Edwardian

  • 1901: Francis Chichester is born in Devon

    Francis Chichester was born in Shirwell, Devon, on 17 September 1901. He became known first as an aviator and later as one of Britain’s best-known solo sailors. Chichester emigrated to New Zealand as a young man and built a business before returning to Britain. He learnt to fly and made long-distance solo flights, including pioneering…

  • 1902: Edward VII and Queen Alexandra are crowned

    On 9 August 1902, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were crowned at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony took place more than six weeks later than planned because the King had required emergency surgery shortly before the original date. Edward had succeeded his mother, Queen Victoria, on 22 January 1901. His coronation was arranged for 26 June…

  • 1903: The Women’s Social and Political Union Is Founded in Manchester

    The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was founded on 10 October 1903 at Emmeline Pankhurst’s home in Manchester. A small group of women met at 62 Nelson Street and agreed to establish an organisation to campaign for women’s parliamentary vote. The decision followed years of unsuccessful campaigning. The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies,…

  • 1905: Sir Henry Irving Dies After a Performance in Bradford

    Sir Henry Irving died in Bradford on 13 October 1905, shortly after performing in Alfred Tennyson’s *Becket* at the Theatre Royal. He had returned to his hotel when he collapsed. He was 67. Irving had continued touring despite periods of ill health. His final performance came at the end of a career in which he…

  • 1907: The first Isle of Man TT race is held

    The first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle race was held on 28 May 1907 on the St John’s Short Course. The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency, not part of the United Kingdom. Even so, the race fits a British-linked history archive because of the island’s close relationship with Britain and the TT’s…

  • 1907: Britain and Russia sign the Anglo-Russian Convention

    Britain and Russia signed the Anglo-Russian Convention in St Petersburg on 31 August 1907, settling several disputes that had sustained their rivalry in Central Asia for much of the previous century. British governments had long been concerned about Russian expansion towards Afghanistan and the approaches to India. Russia had extended its influence across Central Asia…

  • 1907: Helen MacInnes is born in Glasgow

    Scottish novelist Helen MacInnes was born in Glasgow on 7 October 1907. She later became one of the best-known writers of twentieth-century espionage fiction. MacInnes spent part of her childhood in Helensburgh, where she attended Hermitage School, before continuing her education in Glasgow. She studied at the University of Glasgow and graduated with an MA…

  • 1909: William Ford Stanley dies in South Norwood

    William Ford Robinson Stanley died at his home in South Norwood on 14 August 1909, aged 80. He spent much of his working life making scientific and technical instruments, then used part of the resulting wealth to support public facilities and technical education. Stanley established his own business in Holborn in 1854, making mathematical and…

  • 1910: Florence Nightingale dies aged 90

    Florence Nightingale died in London on 13 August 1910, aged 90. More than half a century had passed since her work during the Crimean War created the public image that remained attached to her name. Nightingale returned to Britain from the Crimea in 1856. Her experience of military hospitals became the basis for a much…

  • 1912: Salvation Army founder William Booth dies

    William Booth, founder and first General of the Salvation Army, died at his home in Hadley Wood on 20 August 1912. He was 83. Booth had begun mission work in London’s East End in 1865. The organisation that developed from it became known as the Christian Mission before adopting the name Salvation Army in 1878.…