Michael Pearce
@michaelpearce.bsky.social
History, Scotland. Probably writing about material culture, costume, household accounts, letters, and recipe books
Blog, remember them? https://vanishedcomforts.org/about/
Blog, remember them? https://vanishedcomforts.org/about/
Pinned
Mary, Queen of Scots: her travels in August and September 1564
A few details of Mary’s household and her travels in 1564 are known from an account of payments made by George Wishart of Drymme, which was published for the first time by the Scottish Histor…
vanishedcomforts.org
Mary Queen of Scots going southwards from Inverness in September 1564, a blog vanishedcomforts.org/2025/12/09/m...
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Morris dancing at the Boxing Day Mummers' Play
December 26, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Morris dancing at the Boxing Day Mummers' Play
Heart warming steps towards Scottish independence this morning in a Northampton corner shop. I was told only 'British money' was acceptable. A stranger Good Samaritan bought my milk, and advised I 'might be able to change my money in town'
December 26, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Heart warming steps towards Scottish independence this morning in a Northampton corner shop. I was told only 'British money' was acceptable. A stranger Good Samaritan bought my milk, and advised I 'might be able to change my money in town'
Reposted by Michael Pearce
‘You boy! Can I start on the cans yet?’
December 25, 2025 at 6:34 AM
‘You boy! Can I start on the cans yet?’
Christmas concluded 1626/7 at Apethorpe with Mary, Countess of Westmorland, '... now we have ended this Feastivall time ... my lo: of Rutland came hither on Twelf day to see our maske which was a very fine on & excellently well performed ...'
![Moray papers, NRAS 217 Box 5:304, ... I will performe your directions, & make you [Grace, Countess of Home] a dainty pendant, I have sent to Mr [Drew] Louet about it, now we have ended this Feastivall time, wheare you have been often wished and your health & your lords often remembered,
my lo: of Rutland came hither on Twelf day to see our maske11 which was a very fine on & excellently well performed, you shall have a booke of it when I can meete with a messenger. Sr Sidney & his la: ended christmas with us, & they both commend ther humble sirvises unto
you with many more the longe to writ; Sr Robert Gourdon kept not his promis with you for he cam not hitther, ...'](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p3stfxwzlmhwdtnk4pe63vov/bafkreigfvtjm4ne6yzhgpg7kvytppg5wrezne2hkt6reglk6gmhw6p6jpy@jpeg)
December 23, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Christmas concluded 1626/7 at Apethorpe with Mary, Countess of Westmorland, '... now we have ended this Feastivall time ... my lo: of Rutland came hither on Twelf day to see our maske which was a very fine on & excellently well performed ...'
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Did medieval people buy each other Christmas gifts? New Year's Day was the main gifting day, but little is known about everyday people's present giving. Our project on London's customs records has uncovered a wealth of affordable items imported around this time: gloves and hats to toys and rattles🧵
Medieval Londoners’ cheaply imported mass-produced Christmas gifts look surprisingly familiar
We often imagine medieval life as dull, dirty and short, with little in the way of material comfort or decoration. However, medieval Londoners were importing toys, treats and trinkets by the boatload ...
theconversation.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Did medieval people buy each other Christmas gifts? New Year's Day was the main gifting day, but little is known about everyday people's present giving. Our project on London's customs records has uncovered a wealth of affordable items imported around this time: gloves and hats to toys and rattles🧵
The bill for keeping the Little Park at Nonsuch, to Christmas 1612, includes 'xij loade of haye for the deare' £22
December 21, 2025 at 9:30 PM
The bill for keeping the Little Park at Nonsuch, to Christmas 1612, includes 'xij loade of haye for the deare' £22
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Oh hell YES.
I've long maintained that based on the result of ink recipes, the word "azraq" couldn't mean "blue" in early Arabic texts but seems instead to be yellowish. Now I have textual proof: "Take red arsenic [realgar] or if you wish, azraq"—no such thing as blue arsenic, this means yellow!
I've long maintained that based on the result of ink recipes, the word "azraq" couldn't mean "blue" in early Arabic texts but seems instead to be yellowish. Now I have textual proof: "Take red arsenic [realgar] or if you wish, azraq"—no such thing as blue arsenic, this means yellow!
December 21, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Oh hell YES.
I've long maintained that based on the result of ink recipes, the word "azraq" couldn't mean "blue" in early Arabic texts but seems instead to be yellowish. Now I have textual proof: "Take red arsenic [realgar] or if you wish, azraq"—no such thing as blue arsenic, this means yellow!
I've long maintained that based on the result of ink recipes, the word "azraq" couldn't mean "blue" in early Arabic texts but seems instead to be yellowish. Now I have textual proof: "Take red arsenic [realgar] or if you wish, azraq"—no such thing as blue arsenic, this means yellow!
