Stuart
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Witch-Hunting in Midsomer County
In view of the upcoming International Women’s Day, let’s talk about two historic women from Midsomer County: Mary Bloxham and Katherine Malpas. Both women were helpful, clever women with good knowledge of healing and curing who lived in Midsomer County in the 17th century. Both were discredited and murdered as alleged witches.
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 05×02: A Worm in a Bud, and 07×06: The Straw Woman)
•Witch-hunting is not a medieval invention. It was not until the early modern period, i.e. the 15th and 16th centuries, that the persecution and condemnation of women who did not conform to the ideal of womanhood began: A God-fearing person, submissive to all men and authorities.
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The Bell Ringers from Midsomer Wellow
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 05×03: Ring out your Dead)
•Tom and Joyce Barnaby are sitting at the table in the kitchen, and Tom is looking through numerous papers, most of which are in front of him. In 1860, the vicar of Midsomer Wellow was thrown down a well and died. Before that, there had been real trouble with the local bell-ringers because he had tried to force them to attend services and had had their beer barrel removed from the ringing room. Although the case was obvious, the evidence was lacking and the witnesses remained silent.
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“Involved in the Gunpowder Plot.”
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 08×04: Bantling Boy, and 15×02: Murder of Innocence)
•Welcome to Bantling Hall, located in the picturesque village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire… no, sorry: Dorney Court. A stunning Tudor manor that has been listed on the National Heritage List since 23 September 1955. With a rich history dating back to before the Battle of Hastings, the manor has been owned by several notable figures, including Aldred and Miles Crispin. Dorney Court is proudly owned by the Palmer family, who have maintained its beauty and heritage for generations. It is worth noting that the text does not reference the Gunpowder Plot, Battle of Marston Moor, or War of Independence. In 1646, during the Civil War, the Palmer family, who were royalists, had their estates seized. However, their estates were returned to them in 1657.
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The Civil War, pt. 1
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 03×04: Beyond the Grave, 06×04: A Tale of two Hamlets, 08×04: Bantling Boy, and 11×02: Blood Wedding)
•After the Gunpowder Plot, religious tensions in England continued to escalate against the Catholics. Among them were the Fitzroys of Bledlow Village, who took over ownership of their manor c.1610. This is what Harry Fitzroy told Ben Jones during his investigation…
The episode first aired in 2008, which means the Fitzroys have owned the manor since at least 1608, perhaps even before the Gunpowder Plot? Unfortunately, we don’t know from whom they acquired the manor.
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The Civil War, pt. 2
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 11×02: Blood Wedding, and 15×01: The Dark Rider.)
•Continued from Civil War, pt. 1
But when the Parliamentarians failed to capitalise on the successful battles of Marston Moor and Aspern Tallow, Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax formed the New Model Army – a single professional standing army of fanatical Puritans who fought not for money but for their honour, their faith and their passion.
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Treasures & Raiders in Midsomer County
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 05×04: Murder on St Malley’s Day, 14×05: The Sleeper under the Hill, 18×05: Saints and Sinners, and a little bit 09×04: Down Among Dead Men)
•Three episodes of Midsomer Murders are about treasure and its theft. They come from three different eras: The Anglo-Saxon treasure of Gorse Meadow from the Battle of Hallows Beck between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings (14×05: The Sleeper under the Hill) and the Tudor hoard of Milson (18×05: Saints and Sinners) – both treasure heists taking place in Midsomer in the early 21st century.
