is far, far more complicated. Even if this linear progress view was right, it still meant upheaval for people swept along with the tide. But ask yourself, do you really think the bulk of the population knew about the macro economic changes, the future potential, or that they would have cared if they did, when they and their 8 year son were working 12 hour days for pennies in immensely dangerous conditions whilst their wives and daughters did piece work, scrimped and schemed to make tiny amounts of food last for weeks. In my view it is a persistent failure of economists that they can’t understand what is good for the wider economy can have no effect on large numbers of individuals. There was real anger out there in Britain in the period known as old corruption after the Napoleonic Wars. The pressure for reform was intense, but the resistance was stubborn.
Journalist William Hazlitt was vitriolic about the Tory government. I’m going to give you a quote of Hazlitt’s from the abridged quote in Simon Schama’s History of England. Hazlitt gave a scathing description of a Tory who was a blind idolator of old times and long established customs…. A Tory never objects to increasing the power of the Crown, or abridging the liberties of the people, or even calls in question the justice or wisdom of any measure of government. A Tory never objects to increasing the powers of the Crown, or abridging the liberties of the people or even in calls in question the justice or wisdom of any measures of government. A Tory considers sinecure places and pensions as sacred and inviolable, to reduce or abolish which would be unjust and dangerous….accuse those who differ with him on political subjects of being Jacobins, revolutionaries, and enemies to their country. A Tory highly values a long pedigree and ancient families, and despises low born persons (the newly created nobility excepted), adores coronets, stars, garters, ribbons, crosses and titles of all sorts. A Tory deems martial law the best remedy for discontent….considers corporal punishment as necessary, mild and salutary, notwithstanding soldiers and sailors frequently commit suicide to escape from it, sees no hardship a persons being confined for that years in Fleet prison, on an allowance of 6p a day for contempt of the Court of Chancery. A Tory is averse to instructing the poor, lest they should be enabled to and reason and reads no poetry but birthday odes and verses in celebration of the battle of Waterloo. [END QUOTE]
There’s quite a lot of journalistic exaggeration in there, and as Schama rightly notes a lot of the Whig reformers could be pretty aristocratic. Plus Hazlitt was a man who went on a 4 day grief stricken bender when he heard Napoleon had lost Waterloo, so he’s not exactly unbiased when it comes to the establishment. What makes it so compelling is there are lots of sources that back a lot of this up. The Tory government, and the Prince Regent were dead set against any kind of reform.
So if you were a poor worker or unemployed soldier who sees that there is no way the government is going to bring in reforms to help, what do you do? Anger and frustration build up. What’s the old phrase of John F Kennedy’s? Those who make peaceful change impossible make violent revolution inevitable.
One of the places the dam was about to break was in Manchester. During the Victorian period it could rightly claim to have been one of the most important cities in the world. At the moment, all you need to know is that Manchester was becoming a mass industrial city, was experiencing colossal economic upheavals and massive unemployment, especially amongst the hand weavers & ex-soldiers, at a time when it was struggling to cope with mass immigration and huge urban growth.
Cotton from around the world flowed into Liverpool docks and then into Manchester. India, America, or Egypt all sent cotton to Manchester where it was transformed by the great engines of industry – machine and human. Washing, bleaching, spinning, dying, packing. Manchester had an unquenchable thirst for cotton to feed its machines. That thirst stretched to humans to run the factories and mills, in conditions that were slavery in all but name. Like any boom town, it grew and grew. Farm houses and fields were buried under urban sprawl. Hills were flattened, and trees felled. Maps could barely keep up with the changes. Poor Irish mingled with desperate English labourers. They were joined by Scots fleeing the Highlands or Glasgow, along with Greeks in the 1820’s and Italian’s in the 1840’s. In 1801 it was the second largest city in the United Kingdom. Urban planning and sanitation was completely absent. Levels of squalor amongst the poor were shocking. It was the very definition of the boom town, one of the first in the world.
It is ironic to note that many major towns and cities were, according to Thompson, experiencing a decline in standards of planning, sanitation and overall quality of life compared to the early first wave of industrial development in the 1770s, and were markedly less wholesome than the country living patterns they replaced despite the rural poverty and hunger.
Machester was also experiencing religious upheaval with a huge mix of church of England and non-conformists butting heads. The non-conformists were typically Baptists, Quakers, Presbyterians, Unitarians and other dissenters. Often these religious networks helped industrialists make fortunes especially amongst the Quakers, who networked furiously. The downside of these tight knit religious groups was that they viewed success as coming from God, so therefore poverty was a result of sin or being pre-ordained by God, especially for the Calvinists. Some of more extreme non-conformists viewed long hours and long wages as a divine requirement, and Manchester suffered badly from a lack of public spaces like parks, gardens or public squares. This had the impact of making sanitation even harder and air quality lower, quite apart from making the lives of most citizens pretty bleak.
It was a deeply unsettled city and had experience riots and demonstrations since at least 1812 with little evidence of change for the better for the bulk of the population. The rich were becoming increasingly screened off from the poor, and had little knowledge of the hellish life in the slums and hidden courtyards. None of the rich had to queue for water from a public drinking tap whilst standing in an open sewer. Probably the tap was shared by several streets, and whilst you have to watch your children play in the garbage. Perhaps you can see why the army was such an attractive prospect after all.
But for the desperate people, there was hope. His name was actually Henry Hunt. Radical speaker. Champion of reform and the people. A wealthy gentleman farm, he was criticised by the establishment for his activism, and nearly everyone for his peacock like vanity, but no one on any side doubted his bravery or his gift for oratory. He was scheduled to speak at a rally in Manchester. The crowd were excited and chanted jaunty slogans like “Unity and Strength” and also “Liberty and Fraternity” but most provocatively of all to the establishment, “No corn laws” Many mothers and children were there, some luckier ones with food for picnics. Henry Hunt wasn’t the only reformer by any means. Church groups and workers groups were present. Some religious groups lined up with the establishment, whilst others sympathised with the poor. Strangely some of the establishment were more frightened if the great demonstration wasn’t a violent rabble, but a peaceful and well ordered one. It hinted to the establishment mind that the Waterloo veterans in the amongst the demonstrators had been drilling them in military training and that could only mean one thing..…revolution.
Naturally this caused the Manchester authorities to go into a panic. Because if there is one thing the British establishment have always hated, it is any suggestion that the population is entitled to protest. They were expected to bare their terrible situations with appropriate fortitude, keeping calm and carrying on, and not moan about starving to death and threaten their betters with disorder. This wasn’t a trivial point. It was a rigid cultural belief. As real to many as the notion of say the right to freedom of speech is today. The authorities believed in a hierarchy, usually with God and Monarchy at the top. To disturb that order, was to create anarchy and the kind of murder they associated with the middle ages and the French revolution, or to invite dictatorships in the style of Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, or Tsar Alexander. If you are still struggling to get into the aristocratic mindset, you might like to think about the Samurai. Imagine you went in your time machine to convince a British aristocrat that there should be a labour rights movement, votes for all and the abolition of the old social order. He says the whole point of the restricted voting system is to prevent the population having a say because are a dangerous, uneducated, stupid mob who would vote to steal property without working for it, and ruin the country. You can’t get him to agree. Perhaps he keeps talking about the natural order of things, about breeding and class, and the need for an organised society based on custom. You perhaps experience the modern feelings of disgust?
