Questions tagged [united-kingdom]
Formally known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland these questions relate to the history of events that have happened in the countries that make up the United Kingdom; such as England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and various territories; or the United Kingdom's dealings with other sovereign nations around the world.
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What does this R.A.O.B. symbol mean?
Hi I'm trying to figure out what this R.A.O.B symbol means? It was my grandfather’s pin. He was a member of the Buffs or Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. His rank was 1st degree (Kangaroo). But ...
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What did it mean when a 19th century UK man was a "blocker"
I've been reading 19th century UK obituaries, and many of the men are described as "blockers". What does that mean?
The following is an example from the "Bedfordshire Advertiser and ...
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Why did British Empire fall after WW2 but rose after Napoleon despite similar debt%?
United Kingdom had similar debt to GDP ratio after defeating Napoleon and wining WW2 both time rising above 200%. But how did British Empire rise after defeating Napoleon to create Pax Brittanica and ...
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Did Winston Churchill believe the US civil war was not about slavery? [closed]
Winston Churchill wrote four books on history. I have not read them, but I have heard that in them he says that the US civil war was not about slavery.
I do not have a reputable source for the "...
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Did the use of the term Prime Minister in the UK originate as ridicule?
A YouTube video makes the claim:
the term prime minister was originally used by [Robert Walpole's] rivals to make fun of how he had consolidated power
Neither Wikipedia nor Etymology Online mention ...
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What happened if a high ranked noblewoman married a nobleman with lower status?
If a high ranked noblewoman married with a nobleman with a lower ranking, was it possible for the man to take charge of the high ranked title and family? Most likely as the successor of the title. ...
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Why didn't Foula adopt the Gregorian calendar?
Foula, a remote Shetland island, uses the Julian calendar to this day. The footnote about this on the Wikipedia article points to a BBC article which simply states:
If outsiders know anything at all ...
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Why did the Civil Service in the UK become so associated with Oxbridge?
In the UK there is definitely a perception that the Civil Service is the preserve of privileged Oxbridge graduates, possibly even only those who came from public schools (Eton, Winchester, etc). It is ...
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What is significance of (US) university heraldry
I apologize if this is a bit too basic of a question, as it's my first time using the site to actually ask a question. From what I understand, the history of heraldry in university settings seems to ...
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Where can I find statutory orders made by the Privy Council of England?
I am researching early 20th century statutory orders made by the Privy Council, namely made under the Local Government Act 1899.
In the London Gazette, it is mentioned that on 15 May 1900 Orders in ...
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(Why) didn't the "fountain of justice" flow through Governors-General?
Nowadays both the Australian and Canadian governments agree that their (respective) Governor-General (henceforth GG) belongs to two branches of government: both executive and legislative.
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Did Edward VIII aid Germany during the war?
In the Netflix TV series called The Crown, a several-season biopic about Queen Elizabeth II, it is reported that in the '50s, the Queen learned that her uncle, the Duke of Windsor, who was formerly ...
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What was this television history series?
Back in the 80's or 90's I used to watch a history show on TV. It may have been a BBC series but it definitely had a British host. He'd normally start off talking about one thing in history, like the ...
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How have historians calculated the total number of votes in general elections which had plural voting?
note: a good answer would track down the source of these figures (possibly from the books below) and explain the methodology behind counting them
In the 1830 general election to the parliament at ...
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What proportion of UK civilians killed in the first and second world wars were women and children?
I recently learnt that the number of UK civilians killed in the first world war is around 2,000. This seems surprisingly low but understandable when we realize that the UK wasn't subject to a land ...
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