Beachcombing's Bizarre History Blog

Roosevelt in a wheelchair: 40,000 pics in Roosevelt presidential library, only two have Roosevelt in a chair.

At the trial for Duke of Norfolk, at the very end of Henry’s reign, Bess Holland, Norfolk’s mistress gave the following testimony about Henry VIII’s obesity. She claimed that the Duke had told her: That the king was much grown of his body and that he could not go up and down stairs and was […]

Heavy or light persecution of witches: note the Celtic fringe and Italy. It has been suggested that ‘highland’ areas attracted persecution.

This is an interesting reference to the mermaid business in 1878. As will be seen, a mermaid, caught in the West Indies, was sold to the Westminster Aquarium. It will be remembered that about two months since much excitement was caused by the landing of a West Indian mermaid at Glasgow by the ss Blenheim. […]

Mid October 1941. A man with a mustache walks up and down besides a train, while snow falls. He is conscious, all too conscious that he is about to make a decision that will change the direction of the war, perhaps even its outcome: a true hinge moment. And the decision? Quite simply should he […]

Children devour stories… Announce to three kids in bed, just before lights out, that you will tell the tale about ‘naughty Uncle John and the security guard’, or ‘how Daddy went to fox land’, or the one about the ‘biggest fish in Little Snoring’ and absolute silence will reign. The children will listen, crucially ask […]

Magnificent 15 cent French Book of Hours

Dear Reader, A tense January as efforts to get Italian citizenship run into problems: a middle name on a British birth certificate has already led to hundreds of euros spent on legal advice, consulate visits and general headbanging. Starting, though, the writing of a new book and that is a balm. There follow the most […]