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Happy Solstice!❄️❄️❄️
December 21, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Happy Solstice!❄️❄️❄️
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Dr. Jessica Otis and Katherine Kania published "The Monarchs' Bills of Mortality," analyzing 17th-century London death records to reveal connections between epidemic outbreaks, socioeconomic trends, and environmental factors. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03058034.2025.2572138
The Monarchs’ Bills of Mortality: A Geographical Analysis of Death in Seventeenth-Century London
The London bills of mortality are most well known as printed broadsides produced for public consumption in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which informed early modern Londoners of mortali...
www.tandfonline.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Dr. Jessica Otis and Katherine Kania published "The Monarchs' Bills of Mortality," analyzing 17th-century London death records to reveal connections between epidemic outbreaks, socioeconomic trends, and environmental factors. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03058034.2025.2572138
Reposted by Michael Pearce
✨ New open access issue of British Art Studies! ✨
Offering a phenomenal reappraisal of James VI and I's artistic legacy, ed. Kate Anderson, @jemmafield.bsky.social, & Catriona Murray.
My piece offers a transatlantic perspective on James' banqueting houses: britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/29/ki...
Offering a phenomenal reappraisal of James VI and I's artistic legacy, ed. Kate Anderson, @jemmafield.bsky.social, & Catriona Murray.
My piece offers a transatlantic perspective on James' banqueting houses: britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/29/ki...
British Art Studies
*British Art Studies* is an innovative space for new peer-reviewed scholarship on all aspects of British art.
britishartstudies.ac.uk
December 19, 2025 at 11:07 AM
✨ New open access issue of British Art Studies! ✨
Offering a phenomenal reappraisal of James VI and I's artistic legacy, ed. Kate Anderson, @jemmafield.bsky.social, & Catriona Murray.
My piece offers a transatlantic perspective on James' banqueting houses: britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/29/ki...
Offering a phenomenal reappraisal of James VI and I's artistic legacy, ed. Kate Anderson, @jemmafield.bsky.social, & Catriona Murray.
My piece offers a transatlantic perspective on James' banqueting houses: britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/29/ki...
Reposted by Michael Pearce
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... I think people would be interested to visit a house in the Circus more than 1 day a year, especially re recent research. The garden has been a lovely free space, full of flowers. Just off Catherine Morland's Jubilee Walk! @bathnes.bsky.social @bathprestrust.bsky.social
Plea to save 'important' Georgian house and garden in Bath - BBC News
Councillors are being urged to save the Georgian Garden over fears that it could be lost.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 19, 2025 at 9:23 AM
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... I think people would be interested to visit a house in the Circus more than 1 day a year, especially re recent research. The garden has been a lovely free space, full of flowers. Just off Catherine Morland's Jubilee Walk! @bathnes.bsky.social @bathprestrust.bsky.social
New free online edition, British Art Studies 29, about James VI and I and family
A new essay from me on the contentious topic of the sexuality of James VI and I - an attempt to get past the old ‘did he or didn’t he’ by looking at the king’s style as read by his contemporaries and subsequent historians. King James - QAF. main--britishartstudies-29.netlify.app/issues/29/qu...
British Art Studies
*British Art Studies* is an innovative space for new peer-reviewed scholarship on all aspects of British art.
main--britishartstudies-29.netlify.app
December 18, 2025 at 10:48 PM
New free online edition, British Art Studies 29, about James VI and I and family
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Dr Miles Kerr Peterson was shown a trunk of family documents by the owner of the manufacturing company he worked for in Glasgow. It led to rediscovery of writings about the island of St Kilda by Christina MacDonald Chalmers. www.thenational.scot/culture/2570...
Remembering St Kilda through the eyes of its only female chronicler
A collection of writings by former islander Christina MacDonald Chalmers, nee McQueen, was rediscovered and republished by historians Miles…
www.thenational.scot
December 18, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Dr Miles Kerr Peterson was shown a trunk of family documents by the owner of the manufacturing company he worked for in Glasgow. It led to rediscovery of writings about the island of St Kilda by Christina MacDonald Chalmers. www.thenational.scot/culture/2570...
Reposted by Michael Pearce
I am organizing a workshop on “critical mineral histories” in March 2026. If you or someone you know might be interested in participating, please see the following CfP for more information on the concept and how to submit a proposal (by 10 January, if possible). Thanks! www.kth.se/anthropocene...
Workshop: Critical Mineral Histories | KTH
www.kth.se
December 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
I am organizing a workshop on “critical mineral histories” in March 2026. If you or someone you know might be interested in participating, please see the following CfP for more information on the concept and how to submit a proposal (by 10 January, if possible). Thanks! www.kth.se/anthropocene...
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Absolutely delighted to see that my article on Catholic chapels in Ireland from the 1790s to the 1820s is now available in Architectural History, the journal of the SAHGB - a real career dream come true to have an article in this journal, I must say! #skystorians www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The Development of Catholic Chapels in Ireland Prior to Catholic Emancipation, 1778–1829 | Architectural History | Cambridge Core
The Development of Catholic Chapels in Ireland Prior to Catholic Emancipation, 1778–1829 - Volume 68
www.cambridge.org
December 16, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Absolutely delighted to see that my article on Catholic chapels in Ireland from the 1790s to the 1820s is now available in Architectural History, the journal of the SAHGB - a real career dream come true to have an article in this journal, I must say! #skystorians www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Michael Pearce
Royal Studies Journal 12.2 is now published, featuring the RSJ Article Prize Winner 2025, a global diplomacy cluster, five research articles and seven book reviews.
