Midsomer County is a county steeped in tradition and nostalgia. There are plenty of historians and other residents who care about history, and there’s also public history. This area of historical studies includes everything that conveys history. They occupy a hybrid position between history and memory, which is ideal for Midsomer Murders. There are monuments, museums, re-enactment and traditions in general.
Midsomer Murders mentions a number of historical figures from Midsomer County, of whom Henry Hogson is probably the most searched for. We take a closer look at some of them here. Note: As this post is about Midsomer history, I won’t be mentioning any recent Midsomer celebrities such as top model Lizzy Thornfield, F1 champion Duncan Palmer, horror film actress Stella Harris or folk musician Johnny Carver. However, another feature is planned which will feature some of them. As soon as it is online, it will be linked here. Spoiler warning for episodes: S03E04: Beyond the Grave, S06E04: A Tale of Two Hamlets, S07E03: The Fisher King, S12E02: The Black Book, S17E02: Murders by Magic, and S18E05: Saints and Sinners
How are local historians, antiquarians, etc. portrayed and what is their purpose? How are they involved? It’s a simple question to answer: They are either the answer to a question (sometimes even the decisive answer to solving a case), or they are charlatans (and sometimes the murderer with very unsavoury opinions). It also seems that local historians are often presented as the true guardians of knowledge, even if they haven’t studied. This is particularly evident in “Silent Land” (13×04) with the Kent couple. While she is a local historian and provides valuable insights into the history of St Fidelis, her husband is depicted as a character who is overly concerned about the situation. He sits in the pub all day, gets violent out of jealousy, but is an expert on the Tudor Constitution – unfortunately this knowledge is of no use to him. Quite unlike his wife. This page lists all historians, antiquarians, archivists, archaeologists, restorers and museum staff.
Two episodes of Midsomer Murders focus on fictional robberies in Midsomer County. Rugged Edge in ‘Painted in Blood’ (S06E03) and the Goldman Forbes heist in ‘Debt of Lies’ (S23E02). Both took place in the 1990s, in 1993 and 1998 respectively. – Caution: Contains spoilers for these episodes.) Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.
Much like Englefield House and its 16th-century owners, not much is known about the history of the parish of Englefield, much of which lies within the Benyon family estate. Yes, two battles took place here – firstly a bloody battle in September 1643 during the Civil War, the site of which is now known as Deadman’s Lane. The other was in Anglo-Saxon times – the battle of Englefield – which I will come to in a moment. • (Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: S14E05: The Sleeper Under the Hill) Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch. •
