HistoryExtra
type: channel
link: https://www.historyextra.com
description: The official website for BBC History Magazine
date: 2024-08-13T12:41:18.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: What were women's lives like during the 17th-century plague?
items: Post pandemic: how the years after the Black Death briefly became a ‘golden age’ for medieval women
items: Spanish flu: the virus that changed the world
items: "Far too little, too late": what happened when Spanish Flu hit Britain?
items: 2020: The historians’ verdict
items: The history of vaccination: from Edward Jenner to anti-vaxxers
items: How Covid-19 is forcing universities to change
items: Elma Brenner on medieval wellbeing: "People in the Middle Ages were absolutely focused on staying healthy"
items: Black Death facts: your guide to "the worst catastrophe in recorded history"
items: History quiz: how much do you know about the Black Death?

What were women's lives like during the 17th-century plague?
type: item
date: 2022-01-10T08:03:00.000Z
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Stuart
subject: Pandemics
description: In 1665, bubonic plague ravaged London, killing tens of thousands. Scores of Londoners documented the outbreak but few reported on the experiences of women. Here – telling the story of the victims, the survivors and those charged with working with the dead and dying – Rebecca Rideal seeks to redress the balance...
encoded: The reviled nurses During the long, grim months of 1665, bubonic plague rampaged through the city of London. As thousands lay sick and dying, someone had to perform the unenviable job of nursing the afflicted through the last moments of their lives. That task invariably fell to women. When plague broke out, individual parishes were expected to enforce city-wide Plague Orders, which stipulated that two women be appointed to serve as ‘keepers’ (or nurses) to those found to be infected. These women were usually elderly or widowed parish pensioners living off charity, and could be coerced into the task with threats to their alms, food or pensions. One woman awaiting execution in Poole, Dorset took on the role of nurse in exchange for a reprieve. Theirs was one of the toughest jobs imaginable, but sympathy and admiration for the plague-nurses was, it appears, in short supply. As one of the few officials allowed entry to infected houses – working cheek by jowl with sufferers – they inspired fear and revulsion among a terrified population. To the physician Nathaniel Hodges they were “wretches [who] out of greediness to plunder the dead, would strangle their patients and charge it to distemper in their throats”. Nurses were also accused of “secretly convey[ing] the pestilent taint from sores of the infected to those who were well”. One nurse was, so the story went, crushed under the weight of goods she had stolen from a plague victim. And such a reputation was hard to shake. More than 200 years after the Great Plague had claimed its last victim, Florence Nightingale was lamenting the fact that nursing had traditionally been left to “those who were too old, too weak, too drunken, too dirty, too stupid or too bad to do anything else”. Yet look beyond such rancorous disapproval, and a more nuanced picture of plague-time nursing emerges. When under quarantine during an outbreak in 1636, an Edward Conway specifically asked for “two careful keepers” to be sent to attend to him an…

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Post pandemic: how the years after the Black Death briefly became a ‘golden age’ for medieval women
type: item
date: 2021-07-06T16:45:59.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Medieval life
subject: Pandemics
description: In the 150 years after the Black Death halved London's population, women enjoyed new economic power in the city. Caroline Barron asks whether this era truly was a 'golden age' for English women
encoded: In April 1349, as the Black Death swept through London, Mathilda de Myms drew up her will. Her husband, John, had died the previous month, leaving his tenements to his wife and entrusting to her the guardianship of their daughter, Isabella. But the plague continued to ravage the capital, and Mathilda – wisely, as it transpired – decided to get her affairs in order. Shortly afterwards she was herself struck down. John and Mathilda had run a business making religious images and paintings. Mathilda’s will arranged for her apprentice, William, to continue his training with a monk in Bermondsey Priory, and bequeathed to him the tools he needed, together with one of her best chests in which to keep them. A brewery owned by Mathilda was to be sold to pay for prayers for her and John. That will underlines the devastating impact of the Black Death on thousands of families across the country; indeed, the disease subsequently took Isabella’s guardian. But the document also offers other insights – specifically, into opportunities that resulted from the soaring death toll. In this instance, Mathilda clearly had wealth of her own, and the freedom to write such a will. She was briefly an early beneficiary of a period of relative economic power for women created by the sudden dearth of skilled and trained men – an era that has been dubbed a ‘golden age’. Even before the plague afflicted London, the capital’s customary law offered women freedoms that they rarely enjoyed elsewhere in England, except perhaps in York. For example, a woman might enter into obligations on her own behalf, take on apprentices, run her own business, rent property, and sue (or be sued) for debt in the London courts. A woman – especially if she was a widow – could even write a will, as Mathilda de Myms did. But after the plague struck, sending London’s population plummeting to 40,000 from a peak of 80,000 in 1300, these opportunities multiplied. In fact, the mayor and aldermen, alarmed by a chronic shortage o…

