British History

On this day in history….9th February 1649

On this day in history : 9th February 1649 – The funeral of King Charles I, who was beheaded in Whitehall, London – the only English king to be executed….

King Charles I by Sir Anthony van Dyck – Public domain

Like his father before him Charles believed in the ‘Divine Rights of Kings’…. It was his belief that kings were chosen by God – and so he only had God to answer to…. He refused to consider the views of others….especially in religious and parliamentary matters. He dissolved Parliament several times and governed the Country alone…. He was determined to hold on to his absolute power and thought it his sole right to make the Laws of the Land – and to go against him was a sin against God…. He was something of a dictator perhaps….

King Charles I after original by van Dyck – Public domain

This of course made him unpopular both with the people and his own Parliament…. Eventually it was to lead to civil war….the Royalists against the Parliamentarians (Roundheads), led by Oliver Cromwell….

Gradually the Roundheads gained the upper hand…. Charles fled London but eventually surrendered to the Scots – who handed him over to Cromwell…. Charles was imprisoned in 1646 – and kept at Hampton Court Palace – but managed to escape…. He was recaptured and then held at Carisbrooke Castle, on the Isle of Wight….where he was treated well….

Charles at Carisbrooke Castle, as painted by Eugene Lami in 1829 – Public domain

Charles refused to repent or admit defeat – and on the 1st of January 1649 he was put on trial at Westminster Hall….accused of being a “tyrant, traitor and murderer; and a public and implacable enemy to the Commonwealth of England”….

Charles refused to defend himself – not recognising the legality of the court…. His date of execution was set for the 30th of January 1649….

Charles is usually portrayed as an arrogant man – but by all accounts in private he was gentle and polite…. He was shy in public which came over as arrogance…. He was a particularly loving father to his six children and spent his last few days at St. James’s Palace consoling them….

Five of the children of King Charles I after Sir Anthony van Dyck – Public domain

On the morning of the day of the execution, a bitterly cold Tuesday, he rose early…. He asked for two thick shirts as he didn’t want to shiver and have the crowds think he was shaking from fear…. At 10am he walked with his guards to Whitehall Palace where he was to wait in his bedchamber until the call to the scaffold was made….

The call came just before 2pm…. The scaffold was set up just outside Banqueting Hall in Whitehall – and was draped in black…. The executioner and his assistant were hooded, so as not to be recognised….

Despite the bitter January weather a huge crowd had gathered – but were held back at a considerable distance from the scaffold, in case of unrest…. So far away in fact, that few were able to catch the words of the King’s final speech….

….” I shall go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown, where no disturbance can be, no disturbance in the world”….

The Execution of Charles I of England – Scottish National Gallery – Public domain

At just after 2pm King Charles I was dead; beheaded with a single blow….and an audible groan was heard from the crowd…. Charles may not have been the most popular of kings but he had faced his death with courage – his personal dignity had won him much sympathy from the public….

The King’s embalmed body – with head re-attached – remained on public view at St. James’s Palace until the 7th of February. The Committee of Parliament refused permission for a burial at Westminster Abbey but allowed his being laid to rest in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle….

Usually a king’s funeral would be filled with pomp and ceremony but the funeral of King Charles I was a very different affair. The only English king to have been tried and executed for treason is now buried in the vault of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour…. On the 30th of January every year a Service of Commemoration is held at Banqueting House and a wreath laid at his statue outside the Banqueting Hall, the site of his execution….

Statue of King Charles I at Banqueting House – image credit: CVB via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

On this day in history….8th February 1983

On this day in history : 8th February 1983 – Shergar, the 1981 Derby winner is kidnapped from his stable in County Kildare, Ireland….

Along with Red Rum, (the three-time winner of the Grand National), Shergar has to be one of the most famous race horses of the last century…. With his distinctive white blaze and socks – and the way he raced with his tongue hanging out – the bay colt won the hearts of the nation….

After an incredible season in 1981 – when he won the Epsom Derby by 10 lengths as well as the Irish Derby – five-year-old Shergar, who was owned by the Aga Khan, was retired from racing….

Shergar was born in Kildare in 1978 – and this was where he was retired to – ready to be put to stud at the Ballymany Stud, Curragh, Co. Kildare…. The Aga Khan sold the horse to a syndicate; 40 shares at £250,000 each – 6 of which he kept himself – making Shergar worth £10 million….

In his first season at stud he bred with 35 mares….and was expected to cover at least 55 in his next…. At a stud fee of £80,000 per time this made Shergar not only one of the most famous horses but also one of the most valuable….

