Last night, despite my good intentions, I was tired, disorganised and lazy and failed to post. This is not unusual these days, and it’s something I need to address. I’ll probably have a look at it tomorrow, but for now I will post something.
There’s quite lot happening on the internet, but most of it is politics. I’m not keen on politics. For one thing, it doesn’t bring out the best in people. Second, no matter what you say, you can always find someone to disagree with you. And third, the big one, you will never change anyone’s mind on politics or religion, or global warming, immigration or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Christie definitely cheated the reader, despite what her apologists may say. All you end up with is an unproductive argument and
At this point in my first draft I wandered off into politics whilst discussing why I wasn’t going to discuss it. I was happy with the writing, the conclusions were sound but the overall effect was exactly what I was trying to avoid. That’s the trouble with politics. It’s so pervasive. Rather than start a number of arguments I just deleted 200m words and started again.
I’m happy to say that the book on Vikings is starting to improve. It’s taken a while to get going but I am now enjoying it and learning, which is the point of it. I knew, for instance, that Torksey in Lincolnshire (which I mainly think of in terms of being a caravan site and car boot sale venue) had been a Viking base in 872. Well, a Viking base, I had to look the date up. I also knew that Repton, in Derbyshire, had been the site of a Viking encampment in 873. What I didn’t realise until now wa that they had travelled from Torksey to Repton by sailing along the River Trent. It’s so simple once somebody tells you. As both places are less than an hour’s drive away I really ought to have a trip out. I’ve been to Repton, and driven through Torksey more than once, but never really stopped and had a proper look. Having said that, I will probably be disappointed, but that’s life.
The photos are of a Newark Siege Shilling, which I’ve covered before. The Viking Fleet must have sailed through Newark on its way to Repton. Maybe I should write a post on the history of the River Trent.
I am just catching up here, so you may have written a post on the history of the River Trent. Watching The Last Kingdom got me interested in that time period.
Not yet, like the river, I travel slowly . . . 🙂
Pingback: Followed by Even Less Activity | quercuscommunity
Fascinating Viking history
🙂 Thank you Derrick.
I am glad that the Viking book is getting more interesting. Judging by the number of towns and villages ending with -by or -bie round here, the Vikings must have had a strong presence in our area but I am not aware of any lasting legacy.
Yes, Lincolnshire is also famous for its -by endings, but as you say, nothing seems to have lasted. I assume that in the absence of churches all their buildings were made of wood. The Saxons seem to have left a few more bits – mainly churches and town walls.
Wow – those coins are fascinating. I read your links and want to be sure I am understanding. Did the people in the occupied territory make these? Or did people who were occupying?
The coins were made by the people inside the besieged town during the Civil War. They made them by cutting up silver plate, which in the 1640s was in use as table ware by the upper classes.
By that time we did have circulating coins, though like the coins of the 800s, the coinage was based on the weight of precious metal it contained.
I’m told it is possible to find Newark Siege coins which still preserve elements of the original plate, such as lines of engraving.
The coins found at Torksey are all official issues made by Kings, though a lot of them have been cut up, as was the custom of the time. You didn’t have halfpennies and farthings in those days – the only coin normally struck was a silver penny (or whatever denomination was in use in a particular location and it was made into half and quarter denominations by physically cutting hem up. Eventually, with inflation, we did start to strike smaller denomination coins.
Oh, Simon, thank you for the fascinating reply. I knew none of this. Can you imagine having enemy troops occupying your town and having to cut up your dishes to make money? What stories there must be about that time! I had no idea they used to cut up coins to make halfpennies!
We are having a talk at the Numismatic Society next year on life in Newark during the Civil War. As a member of the Sealed Knot (re-enacting the Civil War, I have actually fought on the Queen’s Sconce. I wouldn’t like to do it in real life. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/queens-sconce