Claire Richardson
@clairehistory.bsky.social
PhD candidate at ARU Cambridge studying the Norman Cross PoW material culture at Peterborough Museum. Author of Exploring the Lives of Victorian Prostitutes. Member of Peterborough Women’s History Group #ME/CFS
Pinned
Hello to my new followers! I’ve just started a PhD at ARU looking at the #NormanCross collection at Peterborough Museum. The collection contains over 800 objects made by (or relating to) #Napoleonic PoWs and made from bone, straw, wood etc. There are guillotines, ships, dominoes, boxes & much more!
Today’s deep dive was into the Haitian revolution and I almost wish I hadn’t. It’s an extremely brutal period when tens of thousands of people died but something good did come out of it, eventually
November 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Today’s deep dive was into the Haitian revolution and I almost wish I hadn’t. It’s an extremely brutal period when tens of thousands of people died but something good did come out of it, eventually
Hands up if you managed to spot Norman Cross on the news next to Kier Starmer’s head when he visited Peterborough yesterday!
November 25, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Hands up if you managed to spot Norman Cross on the news next to Kier Starmer’s head when he visited Peterborough yesterday!
Reposted by Claire Richardson
I want poetry to be as accessible as possible, and I don't believe there should be a financial barrier to art, so I'm offering three pieces for free, forever
1. The Vow, on love
2. Eulogy, on loss
3. My collaboration with Simba, who work with families going through miscarriage or baby loss
💙🏴
1. The Vow, on love
2. Eulogy, on loss
3. My collaboration with Simba, who work with families going through miscarriage or baby loss
💙🏴
November 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
I want poetry to be as accessible as possible, and I don't believe there should be a financial barrier to art, so I'm offering three pieces for free, forever
1. The Vow, on love
2. Eulogy, on loss
3. My collaboration with Simba, who work with families going through miscarriage or baby loss
💙🏴
1. The Vow, on love
2. Eulogy, on loss
3. My collaboration with Simba, who work with families going through miscarriage or baby loss
💙🏴
Reposted by Claire Richardson
We're at the Middle Earth map.
We're at the subway map.
We're at the combination Middle Earth and Subway map!
And you could be too! These maps and more are for sale on my Etsy page! They make great presents for yourself and others!
#LOTR #maps #subway
www.etsy.com/shop/Surpris...
We're at the subway map.
We're at the combination Middle Earth and Subway map!
And you could be too! These maps and more are for sale on my Etsy page! They make great presents for yourself and others!
#LOTR #maps #subway
www.etsy.com/shop/Surpris...
November 21, 2025 at 12:05 AM
We're at the Middle Earth map.
We're at the subway map.
We're at the combination Middle Earth and Subway map!
And you could be too! These maps and more are for sale on my Etsy page! They make great presents for yourself and others!
#LOTR #maps #subway
www.etsy.com/shop/Surpris...
We're at the subway map.
We're at the combination Middle Earth and Subway map!
And you could be too! These maps and more are for sale on my Etsy page! They make great presents for yourself and others!
#LOTR #maps #subway
www.etsy.com/shop/Surpris...
A few images from the preview event for Tony Nero’s Half a Pencil exhibition at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery. Definitely worth a visit and there’s so much to see. It opens tomorrow!
November 21, 2025 at 8:39 PM
A few images from the preview event for Tony Nero’s Half a Pencil exhibition at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery. Definitely worth a visit and there’s so much to see. It opens tomorrow!
Reposted by Claire Richardson
November 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Met up with my uncle earlier. I think he outed a national treasure (deceased) as partaking in regular ‘naked parties’ in the street he lived on in Peterborough 😳
November 20, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Met up with my uncle earlier. I think he outed a national treasure (deceased) as partaking in regular ‘naked parties’ in the street he lived on in Peterborough 😳
Reposted by Claire Richardson
One of the people I'm researching for a client at the moment served in the Royal Navy between 1803 and 1814 and one of the ships he served on was HMS Canopus. I already knew that Jane Austen's brother, Francis, was the Captain of the ship but it was nice to find his signature on the muster rolls!
