New Blog: 'Dark' 19th Century History

[Mr Bleak]

I launched a new blog two months ago Bleak Chesney Wold : Named after Lord & Lady Dedlock's residence in Dickens's 'Bleak House' , famous for its Ghost Walk. Related to 'darker' elements of 19th century history.

There have been posts about the location of Chesney Wold itself, reviews of Linda Stratmann's 'Mina Scarletti' novels set in Brighton in the 1870's featuring one young woman's attempts to expose a set of fraudulent mediums. also have looked at Jennifer Renshaw's Victorian novel 'The Parlour Game'.

Have covered some legal cases including those of ;
James Pratt and John Smith, who were hanged for sodomy in 1835.
Fred and Maria Manning, hanged for murder in 1849 ; Maria was part of the inspiration for 'Hortense' in 'Bleak House,' and to the creation of the 'Woman in Black' figure we recognise today.
A feature about 'Peppermint Billy' ( William Brown), hanged for murder in 1856, but now going to be the subject of a public retrial in Leicester in July.

Future posts will include more about Victorian mediums, also the forgotten threat Emperor Napoleon III poised to Britain in the mid 19th century, and further exploration of 'Bleak House'.

 

[SimonBurchell]

I launched a new blog two months ago Bleak Chesney Wold : Named after Lord & Lady Dedlock's residence in Dickens's 'Bleak House' , famous for its Ghost Walk. Related to 'darker' elements of 19th century history.

There have been posts about the location of Chesney Wold itself, reviews of Linda Stratmann's 'Mina Scarletti' novels set in Brighton in the 1870's featuring one young woman's attempts to expose a set of fraudulent mediums. also have looked at Jennifer Renshaw's Victorian novel 'The Parlour Game'.

Have covered some legal cases including those of ;
James Pratt and John Smith, who were hanged for sodomy in 1835.
Fred and Maria Manning, hanged for murder in 1849 ; Maria was part of the inspiration for 'Hortense' in 'Bleak House,' and to the creation of the 'Woman in Black' figure we recognise today.
A feature about 'Peppermint Billy' ( William Brown), hanged for murder in 1856, but now going to be the subject of a public retrial in Leicester in July.

Future posts will include more about Victorian mediums, also the forgotten threat Emperor Napoleon III poised to Britain in the mid 19th century, and further exploration of 'Bleak House'.

Napoleon III's tomb is in Farnborough Abbey, very near me, but I have never gotten around to seeing it.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

Looking forward to reading about the Victorian Mediums!

 

[staticgirl]

This sounds great! Good luck with it, I enjoyed reading the posts on crime and reviewed the fiction. I've read the Mina Scarletti novels myself and enjoyed them.

 

[Mr Bleak]

Napoleon III's tomb is in Farnborough Abbey, very near me, but I have never gotten around to seeing it.

I would like to see it ! I am a member of the Friends of the Shoreham Fort, which was built as a defence against a possible invasion by Napoleon III in the 1850's and thought that it was time to write about the place.
https://www.shorehamfort.co.uk/past/history/

It seems to me that as although there was widespread sympathy for him in Britain after France losing the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 -71, and Napoleon III coming to Britain as an exile, relations with him weren't always so cordial.

 

[Mr Bleak]

This sounds great! Good luck with it, I enjoyed reading the posts on crime and reviewed the fiction. I've read the Mina Scarletti novels myself and enjoyed them.

Thank you. I think that the 'Mina Scarletti' series has come to an end, but I enjoyed them, and got a lot of information from reading the author's endnotes. I am not quite as sceptical as Mina, when it comes to Spiritualism, but not far off. Always like to think that I am open to other points of view though.

 

[Tunn11]

Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie lived about ten miles from me in Chislehurst. Their son the Prince Imperial was killed in Zululand, prompting Disraeli's comment:

"A very remarkable people the Zulus: They defeat our generals, they convert our bishops, they have settled the fate of a great European dynasty."