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Spanish flu: the virus that changed the world
type: item
date: 2021-03-02T13:00:38.000Z
subject: 20th Century
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Pandemics
description: In spring 1918 a disease began to sweep around the planet – a lethal virus that infected a third of the world's population and left upwards of 50 million dead. Laura Spinney explores the devastating impact of the Spanish flu pandemic and how it compares to the Coronavirus crisis
encoded: The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918–20 infected a third of the global population and left at least 50 million people dead – a greater number, possibly, than the Second World War. Explore the dramatic effects of the outbreak here, including the ways in which the world struggled to come to terms with the disease – medically, socially and politically… How many people died from Spanish Flu? Why was it called 'Spanish Flu'? How did Spanish Flu spread? And who did it affect? Political aftermaths of Spanish Flu How does Spanish Flu compare to Coronavirus? Where did Spanish flu originate? One of the few certainties we have about the Spanish Flu Pandemic is that it didn’t start in Spain. We actually don’t know where it did start – but we know it didn’t start in Spain. The Spanish felt, and to a very great degree were, stigmatised by this. There is also no way of being certain where Spanish Flu originated, although the trenches of the First World War, where poor sanitation and disease was rife, are an often-cited contender. The filthy, rat-infested conditions undoubtedly affected the soldiers’ immune systems, making them more vulnerable to illness. It is thought the first cases were in military forts in the United States before spreading at an alarming rate to Europe. But yet the pandemic was called ‘Spanish Flu’ – again, a result of the war. Why was Spanish Flu called Spanish flu? Wartime censorship exaggerated the affects of the virus in Spain. While Britain, France, Germany and the United States censored and restricted early reports, papers in Spain – as a neutral country – were free to convey all the horrid details of the pandemic. This made it look much worse there, so the unfortunate name spread with the disease around the world. Monday 4 March 1918: the day Spanish Flu strikes the world Written by Dominic Sandbrook When Private Albert Gitchell awoke on Monday 4 March 1918, he felt awful. A company cook at Fort Riley, Kansas, Gitchell was supposed to be serving breakfast t…

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"Far too little, too late": what happened when Spanish Flu hit Britain?
type: item
date: 2021-03-02T12:00:31.000Z
subject: 20th Century
subject: First World War
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Death
subject: Pandemics
description: A century ago, a devastating pandemic killed countless millions worldwide. But how did Britain cope when Spanish Flu reached its shores in 1918? Robert Hume says it was a tragic case of far too little, too late...
encoded: How was Britain affected by the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918? Robert Hume considers the key questions: How did Spanish flu arrive in Britain? How did people protect themselves against Spanish flu? How did Britain officially respond to Spanish Flu? How did the British media respond to Spanish Flu? How many people died from Spanish flu in Britain? Spanish flu in Britain: an introduction “Soon after the war ended, there was a strange kind of flu,” recorded John Pears Jackson, who farmed near Keswick, and died in 2005, aged 98. “Many thousands of people, in England alone, died, including a lot of men and women in Cumberland, some of whom I knew. With none of the drugs and antibiotics we have today, doctors were powerless, and strong men and women were dead in the course of a few days… People drank whisky… and dosed themselves with all kinds of medicines. One farmer I knew swore he cured himself with paraffin oil.” Margaret Pitt, then a pupil at Milton Mount College in Gravesend, recalled being offered something milder to drink: “The school was warned [of] the coming epidemic, so they tried to get us all home early before the Easter holidays. Telegrams were sent to our parents… Our trunks were packed and sent off. Then we all came down to the main hall ready for our journey, in coats, hats and gloves, and our hand luggage. The nurse and her assistant were there with thermometers to see if we were developing the virus. I think about half of us were sent back to bed, some were very upset as they were anxious to go home. I was one of those who had to go to bed. We were given plenty of drink… milk.” Why was Spanish Flu called Spanish flu? The British Medical Journal referred to the sickness – characterised by shivering, headache, sore throat and fever – as ‘Spanish flu’ because it was first recorded in Spain. Offended by the slander, Spaniards named the illness the ‘Naples soldier’. The German army called it ‘Blitzkatarrh’, and British troops referred to it as ‘Flanders grip…

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2020: The historians’ verdict
type: item
date: 2020-11-26T15:00:18.000Z
subject: 21st Century
subject: General Modern
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Pandemics
description: From debates about colonialism to lessons from previous pandemics, a panel of historians discuss how the past has shaped 2020 – and how the events of this momentous year should change our understanding of the past
encoded: From debates about colonialism to lessons from previous pandemics, history has repeatedly made the headlines this year. We invited historians Kerri Greenidge, Tom Holland, Suzannah Lipscomb and Michael Wood to discuss how the past has shaped 2020 – and how the events of this momentous year should change our understanding of the past.