📖 Read the issue here: rsj.winchester.ac.uk/31/volume/12...
🎧Listen to the prize winner podcast here: bit.ly/4s5g7xI
📖 Read the issue here: rsj.winchester.ac.uk/31/volume/12...
🎧Listen to the prize winner podcast here: bit.ly/4s5g7xI
December 16, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Royal Studies Journal 12.2 is now published, featuring the RSJ Article Prize Winner 2025, a global diplomacy cluster, five research articles and seven book reviews.
📖 Read the issue here: rsj.winchester.ac.uk/31/volume/12...
🎧Listen to the prize winner podcast here: bit.ly/4s5g7xI
📖 Read the issue here: rsj.winchester.ac.uk/31/volume/12...
🎧Listen to the prize winner podcast here: bit.ly/4s5g7xI
Reposted by Michael Pearce
🚨 CfP 🚨 We are delighted to announce our Lent term call for papers, deadline 13 January 2026! This term we are accepting work on any theme - we look very forward to receiving your abstracts!
December 15, 2025 at 1:12 PM
🚨 CfP 🚨 We are delighted to announce our Lent term call for papers, deadline 13 January 2026! This term we are accepting work on any theme - we look very forward to receiving your abstracts!
Reposted by Michael Pearce
📣 PDRA JOB (2 Years, full-time) based in Psychology, @schoolofppls.bsky.social: We are hiring a Post-doctoral Research Associate, to work on Strand B (experimental) of our @weaponisedpasts.bsky.social project, generously funded by @leverhulme.ac.uk.
December 16, 2025 at 9:05 AM
📣 PDRA JOB (2 Years, full-time) based in Psychology, @schoolofppls.bsky.social: We are hiring a Post-doctoral Research Associate, to work on Strand B (experimental) of our @weaponisedpasts.bsky.social project, generously funded by @leverhulme.ac.uk.
Reposted by Michael Pearce
CFP: Rethinking Early Modern Print Today: New Questions and New Approaches, University of Poitiers, 24 Sept., 2026.
The symposium aims to bring together researchers to present and discuss current research and perspectives on early modern prints.
Deadline 16 Feb.
www.codart.nl/research-stu...
The symposium aims to bring together researchers to present and discuss current research and perspectives on early modern prints.
Deadline 16 Feb.
www.codart.nl/research-stu...
CFP: Rethinking Early Modern Print Today - CODART
A call for papers has been shared for the symposium Rethinking Early Modern Print Today: New Questions and New Approaches, to be held at the University of Poitiers on Thursday, 24 September, 2026.…
www.codart.nl
December 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
CFP: Rethinking Early Modern Print Today: New Questions and New Approaches, University of Poitiers, 24 Sept., 2026.
The symposium aims to bring together researchers to present and discuss current research and perspectives on early modern prints.
Deadline 16 Feb.
www.codart.nl/research-stu...
The symposium aims to bring together researchers to present and discuss current research and perspectives on early modern prints.
Deadline 16 Feb.
www.codart.nl/research-stu...
Reposted by Michael Pearce
All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names…
December 13, 2025 at 4:22 PM
All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names…
Reposted by Michael Pearce
I write a newspaper column about Scottish history, historians and heritage.
I’m keen to feature more Early Career Researchers. Their work might not otherwise be publicised to a wide audience. Do you know anyone who might like to be in the column?
I’m keen to feature more Early Career Researchers. Their work might not otherwise be publicised to a wide audience. Do you know anyone who might like to be in the column?
December 12, 2025 at 7:15 PM
I write a newspaper column about Scottish history, historians and heritage.
I’m keen to feature more Early Career Researchers. Their work might not otherwise be publicised to a wide audience. Do you know anyone who might like to be in the column?
I’m keen to feature more Early Career Researchers. Their work might not otherwise be publicised to a wide audience. Do you know anyone who might like to be in the column?
Reposted by Michael Pearce
My article, ‘Visualizing the executions of British queens in early modern Europe‘, has been published in “Historical Research” and can be read here: academic.oup.com/histres/adva...
Visualizing the executions of British queens in early modern Europe
Abstract. The executions of British queens between 1536 and 1587 were sensational news events, both in the British Isles and on the Continent, and were vis
academic.oup.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:28 PM
My article, ‘Visualizing the executions of British queens in early modern Europe‘, has been published in “Historical Research” and can be read here: academic.oup.com/histres/adva...
Reposted by Michael Pearce
If you wish to know about student mobility between Swedish universities (Uppsala, Turku/Åbo, Tartu/Dorpat) during the 17th century, please download my newly published article on the topic from here doi.org/10.15157/tya...
📷 Schalkin, A German student, Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands
📷 Schalkin, A German student, Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands
December 12, 2025 at 11:17 AM
If you wish to know about student mobility between Swedish universities (Uppsala, Turku/Åbo, Tartu/Dorpat) during the 17th century, please download my newly published article on the topic from here doi.org/10.15157/tya...
📷 Schalkin, A German student, Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands
📷 Schalkin, A German student, Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands