Quiz Trail History Blog
Princess Caroline Arrived in Gravesend to Marry a Man Who Didn't Want Her
Princess Caroline landed at Gravesend in 1795 on her way to marry Prince George. Unfortunately, her future husband was already in love with somebody else.
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Lady Blanche: The Ghost Said to Haunt Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle has a ghost story with an unforgettable twist: Lady Blanche is said to appear with an arrow still in her chest.
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Rye Quiz Trail. The Red Cloak That Led to a Terrible Mistake
One red mayoral cloak, a furious butcher and a terrible case of mistaken identity. Discover the true Rye story of Allen Grebell and James Lamb.
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Herne Bay Quiz Trail. THREE WIVES. THREE BATHS. What WAS going on?
Discover the chilling Herne Bay story of George Joseph Smith and Bessie Mundy, whose death became linked to the notorious Brides in the Bath murders.
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The Merry Monarch’s Wild Affairs - King Charles II
The Merry Monarch’s Wild Affairs. King Charles II, England’s “Merry Monarch,” wasn’t just famous for restoring the crown - he was famous for keeping London gossip buzzing.
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What an amazing woman Amy Johnson was!
Can you imagine flying off to Australia solo – in a second-hand Gipsy Moth that she called Jason? Amy Johnson was one of the most influential and inspirational women of the twentieth century. Amy left Croydon Airport on 5th May 1930 and unlike today’s pilots, Amy had no radio link with the ground and no reliable information about the weather. Her maps were basic and, on some stretches of the route, she would be flying over uncharted land. Until her Australia trip, her longest solo flight had been from London to Hull. Had I been a man I might have explored the Poles or climbed Mount Everest, but as it was my spirit found outlet in the air . . . Amy Johnson Sadly, Amy’s life ended off the coast at Herne Bay – she died tragically in the Thames Estuary. A statue in her honour stands on Herne Bay seafront, commemorating her life and achievements – this is on the Herne Bay Quiz Trail route. On 5th January 1941, Amy was flying a wartime mission. She left Blackpool and was on her way to Oxford. It remains a complete mystery to this day as to why she was so far off course. Her plane was seen plummeting into the water by a convoy of wartime vessels in the area, including the HMS Haslemere. They attempted a rescue, but harsh weather and sea conditions proved unsuccessful. The captain of HMS Haslemere, Lieutenant Commander Walter Fletcher, heroically dived into the icy water to try and save Amy, but he tragically died from exposure and shock. Her body and the wreckage of her plane were never found, and the exact circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear. Amy Johnson's legacy as a pioneering female aviator continues to inspire all. Performer, artist and writer Jenny Lockyer toured the UK sharing the inspiring Amy Johnson memory. The show was written by Jenny and was superbly performed by her. Jenny says “Amy Johnson had her ambitions, and she flew at them. She was born in the year the Wright Brothers made their first flight and into an age where the romantic heights of flying captured her heart. She became only the second woman in the world to train and qualify as a ground engineer and then, in 1930, the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. She lived her life for adventure and the future of aviation. In January 1941, at just 37 years old, Amy was killed while serving her country on a routine flight for the Air Transport Auxiliary. In her short time, she achieved so many great things but this 'lone girl flier' achieved them while faced with challenges of all kinds. Amy brought her dreams to reality.”
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VE-80 - the last ground battle of WW2 took place in Kent.