​

 

[Erinaceus]

I used to live in Chislehurst. Napoleon III and the Prince Imperial were buried in Chislehurst initially but were moved to Farnborough by the Empress Eugenie.

They lived in exile at Camden Place in Chislehurst



and there's a monument to the Prince Imperial on Chislehurst Common.

 

[Mr Bleak]

I used to live in Chislehurst. Napoleon III and the Prince Imperial were buried in Chislehurst initially but were moved to Farnborough by the Empress Eugenie.

They lived in exile at Camden Place in Chislehurst

View attachment 64902

and there's a monument to the Prince Imperial on Chislehurst Common.

Thank you very much for sharing the pictures. Look great. Will write a post about Napoleon III and Eugenie's interest in Spiritualism and their meetings with the renowned medium Daniel Dunglas Home in 1863 at some point.

Have added some thoughts on the subject on this thread here

Queen Victoria was in quite a strange position. She befriended Napoleon III and Eugenie in exile, whilst her own daughter Vicky was married to the heir apparent of Prussia,then the new unified Germany. Vicky was empress of Germany for a short space of time and was also mother to Kaiser Wilhelm II.

 

[Mr Bleak]

Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie lived about ten miles from me in Chislehurst. Their son the Prince Imperial was killed in Zululand, prompting Disraeli's comment:

"A very remarkable people the Zulus: They defeat our generals, they convert our bishops, they have settled the fate of a great European dynasty."

​

Indeed...but the Bonaparte family carried on ....and there is a current heir who apparently has a Linked In profile.
I imagine that the chance now of a Bonaparte emperor in France is even less than a Jacobite heir gaining the throne in Britain.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...rry-great-grand-daughter-Emperor-Austria.html

 

[Tunn11]

Indeed...but the Bonaparte family carried on ....and there is a current heir who apparently has a Linked In profile.
I imagine that the chance now of a Bonaparte emperor in France is even less than a Jacobite heir gaining the throne in Britain.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...rry-great-grand-daughter-Emperor-Austria.html

Interesting that their family tree doesn't show the Prince Imperial. There is a biography of him by Zulu War historian Ian Knight.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/His-Face-Foe-Napoleon-Imperial/dp/1862273677

You have to feel sorry for IIRC Ltn Carey who was in charge of the patrol, but probably had to follow the Prince's "suggestions". A bit of a nightmare assignment. They had dismounted when the Zulu ambushed them. Carey and some others managed to get away in what seems to have been a general free for all. Again IIRC (It's a while since I read it) Carey was exonerated but it didn't do his reputation much good.

Another unfortunate in the War was Bromhead of Rorke's Drift fame. After his return to England he was on holiday in Ireland and didn't receive his invite to meet Queen Victoria until too late. His letters of apology were unanswered.

Sorry, prattling on. Just a period of history I find fascinating.

 

[Mr Bleak]

Interesting that their family tree doesn't show the Prince Imperial. There is a biography of him by Zulu War historian Ian Knight.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/His-Face-Foe-Napoleon-Imperial/dp/1862273677

You have to feel sorry for IIRC Ltn Carey who was in charge of the patrol, but probably had to follow the Prince's "suggestions". A bit of a nightmare assignment. They had dismounted when the Zulu ambushed them. Carey and some others managed to get away in what seems to have been a general free for all. Again IIRC (It's a while since I read it) Carey was exonerated but it didn't do his reputation much good.

Another unfortunate in the War was Bromhead of Rorke's Drift fame. After his return to England he was on holiday in Ireland and didn't receive his invite to meet Queen Victoria until too late. His letters of apology were unanswered.

Sorry, prattling on. Just a period of history I find fascinating.

No, thank you for prattling on. I have sent off for a copy of the Ian Knight book. Is there a general introduction to Napoleon III - in English- that you would recommend ?

