On this day in history – Page 26

On this day in history….9th November 1908

On this day in history : 9th November 1908 – Elizabeth Garrett Anderson becomes Britain’s first woman Mayor – when she is elected at Aldeburgh, Suffolk….

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson as Mayor of Aldeburgh, November 1908 – Unknown photographer, public domain

This in itself was no mean feat – but then this was a truly remarkable woman…. Elizabeth Garrett was born in Whitechapel, East London in 1836; she was one of twelve children and the daughter of a pawnbroker…. Elizabeth’s father became a successful businessman and was able to provide a good education for his children – the expectation being that Elizabeth would complete her studies and then marry, settle down and live the life of a lady…. However, it was upon meeting Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female to qualify as a doctor in the United States, that Elizabeth decided she had to become a doctor herself…. (Elizabeth Blackwell was herself an Englishwoman who had emigrated to America as a child)….

Portrait of Elizabeth, 1860s – Unknown, public domain

At a time when women were not even allowed to attend university, the trained medical world was completely male dominated – therefore, it was hardly surprising that Elizabeth was unable to find a medical school that would offer her a place…. Undeterred she enrolled as a nursing student at the Middlesex Hospital – studying alongside male colleagues, some of whom made complaints about her presence – and so she was banned….

Elizabeth needed to find a back door method of gaining a qualification….which indeed she did via the Society of Apothecaries…. They had no stipulations as to who could sit their entrance exam – and so in 1865 she did – and passed…. The Society then changed the rules to prevent any more women from taking the exam!

In 1866, with her father’s backing Elizabeth established St. Mary’s Dispensary, London – at which she acted as a medical attendant…. Still determined to become a doctor she taught herself French, then attended university in Paris and gained a medical degree…. And yet the British Medical Board still refused her….

Elizabeth Garrett before the Faculty of Medicine, Paris – Unknown, public domain

Elizabeth married James Anderson in 1871 and together they had three children…. But even becoming a wife and mother was not going to stop her from fulfilling her ambition…. In 1870 Elizabeth had been given the position of visiting physician to the East London Hospital for Children….making her the first woman in Britain to be appointed to an official medical post…. In 1872 she co-founded the New Hospital for Women – which was later to become the London School of Medicine for Women….

In 1876 an Act was passed in Parliament, finally permitting women to enter the medical profession…. Due to her constant campaigning Elizabeth had a huge influence on enabling this to happen…. In 1883 she was appointed Dean at the London School of Medicine for Women – which she had helped to set up….

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson circa 1889 – Walery, public domain

Elizabeth retired in 1902 – to Aldeburgh, on the Suffolk coast…. A retirement well deserved; not only in her working lifetime had she achieved becoming Britain’s first woman doctor – she was also an active member of the Suffragette Movement (as was her daughter, Louisa)…. But even in her so-called ‘retirement’ she wasn’t yet finished with making history….as six years later she was to become Britain’s First Lady Mayor….

NPG x32106; Elizabeth Garrett Anderson; Emmeline Pankhurst by Unknown photographer — Elizabeth Garrett Anderson with Emmeline Pankhurst by Unknown photographer, bromide press print, 18 November 1910 – Public domain

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson died in December 1917…. In 1918 the London School of Medicine for Women changed its name to The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital…. It is now part of the University of London….

(c) Royal Free Hospital; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation — Portrait circa 1900 – attributed to Reginald Grenville Eves – Public domain

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….8th November 1974

On this day in history : 8th November 1974 – Police launch a manhunt for Lord Lucan, following his disappearance after the murder of his children’s nanny and an attack on his estranged wife….

Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, married Veronica Duncan in 1963 – and they had three children…. The marriage broke down in 1972 and Lucan moved out of the family home in Belgravia, London into a nearby flat…. A bitter custody battle over the children followed, which Lucan lost…. He became a man obsessed – stalking his wife and recording their telephone conversations….

Lord Lucan and his wife, 1963 – Photoshot.com – Fair use

On the night of the 7th of November Sandra Rivett, the 29-year-old nanny to the children, was bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument in the basement of the family home…. The assailant had presumably intended to move her body, as when she was found she had been placed in a sack….

FEMAIL — Sandra Rivett – unknown photographer, used in the Daily Mail – Fair use

On disturbing the intruder Lady Lucan was attacked and beaten around the head with a piece of lead piping….and left for dead…. Despite this she managed to stumble to a nearby public house, the Plumbers Arms – and raise the alarm…. Lady Lucan named her husband….he, meanwhile, had fled….

The Plumbers Arms – Carcharoth (Commons) CC BY-SA 3.0

At 10.30pm Lucan phoned his mother and asked her to collect the children…. At 11.30pm he arrived at the house of the Maxwell-Scotts, some friends in Uckfield, East Sussex…. He told them that he had been walking passed the house and had looked in through one of the basement windows – to see someone struggling with his wife in the basement kitchen…. He let himself in and rushed down the stairs, managing to slip in a pool of blood; by this time the attacker had managed to escape…. Lucan claimed he had calmed his wife down but whilst he visited the bathroom she had run from the house screaming murder…. He realised how bad it looked for him – panicked and fled….

46, Belgrave Street, Belgravia – Carcharoth (Commons) CC BY-SA 3.0

Lucan’s car, a Ford Corsair, that he had borrowed from a friend a couple of weeks before, was found abandoned in a quiet residential street in New Haven, early the next morning…. Lord Lucan was never officially seen again….

A popular theory is that he had mistaken Sandra Rivett for his wife in the dark….it was Lady Lucan he had intended to murder….realising his error he drowned himself in New Haven Harbour…. There has been much speculation over the years as to what happened to Lord Lucan – some believe he fled to Africa of South America and has led a secret life ever since…. Another far-fetched theory was that he went to his friend John Aspinal’s zoo in Kent – and shot himself…. His remains were then fed to a tiger named Zorra….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….7th November 1869

On this day in history: 7th November 1869 – The first bicycle road race is held, between the two French cities of Paris and Rouen – and is won by Englishman James Moore….

