J L Laynesmith
@jllaynesmith.bsky.social
Medievalist in Reading researching queenship, Wars of the Roses, royal adultery, and medieval noblewomen (Cecily Duchess of York appears frequently) | Editor of The Ricardian | May also mention Environment, Eco Church, Trade Justice . . .(all views my own)
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Duchy Chamber pleadings for the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII (DL 1/1-26) are now searchable to item level online. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C...
Browse records of other archives | The National Archives
The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone...
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
November 9, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Duchy Chamber pleadings for the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII (DL 1/1-26) are now searchable to item level online. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Not enough attention is being paid to the effective closure of the bulk of one of the 2 or 3 most important public archives for modern British history. A terrible own goal for the BBC as a public-service agency.
WAC wrong-headedness
(that's the BBC Written Archives Centre)
I've brought together the key links for the campaign against the changes which now make independent and exploratory research at WAC impossible - and why this matters.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/wac-wrong-he...
(that's the BBC Written Archives Centre)
I've brought together the key links for the campaign against the changes which now make independent and exploratory research at WAC impossible - and why this matters.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/wac-wrong-he...
WAC wrong-headedness - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: Some of you will know that I have been very involved over the past months with attempts to reverse the wrong-headed changes to access at the BBC Written Archives Centre (above, with...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Not enough attention is being paid to the effective closure of the bulk of one of the 2 or 3 most important public archives for modern British history. A terrible own goal for the BBC as a public-service agency.
The 2020 issue of The Ricardian was recently uploaded to @richardiiisociety.bsky.social's website free to access richardiii.net/research/the.... It includes papers from an @lincolnrecsoc.bsky.social conference, among them a case study of Cecily duchess of York's excercise of lordship in Lincolnshire
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The 2020 issue of The Ricardian was recently uploaded to @richardiiisociety.bsky.social's website free to access richardiii.net/research/the.... It includes papers from an @lincolnrecsoc.bsky.social conference, among them a case study of Cecily duchess of York's excercise of lordship in Lincolnshire
Needed to be near Holland Park this evening so arrived early and visited Lord Leighton's wonderful home.
November 5, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Needed to be near Holland Park this evening so arrived early and visited Lord Leighton's wonderful home.
This seems a logical action to take after my last post.
Over £9million raised so far in this 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to do something truly meaningful for nature on a really large scale. It's absolutely doable. Can you help?
Donate here 👉 www.wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/roth...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #wildlife
Donate here 👉 www.wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/roth...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #wildlife
Sir David Attenborough backs bid to buy Rothbury Estate
Wildlife trusts attempt to raise £30m to keep Northumberland's Rothbury Estate from being split up.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 1, 2025 at 9:40 AM
This seems a logical action to take after my last post.
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Let me excerpt the concluding paragraph:
October 31, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Let me excerpt the concluding paragraph:
Cecily duchess of York made generous donations to the English hopsice in Rome - something unusual in her family - so I am really looking forward to seeing the fruits of Philip Muijtjens research here: yorkisthistorytrust.org/2025/10/30/t...
The Late Medieval Archives of the Venerable English College, Rome
The Trust On…The Late Medieval Archives of the Venerable English College, Rome Philip Muijtjens, a postdoctoral researcher at the Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium),…
yorkisthistorytrust.org
October 30, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Cecily duchess of York made generous donations to the English hopsice in Rome - something unusual in her family - so I am really looking forward to seeing the fruits of Philip Muijtjens research here: yorkisthistorytrust.org/2025/10/30/t...
I'll be giving a talk on King Harold's so-called 'Danish wife' Edith, so I thought I'd better watch 'King and Conqueror'. If you've seen it, you'll understand why I might feel I need to post an image of, for example, a glorious colourful book owned by Judith of Flanders during her marriage to Tostig
October 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
I'll be giving a talk on King Harold's so-called 'Danish wife' Edith, so I thought I'd better watch 'King and Conqueror'. If you've seen it, you'll understand why I might feel I need to post an image of, for example, a glorious colourful book owned by Judith of Flanders during her marriage to Tostig
A wonderful story of nature bouncing back when given the chance...