 

[Tunn11]

Not read any I'm afraid. Quick search gives

"Napoleon III" by Fenton Bresler. He's written other biogrphies but I don't know the level of research but I haven't read any of Bresler's books so I can't comment on style etc.

"Shadow Emperor; a biography of Napoleon III." by Alan Strauss-Schom. American Pulizer prize winner Seems to be well researched but again can't comment on style.

"Napoleon III and his carnival empire" by John Bierman. Another journalist and biographer but again I've not read any of his output.

Other posters may have read these or others or have an opinion on the authors but I'd guess Bressler and Bierman were a bit more "popular biography" and the Strauss-Schom a bit more in depth, but that's just a guess.

I think they are all out of print but available.

Ian Knight has written a lot on the Anglo Zulu war and is a careful researcher and IMO a readable author.

 

[Mr Bleak]

Not read any I'm afraid. Quick search gives

"Napoleon III" by Fenton Bresler. He's written other biogrphies but I don't know the level of research but I haven't read any of Bresler's books so I can't comment on style etc.

"Shadow Emperor; a biography of Napoleon III." by Alan Strauss-Schom. American Pulizer prize winner Seems to be well researched but again can't comment on style.

"Napoleon III and his carnival empire" by John Bierman. Another journalist and biographer but again I've not read any of his output.

Other posters may have read these or others or have an opinion on the authors but I'd guess Bressler and Bierman were a bit more "popular biography" and the Strauss-Schom a bit more in depth, but that's just a guess.

I think they are all out of print but available.

Ian Knight has written a lot on the Anglo Zulu war and is a careful researcher and IMO a readable author.

Thanks for your help. I have ordered 'Shadow Emperor'. Seems like a good starting point. Regards.

 

[Tunn11]

Thanks for your help. I have ordered 'Shadow Emperor'. Seems like a good starting point. Regards.

Hope you enjoy them.

 

[Mr Bleak]

Hope you enjoy them.

Thank you. 'Shadow Empire' has arrived. Not managed to read much but so far quite impressed. Just found out that there is a Chiselhurst Society which has a webpage about Napoleon III
https://chislehurst-society.org.uk/pages/about/people/napoleon-iii-emperor-of-france/

 

[Mr Bleak]

Just realised that I should have mentioned the blogpost I did about Catherine Crowe , a Victorian novelist who is now out of favour. Mrs Crowe also had quite an interest in the Supernatural . She seems to have been the first person to use the word 'poltergeist' in the English language.
https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-walk-to-night-side-of-nature.html

Her book The Night Side of Nature from 1848 , about what we would now call the 'Supernatural' or 'Paranormal' was published a few years before Spiritualism hit Britain, and can be accessed on line.

Also have drawn on the work of Fortean researcher Mike Dash and his Fortean Archive piece 'Naked as Nature Intended'

 

[Mr Bleak]

Wrote a blogpost after visiting the Charles Dickens Museum at Doughty Street, London , looking at the role of the London fog in Dickens's work.
The impact of the fog worsened after Dickens's death, leading up to the great fog of December 1952 with thousands of casualties and widespread disruption over a five day period.
https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/04/a-great-and-dirty-city-dickens-and.html

 

[Mr Bleak]

Latest Blogpost is about Mr Guppy from 'Bleak House' , my favourite Charles Dickens's novel. A clerk in a law firm who seems to be desperately trying to ferret out the secrets of others to pursue some quite dubious ends. Has his comic moments as well. Reading about Mr Guppy's use of bears' grease ( used at the time to combat thinning hair in men ) has started me off on some interesting lines of enquiry.

https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-sketch-of-mr-guppy-from-bleak-house.html

 

[Mr Bleak]

New blogpost focusing on the Danish TV series '1864' which reached an international audience some eight or nine years ago: The drama takes place against the background of the 2nd Schleswig War when Denmark was defeated by Prussia and Austria.
Next two posts will return to 'dark' Victorian (British) history.

