Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · 21d

Royals are notoriously hard to buy for. What do you get people who have everything? When in doubt, do what Admiral Boscawen did in April 1750 for Frederick, Prince of Wales and get the royal in your life a 476lb tortoise. 🐢

#18thCentury #Hanoverians #Georgians

Newspaper clipping from April 1750 reading: Yesterday, a tortoise weighing 476lb was carried up to Kew as a present from Admiral Boscawen to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Sep 3

Yes! The Bucholz database is absolutely brilliant. It's great that the newspaper included these little bits of detail. I think it really helps to bring these people to life.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Sep 3

An interesting note in the London Evening Post for 1-3 April 1740: the death of Mr Earnest, a Page of the Back Stairs to the Prince of Wales whose likeness was taken for the figure of Merlin that featured in Merlin's Cave, built in 1735 for Queen Caroline of Ansbach in the gardens of Richmond Lodge.

Newspaper text: On Tuesday died Mr Earnest, first Page of the Back Stairs to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The figure representing Merlin in the Cave, in Richmond Gardens, was, by Mr Rysbrack, taken from the person of this gentleman, by the late Queen's command.
He is succeeded in his Royal Highness's service by Mr John Barnarde, a German gentleman.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jul 27

What a team, what a tournament! Never give up, never say die! Heroes one and all! #Lionesses 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jul 9

Those dahlias are absolutely gorgeous!

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Royal Studies @royalstudies.bsky.social · Jun 27

The latest Royal Studies Podcast episode is out! Join @amyjanieh.bsky.social for her conversation with @nemgarrett.bsky.social, @wromantichistry.bsky.social and @rosalindfreeborn.bsky.social about (fictional) representations of regency royalty.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 21

Waiting outside the library
Eager for the doors to open
Because we got here early
A bag of stories to be returned
Others yet undiscovered
Waiting for us on the shelves.

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Hugo Gordon @hugogordon.bsky.social · Jun 12

Really do think Government should intervene to legislate on this as soon as possible, before we end up in a situation like the US where these things are everywhere and people refuse to give them up because they think their personal liberty to drive a tank outweighs the safety of everyone else.

T&E @transportenvironment.org · Jun 12

NEW: Car bonnets are becoming a half-centimetre higher every year, driving road safety fears.

This #carspreading trend where supersized SUVs crowd out space in towns and cities is also leading to cars that are more dangerous in a crash.
🧵

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Historic Southampton @historicalsoton.bsky.social · Jun 11

Reginald Joseph Mitchell led the team that designed the Spitfire at Supermarine in Woolston, Southampton. The prototype first flew in 1936. Sadly, he would not live to see his iconic aircraft’s finest hour during the Second World War. R. J. Mitchell died at home in Southampton on this day in 1937.

Mitchell’s home in Russell Place, Southampton.

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History of Parliament @histparl.bsky.social · Jun 11

Died #OTD 1727, George I.

The first monarch of the Hanoverian dynasty, a much-debated question has survived since his reign. Could he speak English?

historyofparliament.com/2019/06/06/c...

Ich bin in meinem Herzen Englisch: Could George I speak English? - The History of Parliament

George I's linguistic weakness was supposedly the reason for the preference shown to his German advisors over most English politicians, who were for the most part similarly limited in their knowledge…

historyofparliament.com

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Aliceillustrate ✏️✨ illustrator @aliceillustrate.bsky.social · Jun 8

The Madleen is sailing towards Gaza, unarmed, with humanitarian aid & operating in full accordance with international, humanitarian & human rights laws. They do this to break the illegal seige.
Keep all eyes on deck & all eyes on
Palestine ❤️🇵🇸🍉
#alleyesondeck #freedomflotilla #illustration

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Historic Southampton @historicalsoton.bsky.social · Jun 6

On this day in 1944: D-Day. Southampton played a monumental role in the build-up, execution, and aftermath of the largest seaborne assault in history. These photos show countless landing craft at the Western Docks.