"After only one year, the transformation is dramatic", says a conservation manager about the growth of a colony of 2,000 sooty tern seabirds. Previously, invasive rats had destroyed their eggs, making it impossible for the native birds to persist on the islands. www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/inv...
Scientists stunned by results after removing 1 harmful creature from island chain: 'The transformation is dramatic'
The successful removal of an invasive species of rat saw nature spring back to life on two islands in the Marshall Islands.
www.thecooldown.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:35 AM
A wonderful story of nature bouncing back when given the chance...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
A neat tool I just came across: Viabundus, a digital road map of northern Europe 1350-1650, that lets you calculate contemporary travel routes/times. In 1500, going Amiens → Köln by horse took almost 7 days and 13 toll payments.
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
October 24, 2025 at 10:58 PM
A neat tool I just came across: Viabundus, a digital road map of northern Europe 1350-1650, that lets you calculate contemporary travel routes/times. In 1500, going Amiens → Köln by horse took almost 7 days and 13 toll payments.
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
#medievalsky
www.landesgeschichte.uni-goettingen.de/handelsstras...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Most histories of hoodies go with 12th century monks as the originator, but I like to show my students this one from 5th-7th century Egypt.
October 25, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Most histories of hoodies go with 12th century monks as the originator, but I like to show my students this one from 5th-7th century Egypt.
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
An introduction to a fascinating sounding project. Really looking forward to seeing its conclusions (especially where the narratives are being drawn from to be misshaped).
As a kid/teen I LOVED The Fast Show, so I was delighted when @charliehigson.bsky.social invited me on his fantastic history podcast. Episode "The Far Right History Hijack" is out now! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
The Far Right History Hijack
Podcast Episode · Willy Willy Harry Stee... · 21/10/2025 · 54m
podcasts.apple.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:31 AM
An introduction to a fascinating sounding project. Really looking forward to seeing its conclusions (especially where the narratives are being drawn from to be misshaped).
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
📜 A national project led by University of Exeter is reviving Henry VIII’s Valor Ecclesiasticus — a Tudor-era survey of England’s churches, land & people. Digitised & mapped for the first time, it’s a fresh look at 16th-century life. https://ow.ly/jeN050Xarsh
October 18, 2025 at 9:55 AM
📜 A national project led by University of Exeter is reviving Henry VIII’s Valor Ecclesiasticus — a Tudor-era survey of England’s churches, land & people. Digitised & mapped for the first time, it’s a fresh look at 16th-century life. https://ow.ly/jeN050Xarsh
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Sign ups are now live for our January Potting Shed cohort!
Join us as we grow eco communities rooted in faith, sustainability, and nature.
All the details here: hazelnutcommunityfarm.com/potting-shed...
Join us as we grow eco communities rooted in faith, sustainability, and nature.
All the details here: hazelnutcommunityfarm.com/potting-shed...
October 16, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Sign ups are now live for our January Potting Shed cohort!
Join us as we grow eco communities rooted in faith, sustainability, and nature.
All the details here: hazelnutcommunityfarm.com/potting-shed...
Join us as we grow eco communities rooted in faith, sustainability, and nature.
All the details here: hazelnutcommunityfarm.com/potting-shed...
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Absolutely insane.
October 14, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Absolutely insane.
If anyone is looking for The Coronation Documents of Richard III - there's a copy in the Oxfam online book shop at the moment. Meanwhile the Canadian branch of the Richard III Society are auctioning two copies of the NPG catalogue on their website.
October 13, 2025 at 7:59 PM
If anyone is looking for The Coronation Documents of Richard III - there's a copy in the Oxfam online book shop at the moment. Meanwhile the Canadian branch of the Richard III Society are auctioning two copies of the NPG catalogue on their website.
How much stronger does the case for proportional representation have to be?
Astonishing advance by the Greens, astonishing implosion of Labour. When will Starmer's government get the message that it is destroying its base with deeply unpopular, rightwing policies?
By chasing Reform, it legitimises the far right while delegitimising itself.
By chasing Reform, it legitimises the far right while delegitimising itself.
Latest poll puts Greens just two points behind Labour. When I said we weren't here to be disappointed in Labour but to replace them, I meant it.