November 20, 2025 at 11:36 AM
One of the people I'm researching for a client at the moment served in the Royal Navy between 1803 and 1814 and one of the ships he served on was HMS Canopus. I already knew that Jane Austen's brother, Francis, was the Captain of the ship but it was nice to find his signature on the muster rolls!
Pleased to say I will be giving a talk on Martha ‘Patty’ Clare and what life was like for her and her family in Northborough in July. If you’re a fan of poet John Clare and his Northborough Sonnets, this will definitely be an interesting afternoon
November 19, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Pleased to say I will be giving a talk on Martha ‘Patty’ Clare and what life was like for her and her family in Northborough in July. If you’re a fan of poet John Clare and his Northborough Sonnets, this will definitely be an interesting afternoon
Reposted by Claire Richardson
We've got less than ten places left for this talk on Saturday! Due to limited space in the venue there will be no tickets available on the door.
Email us at [email protected] to reserve your space before it's gone!
For more info and even more events, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
Email us at [email protected] to reserve your space before it's gone!
For more info and even more events, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 8:30 AM
We've got less than ten places left for this talk on Saturday! Due to limited space in the venue there will be no tickets available on the door.
Email us at [email protected] to reserve your space before it's gone!
For more info and even more events, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
Email us at [email protected] to reserve your space before it's gone!
For more info and even more events, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
Reposted by Claire Richardson
Here at Exeter we are offering three fully funded AHRC PhD places in humanities subjects. Please get in touch if you are keen to come and do research with us! Closing date 23 February 2026: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
PhD: AHRC Studentship | University of Exeter
Project descriptionThe University of Exeter is offering up to three fully funded AHRC doctoral studentships and training and development opportunities across a range of the AHRC’s disciplines for cand...
www.exeter.ac.uk
November 18, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Here at Exeter we are offering three fully funded AHRC PhD places in humanities subjects. Please get in touch if you are keen to come and do research with us! Closing date 23 February 2026: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
Reposted by Claire Richardson
Just one week to go until the online talk on Dating Ancient Buildings. Part of the session will look at how archaeological survey can build up the evidence for clues to phases of construction...
Please do join us at 7pmGMT on 25 Nov:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dating-anc...
Please do join us at 7pmGMT on 25 Nov:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dating-anc...
November 18, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Just one week to go until the online talk on Dating Ancient Buildings. Part of the session will look at how archaeological survey can build up the evidence for clues to phases of construction...
Please do join us at 7pmGMT on 25 Nov:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dating-anc...
Please do join us at 7pmGMT on 25 Nov:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dating-anc...
Almost in tears earlier whilst trying to research the lives of the men from Africa and the Caribbean at Norman Cross. I need to understand their lives and find a way of sharing their experiences so their deaths weren’t in vain. Can anyone recommend any books that will help? (1797-1814)
November 18, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Almost in tears earlier whilst trying to research the lives of the men from Africa and the Caribbean at Norman Cross. I need to understand their lives and find a way of sharing their experiences so their deaths weren’t in vain. Can anyone recommend any books that will help? (1797-1814)
Reposted by Claire Richardson
If you're wondering how our week is going, one of our team just looked at this section of an OS map and went "Wow, that's a weird shaped lake!"
It's the letter 'I' in 'Buckinghamshire'.
It's the letter 'I' in 'Buckinghamshire'.
November 18, 2025 at 1:03 PM
If you're wondering how our week is going, one of our team just looked at this section of an OS map and went "Wow, that's a weird shaped lake!"
It's the letter 'I' in 'Buckinghamshire'.
It's the letter 'I' in 'Buckinghamshire'.
I am yet to see a good Christmas advert so far. Has anyone seen any good ones?!
November 16, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I am yet to see a good Christmas advert so far. Has anyone seen any good ones?!