https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/05/1864-whatever-happened-to-forgotten-war.html

 

[Mr Bleak]

Have covered the life and public hanging of Martha Brown in Dorchester on 9th August 1856, for the murder of her husband John. A 16 year old Thomas Hardy was amongst those watching.
https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/06/elizabeth-martha-brown-executed-9th.html

 

[Mr Bleak]

Blog updated with a post concerning how Dickens ( using 'Lady Dedlock' in 'Bleak House') and Hardy (using 'Tess' from 'Tess of the d'Urbevilles') depicted the treatment of women who had children before marriage in Victorian England. Both authors seemed strongly opposed to the whole cult of shaming which went on. Thomas Hardy incurred far more opposition from the critics, though 'Tess of the D'Urbevilles' went on to become very popular.
https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/07/lady-dedlock-from-bleak-house-v-tess.html

 

[Frideswide]

@Mr Bleak I really enjoy your blog Please keep on with it!

 

[ramonmercado]

Blog updated with a post concerning how Dickens ( using 'Lady Dedlock' in 'Bleak House') and Hardy (using 'Tess' from 'Tess of the d'Urbevilles') depicted the treatment of women who had children before marriage in Victorian England. Both authors seemed strongly opposed to the whole cult of shaming which went on. Thomas Hardy incurred far more opposition from the critics, though 'Tess of the D'Urbevilles' went on to become very popular.
https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/07/lady-dedlock-from-bleak-house-v-tess.html

Really liked it.

 

[Mr Bleak]

Thank you for your positive comments.
Future posts should include Victorian medium Daniel Dunglas Hume in Paris and also another look at the Cleveland Street (male) brothel scandal of 1889 and the alleged Prince Eddy connection.
Also another 'Bleak House' related post is part written in note form.

 

[Mr Bleak]

I used to live in Chislehurst. Napoleon III and the Prince Imperial were buried in Chislehurst initially but were moved to Farnborough by the Empress Eugenie.

They lived in exile at Camden Place in Chislehurst

View attachment 64902

and there's a monument to the Prince Imperial on Chislehurst Common.

View attachment 64903

View attachment 64904View attachment 64905View attachment 64906Hi

Hello there again . Was in Chiselhurst yesterday visiting the Caves with friends. Didn't manage to check out these places but want to visit the area again quite soon and find the Prince Imperial monument. We stopped off for a drink in 'The Imperial Arms' a few minutes walk away from Chishelhurst Caves and noticed that inside they had pictures of Napoleon I and one had candles burning either side of it, like an icon.
Quite strange to think of this enclave of Bonapartism in Britain.

 

[ramonmercado]

I launched a new blog two months ago Bleak Chesney Wold : Named after Lord & Lady Dedlock's residence in Dickens's 'Bleak House' , famous for its Ghost Walk. Related to 'darker' elements of 19th century history.

There have been posts about the location of Chesney Wold itself, reviews of Linda Stratmann's 'Mina Scarletti' novels set in Brighton in the 1870's featuring one young woman's attempts to expose a set of fraudulent mediums. also have looked at Jennifer Renshaw's Victorian novel 'The Parlour Game'.

Have covered some legal cases including those of ;
James Pratt and John Smith, who were hanged for sodomy in 1835.
Fred and Maria Manning, hanged for murder in 1849 ; Maria was part of the inspiration for 'Hortense' in 'Bleak House,' and to the creation of the 'Woman in Black' figure we recognise today.
A feature about 'Peppermint Billy' ( William Brown), hanged for murder in 1856, but now going to be the subject of a public retrial in Leicester in July.

Future posts will include more about Victorian mediums, also the forgotten threat Emperor Napoleon III poised to Britain in the mid 19th century, and further exploration of 'Bleak House'.

Peppermint Billy found not guilty!

The last man to be publicly hanged in Leicester has been "cleared" of murder in a reconstruction of his trial.