Well now imagine you went to Japan in your time machine. You meet a young Samurai whose lord has told him he has shown cowardice in a conflict of some kind. You listen and it is a trivial fight in a village. The young Samurai was clearly outnumbered and it was sensible for him to back down. He insists that he has dishonoured his family and his Lord. He didn’t display adequate fortitude and his Lord has lost face, bringing great shame on his family. He is adamant that he will commit Sepuku and is grateful that his Lord is allowing him this honour to redeem himself with a good death.
To a modern person, it is crazy, we wouldn’t commit suicide just because we back down from a fight where we were outnumbered and sure to lose. But the young Samurai might reply “that’s because you are weak. Inferior. You have no concept of honour or loyalty or duty, or a good death.” A lot of modern people, especially if they watch martial arts movies and listen to podcasts, pretty much go “I don’t agree, but I accept that was the Samurai culture and it was very rigid and they weren’t going to give it up for anyone. I totally understand how this was part of their identity.” Yet those very same hypothetical listeners struggle with the idea that the world view of the British upper or middle class property owner of the early 1800’s was just as fundamental to him and he wouldn’t flex it anymore than the Samurai would. Now when you’ve got your head round that, you need to think how you would react if you lived in New York city and a group of ISIS supports announced they were going to have a march supporting the abolition of the US government and the establishment of a really hard line theocracy. And 60,000 of them are going to be turning up for this march. Because for the Manchester authorities and the wider establishment, that’s exactly what this protest felt like.
There’s a circular issued by the Methodist Committee that shows just this mindset, expressing strong and decided disapprobation of certain tumultuous assemblies which have lately been witnessed in several parts of the country in which large masses of people have been irregularly collected (often under banners bearing the most shocking and impious descriptions) calculated both from the infidel principles the wild and delusive political theories and the violent and inflammatory declamations to bring all government into contempt and introduce universal discontent, insubordination and anarchy. [END QUOTE]
There’s one big difference though, and that’s the mindset of the Samurai was built around a really conservative philosophy. It was one that didn’t include a political system with checks and balances that was designed to provide mechanisms for social and legal change. The British system did have what you could call the safety valves of the enlightenment, freedom of the press, and the rule of law. Feudal Japan couldn’t create reformers like Henry Hunt or a free press, capable of changing the minds of the aristocracy and the establishment. Can you imagine 60,000 Japanese peasants turning up outside the Shogun’s castle or the Emperors Palace and demanding land reform? But in Britain there was a view that you certainly were allowed to do this kind of protest by long establish right and custom. The population felt their ancient liberties to assemble and protest weren’t being respected. Later, after Peterloo, at the trial of Henry Hunt, the Judge introduced proceedings by stating that the right of assembly and petition did exist, but it had to be done in a formal way and be called by the Lord Lieutenant of the County to present a petition to the King or Parliament. You can imagine how often that would happen in practice. He expressly stated that it couldn’t just be an assembly called by anyone, otherwise anyone could decide to assemble a group of protestors and that wasn’t constitutional; he made the comparison to ancient Athens and pointed out that yes the citizens certainly could assemble to discuss laws as per the Ancient Athenian constitution, but they didn’t let just everyone do it, why slaves were rightly excluded he chortled. I can’t imagine that made Henry Hunt feel reassured when the trial opened.
In the run up to the protest, one local magistrate, had written to the Home Office expressing his concerns about revolution and got this reply from Henry Hobhouse, under secretary at the Home Office strongly confirms the opinion long held by his Lordship that your Country will not be tranquillised, until Blood shall have been shed either by the Law or the Sword. Lord Sidmouth will not fail to be prepared for either alternative, and is confident that he will be adequately supported by the Magistracy of Lancashire. [END QUOTE]
Throughout June the Home Office had been urging the magistrates to make mass arrests at protest meetings, but the magistrates seem to have been worried that mass trials would blow the cover of their net work of informants and sources. The Home Office was clearly getting exasperated at the lack of arrests, but the magistrates were in a serious bind. The meetings during June were all peaceful, with no weapons or incitements to violence or anything else that could justify arrests.
Minds made up, the local magistrate issued a warrant for Henry Hunts arrest. Now since this is before Sir Robert Peel formed the first police force, getting someone to perform the arrest was tricky. The local court staff and thief takers wouldn’t be up for the job in front of the huge crowd. The special constables sworn in weren’t going to be up to the job either. Instead they decided the best thing was to send in the yeoman cavalry. Naturally as this was a military deployment against unarmed civilians in a potentially tense situation, it would have to be handled delicately. Sadly for everyone, the situation at Peterloo was going to be very different from previous protests. The government had wanted to take a very strong line with the reform movement in Manchester, but the local authorities wanted to be even tougher than perhaps the government planned.
The problem the government and local authorities had is that they don’t have a police force in the way we understand it today. Instead there was a patchy arrangement of local constables, sworn in for specific events and perhaps local court officers and thief takers to back up the magistrates.
The city of Glasgow has established a actual police force in 1800, but it was tiny. Less than 100 men, and that was if you included the 68 back up city watchmen. The city of Manchester was huge and the demonstration was expected to be up to 60,000 people. That’s a huge number even for a modern police force. The special constables that the Manchester authorities appointed didn’t have access to the huge array of tools that modern police had. They had at best, horses, clubs of some form and maybe sabres with none of the complex logistic and planning resources a modern police force has available.
That’s might still sound pretty nasty, but if there’s only a few hundred of you against a crowd of 60,000 well that wouldn’t seem a whole lot would it? Maybe it’ll be ok, and the crowd will be peaceful, but what if it isn’t? The press of that huge number of people alone could overwhelm a small number of constables or the yeomanry. To put it in perspective, those numbers are almost as large as a couple of French corps at Waterloo. When you look at it just on the numbers, it is terrifying to deal with even if you are committed to minimising any risk of people getting hurt and the Manchester Authorities certainly weren’t by the way.
So if you are the authorities what do you do? Well you turn to the one institution that you know you can rely on. You turn to the military. Now there’s a problem with using soldiers like this. There’s a great quote from the new Battlestar Galactica about this problem “There’s a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people,”
The government had appointed Sir John Byng, Earl of Stafford, as military commander of the northern forces. He was a tough military veteran of Waterloo, where he had commanded the 2nd Guards Brigade, which was involved in defending Hougemont. He was ok with taking this command. He arranged to make sure he has overwhelming forces for the job too. He arranged to have the 15 Hussars, the Dragoon Guards, the 88th Foot and the 31st foot ready on a war footing and he persuaded the Duke of Wellington to give him a couple of 6 pounder horse artillery. It isn’t exactly the choice you would think a government would make to lead a peace keeping police action against its own citizens. Still, the government precisely didn’t really see them as their own citizens. They were viewed as potential rebels and traitors. The idea of legitimate protest for much needed political change simply wasn’t recognised.
Another big problem was a split in command. On previous occasions, when the military were sent to Lancashire to put down protests, senior military officers usually took control of the local yeomanry and militia’s away from the control of the local authorities and firmly subordinated them to the military command structure. Responsibility was clear.