I measured the water captured in the garden buckets since Thursday evening and we’ve had 75ml of water! That’s also from a sheltered space in the garden, so I suspect it’s closer to 80ml really. No flooding here but lots nearby
November 16, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I measured the water captured in the garden buckets since Thursday evening and we’ve had 75ml of water! That’s also from a sheltered space in the garden, so I suspect it’s closer to 80ml really. No flooding here but lots nearby
Worth noting that if the BBC is defunded then Children in Need dies too. Hundreds of charities including hospices will be forced to close and the poorest in society will be the ones who suffer the most
November 14, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Worth noting that if the BBC is defunded then Children in Need dies too. Hundreds of charities including hospices will be forced to close and the poorest in society will be the ones who suffer the most
Had a little chuckle when I found this in the records earlier
November 14, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Had a little chuckle when I found this in the records earlier
I was lucky enough to see them in situ, so to know they’re properly preserved and now on full display makes me very happy
Three of the log boats discovered during the Must Farm palaeochannel excavations are going on display at Flag Fen Archaeology Park. Nine boats were found with dates ranging from the Early Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Rare Bronze Age log boats on display in Peterborough first
The boats
www.bbc.co.uk
November 14, 2025 at 8:35 AM
I was lucky enough to see them in situ, so to know they’re properly preserved and now on full display makes me very happy
Pootled up to St Guthlac’s in the most beautiful weather. Chatting to the vicar, he told me that the door was 150 years old but the tracery is 13th century! Fantastic bit of Victorian restoration
November 13, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Pootled up to St Guthlac’s in the most beautiful weather. Chatting to the vicar, he told me that the door was 150 years old but the tracery is 13th century! Fantastic bit of Victorian restoration
Reposted by Claire Richardson
The news is out! Really nice piece by Jack Blackburn of @Times about the genetic study been leading into Hitler’s DNA. It’s been a massive group effort as part of a documentary with the team Blink Films & a huge number of experts! We have to put the caveats in and the article does that nicely.
November 12, 2025 at 6:33 PM
The news is out! Really nice piece by Jack Blackburn of @Times about the genetic study been leading into Hitler’s DNA. It’s been a massive group effort as part of a documentary with the team Blink Films & a huge number of experts! We have to put the caveats in and the article does that nicely.
Reposted by Claire Richardson
Are you looking for an expression to deliver at the end of a truly cutting remark? A new clunchfist?
The 1632 play "The Rival Friends" has you covered. Wrapping up a line of insults, one character concludes with this hammer stroke: "There's sauce for your eels!"
Devastation.
🗃️🧪
The 1632 play "The Rival Friends" has you covered. Wrapping up a line of insults, one character concludes with this hammer stroke: "There's sauce for your eels!"
Devastation.
🗃️🧪
November 12, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Are you looking for an expression to deliver at the end of a truly cutting remark? A new clunchfist?
The 1632 play "The Rival Friends" has you covered. Wrapping up a line of insults, one character concludes with this hammer stroke: "There's sauce for your eels!"
Devastation.
🗃️🧪
The 1632 play "The Rival Friends" has you covered. Wrapping up a line of insults, one character concludes with this hammer stroke: "There's sauce for your eels!"
Devastation.
🗃️🧪
Every time I finish a chapter of my thesis
Setting aside my bloodstained quill to stash my current manuscript in its hiding-place in the hollow tree, guarded by a pack of wolves with a taste for human flesh... #AmWriting
November 11, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Every time I finish a chapter of my thesis
Reposted by Claire Richardson
I have added masses of locations to my map identifying where Norman Cross POWs were born. New locations in Germany, Italy and America and new countries added too. Best find was a country in Africa, so I’m really pleased with that. Potentially another religion represented as well 😃
a map of europe showing the holy roman empire and muslim spain
ALT: a map of europe showing the holy roman empire and muslim spain
media.tenor.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:56 PM
I have added masses of locations to my map identifying where Norman Cross POWs were born. New locations in Germany, Italy and America and new countries added too. Best find was a country in Africa, so I’m really pleased with that. Potentially another religion represented as well 😃
Reposted by Claire Richardson
Re-upping for #RemembranceDay
#OTD 1867, Marie Curie was born.
During WWI, Curie created a vehicle that contained a hospital bed, a generator, an X-ray machine and photographic darkroom equipment. These “petite Curies" (below) could be driven right up to the Front. Curie also helped train 150 women as radiology technicians.
During WWI, Curie created a vehicle that contained a hospital bed, a generator, an X-ray machine and photographic darkroom equipment. These “petite Curies" (below) could be driven right up to the Front. Curie also helped train 150 women as radiology technicians.
November 11, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Re-upping for #RemembranceDay