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The history of vaccination: from Edward Jenner to anti-vaxxers
type: item
date: 2020-11-05T15:45:40.000Z
subject: General Modern
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Victorian
subject: Pandemics
description: As the world continues to adapt to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists are on the brink of discovering whether we have an effective coronavirus vaccine that will help return life to normal. Here’s everything you need to know about the history of the vaccine, from its discovery in the 18th century by physician Edward Jenner to the rise of anti-vaccination movements today
encoded: When were vaccines invented? From ancient times, the smallpox disease ravaged the globe, affecting all civilisations and walks of life. With a devastating mortality rate and no effective cure, millions died every year, and those who survived were left disfigured by deep scars – hence smallpox’s other name, ‘speckled monster’. It was a terribly successful killer, and might still be, were it not for English physician and surgeon Edward Jenner. During the 18th century, the traditional smallpox inoculation, ‘variolation’, was hazardous as it involved infecting a healthy person with a mild form of the disease in the hope of heightening immunity. Jenner – who, as a schoolboy, suffered a harrowing experience when he was variolated – strove to find a safer barrier against smallpox. From his medical practice in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, he set about his research, no doubt with the advice of his mentor, John Hunter, echoing in his ears: “Don’t think, try”. Listen | Mary Fissell answers key questions about the history of medicine He noticed that local milkmaids suffering from cowpox, a far-less harmful affliction contracted from cattle, seemed immune to smallpox. Encouraged, Jenner wanted to test whether cowpox could be used to save lives, and there was only one way to find out. On 14 May 1796, Jenner took the pus from the lesions of a cowpox patient, milkmaid Sarah Nelmes, and transferred it to his gardener’s eight-year-old son, James Phipps. The boy fell ill over the next nine days but he fully recovered. Jenner then took the risky and ethically dubious step of infecting Phipps with a mild dose of smallpox to test his ‘vaccination’ – named after vacca, the Latin for cow. To Jenner’s delight, no smallpox developed and the vaccine was an overwhelming success. Coronavirus: what might we learn from pandemics in the past? Jenner’s vaccine spread, quickly replacing variolation, earning him acclaim from across the world – especially after 1803, when a special expeditio…

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How Covid-19 is forcing universities to change
type: item
date: 2020-10-01T06:00:28.000Z
subject: 21st Century
subject: Period
subject: Pandemics
description: Covid-19 has compelled history departments in UK universities to radically alter their teaching methods. Richard Toye explores the challenges that online teaching poses and how they can be overcome
encoded: What does the Covid-19 pandemic mean for those studying and teaching history at universities? What challenges does it present for academics and students? How successfully can these challenges be met, and does the crisis present any new opportunities? And can history itself teach us any lessons about how to understand what we have experienced during these complicated times? First, let’s consider what new and returning students can expect when arriving at university this autumn. The honest answer is that it is likely to be disorienting. When lockdown hit in the spring, academics did a brilliant job of making classes online at speed. But the crisis has had a big financial impact on universities, for instance through loss of rents from halls of residence, and is likely to hit recruitment. At the same time, institutions understandably want to offer as much face-to-face teaching as they can, while maintaining social distancing. This hybrid model – part in person, part online – creates serious logistical difficulties. So universities will be trying to do something entirely new, with fewer resources, and there of course remains the chance that a second wave of infections will again throw everything into doubt. It must be remembered, too, that disadvantaged students are likely to be hit disproportionately hard by all the disruption. How we can improve diversity within history education? So the reality is that, at a minimum, there will be teething problems and likely a certain amount of confusion. On the other hand, compared to some other disciplines (such as those that require lab work) the study of history at undergraduate level does not actually require students to be physically in one another’s company. However, the closure of archives has been a blow to those who need to do original, primary research – particularly third year students who are writing dissertations. Some archives are now reopening, albeit with restricted services, but there will be a generation of student…