The Earl of Stafford didn’t take critical step. His predecessor, Sir Thomas Maitland when he had put down the luddite rebellions had taken over command of the local yeoman, and constables, and put them firmly under military command, not under civilian command. The Earl of Stafford didn’t do that. The local yeoman, the local cavalry and the local constables were all answering to the local magistrates. The professional soldiers were all under the command of Earl of Stafford. That’s going to be a huge issue in this narrative, because in a stroke of appalling timing, on the day of the Peterloo massacre, the Earl of Stafford wan’t there.
On previous occasions, when the military were sent to Lancashire to put down protests, responsibility was clear. On the day of the protest, the military and civilians were answering to very difficult people, with very different idea’s of what to do. But at Peterloo, that critical clarity of mission and rules of engagement weren’t present. The Earl was supreme military commander of the north, so he would obviously be able to outrank any civilian or militia officer if he wanted. But what about his deputy Col L’Estrange? Was he supposed to assume command, or just hang back and wait for a call for help, or was he supposed to defer to the local authorities?
When the orator Henry Hunt had arrived in Manchester, the authorities had panicked a little and overreacted with some hysteria. This got to the point of seriously annoying the Earl, who felt they were jumping at shadows. Basically he told the authorities, look don’t keep asking for soldiers if there’s nothing going on. You’ve got your men, I’m going to be in York for a while and that’s absolutely nothing to do with attending the famous horse races, but you’ve got my deputy Lt Col Guy L’Estrange, and a good size force there so stop bugging me every five minutes. The magistrates then sent him a letter saying basically yes you’re right, sorry to have been so jumpy we don’t need you here because everything seems to have calmed down.
On the fateful day of the meeting, whilst the Earl attended the famous York races, a huge crowd formed in Manchester as planned. Henry Hunt himself had taken the precaution of even going to the authorities the weekend before the event and they told him, nope its all fine. Go ahead there are no plans to arrest you and this is all legal.
On 16th August 60 – 80,000 people gathered on St Peter’s Field, an area in Manchester at a meeting for parliamentary reform. Now when I’m talking about St Peter’s Field, I’m not talking about a field in the countryside outside the city. It was actually a large city square. It was surrounded by a maze of streets and a really big street called Peter’s Street that runs through it.
The local authorities were present with the constables and yoeman cavalry. The local magistrates were often inexperienced and in total there were 400 special constables armed with long wooden truncheons. They also deployed 60 yeomanry troops from Manchester with another 420 from Cheshire in reserve. These didn’t anything like the standard of discipline the military had. They were notorious in the city for being recruited from shopkeepers and tradesmen. They were often seen as young, perhaps they were over excited by the imagined status the military uniform gave them. Some sources saw them as hotheaded young men, or the armed wing of the Tory party. They were referred to as a joke, or drunk and almost acting as mafia style enforcers for local businesses against the workers who wanted better wages. Quite a few owned pubs or were ironmongers. Another striking thing is that they all had really elaborate uniforms. At least as fancy as the finest of the line cavalry regiments, paid for by their local aristocratic commanders. They were sort of like toy soldiers for the local gentry. Elaborately dressed, badly trained and with a lot of new members.
My personal view is that these are absolutely not the people you want facing a dangerous crowd control situation. Their colonel had even had the sabres specially sharpened to ensure they had the combat edge. They were looking for trouble, and you know what they say – if you go looking for trouble, you will find it.
The crowd was absolutely huge. Those figures I gave you are estimates. No one really knows. They were from all over the city and local area. The organisers had expressly told people attending it was to be peaceful demonstration to pile the pressure on the authorities, but also because the authorities couldn’t disperse a peaceful meeting by reading the riot act if there wasn’t any violence. The crowd had everything to lose from violence and nothing to gain. Some even turned up in their Sunday best clothes. There are women’s protests groups present and members of the churches. This was devastating for local businesses. Mills and factories found their workforce had deserted them for the day. Profit was at risk. Local Tories had sent some of their families away from the city for safety from the expected revolution.
The protestors know the authorities really want to arrest Henry Hunt, reassurances or not, so they decide to form what was basically a human chain around the area he was going to be speaking. That way no constable could physically serve an arrest warrant on him. All this was being closely watched by government agents and spies. One spy caught by the reformers and given a beating, which inevitably seemed to confirm this was the beginning of a revolution that would march burn the city and bring about a reign of terror complete with madam guillotine. Those of you who listened to my joint show with Shawn Warswick on the American History podcast when we covered the American War of Independence, might notice how strikingly similar the response of the British authorities was.
Just after 1:00pm the Yeomanry received an order that the Chief Constable had an arrest warrant which he needed assistance to execute, and sixty cavalrymen of the Manchester and Salford Yeomanry, led by Captain Hugh Hornby Birley, moved into the crowd. Captain Birley was a real establishment kind of guy. He wasn’t just leading the yeoman cavalry, he was also a local magistrate and a mill owner. Pretty soon they get stuck by the sheer weight of people.
The regular army were watching this. They are not really that impressed with the yeomanry. See lots of those yeoman knew the army were Waterloo veterans, and the wanted a bit of that reflected glory.
Col L’Estrange had really carefully deployed his troops. There were a maze of streets, but if you imagine for a moment that St Peter’s field is at the centre of a box, then just around the sides of that box on nearby streets, the government forces are deployed along each side. You’ve got the Manchester Yeomanry on the right hand side near the top corner, you’ve got the 31st Regiment at the top of the box, you’ve got the Cheshire Yeomanry on the left side edge of the box, and you’ve got the 15 Hussars and more Yeomanry down at the bottom. Tucked away in some of the side streets, you’ve got the Royal Artillery and the 88th Regiment (Connaught Rangers).
Apart from the Yeomanry, these were really good troops.The regiment watching most closely at first was the 15th Hussars. It had battle honours most regiments would give their right arms for. Parts of the regiment fought the best cavalry in the French Imperial Guard Grenadiers à Cheval of the Old Guard at Waterloo and supported the mighty charge of the heavy brigade. Col Dalrymple commanding was wounded in action and knighted. This was a regiment whose honour in military terms was second to none. It is a fascinating regiment. If you wanted to write a military history of the Victorian period, you could do a lot worse than doing it from the point of view of the 15th Hussars. They served in most of the key parts of the Empire from Scotland and Ireland to India and Afghanistan and in the Boer War. They were even in Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. They weren’t local youths or hotheaded wannabe soldiers. They were the real deal and now they have a decision to make.
The 15th Hussars were supported by the 88th, tucked away in side streets. It was the hard fighting Irish regiment that Wellington often used as his elite chock troops. They were famous for being the spearhead of urban assaults and were nicknamed The Devils Own and had been present at the storming of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz. I’m not sure how they were suitable for policing a peaceful protest, but to put down an urban rebellion they were a perfect choice. The artillery was hidden, and L’Estrange has effectively deployed his men so that they could act against the crowd from multiple directions, and respond rapidly. It was an almost perfect military deployment for attacking a military enemy in a nurban setting. But these aren’t an enemy force. They were a crowd of unarmed civilians, so the military simply waited to see what the civilian authorities will do.
