Robert Burns

The latest in the Greatest Britons series, by Louise Scott, looks at the life of Scotland’s Robert Burns.

Early Years

Robert Burns was born on 25th January 1759 in Alloway, two miles south of Ayr. He was the eldest child of William Burness (this was how Burns spelled his surname until 1786) and Agnes Broun. [...]

Boadicea

The latest Greatest Britons feature, by Louise Scott, looks at the famous “”Warrior Queen” Boadicea.
There are several variations of the Warrior Queen’s name – until recent times she was known as “Boadicea” and as also been referred to as “Boudicea”, “Boudicca” and “Boudica”. In this article, she will be referred to as “Boadicea” as that [...]

Cemetery official detained for “assaulting” vandal

A cemetery official in Sheffield has been detained on suspicion of  “assaulting” a vandal.
The 43 year old warden of Sharrow Cemetery was claimed that the youth was  vandalising a funeral car.  He was arrested after holding the man on the ground for more than half an hour.
He said that the individual sustained cuts and bruises [...]

Isaac Newton

Early Life
Isaac Newton was born on 25th December 1642 at Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham, Lincolnshire. His father died three months before he was born, and Isaac, born prematurely, was small. When he was three his mother, Hannah Ayscough, remarried and lived with her new husband, leaving her son to be cared for by his maternal [...]

George Stephenson

The latest in the series on Greatest Britons looks at railway pioneer George Stephenson.
Early Life
George Stephenson was born at Wylam, near Newcastle upon Tyne, on 9th June 1781, the second child of Robert and Mabel. His father was a colliery fireman, and the family lived next to the Wylam Wagonway. This closeness to the transport [...]

Horatio Nelson

Early Life
Horatio Nelson was born on 29th September 1758 in the rectory at Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk. He was the sixth of eleven children.
He joined the Navy when he was 12 years old, and his first ship posting was on the Raisonnable as an Ordinary Seaman and Coxswain.  Shortly after, Nelson became midshipman and commenced his [...]