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Elma Brenner on medieval wellbeing: "People in the Middle Ages were absolutely focused on staying healthy"
type: item
date: 2020-05-15T02:30:00.000Z
creator: Dr David Musgrove
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Medieval Life and Death
subject: Pandemics
subject: Podcast transcripts
description: In a recent episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, Dr Elma Brenner, Wellcome Collection’s medieval specialist, talks to Dave Musgrove about medieval medicine, health and wellbeing. Read the full, unedited interview below...
encoded: Note: this is an unedited transcript of a HistoryExtra podcast, which you can listen to here. David Musgrove, Content Director at HistoryExtra: I’m here with Dr Elma Brenner who is Wellcome Collection’s medieval specialist. She’s written a piece on medieval diseases for BBC History Revealed magazine, along with another piece she wrote a little while ago on medieval medicine for BBC History magazine, and that piece is now on our website. She also gave a lecture on disease and medicine in the Middle Ages as part of our free virtual Medieval Life and Death History Festival, which took place in May 2020. So she’s an expert on medieval medicine. We’re here at Wellcome Collection. So, Elma, first thing, you’d better just tell me about Wellcome, what it does and what it’s all about. Elma Brenner, Wellcome Collection’s medieval specialist: Yeah, we’re in a remarkable place, it’s a biomedical research charity, the Wellcome Trust, that funds all kinds of amazing and important projects. As part of that charity, there is a public venue, Wellcome Collection, which is based around a phenomenal collection of library and archive materials dating from the early centuries AD right up to the present day. And including a number of really important medieval manuscripts. DM: OK, so what we’re going to talk about today is medieval medicine, broadly. We’re going to pick up on some of the themes that you’ve talked about in the feature that you’ve done. But before we do that, can you just define the general period and sort of geographical spread of your research? Where do you focus on? EB: So I focus on the period, really, towards the end of the medieval period, the centuries between, roughly, really just before the Black Death in the mid-14th century up till the very end of the 15th century. And I look at Europe, particularly at France and England. But it’s really important to think about the global side of the Middle Ages and the fact that we can study all parts of the world in that period…

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Black Death facts: your guide to "the worst catastrophe in recorded history"
type: item
date: 2020-05-12T15:20:00.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Death
subject: Family and parenting
subject: HistoryExtra Academy late-medieval England course
subject: Medieval life
subject: Pandemics
description: The Black Death of October 1347 to c1352 was one of the worst catastrophes in recorded history – a deadly bubonic plague that ravaged communities across Europe, changing forever their social and economic fabric. But how much do you know about the Black Plague? How many died? Did the epidemic really eradicate a third of Europe's population? And did it afflict every town and village?
encoded: –Following the outbreak of Covid-19, a disease known as coronavirus, stories about the Black Death are seemingly in the news more than ever. It is estimated that 50 million people died as a result of the deadly plague. But what caused the disease? Where did it start? And what were its symptoms? Here's your guide to the illness that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1348... Questions answered by Professor Samuel Cohn and Professor Tom Beaumont James What was the Black Death? In the Middle Ages, the Black Death, or ‘pestilencia’, as contemporaries called various epidemic diseases, was the worst catastrophe in recorded history. Some dubbed it ‘magna mortalitas’ (great mortality), emphasising the death rate. It destroyed a higher proportion of the population than any other single known event. One observer noted “the living were scarcely sufficient to bury the dead”. No one could be sure what caused the deadly plague. When was the Black Death? The plague arrived in western Europe in 1347 and in England in 1348. It faded away in the early 1350s. What were the symptoms of the Black Death? Symptoms of the Black Death included swellings – most commonly in the groin, armpits and neck; dark patches, and the coughing up of blood. Read more | This medieval ‘apocalypse’ left a legacy no one saw coming Medieval observers – and their modern counterparts in 19th-century China and 20th-century Vietnam, observing more recent outbreaks – noted that different strains of the disease took from five days to as little as half a day to cause death. How many people died because of the Black Death? In Europe, it is thought that around 50 million people died as a result of the Black Death over the course of three or four years. The population was reduced from some 80 million to 30 million. It killed at least 60 per cent of the population in rural and urban areas. In fact, in some places such as a village on an estate in Cambridgeshire manorial rolls attest that 70 per cent of its tenants died in …

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History quiz: how much do you know about the Black Death?
type: item
date: 2020-04-29T16:03:52.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Quiz
subject: Pandemics
description: What were the symptoms of the disease known as the Black Death? And when did the first recorded quarantine take place? Test your knowledge with our history quiz on the 14th-century illness…
encoded: Put your knowledge to the test below, or read more about the “the worst catastrophe in recorded history” View Riddle on the source website How did you do? Share your result on social media to see how your Black Death knowledge compares to other HistoryExtra readers!

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