William "Peppermint Billy" Brown was sent to the gallows in 1856 after being convicted of the gruesome double killing of 70-year-old Edward Woodcock and his son James, aged nine.

History enthusiasts re-enacted his trial, 167 years to the day from his conviction, re-examining the evidence. The 21st Century jury found Brown should have escaped the noose.

Leicester historian Jo Vigor Mungovin organised the dramatised retrial, which took place at the city's Guildhall on Friday, after spending years researching the case.

She said: "This was a very gruesome murder of a tollgate keeper and his son that led to William Brown being the last man hanged publicly in Leicester, before a crowd of 25,000 outside the Leicester county jail, now the Welford Road Prison. "Peppermint Billy - nicknamed because his father sold peppermints at market - was a trouble-maker and a former convict who had returned from deportation to Tasmania, but there have always been doubts about his guilt over this crime. They were heinous killings that gripped the public at the time and the case is no less compelling today. So we decided to stage our own retrial in front of an audience, with a judge, a jury - but this time no executioner."

"We used the original transcripts of the trial as well as new evidence I found in my research."

Ms Vigor Mungovin took the role of Brown's lawyer for the retrial and presented evidence about other potential suspects in the Melton Mowbray area, where the murders happened, and cast doubts over the knife said to be the murder weapon,

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66211457

 

[Erinaceus]

Hello there again . Was in Chiselhurst yesterday visiting the Caves with friends. Didn't manage to check out these places but want to visit the area again quite soon and find the Prince Imperial monument. We stopped off for a drink in 'The Imperial Arms' a few minutes walk away from Chishelhurst Caves and noticed that inside they had pictures of Napoleon I and one had candles burning either side of it, like an icon.
Quite strange to think of this enclave of Bonapartism in Britain.

The monument is opposite the junction of Prince Imperial Road and Wilderness Road.

 

[Tunn11]

Latest Blogpost is about Mr Guppy from 'Bleak House' , my favourite Charles Dickens's novel. A clerk in a law firm who seems to be desperately trying to ferret out the secrets of others to pursue some quite dubious ends. Has his comic moments as well. Reading about Mr Guppy's use of bears' grease ( used at the time to combat thinning hair in men ) has started me off on some interesting lines of enquiry.

https://bleakchesneywold.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-sketch-of-mr-guppy-from-bleak-house.html

Enjoying the blogs @Mr Bleak.

I came across the The Victorian/Edwardian hair tonic subject when researching my family tree an aunt was given in the 1911 census as a "wrapper and packer of Harlene". It took a while to trace what Harlene was but a serch on the net for Harlene for hair will reveal some interesting posters of women looking like trainee yetis. Apparently the stuff was mainly water, alcohol and perfume with no benefit to hair growth at all.
Our, or at least my, images of Victorians are influenced rather too much by films, neat hair for women and sculpted beards for men. The ideal may have been the amazing hair shown in the Harlene adverts and the enormous beards sported by some of the military of the British and American (USA and CSA) armies.

 

[Mr Bleak]

Enjoying the blogs @Mr Bleak.

I came across the The Victorian/Edwardian hair tonic subject when researching my family tree an aunt was given in the 1911 census as a "wrapper and packer of Harlene". It took a while to trace what Harlene was but a serch on the net for Harlene for hair will reveal some interesting posters of women looking like trainee yetis. Apparently the stuff was mainly water, alcohol and perfume with no benefit to hair growth at all.
Our, or at least my, images of Victorians are influenced rather too much by films, neat hair for women and sculpted beards for men. The ideal may have been the amazing hair shown in the Harlene adverts and the enormous beards sported by some of the military of the British and American (USA and CSA) armies.

Thank you for this @Tunn11 I hadn't heard about 'Harlene'. Yes there was little in the way of trading standards and consumer rights in the Victorian/Edwardian era. Will look be doing some severe websearching.
It is likely that 'Bears's Grease' was cut with dogs' fat and must have smelt vile.