Just after 13:00 the Yeomanry received an order that the Chief Constable had an arrest warrant which he needed assistance to execute. Immediately things started going wrong. They are going to keep going wrong and lead to one of the most notorious incidents of the age, one that would be instrumental in collapsing a lot of the old political order further down the road. It was the first in the chain of dominoes and right here, the first domino was pushed over. The note was supposed to go to Col L’Estrange as well, but it got to the Manchester Yeomanry first and a group of them immediately tore off towards the crowd. In their desperate rush, one of the riders crashed into a young woman, knocking her two year old son out of her arms and he died from the fall. The first death of the day was a two year old child.
At about 13:40 60 cavalrymen of the Manchester and Salford Yeomanry, led by Captain Hugh Hornby Birley, moved into the crowd itself. Now they could see a crowd of up to maybe 60,000 people. They tried to push through to get to the platform to execute the warrant, but can’t get through the crowd, so they started hacking at people with their sabres, and they are trapped by the press of people. The yeomanry were clearly trapped. What were the 15th Hussars to do? Charging the civilians sounds to us like the ultimate act of cowardice. A peaceful civilian crowd, and yet the regiment was only a around 600 strong that day so were out numbered literally thousands to one. The scene was deeply confused. The regimental website is clear that the 15th were present and says the following Conflicting eye-witness accounts exist as to whether the civilian deaths were caused by volunteer soldiers, the Manchester and Salford Yeomanry, or by the regular troops (the 15th Hussars). The yeomanry were first on the scene, arriving at 13:40, and as they advanced into the crowd panic ensued, the horses rearing and the inexperienced amateur soldiers drawing their sabres and striking out. When the 15th Hussars arrived on the scene at about 13:50, the yeomanry soldiers were in danger of being overcome by the angry crowd. Inquiries into the massacre concur that the regular troops attempted to minimise the violence – an unnamed officer of the15th Hussars attempting to strike up the swords of the Yeomanry, crying – “For shame, gentlemen: what are you about?” Many hundreds of civilians were sabred and trampled by the horses in the melee. [END QUOTE]
That quote is a bit incomplete shall we call it. At about 13:50, Lieutenant Colonel Guy L’Estrange commanding the 15th Hussars arrived; was met by the local magistrate who he ordered them into the field to disperse the crowd with the words: “Good God, Sir, don’t you see they are attacking the Yeomanry; disperse the meeting!”
This is a positive order to the officers of the regiment. They have been told that the Yeomanry cavalry are under attack and they were being ordered in to the rescue. That seemed right to Col L’Estrange, he was here to support the civilian authorities, they were under attack and asking for support, so what else was he supposed to do. Some officers diaries definitely agreed with this view.
The cavalry formed a long line and charged. The powerful veterans of the Peninsular Wars and Waterloo, were about to unleash the same kind of powerful charge they had visited on Napoleon’s finest. Almost immediate as they hit the crowd, the Cheshire Yeoman Cavalry charged in from the other direction and also hit the crowd. They laid about themselves with sabres. There’s a I’m not sure if fascinating is the word. Maybe compelling. A compelling spreadsheet you can download that has the names of the injured and many victims or key witness and soldiers. It gives you the occupations, their role and how they were injured, and you can see row after row of “sabre cut to the head. Sabre cut to the arms, sabre cut to the breast.” These are all consistent with blows coming from above. I’ve not got a full source, but it is likely the 15 Hussars would be armed with the brutal 1796 light cavalry sabre. It was a ferocious weapon and the crowd naturally panicked. People began to down in the press, and they got trampled by other people or by the horses. One victim is described as having fallen into a cellar when the press of the crowd broke the railings and shoved her in. The list of casualties is horrific. Hundreds trampled on, some get crushed or have bones dislocated or end up spitting up blood for days. If you got a sabre cut to the face for instance, you could be horrifically maimed, fall to the ground and then get trampled.
By this point, people were desperate. Absolutely desperate. They are trying to get out of this square and race for the main exit. The exit where Col L’Estrange, the clever military veteran has deployed his trump card; the 88th. His highly disciplined shock troops. They are there, waiting for the crowd, bayonets fixed. Despite being horrifically outnumbered, the 88th can be relied on to be absolutely rock solid. That’s when the word bayonet starts appearing in the list of injuries on that spreadsheet and so does the word shot.
This is pretty different from the shall we say popular history you get of this event. It is sometimes portrayed as if this was an important event, where a local magistrate lost their head and the cavalry and yeomanry lost control and the crowd panicked. The 88th and Royal Artillery are almost unmentioned. Sometimes there are just occasional references to “the infantry” It is almost in some accounts half a tragic accident. A situation that got out of hand.
When you dig deeper though, you can see this for what it was. This was a well planned military operation that worked just the way it was supposed to. The only problem was that it should never have been the plan in the first place. If it had been used against a load of French troops, it would have been perfect. But this was the inevitable outcome of the military deployment Col L’Estrange chose. Now he and the authorities might have said “well we never planned to have it actually unfold this way. We expected the crowd to let the soldiers do a simple arrest, overawed by military power, and there would never have been any need to actually commit the regular troops.”
The problem there is that the plan made it unavoidable. Once the request for military aid went out, the plan had to evolve the way it did. There were no radio’s to recall orders to the 88th or to call for a path for escaping civilians, and reading these sources you get the feeling that the authorities wouldn’t have wanted to anyway. If you’ve actually looked at how Napoleonic tactics work, like we have in the past shows in a lot of depth, you will see this is the combined arms system working like clock work. Col L’Estrange hits an enemy with an unexpected cavalry charge, causing panic, and forcing them in the direction he wants them to go, a 2nd charge from another angle magnifies the chaos, and the whole enemy force loses cohesion, panics and runs only to be hit by disciplined infantry. The only difference between this and a full Napoleonic action is that the 88th did’t give regular volleys and the Royal artillery don’t pour canister and shrapnel fire into the panicking mass.
The military were doing exactly what they are designed to do, and just like the Battlestar Galactica quote says, this is exactly why you don’t put them in this kind of situation. When the crowd finally escaped, the casualty figures that we know of are horrific. There’s probably a lot of people who were also injured and didn’t get into the official reports, but we can put the figures of civilian very accurately from the casualty returns that were kept.
The Guardian newspaper published a centenary edition article on the massacre that I’m going to quote 654 people were sufficiently injured to require medical treatment. The figure is that precise because, in the following weeks, names, addresses and details of injuries were drawn up by newspapers, radicals and a relief committee set up to raise funds to help the wounded and their families. Contrary to the assertions of the authorities, fewer than a quarter were crushed in the crowd: more than 200 were sabred, 70 battered by truncheons, and 188 trampled by horses. [END QUOTE]
One of the victims was James Lees, 25, had fought at Waterloo and was now a weaver with two children. He received two deep sabre cuts to the head, but when he went to the infirmary a doctor asked him whether he had had enough of political meetings. Lees said no, and was promptly turned away. Before he died, three weeks later, he told a relative: “At Waterloo there was man to man, but here it was downright murder.” [END QUOTE]
That’s pretty heart wrenching isn’t it. He was a Waterloo veteran and now he was dead, killed by comrades who had also fought at Waterloo. One special constable at the scene of the massacre watching bodies being moved, and recognising the injured Lee being moved, laughed at him saying “This is Waterloo for you”
Pretty quickly after this, the city of Manchester experienced riots, and the authorities started pushing their version of events. Magistrate William Hay wrote to the Home Office on the night of the massacre to say The Riot act was read, and the mob was completely dispersed, but not without very serious and lamentable effects….one of the Manchester Yeomanry, Mr Hulme, was, after the parties were taken, struck by a brick-bat; he lost his power over his horse, and is supposed to have fractured his skull by a fall from his horse. I’m afraid that he is since dead; if not there are no hopes of his recovery. A special constable by the name of Ashworth has been killed – cause unknown; and four women appear to have lost their lives by being pressed by the crowd; these, I believe, are the fatal effects of the meeting. A variety of instances of sabre wounds occurred but as to their effect, save in one instance deposed to before Colonel Fletcher, we have no account. [END QUOTE]
