David Underdown
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davidunderdown.bsky.social
David Underdown
@davidunderdown.bsky.social

Data Engineer at The National Archives. Digital Preservation/Digital Archiving. Also cycling, bellringing, photography, choral singing, promming and much more

David Edward Underdown was a historian of 17th-century English politics and culture and Professor Emeritus at Yale University. Born at Wells, Somerset, Underdown was educated at the Blue School and Exeter College, Oxford. The books Revel, Riot, and Rebellion and Fire from Heaven won prizes from the North American Conference on British Studies and the New England Historical Association. After retiring from Yale in 1996, Underdown wrote a well-received book about the history of cricket in the Hambledon era, Start of Play. .. more

Political science 34%
History 28%

Reposted by David Underdown

Voices in Slavery’s Archive: Law, Place & Testimony in British Guiana

making the largest collection of first-person testimony of enslaved people from the Caribbean in existence – the Reports of the Protectors of Slaves – accessible.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/p...

#History
Project to bring voices of enslaved people to life - The National Archives
The National Archives is working with international academics to make the largest collection of first-person testimony of enslaved people from the Caribbean in existence – the Reports of the Protector...
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

#UnconfinedWalks It had seemed like it was starting to brighten up as I prepared to go out for a lunchtime ride, but by the time I actually got moving the cloud had closed in again

#UnconfinedWalks beginning of sunset just as I got home this evening

I did look in the local antique store when I moved in in the hope of finding something. Wouldn’t need to be quite so big

Could just do with that screen in the corner of my bedroom in my art deco flat to hide the boxes etc I’ve never found another home for

Reposted by David Underdown

This article references the work of Emma Marsh in surveying the bombing debris.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I thought it might prove popular

And now Beerbliothek’s Hoppy Pale spring pale ale #ConfunedCocktails

#ConfinedCocktails not been on BlueSky much on a Saturday evening lately but today have washed down a pork stir fry with All the beer (though just one small can) from Cornwall’s St Ives Brewery

Well it is her name day after all

Reposted by David Underdown

Beatrice and Sidney Webb were the original LSE power couple, brought together by a shared interest in Trade Unions. Inderbir Bhullar traces their partnership, exploring the overlap between their private lives & their collaborative work. blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsehistory/2...
Beatrice and Sidney Webb and Trade Unions - LSE History
LSE co-founders Beatrice and Sidney Webb were brought together by a shared interest in Trade Unions. Inderbir Bhullar traces the very beginning of their partnership.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
Prevalence rates are no guide as to whether a condition is 'real' or overdiagnosed. 1 in 8 men get diagnosed with prostate cancer. Incidence rates have risen 55% since 1990. We accept this is due to better awareness & screening, & people surviving other conditions, not a fad or medical overreach.
I really cannot recommend this excellent piece on Hammersmith Bridge highly enough
Hammersmith Bridge
Where did 25,000 vehicles go?
nickmaini.substack.com

#UnconfinedWalks another chilly day. Eve oat lunchtime there were still patches of frost where sunlight hadn’t touched the grass

#UnconfinedWalks just got to the office before the rain turned to snow yesterday, but no time for photos. Today: bright, sparkly, and perishing this morning

Reposted by David Underdown

The new LCC map of 'Dangerous Junctions (for cyclists) in London highlights the risks in north Kingston. Most dangerous junction is assessed to be Kings Road with Park Road (mini roundabout), 3rd is London Rd juntion with Birkenhead Ave (opposite ASDA), and #4 Queen's Road/ Crescent Road.
And we're back! Join us December 4–5, 2025 at Northeastern University in Boston for our 12th annual The Caribbean Digital Conference. Our schedule is packed with wonders and amazing colleagues. Check it out! As always, attendance is free, whether zoom or live. Hope to see you there!
#TCDXII
Our twelfth conference dedicated to Caribbean digital studies. Jamaica, 2025.
thecaribbeandigital.org

#UnconfinedWalks first frosty morning of the season

Reposted by David Underdown

"Isambard" : Library Cat at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.
Book: 'Opuscula of Gregorii Tiferni' (1494)?
#HigherEd #research #Cats #edchat

#UnconfinedWalks bright and sunny at lunchtime, but chilly northerly wind

#UnconfinedWalks yesterday down to what proved to be a rather busy Sloane Square as the King’s Road Christmas lights were being turned on, which also brought a few curious folk into our rehearsal for Durufflé’s Requiem in Holy Trinity Church (and possibly even a few extra ticket purchases)

Reposted by David Underdown

Coventry remembers 14 November 1940 #CoventryBlitz

The most concentrated attack on a British city during WWII saw over 500 people killed and 800 injured. 4000 homes were destroyed, along with one-quarter of the city’s factories, and the medieval cathedral of St Michael's.

#UnconfinedWalks rather hit and miss with taking photos while out this week. Yesterday tree commemorating a late colleague looking suitably vibrant in the morning autumn sun. Then the calm before the storm at lunchtime today

Reposted by David Underdown

Cyber Security and Resilience. Statement made by Baroness Lloyd of Effra on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-11-13/HLWS1054

Reposted by David Underdown

Tech wanted to FAFO today…

(Alright to be fair it has been very possible for a long time but you never want to see it made easier or on bigger platforms!)

Check out fndec, yet another #digipres tool par moi!

github.com/exponential-...
Applications for the Caird Fellowships at Royal Museums Greenwich are now open - www.rmg.co.uk/collections/... It looks like a great opportunity to work on a fantastic collection and collaborate with some brilliant staff.
Fellowships at Royal Museums Greenwich
Apply for funding to support research at Royal Museums Greenwich through our Caird Research Fellowships
www.rmg.co.uk

Reposted by David Underdown

This #RemembranceDay, revisit our lunchtime talk about the Orchard Family of #Folkestone, presented by archivist Liz Finn.

Liz explores the human cost of the First World War and how archives can help us bring these personal stories to light. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJRc...
Kent Archives Talk | The Orchard Family: Loss, Heartbreak and Remembrance in #Folkestone #WW1
YouTube video by Kent Libraries Registration and Archives
www.youtube.com
We’re launching our new catalogue on Monday 8 December.

To keep our collections safe while we do this, access and ordering will be suspended for a week before launch and all requests for 8 December onwards must be made on the new system when it launches.

Find out more: bit.ly/CollectionSu...

Reposted by David Underdown

Do you hold collections that relate to the Holocaust, whether that be its prehistory, its aftermath, or the role of antisemitism before, during and after WWII?

The European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) are keen to hear from you... (1/3)

Reposted by David Underdown

🕊️November 11, 1918 – The Armistice of Compiègne

On November 11th, 1918, at 11 a.m., The fighting of the First World War came to an end. The armistice ended hostilities, and led to a complex post-war era defined by reconstruction, remembrance, and reimagined international relations. 🧵