Elliott Thomas’s enthusiasm for and seriousness about history was apparent to from the time I first taught him in his first year of studies, and he has contributed several pieces for this blog. For his dissertation he looked at the role of charismatic figures Joseph Chamberlain, Alfred Milner, and the writer John Robert Seeley in pushing ideas of radical, racist imperialism which at the turn of the twentieth century led Britain into a devastating conflict in South Africa. Elliott’s supervisor was Professor Brad Beaven. Elliott’s work has got better and better over the three years he has studied with us and it is great to see Elliott give a shout […]
Tag Archives | warfare
Southsea castle ramparts (land side)
By Fiona McCall on May 14, 2026 in Learning in Focus, Public History, Research in Focus, Uncategorized
By Ben Whiteman Beginning groundwork in 1813, the castle expansion would be overseen by Major-General Benjamin Fisherman and last until the finishing touches were made in 1817. Southsea castle spent much of the late 18th and early 19th century in a poor state of disrepair. Coastal erosion had taken parts of the western wall while an accidental gunpowder explosion in 1759 destroyed a large portion of the castle. The explosion is believed to have started from a large cooking fire in the east wing living quarters. It’s thought that sparks fell through the cracks in the old floorboards igniting the gunpowder storeroom below. However, this was never confirmed.[1] Tragically the […]
Southsea Castle courtyard
By Fiona McCall on May 14, 2026 in Learning in Focus, Public History, Research in Focus, Uncategorized
By Charlie Wilkinson Southsea’s well was built in 1544, abandoned in 1814, covered over during later modifications and then rediscovered in the 1960s. That means it sat unused for over 150 years, during which: the garrison changed, the fort was remodelled, obsolete artillery (including stone shot) was discarded, domestic waste accumulated. This blog discusses three objects that were discovered inside the well at Southsea Castle: a wooden bucket and pulley, stone cannon balls and pottery flask fragments. Object 1: Wooden bucket and pulley system The original well was built against the inside of the Tudor curtain wall and equipped with a simple pulley block, an oak bucket, and a […]
Southsea Castle ramparts (ocean side)
By Fiona McCall on May 14, 2026 in Learning in Focus, Public History, Research in Focus, Uncategorized
By Magdalena Djaković From the ocean side of the ramparts of Southsea Castle, one quickly comes to realize just how dependent the site was upon visibility. Although the current views towards the Isle of Wight appear to be tranquil, in the past, the area would have been filled with anticipation and control. This can be seen in Figure 1, the wide, uninterrupted view toward Isle of Wight demonstrates the strategic advantage of this position. From here, defenders would have been able to monitor approaching ships long before they reached Portsmouth Harbour, giving valuable time to prepare artillery and coordinate a response. The castle itself was built in 1544 as […]
Southsea Castle Keep
By Fiona McCall on May 14, 2026 in Learning in Focus, Public History, Research in Focus, Uncategorized
By Madi East In the 16th century, England faced growing threats, particularly from France and Spain. In recognition of this, King Henry the 8th ordered the construction of new coastal defences, including Southsea Castle. The location of Southsea Castle was strategically chosen to overlook the main navigable channel into Portsmouth harbour, through the Solent. It was accompanied by a range of defences such as artillery, chain booms, and the use of natural features (like the sandbanks of the Solent) to their advantage. Any ship that attempted to reach the harbour would be forced into the range of the castle’s guns, making it an ideal artillery platform. [1] It is suggested […]
The conflicted loyalties of gunmakers during the English Civil Wars and after
English Civil War royalism has often been depicted as the preserve of the elite, but this was not necessarily the case, as MRes student Natalie Lejeune found in her research into the activities of gunmakers during and after the civil wars. Prior royal service often inclined these specialist craftsmen towards the Royalists initially. After the Royalist defeat, they transferred their work to a new Republican Government prepared to tolerate their dubious loyalties in exchange for their much-needed skills. Yet their loyalties remained conflicted, with some, including female-gunmakers as well as men, secretly supplying arms to Royalist conspiracists on the side, a pattern of mixed loyalties which mirrors those in France […]