The official view was that the crowd was a dangerous mob. The high casualty figures were ridiculed by the Prime Minister George Canning in Parliament, who also said that the whole event was the fault of a mob trying to tear down society, whilst government friendly press like the Aston Manchester Herald wrote poems praising the actions of the yeoman and soldier.
The official view is that the crowd was throwing missiles at the Yeomanry but that won’t stand up, so the line is then “well these were dangerous revolutionaries and they ignored the magistrates ordering them to disperse so what did you expect.” The authorities claimed the magistrates had actually read the riot act, but no one seems to have heard and and anyway, the riot act gave an hour for the people hearing it to cease their activity and disperse so that wouldn’t work. Still the local authorities gave the troops a hearty thank you and naturally enough the Prince Regent wrote to send his congratulations. A junior officer, Lt Jollifee of the 15th said The Hussars drove the people forward with the flats of their swords but sometimes, as is almost inevitably the case when men are placed in such situations, the edge was used … I must still consider that it redounds to the humane forbearance of the men of the 15th that more wounds were not received.[END QUOTE]
Now there’s a few nuggets in there to pick up on. Herding panicking crowds of enemy soldiers was a job of light cavalry to get them to move to where they needed to go and maintain the panic. The idea was say you wanted panicked French troops off a bridge and they started running, but got pressed in, you didn’t want to actually kill them and clog up the bridge, you wanted to keep them panicking and running so you beat them with the flat of the blade. I can sort of see how that might actually be a possibility. If the Hussars had actually gone in at the full gallop when they charged, points first, and swinging to kill, then the casualties would have been enormous. Far higher than the actual total, but the injuries show the hussars certainly did switch to sabre slashing with the sharp edge of the blade, so the Lt is at best downplaying events to put a better gloss on them.
Not that the authorities were in the mood to ask searching questions or ask why crowds weren’t left with escape routes if all that was supposed to happen was serving an arrest warrant. The official stitch up was in. Henry Hunt, Samuel Bamford and others were put on trial at York assizes on 16 March 1820 charged with illegal assembling.
An event like this can’t just be arm waved away though just because the government said it was fine. Many locals would remember the event for their entire lives. Journalists, and reformers were outraged and determined to force the issue into the lime light. The Manchester Observer ran the headline ‘The Peterloo Massacre‘ The Duke of Wellington remained unmoved by the idea of reform, saying “Beginning reform is beginning revolution”
There was a national outcry, but the government and local authorities reacted with increased troop presence, and harsh legislation was passed against trade unions. Stamp duty was increased on pamphlet’s and newspapers. This is astonishingly similar to the early response of the British Government to the American colonists before the War of Independence.
This is actually one of those fairly major events in British history that no one has ever heard of. It is a touch stone in the story of the labour movement. One of the sources for this episode is the epic classic work “The making of the English Working Class” by EP Thomas. It is a little dated, but still an amazing historical work and on the cover of the edition I’ve got is the famous print “The Manchester Reform Meeting Dispersed by Civilian and Military Power.” from August 1819 – a depiction of the event. That was the kind of impact this event had at the time, and still has. But as Thompsons approach rightly points out, we mustn’t only think of this as a grand political event. For everyone there, this was a personal event too. How did the magristrates feel as they gave the order to disperse the crowd? What about the parents with children, suddenly receiving a cavalry charge? How did the troops feel later as they returned to barracks, to clean blood and mud off their blades and boots? Did any think back to Waterloo and wonder how it had come to this? Or were the lower class the enemy of society, as terrifying to them as Al Qaeda was on the day after 9/11.
There’s been a fair intense debate in academic circles over who was fundamentally to blame for the massacre. Was it just the magistrates panicking? Or were they already thirsting to crack down on the protestors? Was it the fault of Byng for failing to be present to command the military and take control of the situation? Did the Home Office really urge restraint and was caught flat footed by the event, or did the Home Office encourage the magistrates to take strong action? Publicly the Home Office seems to have counselled restraint, but there are hints in the Home Office Secret Papers of the period between Lord Sidmouth at the Home Office and Byng is slightly ambiguous and could be read in a number of different ways. I think if you want a firm answer, you’d need to read the papers themselves and consult some specialist academics.
To no one’s surprise, the Prince Regent confirmed his position as the most loathed person in the country by declaring his thanks to the authorities for prompt, decisive and effective measures for the preservation of the public peace. [END QUOTE]
The loathing for the Prince Regent was well expressed in a phamplet called “The Political House that Jack Built” in 1819. It was written by William Hone. He had long been an establishment critic and had been subject to political prosecutions in 1817 for targeting the Prince Regent. He was surprisingly acquitted and continued his exposure of corruption. He said of the Prince and aristocracy The Dandy of Sixty, who bows with a grace, and has taste in wigs, collars, cuirasses and lace, Who, to tricksters, and fools, leaves the state and its treasure, And, when Britain’s in tears, sails about at his pleasure’. [END QUOTE]
Above this was a picture of the Prince Regent by the brilliant illustrator Cruikshanks. You might want to remember that name because he will be illustrating Charles Dickens books amongst many other things. To truly capture the likeness of the Prince Regent he drew a fat, aging dandy in a red military coat stretched over tight over his enormous belly, with skin tight white breeches, and a corkscrew hanging from his pocket to symbolise his immense drinking.
The establishment remained profoundly touchy about the incident for a long time. Even as late as the 1870’s murals from Ford Maddox Brown were not allowed to include references to Peterloo if they were going to decorate the new town hall.
The shockwaves from the event couldn’t be ignored so easily. John Edward Taylor was a journalist, and was sued for libel by the leader of the Manchester Tories, John Greenwood. Greenwood lost, and Taylor used the winnings to found the Manchester Guardian newspaper, which would go on to become the world famous Guardian newspaper – a noted left of centre paper that prides itself on investigative journalism and scientific fact, although its editorial stances are not always up to the standards of its best journalism. Still as Manchester rose to power during the C19th, so did the prominence of the Guardian. It was quoted in Parliament by Sir Robert Peel, and led the opposition to the Boer Wars.
The city of Manchester would be key to the labour and reform movement during the C19th. It was a lynch pin of industry, a powerhouse of the world, an economic giant, an oppressive city full of brutal poverty, disease and pollution. It would be visited by Vicroys, Grand Dukes, merchants, inventors and industrialists keen to learn how to copy its successes, as well as thousands and thousands of immigrants desperate to become as the novel said “a Manchester man.” The C19th version of the American dream, where a hardworking decent man joined the ranks of the mill owners through work, cleverness and industry.
Manchester would inspire artists and see more injustices such as the widely hated execution of Irish Fenians for the alleged murder of a police officer. It would inspire books and the world changing work of Engels and Marx. It would never forget Peterloo, and the events would be remembered from that day to this. Manchester would change beyond recognition but her spirit, industrious, clever, resilient, yet somehow slightly rebellious without being revolutionary would surely remain the same across the centuries.
Thanks for listening everyone. If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. If you want to support the show on patreon, there’s a link in the show notes, or you can go to Patreon and search for age of victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

