Lost Cambridge

The British Newspaper Archive announced earlier that it would be publishing an additional 91,000 pages of digitised copies of the China Express and Telegraph, dating from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. This is on top of the nearly 70,000 pages already available to subscribers. When such large amounts of information that are key-word-searchable are put … More A century of Chinese students in Cambridge. The Bull Hotel, 1925.

The book Cambridge Newspapers and opinion 1780-1850 by Michael Murphy reveals the struggles between the Conservatives and the Whigs/Liberals and Radicals for both political power and either to prevent or to further political progress towards democracy. The context of the article I’ve transcribed below is a Cambridge that is growing and industrialising. Its population of … More The Cambridge radical press & the fight for democracy: 1841

The tragic Royal Navy Captain and polar explorer who perished with his team in the Antarctic in that tragic year of 1912 visited the Cambridge Guildhall having recently returned from a previous voyage to the far south. Captain Scott – eulogised as Scott of the Antarctic in official histories, paid a visit to The Guildhall … More Capt Robert Falcon Scott RN of The Antarctic at Cambridge Guildhall. 1905

The husband of Millicent Garrett Fawcett spoke at the Cambridge Guildhall in the large hall (still there today) in support of this ground-breaking piece of legislation. Prof Fawcett’s remarks were digitised by the British Newspaper Archive. I’ve transcribed his speech which shows that he was far ahead of his political colleagues making the case not … More Professor Henry Fawcett and the Elementary Education Act 1870

When the 1859 General Election was held, it was still on a very narrow franchise. Despite Cambridge’s ever-growing population, the percentage of the population who could vote was still under ten percent. Furthermore, in those days there was no secret ballot. The way in which a voter cast their vote was published in newspapers and … More The importance of the secret ballot – Cambridge Liberals learn the hard way. 1859

In a nutshell, the Chartist movement was an early-mid 19thC movement that called for: a vote for all men (over 21) the secret ballot no property qualification to become an MP payment for MPs electoral districts of equal size annual elections for Parliament …which bar the annual general elections and the electoral districts, their successors … More Cambridge Chartists fail to convince the local press. April 1848

It was advertised in the local press. At the time, Hugh Dalton, a former student at King’s College, Cambridge had just been selected as the new Parliamentary candidate for the Labour Party in Cambridge – having returned to the town following four years in the snow-swept mountains of northern Italy as an artillery officer on … More Dr Hugh Dalton’s speech to trade unionists on May Day 1920 on Parker’s Piece.

Less than three years after giving his ground-breaking speech at the opening of Morley Memorial Primary School, the Principal who moved Homerton College from London to Cambridge (and thus influencing the lives of many a child in Cambridge since), was dead. Above – John Horobin of Homerton College. Above – from the British Newspaper Library. … More The death of John Charles Horobin of Homerton College, July 1902.

Because one bit involved the laying of the foundation stone, and the other bit involved opening what was not just a primary school, but also a local community facility for meetings and events. Above – from the British Newspaper Archive here. On this guest list this time were two of the most influential women in … More The opening of Morley Memorial Primary School – purpose-built for Homerton College, Cambridge – Part 2