Wessex Worthies: George Monk
George Monk, or Monck, (1608-70), was a general in the English Civil War. He fought on the Royalist side, but later led the Parliamentary Army in Scotland, being named as…
Wessex Worthies: William D’Avenant
William D'avenant (sometimes spelled without the apostrophe) was born in Oxford in 1606, the son of John and Jane D'avenant, owners of the Crown Tavern, where Shakespeare was said to…
Wessex Worthies: Thomas Newcomen
The Industrial Revolution was a turning point in human history, transforming societies through technological advancements. At the forefront of this revolution stood inventors like Thomas Newcomen (1664-1729), whose groundbreaking invention…
Wessex Worthies: William Friese-Greene
William Friese-Greene (1855-1921) was known as the "father of cinematography" Born in Bristol, he was a successful photographer, with studios in Bristol, Bath and Plymouth. He is commemorated on blue…
Wessex Worthies: RD Blackmore
Richard Doddridge Blackmore (1825-1900) was a Berkshire-born novelist most famous for his "romance of Exmoor", Lorna Doone. Other Wessex based works include Cradock Nowell: A tale of the New Forest…
Wessex Worthies: Laurie Lee
Laurie Lee was born in 1914 near Stroud, but moved as a boy to the nearby village of Slad. This move forms the opening of his best-known work, Cider With…
Wessex Worthies: Saint Boniface
Born near Crediton in Devon and originally named Wynfrith, Saint Boniface (675-754) was the first Archbishop of Mainz, and is known as "the apostle to the Germans". Christopher Dawson, in…
Italian explorer. Probably born in Venice, son of John Cabot. The accounts of the journeys of John and Sebastian Cabot were collected by Richard Hakluyt in his work 'The Principle Navigations, Voyages'.
Wessex Worthies: Sebastian Cabot
Sebastian Cabot (1474-1557) was the son of the famous Venetian explorer John Cabot (1450-1500), and followed in his father's footsteps in leading expeditions from Bristol. Late in life, he claimed…
Wessex Worthies: William Laud
William Laud (1573-1645) was born in Reading and later rose to become Archbishop of Canterbury before being executed for treason during the First English Civil War. He was a leading…
Wessex Worthies: St Dunstan
St Dunstan (c909-988) is an important figure in Wessex history and folklore. Born at Baltonsborough, near Glastonbury, he was educated at Glastonbury Abbey by Irish monks. According to one of…