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EP030 3rd Anniversary Special: Victoria & Albert -a Royal and a Romantic. The podcast is 3 years old, so time for Victoria and Albert to become a couple. One of histories famous romances and two names that almost define the age. Yet it was a strange road that brought them together. In this show we […]

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EP029 “The Court of King Cholera – the great Victorian plague” explores one of the most famous pandemics in history. There was horror, death, and a little hope. Many bad decisions, anger and mistrust, but also groundbreaking science. When disease strikes it is easy to think humanity is levelled and we all stand together – […]

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EP028 BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME? RAILWAY MANIA AND SOCIAL CHANGES is here to count the cost of progress. As railways make men staggeringly rich, people start to fly too close to the sun and get their wings singed. Or fall prey to predators, like George Hudson, the Railway King. This episode covers Reviews, […]

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Railways were one of the great achievements of the Victorian Era, but they are complicated and hard to build. This show covers the process and the people involved in building these incredible pieces of engineering. Pt 2 of this episode covers; The navigators; hard work for hard men. Drink hard, play hard, fight hard. The […]

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Railway building was a great achievement of the Victorian Age, but railways are complicated and hard to build. This show covers the process and the people involved in building these incredible pieces of engineering. Pt 1 of this episode covers; The kinds of labourer & builders. Surveying and risks to historic sites. Wordsworth and the […]

