Bøker av Ben Norman

Sir Simonds D'Ewes, a seventeenth-century gentleman bred in Dorset, but ultimately shaped by a deep and lasting love for Suffolk, was not destined for greatness. Nor did he have greatness thrust upon him in his short lifetime. Yet this was hardly the point. Son to a respectable family, D'Ewes rose through local, legal and political ranks to become a first-hand witness to a succession of monumental events in England. As MP for Sudbury from 1640, he was one of those who saw with agonising immediacy - from the benches of Westminster - the rapid decline of the political situation in the mid-1600s. Simonds held his breath along with the rest when Charles I forcibly entered the Commons in 1642, and he was there to survey the stunning rise of Oliver Cromwell through the 1640s. When civil war arrived, D'Ewes observed the battle lines being drawn before his very eyes. A 17th Century Knight has two aims. Firstly, it seeks to chart the life of Simonds D'Ewes himself: the husband, father, friend, antiquary, devout Protestant - even widower. His was an affecting story of personal loss, professional and recreational gain, and complex familial relationships that is deserving of study. Secondly, it endeavours to weave a fresh narrative of the tempestuous first half of the 1600s, including the English Civil War, using D'Ewes's experiences and wealth of written material as a focal point. As this book shows, there is still much to be uncovered about a period in history that we think we all know.

This is the story of a crucial year in the history of England, brimming with great political and social upheaval: the year 1603.

Get to know this distinguished group on an intimate level by discovering what they ate and drank, how their houses were furnished, what possessions were most important to them, the pastimes they enjoyed, the people they loved, the friends they hated, and the lives they led.

Discover how people died in seventeenth-century England, from succumbing to epidemic disease to being hanged, drawn, and quartered as a traitor to the realm. Learn about what happened to the seventeenth-century corpse immediately after death, including how it was prepared, what it was dressed in, and where it went.