Cambridge University Press – final melt
Today I concluded the first in a series of new posts which I want to do. They may well be more tedious than my general ramblings, or, possibly (though it is unlikely) more interesting, as long as you are interested in Baden-Powell’s visit to see the Scouts in Australia.
I’m practicing writing about medallions so I have tried to keep it tight. If I’d given myself free rein I would have covered the story of Lady Sarah Wilson, one of the world’s first female war correspondent. She was also Winston Churchill’s aunt. Recruited by Alfred Harmsworth to work for the Daily Mail after his previous correspondent was arrested by the Boers.
She was sent away from Mafeking for her own safety at the start of the siege but was captured by the Boers and taken back, where she was swapped for a horse thief who was being held by the British. Before you ask, your guess is as good as mine – I don’t have a clue why they wanted a horse thief or why they went to the trouble of capturing Lady Sarah. She later worked in the hospital at Mafeking, was wounded, and decorated with the Royal Red Cross for her nursing work.
Cambridge University Press
She was working in a hospital in France in 1914 when she received news that her husband, Lt Col Gordon Chesney Wilson had been killed in action, leading his near Ypres. He was interesting too. People were in those days. Wilson helped tackle and arrest the would be assassin that attacked Queen Victoria at Windsor railway station in 1882 when he was a schoolboy. This was the eighth attempt on her life. I’ve written enough now and will leave Wilson and Queen Victoria to you, Look up Herbert Wilson too, one of his brothers – soldier, treasure hunter, and Olympic medal winner. More about him here. Reading about him, it is fitting that he died in one of the few mounted actions of the Great War.
One day I may write a book about how i pressed a button on Wikipedia and emerged several days later, awash with tea and blinking at the daylight.
Pictures are, again, random – August 2019.
Red Kites
Holy cats, eight attempts at Queen Victoria’s life! I did not know there was even one. Why were people trying to kill her?
Mainly people with mental illnesses, though a couple claimed it was for the Irish and a couple just wanted a new life as prison was better than their current lives. They were sent to asylums and Australia and one to Gibraltar.
It looks like you do have a book there, Quercus
You never know. If I actually do some work it might happen. 🙂
You will remember I began my Knight’s Tale series with stories of my elders, like Mabel Knight, making it the saga of an era. I’m sure you write well enough.
It just organisation and industry that I need now.
🙂
I always learn new things here Simon. I am curious what Queen Victoria suffered that many assassination attempts.
They mostly seem to be lunatics or people wanting to make a point. Edward VII as Prince of Wales had an attempt made on his life during the Boer War and one of Victoria’s sons was seriously injured when shot in Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha
Seems with high position in life comes the added burden of being a lightning rod for such things. Thanks for the link. Her son Prince Alfred was an interesting person as well.
This all falls under the heading, for me, of so much to know, so little time. 🙂
I knew there had been a couple of attempts but was amazed by the full story when I found out a few years ago.
It is so sad – I don’t have a famous aunt. Although I was quite fond of one of the ones I did have.
I’m always sorry I didn’t know all my great – uncles and aunts better. They would have known so much family history, and seen so much.
“as long as you are interested in Baden-Powell’s visit to see the Scouts in Australia.” . . . I am working on that.
I fear it may not be growable – just something you have or you don’t. I find anything is interesting if you are in pursuit of facts, but less so if all the digging is done. But the effort is appreciated. 🙂