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PUB QUIZ. Time for you to grab a beer and a barstool like a good Victorian and have a go at testing your knowledge. Or if you have taken the pledge and joined the temperance movement, then get a cup of cocoa and join your friends for a civilised but fierce competition for the highest […]

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Are you eager for reform? What to change the establish? Shake up the old order? Surely the time has come to join the Whig party then? This show covers the Whigs in the 1820’s & 1830’s and the land mark Great Reform Act 1832. British politics was changing rapidly and Victoria was at the cusp […]

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Are you confused about your Lords & Dukes? Want to know why the Baron is always popping up? Wondering just what is the Duchy of Lancaster and why its so important? Want to know your Earls from your Marchioness’s? Worried about who gets to get to lead the dinner party when an Earl & a […]

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This episode on the Tories & the Battle for Catholic Emancipation continue our breakdown of the complex political system in the 1820’s & 1830’s to show you how it all fits together. If you want to know about the reasons why the British struggled with Catholics, and why the Tories always seemed to be fighting […]

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Politics 101 is here. Every wondered if the Queen of England has any real power? Confused by your MP’s, PM’s and Lords Spiritual? Wondering how it all works in the UK if the Constitution isn’t written down? Unsure if Queen Victoria could just give out the orders? Today’s show breaks down the complex political system […]

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What makes a master criminal? That type of person who goes beyond the normal petty crime or brute violence. Charles Peace was one of the most notorious criminals in the Victorian age, but why? He didn’t kill many people, or steal the crown jewels, or overthrow a government. He had that special star quality the […]

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Happy 2nd Anniversary This is my look back on the last two years, a lot of thank you’s, some listener questions and our first murder? Two years of podcasts. Time to celebrate with a Victorian murder; you’ve all been asking for one for ages, so here you are. Don’t forget to make some cake and […]

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I’ve launched a Patreon and I review our first film about Queen Victoria – Victoria the Great. I also read out the latest iTunes reviews. The show starts with the announcement about Patreon and the various tiers. Then I remind listeners to send in questions for the upcoming 2nd anniversary special. The middle of the […]

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In Ep20 pt 2 we continue our journey through Queen Victoria’s childhood education. Pt2 explores the specifics of education, what she learnt, and crucially, how her education would fit her into the increasingly strict and complex Victorian class system. It wasn’t easy being “the girl who will be Queen.” It also covers her relationship with […]

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In Ep20 pt 1 we continue our journey through Queen Victoria’s childhood. In this 2 part show you will see how Victoria was educated; as a child, but also as a future Queen. She joined an elite group of people who could read and write, but she had a huge weight of expectation to live […]

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Join your host Chris Fernandez-Packham for the first part of our series on Queen Victoria’s childhood. She was growing up at a time when life was fragile at best for children; between disease, poverty and murder, reaching adulthood was not guaranteed. Victoria had to face, an uncle who wanted to usurp the throne, a power […]

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Join your host Chris Fernandez-Packham and discover how Victoria is dealt the first tragedy in her life. Learn about the perils and power of being a Duchess. Plus we meet the abusive and magnetic John Conroy, a man of ambition and secrets. We also witness the death of a King and Victoria’s slow, unlikely, but […]

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Merry Christmas, join your host Chris Fernandez-Packham in learning about Victorian Traditions of the Earthly and Ghostly kind. Let me take you on a trip through history, busting myths about Christmas Trees, explaining how traditions came to be, some great events at Christmas, and of course a fireside story…..if you are brave enough. Love to hear from you […]

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We meet Queen Victoria at last. This episode covers George III, the Prince Regent, the royal family tree, the succession, the death of Princess Charlotte, Victoria’s parents – The Duke & Duchess of Kent, her birth and finally her Christening & the origins of her name. There’s a fully transcript for the episode HERE Love to […]

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This minisode gives a recap of the key themes in the show since launch as we get ready for a major Victorian event. (and no this isn’t like the Simpsons playing clips of old episodes in a ropey season 18 TV special). This show is a great chance to remind yourself of the real building […]

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Join your host Chris Fernandez-Packham and explore the Peterloo Massacre 1819; one of the darkest moments of British political & social history. From poverty & hope to anger and death. This episode starts with a outline of the situation in Britain in 1819, and themes of progress. It sets out the difference in mindsets to […]

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The fledgling United States is hit by freezing storms as the fall out from Mt Tambora continues to wreck havoc around the world. Then we turn to Switzerland and see how the darkness gives rise to the great gothic work of Frankenstein. In this episode we cover Climate science in the USA The early colonial […]

The post EP015 MT TAMBORA PT3: EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FROZE TO DEATH appeared first on AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST.

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Join your host Chris Fernandez-Packham in a detailed investigation of the Princess Alice disaster on the Thames in Sept 1878, the horror of her sinking, and Victorian Londons reaction. This show covers The geography of the River Thames London then and now The ships involved The fatal mistakes Who were the Victims and the Survivors? […]

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Mt Tambora has devastated huge area’s in the Pacific. Now its global impact begins to be felt. In this latest monthly narrative show your host, Chris Fernandez-Packham, explores the enormous impact on the British mainland and Ireland in 1816 as the Year Without Summer Begins to bite. Topic outline Volcanoes and climate science. C19th Weather […]

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Roll up your shirt sleeves, push back your top hat, and throw open your coat tails. It’s time to grab a bottle of gin, and seek riches or ruin as you learn about the history of gin in the Victorian era. Truly the drink of Empire…..or your personal ruin. Intro What is gin? Bombay Sapphire […]

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No one in 1815 thought the world was about to change, but a cataclysmic volcanic eruption was about to change the course of history. The affairs of men seemed so important, yet in the tranquil Pacific, nature was about to shake the world and civilisations to their foundations. Join me for part 1 of the […]

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Summer heat wave is here, so it’s time for Fish & Chips. You love em. I love em. The Victorians invented them. Don’t scoff, instead join me for a gallop through the history of Victorian fish and chips. Learn why Dickens was the key as always, and how fish and chips fuelled the industrial revolution. […]

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As Napoleons downfall and Frances defeat become inevitable, the hard work and hard partying of the great diplomats and statesmen of Europe reached a fever pitch. In a whirl of balls and banquets the shape of Europe for the next 100 years would be decided. So much hung in the balance, but the great men […]

The post EP012 CONGRESS OF VIENNA PT 2 “TURNING BACK THE CLOCK” appeared first on AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST.

