Category Archives: NRO Research Bloggers

The Mad Monk of Hickling Priory

Posted on November 26, 2018 by

The Priory Hicking Priory. NRO, MC 530/8/21 Hickling Priory was founded in 1185 by Theobald de Valentina and was occupied by around 10 Black Canons, a denomination that worshipped the Virgin Mary, St. Austin and All Saints who lived communally … Continue reading →

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Did Cromwell come to stay, and what’s Beadle about?

Posted on November 13, 2018 by

How do you go about proving a 450 year-old local legend? Continue reading →

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The Witches of Lynn

Posted on October 31, 2018 by

It’s strange how one thing leads to another. When I was researching the French POWs in King’s Lynn, I came across Devil’s Alley, where the warehouse that was used for temporary accommodation was situated. This led on to the legend … Continue reading →

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Life in Nelson’s Navy: An Account of Joseph Emerson, a Surgeon on board the HMS Agamemnon in 1793.

Posted on October 21, 2018 by

The wellbeing of the men in the navy, despite leading a rough and treacherous lifestyle, was considered superior to that in the army, especially now that scurvy was on the decline. Still, being out at sea for long periods increased … Continue reading →

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Mad Dogs and Englishmen: Homemade Remedies in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Posted on October 10, 2018 by

Long before the NHS was founded, many households in 18th and 19th century Britain relied on home remedies to help them cope with various ailments. Healthcare was less accessible, especially for the poorer sectors of society and quack doctors would … Continue reading →

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Gruesome goings-on in Old Hunstanton

Posted on July 31, 2018 by

There is a slim uncatalogued file in the King’s Lynn Archive which contains some 14 documents, dated to the 24th year of King George III’s reign labelled, “Customs Murder Suit”. George III reigned from 1760 to 1820. These documents include … Continue reading →

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The Struggles of Motherhood Recorded in the 19th Century Norfolk Lunatic Asylum

Posted on June 20, 2018 by

Mental health issues are a feature of modern life and the archive of Norfolk Lunatic Asylum, or St Andrew’s Hospital as it was renamed in the 1920s, shows this is not new. It is interesting to compare the ‘causes of … Continue reading →

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Norfolk Lunatic Asylum/St Andrew’s Hospital

Posted on June 7, 2018 by

Case notes for the Norfolk Lunatic Asylum show that the admission of a significant number of female patients in 1845-1870, was due to women’s mental health after childbirth. The notes suggest that their physical condition was frail and the physical … Continue reading →

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