We in the year of VE-80 celebrations – the whole nation will be celebrating 80 years of peacetime as we all pay our respects to those who fought for our freedom. The last ground level battle to take place on the mainland of Great Britain in World War Two ... On 27th September 1940 'The Battle of Graveney Marsh' took place in Swale, Kent. It was the last ground level battle to take place on the mainland of Great Britain in World War Two - some five years before the war ended. Up in the sky, a German plane, Junker Ju-88, was attacked by two spitfires from the RAF Fighter Command whilst flying over Whitstable. The plane came down and crashed in marshland close to Graveney Marsh, Swale.Soldiers from 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles were lodging at The Sportsman pub at Seasalter. Hearing the crash the soldiers rushed to help and capture any of the pilots. On arriving at the crash site they found the German four-man crew were alive … and fighting. The pilots had armed themselves with machine guns from the plane and set upon the approaching soldiers. After a twenty-minute fight the German airmen surrendered. Fearful the plane would explode, Captain John Cantopher bravely approached it, turned the engine off and removed explosives. For this he was awarded a George Medal.The British soldiers took their captives to the Sportsman and gave them a pint before handing them over to a Prisoner of War camp. Capturing the plane turned out to be a double victory as it was a new type of plane that the Germans had only brought into service just two weeks before. It provided the experts of the Air Ministry with highly valuable information.
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Henry VIII visited the Isle of Sheppey with Anne Boleyn – before they married!
Throughout history, kings and queens have visited the Isle of Sheppey, including King Henry VIII and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I. Shurland Hall (also known as Shurland Castle), near Eastchurch, was built between 1510 and 1518 by one of King Henry's VIII's trusted inner circle of courtiers, Thomas Cheyne. King Henry VIII was married to Anne Boleyn (shown below) from 25th January 1533 to 17th May 1536. Whilst he was still married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in October 1532, Henry and Anne stayed for three days at Shurland Hall. They were on their way to Calais to meet the French king, King Francis I, travelling from Dover. The couple were going to Calais, which was an English territory at the time, to gain the French king’s support for their marriage and their quest for the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Did they secretly marry at Dover Castle? It seems they did receive his approval, and it’s said that they married in secret at Dover Castle upon their return - on 14th November 1532. It was on 25th January 1533 that Henry and Anne officially married in London. They wed in the Private Chapel at Whitehall Palace and she became the second of his six wives. Henry married to two women at the same time! It wasn't until 23rd May 1533 that Archbishop Thomas Cranmer finally annulled Catherine's marriage to Henry VIII. The King had already married the pregnant Anne Boleyn in the January. Their daughter Elizabeth was born in September 1533. We now view Shurland Hall as a Tudor gem but back then it was a fabulous new build!
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Rochester – the beautiful city that is now a beautiful town!
Why is Rochester a town and not a city - it has a cathedral?! Rochester was made a city in 1211 ... and remained so until 1998. It seems an administrative error resulted in the town losing it’s city status! Medway became a unitary authority in 1998 and the city council were asked if they wanted to employ charter trustees to protect the city status. This was deemed unnecessary and hey ho ... Rochester was no longer a city! However, the holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights. A Royal First date in Rochester On New Years Day in 1540 King Henry VIII met his fourth wife Anne of Cleves for the first time inside Rochester Castle. Prior to meeting her he’d only seen a painting of her. Sadly he was bitterly disappointed - reputed to have said “I like her not!” and the marriage only lasted six months after which time it was annulled. They’d married on 6th January 1540 and he went on to marry his fifth wife Katherine Howard on 28th July 1540 - swift work! Sad Tale of a Hero …On the pier opposite Rochester Castle a terrible tragedy occurred on Good Friday 5th April 1912. A little girl, Dorothy Foster, was playing and fell into the river. A man visiting Rochester for the day heard screams and jumped into the river to save her. Her life was saved when she was brought up and pulled onto a boat but her rescuer went down again, was taken by the tides and sadly drowned – his body was found an hour later. Percy Henry Gordon was aged 26, a Warehouse Keeper of St. James's Road, Bermondsey. At his inquest the coroner remarked "He died a hero's death” and newspapers covered the story across London and the nation. Unfortunately on April 14th 1912 the sinking of the Titanic took over the headlines. If you haven’t ever been to Rochester, or it’s been a while since you’ve been there – we definitely recommend a visit with the Rochester Quiz Trail!
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