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Join me and decide who, if anyone was the truly scandalous one. The aristocrat? The banker? The Sporting Superstar? This is a minisode that is a stand alone episode on a scandal involving Beatrice Sumner and Charles Hoare in the very late Victorian period, plus why framing a narrative is dangerous when studying history. What […]

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A very short update on upcoming episodes, reviews, thank you’s and a shout out to the excellent Pontifacts podcast.

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Every European school child should have learnt about the Congress of Vienna. Seriously. It is actually possibly the most important series of events in modern history that no one has ever heard of. Honestly, how many of us have heard of it, or know what it was, or what happened? We should and not just […]

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The podcast is one year old today. Celebrate with listener questions (who should be on the Victorian Mount Rushmore?), poetry, trivia and many thank you’s to all my listeners and podcast buddies.

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Here end the Napoleonic Wars. The revolution is over. France is beaten and it seems Britain is set to take over power in Europe, and perhaps the world. Learn how France fell, how the political battles ousted Napoleon & doomed the Marshals, and the final triumph of the great British Napoleonic Army. Email any questions […]

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Easters here! To celebrate the end of winter, learn about the struggles of the worst Victorian job and the people who did it. The Victorian matchstick girls. Exploited, downtrodden, at risk of the terrifying condition “Phossy Jaw” and always on the edge of disaster, these girls would shake the British establishment when they rose up […]

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After the bloody day of Waterloo, many soldiers found themselves in need of a doctor. Learn how the wounded were recovered, treated and operated on in the aftermath of one of the great battles of European history. The pain and near butchery would be horrific, but the lessons learned would lead to ground breaking advances […]

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The climax of the Battle of Waterloo. The fate of Napoleon, France and Europe hangs in the balance. The French seem poised for victory. Can a thin line of brave Scotsmen and the dashing British cavalry save the Allies from defeat? This episode covers The heroic Scots The British Heavies and the Charge of the […]

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Happy New Year. A very short special: learn about how the Victorians did New Year, some old superstitions and why Auld Lang Syne was actually a happy song. Don’t forget to leave an iTunes review or drop me and email.

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Christmas Special 2017! Scrooge, Ghosts, Food, Tiny Tim. A real deep dive into the book that made Christmas……don’t miss it. Enjoy with a mince pie and something festive. Covers Why Dickens wrote it. Finances. Structure. The text as a historical source. Ghosts. Economics. Redemption. Without Dickens, we wouldn’t have a lot of the modern emphasis […]

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This minisode deals with the listener question “How does the Napoleonic Era relate to the Victoria Era?” The idea of a “Napoleonic Era” and a “Victoria Era” Key concept of continuity and why labels can be misleading. A very brief summary of Geo political impact. Military impact Financial & economic impact Social impact Scientific impact […]

The post Minisode 007 Were the Victorians influenced by the Napoleonic Wars? appeared first on AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST.

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This episode covers the early stages of the battle, including the desperate struggle for Hougoumont which has been immortalised in art, film and British Army legend. It goes on to cover the huge opening roar of the cannons of the Grand Battery. Covers the great strain on the defenders, the preparations for the main French […]

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The dawn of the day of Waterloo brings only fear, discomfort and suffering. This is the first in the Waterloo episodes series. It covers The feelings of the men and a most important breakfast. Why Napoleon felt he was onto a sure thing. The weather and terrain. The reasons why Waterloo was chosen, and how […]

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Shades of McGonagall!! Actually a quick update on plans for October/November plus some poetry. Good to be back.

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Europe was at war. The fate of nations and armies hung in the balance. As people made hard choices, Napoleon began his attack. He planned to beat the Prussians, but that meant Marshal Ney had to face the British and their allies. Here was a chance for swift and decisive victory, but was Ney the […]

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The story of the most distinctive clock and bell in the world. Learn how a tragic fire, and a brilliant Victorian rotter, gave us the iconic Big Ben. This minisode details the great fire at Westminster, the rebuilding, commission of the clock, the troubles with building, and the great scandal that came afterwards. People were […]

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A quick minisode announcing our new twitter address, musing on topics, and why I’m not covering Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for a “This day in history slot” my discovery of the war in California on this day in history (07/07/1846), and the battle of Monterey. the importance of little things. Enjoy and please visit the […]

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In the trouble world of 1815, there can be no peace in Europe. Napoleon must go to war. Join me in discovering how the storm clouds of war that had gathered over Europe finally broke. This episode covers An introduction to the position of the forces on 14 June 1815 How the armies began their […]

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A heatwave is gripping Britain in June 2017. That can mean only one thing – ICE CREAM TIME! But how did the Victorians make it? Was it really brought to Britain by an European immigrant, or did the Americans invent it first? Also include is news about how to get transcripts of the show. Enjoy […]

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Join me for another mini window into the curiosities of the Victorian age as we see how drinking coffee can help you find an unlikely hero. Adventurer, rogue, gambler, dualist, womaniser and civil servant; no not me……Max Havelaar.

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This is the first mini-episode “Minisodes” These will be mini releases to give listeners extra content between the main episodes. They will cover various topics that interested me, caught my eye, or don’t fall in the neat chronology of the main show. They will also include community news and announcements. They will very much be […]

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This episode covers the British army in 1815, its tactics, weapons and organisation. It also explains how it differs from the other European period. I start with a general explanation of the cost of living and the Royal Navy. I then deal with British Officers, commissions and recruitment. Finally there’s an explanation of how the […]

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In this episode I indulge my passion for Napoleonic history, and explore my fascination with Napoleon. I cover the great gamble of his return from exile, his struggles, the options available to him, and that magnificent instrument of war…..the French Army. This show covers The benefits and cost of ambition. Napoleon’s gamble to retake the […]

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This is the first full episode. It covers the situation in Europe in 1815, and gives a feel for life in Britain on the eve of the great events of the last campaign of the Napoleonic Wars. What does the term Victorian mean? History as a spectrum. What will the podcast cover & why start […]

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A quick explanation about the Age of Victoria Podcast, release schedule, contact details, why I’m podcasting and what is going to be covered.

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AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST: Recent Episodes

Chris Fernandez-Packham (Victorian History Lover/Queen Victoria Fan)