Shergar and Walter Swinburn – by Ray Miller (1981) : image credit – Ken Jones via Flickr

Head groom Jim Fitzgerald lived at the stud with his family…. On the evening of the 8th of February 1983 at around 8.30pm his son answered a knock at the door. Three masked gunmen burst in – part of a gang of at least six…. “We have come for Shergar. We want £2 million for him”….

Fitzgerald’s family were locked in a room and the groom was forced at gunpoint to load Shergar into a horse-box…. He was then ordered to lie on the floor of the van and he and Shergar were driven away….

After about four hours of being driven around Fitzgerald was released roughly 20 miles away, near to the village of Kilcock…. It was several hours before the police were informed – and by this time the trail had already gone cold. There was also a large horse sale taking place locally, with so many horse boxes in the area it made it even more difficult for the Garda….

There was some negotiation between the gang and the Aga Khan – but he was no longer the outright owner of Shergar – possibly the gang did not know this…. No ransom was ever paid out – and contact between the gang and the Aga Khan was severed….

No one ever officially admitted responsibility to the kidnapping – and so nobody has ever been convicted….. However, it is accepted that it was the work of the IRA – as an attempt to raise much-needed funds….

Shergar on his way to winning the 1981 Epsom Derby – George Selwyn – fair use

There have been several theories and rumours as to what happened to Shergar…. One being that the horse fractured a leg bone and as the gang had no access to veterinary help, felt they had no alternative but to shoot him…. Other stories are far more grisly….

As there was no proof of his death Shergar’s insurers refused to pay out…. It is pretty much a forgone conclusion that Shergar’s kidnappers did murder him….and it is believed his remains lie in a bog about 10 miles from the border with Northern Ireland….

British History

On this day in history….7th February 1974

On this day in history : 7th February 1974 – Prime Minister Edward Heath calls a snap general election and appeals to the miners to suspend their planned strike action….

The 1970s was a decade of power cuts and blackouts, it became a way of life; anything that depended on electricity, industrial or domestic, faced disruption….

It was a time of discontent throughout much of British industry…. The miners’ dispute had begun in 1971 with a disagreement with the Government over pay…. The National Union of Miners demanded a 43% pay increase, whilst the Government were offering between 7-8%…. In late 1971 the miners voted to take action if their demands were not met…. On the 5th of January 1972 the NUM rejected the pay offer made to them and four days later miners from all over the Country came out on strike….the first time they had done so since 1926….

To start with the miners were to picket coal power stations – but then started to target all power stations….along with coal depots, steelworks and ports…. Dockers supported them by refusing to unload coal from ships….

On the 9th of February 1972 s state of emergency was declared and a 3-day working week introduced to try and conserve electricity…. On the 19th, after much negotiation an agreement was reached with the Government – on the 25th of February the miners accepted an offer and returned to work three days later….

Markham Colliery – Image: Jabsco via Flickr

This now made the miners some of the highest paid industrial workers…. However, it did not take long for other industries to catch-up and overtake…. By 1973 the miners had gone down to 18th position in the industrial wages league….

The miners realised the strong position they were in – their previous action proving the importance of coal to the nation…. In addition, this time oil prices were soaring because of troubles in the Middle East – and the Unions were hostile towards the Government, who were trying to introduce pay freezes to help the economy….

In late 1973 the miners voted once again to take industrial action if their demands for a further pay increase were not met…. Talks reached stalemate – and with the severe economic circumstances of the Country at the time – Edward Heath was prompted to announce a general election for the 28th of February 1974….appealing at the same time to the miners to suspend their action….

Edward Heath – Open Media Ltd CC BY-SA 3.0

The miners walked out on strike (supported by other Unions) on the 9th of February; a state of emergency was declared and a 3-day working week reintroduced….

The general election saw a Conservative defeat, leaving Harold Wilson to lead a minority Labour Government…. The miners and new Government came to an agreement and the strike ended on the 19th of February…. The miners returned back to work on the 25th, victorious with a 29% pay deal….

British History

On this day in history….6th February 1958

On this day in history : 6th February 1958 – Seven Manchester United football players are among twenty killed as their plane crashed on take-off at Munich-Riem Airport….

The Manchester United team, known as the ‘Busby Babes’ after their manager Matt Busby, had won the hearts of the Nation…. In the previous two seasons they had won First Division titles and had just drew 3-3 against Red Star Belgrade ~ securing a place in the European semi finals for the second year running….

Manchester United’s “Busby Babes” pictured in 1958, before their last match. Scanpix – Public domain

They were on their way back to Manchester from Yugoslavia and had stopped at Munich to refuel…. The team’s chartered six-year-old Airspeed AS-57 Ambassador had already made two aborted attempts at take-off from Munich, due to technical difficulties…. The pilot, James Thain, decided despite deteriorating weather conditions to try again – as they were already behind schedule…. Understandably the team members were feeling nervous as they boarded for the third time….