20-year-old Moore, who lived in France, completed the course in 10 hours and 40 minutes – 15 minutes ahead of the next competitors to cross the finishing line…. The first prize was 1,000 gold francs and a bicycle….

The race was organised by cycling magazine ‘Le Vélocipède Illustré’ and the Olivier brothers, owners of the Michaud Company – a bicycle manufacturing business…. 325 riders entered the event, including two women; there were so many entrants that the organisers feared for safety and the riders were split into groups…. Only 32 finished the race within 24 hours; the first woman to cross the finishing line, known as ‘Miss America’, finished in 29th place – 12 hours and 10 minutes after Moore….

Masthead of the first edition of Le Velocipede Illustre, 1st April 1869 – Public domain

The race took them through St. Germain, Mantes, Vernon and Louviers; it started at the Arc de Triomphe and ended in the centre of Rouen…. The rules stipulated bicycles were not allowed to be pulled along by dogs or use sails….

James Moore had only got his first bicycle four years previously, in 1865…. It was an old, heavy wooden ‘bone shaker’….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….6th November 1975

On this day in history : 6th November 1975 – The first public performance by The Sex Pistols – at St. Martin’s College of Art, London….

The gig was organised by the band’s bass guitarist, Glen Matlock, who was studying at the college…. They were supporting the headline act, Bazooka Joe – who loaned the Pistols the use of their equipment…. The Sex Pistols were to play just five songs – including covers of ‘I’m Not Your Stepping Stone’ by the Monkees, The Who’s ‘Substitute’ and ‘Whatcha Gonna Do About It’ by the Small Faces…. They also performed their own song ‘Seventeen’…. After less than twenty minutes the plug was pulled on them…. There is some discrepancy as to who called time to the proceedings but it is thought that Bazooka Joe were less than happy at seeing their equipment being smashed up – the evening ended with a fist fight….

The Sex Pistols, 1977 – Photographer : Koen Suyk – Nationaal Archief, Nederlands CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

Three of the band’s members :- Steve Jones, guitarist – Paul Cook, Drummer and Glen Matlock, bassist – had formed a band in 1972 and had called themselves ‘The Strand’…. They took their inspiration from groups such as The Who and The Small Faces…. They were managed by Malcolm McLaren – an artist, fashion designer and boutique owner (SEX) – along with his then girlfriend Vivienne Westwood…. McLaren had a vision – a way of creating a whole new sound and look…. John Lyndon (Johnny Rotten) joined the band as vocalist, the existing three had a new frontman and they became The Sex Pistols…. With their raw, unpolished loud music, the band were about to become one of the most influential groups in the history of popular music…. Although they only produced four singles and one studio album in their two and a half year career- they initiated Punk Rock….

Sex Pistols in Paradiso – Johnny Rotten – Photographer : Koen Suyk – Nationaal Archief, Nederlands CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

On the 8th of October 1976 The Sex Pistols signed with EMI; their debut single ‘Anarchy in the UK’ was released the following month…. On the 1st of December 1976 their foul mouths and attitude on a TV appearance earned them the label ‘Rotten Punks’…. On the 6th of January 1977 EMI dropped them…. Glen Matlock departed the band in February ’77 and Sid Vicious took his place…. In May of the same year the band released their single ‘God Save the Queen’ – surrounded by controversy it was promptly banned by the BBC…. On the 7th of June, during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations the Pistols attempted to perform on a boat on the Thames – but were stopped by the police….

Whenever The Sex Pistols performed it invariably ended in mayhem…. It was often difficult for them to get gigs in the first place – as organisers were reluctant to deal with them…. The Sex Pistols performed their final concert on the 14th of January in San Francisco….

Sex Pistols, Norway 1977 – Photographer : Billedbladet NA / Arnes Nielsen via Riksarkivet (National Archives) on Flickr

So, on that rainy November night back in 1975 – when in front of an audience of apparently approximately just twenty….history was made…. As for Bazooka Joe – they never got far…. Although their bass guitarist, a guy named Stuart Goddard, went on to have some degree of success – when he changed his name to Adam Ant….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….5th November 1991

On this day in history : 5th November 1991 – The body of millionaire newspaper publisher Robert Maxwell is found at sea off the coast of Tenerife….

Robert Maxwell – Unknown photographer (ANEFO) CCO

Maxwell had been cruising the Canary Islands onboard his luxury yacht ‘Lady Ghislaine’…. His last contact with the crew had been at 4.25am local time – when he called to complain about the temperature in his cabin and ordered that the air conditioning be turned up…. It was about 11am the following morning that he was discovered to be missing – after he had failed to answer a phone call…. It was presumed he had fallen overboard….

The luxury yacht Lady Mona K (formerly Lady Ghislaine) in Cannes – Photo credit : Superyachtfan on Facebook

His naked body was spotted floating some 15 miles from his boat by a Spanish fisherman – at around 18.00 hrs…. Maxwell’s body was flown to Gran Canaria for identification….

At least two post mortems were required to determine the cause of death; the conclusion being that he had suffered a heart attack – combined with drowning – this effectively ruled out murder or suicide…. Maxwell had been suffering a heart and lung condition….for which he had undergone operations and was taking medication for…. He was laid to rest on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem….

However, the speculation that he had committed suicide – or indeed had even been murdered – refused to go away…. His empire had been collapsing around him….only the Mirror group of newspaper publications was still profitable…. To try and ease the colossal debt problems he had plundered the entire pension funds of Maxwell Communications…. Thousands were about to lose their pensions….