History Category

‘Them ships now,’ Will pointed. ‘They’re probably bringin’ in tea and brandy; watch they’ll of’en stop an’ tub boats will side up an’ lift off contraband, e’en in broad daylight.’ The Thirteenth Box   My Smugglers’ Town Mysteries are set in 1780s, though smuggling into Christchurch, the small town on the south coast where the… Read More

Valentine’s Day has its origins in pagan rituals and has been a feature in the year’s calendar in one form or another ever since. The 18th century was no different and customs we would recognise today were also enjoyed at that time. The sending of messages and love letters was common. Use of pre-printed cards began… Read More

Christmas Gambols. Print by John Raphael Smith (British Museum)   In The Moonrakers of Avon the action takes place at Christmastime. Before the story begins to unfold, Danny Clark is looking forward most of all to Twelfth Night; why then and not Christmas itself? Today’s Christmas traditions have evolved over the centuries from pagan winter… Read More

Pirates vs Smugglers Pirates versus smugglers? Well not in any battle I know of, but it could well have been, as the two groups of varmints were of a different ilk. I often hear people say ‘Julie writes about pirates’. I’ve been asked to do talks about pirates, but it’s smugglers I know about. What’s… Read More

Debtors, felons and a gentleman who cared A little while ago I posted a quote from an 18th-century report by John Howard, who was the first prison reformer. I was reminded of it today as the government announced reforms to the present prison system. John Howard toured the country inspecting prisons and produced a report,… Read More

When planning where in Christchurch the characters for my books should live, I made sure at least one lived in the village of Burton. That character is Danny Clarke. You enter Burton just a mile from Christchurch and it sits mostly within the boundaries of Stony Lane, the road north from Christchurch to Ringwood, and… Read More