The Airspeed Ambassador G-ALZU at Riem Airport shortly before the accident – Fair use

By now it had begun to snow heavily….a build up of slush on the runway meant the plane was unable to reach the full speed needed for takeoff…. The aircraft overshot the runway and hit a house and tree before smashing its way through a hut, which exploded…. Once the plane had come to a stop the pilot and surviving crew helped their passengers evacuate….with the help of Manchester United’s goal keeper, Harry Gregg, who had sustained only minor injuries….

Seven United players were killed in the crash; team captain Roger Byrne, 28 – Tommy Taylor, 26 – Geoff Bent, 25 – Mark Jones, 24 – David Pegg, 22 – Liam Whelan, 22 and Eddie Colman, 21…. Pegg and Taylor were both England international players….

Another player and England international, Duncan Edwards, died of his injuries in hospital 15 days later…. Two other survivors of the crash also died in hospital….

The Airspeed Ambassador G-ALZU burning at Munich – Fair use

Three of United’s staff died; Walter Crickmer, Club Secretary – Bert Whalley, chief coach and Tom Curry, trainer….

Eight journalists on board the plane were killed; one being Frank Swift of the News of the World – a former goal keeper for Manchester City and who had played for England 19 times….

Two aircraft crew were also killed; co-pilot Captain Kenneth Raymond and steward Tom Cable…. Two other passengers also lost their lives….

Matt Busby was severely injured and was read his last rites twice – but he recovered after two months in hospital….

Sir Matt Busby. Credit: Kurt Nielsen @ Scanpix – Public domain

Ten years later his dream was realised when Manchester United won the European Cup in 1968…. Sir Matt Busby retired as Manager in 1969….

British History

On this day in history….5th February 1953

On this day in history : 5th February 1953 – Sweet rationing finally comes to an end after over 10 years of restrictions – children flock to their nearest sweet-shop….

Rationing came into force on the 8th of January 1940 – shortly after the beginning of World War 2…. Initially it was just for petrol but it wasn’t long before it was introduced for food as well….with bacon, butter and sugar being the first…. By Summer 1942 this had extended to include tea, meat, cheese, eggs, lard, milk and jam….

A shopkeeper cancels the coupons in a British housewife’s ration book for the tea, sugar, cooking fats and bacon she is allowed for one week. Most foods in Britain were rationed and some brand names given the designation ‘National’. Image : Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division – Public domain

Of course, it wasn’t just food and petrol that were rationed….pretty much everything was in short supply….coal, clothing, paper, furniture, frying pans, razor blades….even basic commodities such as soap….

The rationing of sweets and chocolate began on the 26th of July 1942….with an allowance of just 12oz every four weeks…. Generally de-rationing began in 1948 but it was a slow process…. An attempt was made to de-ration sweets in April 1949 – but demand far outweighed supply and it had to be reintroduced four months later….

Major Gwilym Lloyd-George, Minister for Food, had to reassure the House of Commons that measures were to be taken to deal with the anticipated surge in demand…. Manufacturers were to be allocated a one-off increased allowance of sugar in preparation – but even so, they still only had 54% of the sugar available to them before the war….

On the day of de-rationing it gave cause for celebration…. One company at Clapham Common gave 800 school children lollipops during their lunch breaks – and another London factory opened its doors and handed out free sweets to all….

Queues formed outside sweet-shops, many popular brands sold out quickly…. Among the favourites were toffee apples, chocolates, liquorice, lollipops and nougat…. But whatever your fancied ~ lemon sherberts, barley sugar, jelly babies, gob stoppers, pear drops, liquorice allsorts….they were all available again…. Workers queued in their lunch breaks to buy boxes of chocolates to take home to their loved ones….and the BBC reported – “Children all over Britain have been emptying their piggy banks and heading for the nearest sweet shop”….

However, there was no panic buying – possibly people were used to having a limited supply. Or perhaps another reason being the cost….the price of sweets and chocolates having nearly doubled since the beginning of the war….

As well as the de-rationing of sweets restrictions were also lifted on cheese, butter, margarine, cooking fats, eggs and cream…. Sugar itself was not de-rationed until September 1953 – and this was probably due to pressure from the confectionery manufacturers…. Bread rationing had ended in 1948, clothing in 1949 and petrol in 1950…. Rationing officially ended when meat was de-rationed in July 1954….

In the first year following the de-rationing of sweets spending on confectionery went up by approximately £100m to £250m per year…. Nowadays as a nation we spend in excess of £5.5bn…!