Join us and let's make hope normal again.
join.greenparty.org.uk
Join us and let's make hope normal again.
join.greenparty.org.uk
October 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
How much stronger does the case for proportional representation have to be?
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Two of the most common climate misconceptions I see, even among knowledgeable folks, are that (1) most people aren't worried about climate change, and (2) if they were, they'd act.
Not true! Data show (1) most people are worried, but (2) they won’t act if they don’t know what to do-and most don’t.
Not true! Data show (1) most people are worried, but (2) they won’t act if they don’t know what to do-and most don’t.
October 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Two of the most common climate misconceptions I see, even among knowledgeable folks, are that (1) most people aren't worried about climate change, and (2) if they were, they'd act.
Not true! Data show (1) most people are worried, but (2) they won’t act if they don’t know what to do-and most don’t.
Not true! Data show (1) most people are worried, but (2) they won’t act if they don’t know what to do-and most don’t.
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
How can MPs act with urgency on climate if they don’t even know the deadline has already arrived?
New UEA study finds public and politicians dangerously misinformed.
New UEA study finds public and politicians dangerously misinformed.
MPs and public underestimate urgency of climate action, new UEA study reveals
Fewer than 15% of UK MPs knew emissions must peak by 2025, raising questions about climate communication
eastangliabylines.co.uk
October 6, 2025 at 5:39 PM
How can MPs act with urgency on climate if they don’t even know the deadline has already arrived?
New UEA study finds public and politicians dangerously misinformed.
New UEA study finds public and politicians dangerously misinformed.
A glorious October day in my favourite city.
October 6, 2025 at 2:54 PM
A glorious October day in my favourite city.
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
There's still time to register for our 7 Oct webinar (12.30pm) on greening our finances. We'll be joined by Eco Church & JustMoney Movement as we explore practical steps churches can take, such as choosing a greener bank account, investing in climate solutions & more. us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
October 6, 2025 at 1:34 PM
There's still time to register for our 7 Oct webinar (12.30pm) on greening our finances. We'll be joined by Eco Church & JustMoney Movement as we explore practical steps churches can take, such as choosing a greener bank account, investing in climate solutions & more. us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Lovely to learn this connection between a woman I have long admired (loyal Katherine) and one of my favourite houses.
#OTD 1509 Sir Nicholas Vaux was appointed lieutenant of Guisnes Castle. He was the son of loyal Lancastrians, his mother, Katherine Peniston had followed Margaret of Anjou into exile & he had fought at Bosworth for Henry Tudor. His daughter m. George Throckmorton of Coughton Court bit.ly/1BF1PZn)
October 6, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Lovely to learn this connection between a woman I have long admired (loyal Katherine) and one of my favourite houses.
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Please help combat BBC news blackout of Green Party!
@zackpolanski.bsky.social was the only party leader not interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg during their party conference.
So please RT his cracking conference speech..
@zackpolanski.bsky.social was the only party leader not interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg during their party conference.
So please RT his cracking conference speech..
Whatever your party politics, @zackpolanski.bsky.social leaders speech deserves to be heard..
www.youtube.com/live/TZx9Vng...
www.youtube.com/live/TZx9Vng...
Leader's Speech - Zack Polanski at Green Party Conference 2025
YouTube video by Green Party of England & Wales
www.youtube.com
October 5, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Please help combat BBC news blackout of Green Party!
@zackpolanski.bsky.social was the only party leader not interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg during their party conference.
So please RT his cracking conference speech..
@zackpolanski.bsky.social was the only party leader not interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg during their party conference.
So please RT his cracking conference speech..
Reposted by J L Laynesmith
Natasha Hodgson @nrhodgson-hist.bsky.social also talked more about the findings of the @endsexisminschools.bsky.social report in the following Tes article.
Most key stage 3 history lessons don’t feature any women, research shows. Teachers tell Tes about the changes they are making to address this gender imbalance in the curriculum
Why are women missing from school history?
The extent to which history lessons ignore female figures has been revealed by new research. Here, teachers share the changes they are making to address this gender imbalance
www.tes.com
October 2, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Natasha Hodgson @nrhodgson-hist.bsky.social also talked more about the findings of the @endsexisminschools.bsky.social report in the following Tes article.