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Countless landing craft at Southampton Docks. 📸: © IWM (A 23730)

Countless landing craft at Southampton Docks. 📸: © IWM (A 23731)

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 6

Back with the newspapers today, looking at mentions of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1738. Of course, there's more there than just Frederick and Augusta. The papers yield unexpected gems like this one, from 29 September. A reminder that humans have always, always been messy and ridiculous:

Newspaper snippet from 29 September 1738 reads: On Wednesday night, a baker, living within a mile of St. Bride's Church, took leave of his wife, in order to go out of town immediately; but meeting with some companions he sat up all night, and went home early in the morning, to take a little. rest before he begun his journey, when to his great surprise he saw a certain barber of his acquaintance with his wife in bed, who seeing the husband come in at the chamber door, to avoid ceremony, jump'd out of the window into the street; by which lover's leap he had the misfortune to break his leg, which is now under cure; and how the affair will end is uncertain.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 6

Yes!! I also think Isabella of France and Edward II are worthy of a mention. 😅

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 5

Celebrities being declared dead by the media is not a new thing! Check out this newspaper snippet from the London Daily Post and General Advertiser from 14 October 1738. The poor Earl of Darnley, despite being killed off by the papers, has turned up fit and healthy at Prince Frederick's court! 😂

Newspaper clipping from the London Daily Post and General Advertiser from 14 October 1738 reads: The Right Hon. the Earl of Darnley, who has been so formally kill'd in some of the papers for these two days past, is not only alive, but very well, not having been ill. And yesterday his Lordship was to wait upon his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

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Leah from South Dakota @leahfromsd.bsky.social · Jun 5

I never, ever want to hear again that women are too emotional to be leaders.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 5

This whole panel was absolutely cracking and I loved it! 😍

Dr Elena (Ellie) Woodacre @ewoodacre.bsky.social · Jun 5

Next at #KQ14 in Session 3.2 Courtiers as Employees? Working condition in early modern courts Robert Bucholz “Life in the Service of the British Royal Household: A mildly quantitative approach”, rich insight into the wonderful data & personal insights from this database courtofficers.ctsdh.luc.edu

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 4

And poor Augusta, never to be queen! ☹️

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 4

#OnThisDay in 1738, John Perceval, 1st Earl of Egmont noted in his diary that 'The Princess of Wales was brought to bed of a boy, which the same night received private baptism, there being doubt if he would live'. This baby was the future George III, one of Britain's longest reigning monarchs.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 4

This panel was absolutely fantastic. Really thoroughly enjoyed it! 🤩 #KQ14

Dr Elena (Ellie) Woodacre @ewoodacre.bsky.social · Jun 4

Our third paper in #KQ14 Session 2.2 was Matylda Urjasz-Razcko “Bona Sforza of Aragon (1518-1557), between former Spain, Italy and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth”, discussing significance & influence of three Italian brides in Central Europe, Beatrice d’Aragona, Bianca Maria & Bona Sforza

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Jun 3

This was a wonderful panel to be part of and it was really fun to get to talk about Hanoverian family mayhem! It’s been an absolutely fantastic conference so far and can’t wait to hear more amazing papers! 😍 #KQ14

Dr Elena (Ellie) Woodacre @ewoodacre.bsky.social · Jun 3

The 2nd paper in #KQ14 Session 1.12, beautifully charted Georgian family breakdown: Amy-Jane Humphries “Intergenerational conflict within the Hanoverian Royal Family, 1714-1760” demonstrating veracity of quote from Walpole “It ran a little in the blood of the family to hate the eldest son”.

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Royal Studies @royalstudies.bsky.social · May 20

#KQ14 #conference #RoyalStudies #registration #royal #diplomacy #queenship #kingship #family #network

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · May 30

IMPORTANT #BSECS2026 NEWS!
Registration for #BSECS2026 opens on Sunday 1 June!
Submit your CFP on the theme of 'Big & Small' and join us for our 55th annual conference 7-9 Jan 2026 @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social
#18thC #skystorians 🗃️
Click on the link for the full CFP

www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/...

BSECS Annual Conference

BSECS Annual Conference: the annual meeting of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies is Europe's largest and most prestigious annual conference

www.bsecs.org.uk

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Historic Southampton @historicalsoton.bsky.social · May 26

In 1601, complaints were made about the number of alehouse keepers in Southampton. Apparently their houses were ‘receptackles of all lewd persons’ and full of ‘vices and wickednes’. Peter Hendricke’s alehouse near the West Quay in particular was said to be a ‘verie unfitt place’.

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Amy Humphries 🌱🌸 @amyjanieh.bsky.social · Mar 24

I love wagtails. They’re such lovely birds. 🥰