Since ancient times, naval battles had been largely a matter of melee and mayhem, of one-on-one ship rammings and brawling deck fights. But the 17th century would see a major advance in the way fleets fought: the line of battle ships a’sail in single file, pouring broadsides into the enemy. It was a revolution in naval warfare and it came along as England and Holland vied for dominance of the seas.
The three naval wars waged between these rivals “would be the bloodiest in history,” notes historian Clark G. Reynolds. England had triumphed in the first war (1652–54) and also had won the first round the June 1665 Battle of Lowestoft in this, the following clash of the emerging empires. And the fight looming in the spring of 1666 was destined to be, in terms of scale and duration, not only the most epic naval battle of the Second Anglo-Dutch War, or of the century, but of an entire age. The protracted, cannon-blasting slugfest would carry on for four long days. Frank L Fox, whos
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In 1695, theater audiences in Britain were riveted by the debut of a tale about two star-crossed lovers. After a bloody two-year war, Prince Oroonoko went to pay his respects to Imoinda, the daughter of a general who had died during the war. He brought slaves with him as a gift for the deceased general s daughter, trophies of her father s victories. Upon meeting the charming and beautiful Imoinda, Prince Oroonoko promptly fell in love. The two were engaged to be married, until Oroonoko s grandfather, the King of Coromantee â in modern-day Ghana â became smitten with Imoinda as well. The elderly king, who already had many wives, moved Imoinda into his harem and decreed that she was to marry him.
Portchester Castle is a medieval fortress, constructed within the walls of a Roman Saxon Shore Fort (Portus Adurni), located in Portchester, England.
Saxon Shore forts are defensive fortifications, built by the late Roman Empire to defend the coast of the Roman province of Britannia (Britain), and the opposite side of the English Channel.
During the 3rd century, the Roman Empire was weakened by the succession of brief emperors on the throne, internal fighting and invading tribes encroaching the Empires borders and frontiers.
Britannia was no exception, with repeated Saxon and Frank pirates raiding the coastline. To counteract this threat, a great chain of forts called the Saxonicum (Saxon Shore) was commissioned to protect the Roman population and strategically important sites from the raiding parties.
As President Biden takes up residence in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, we look at the Walthamstow and Wanstead resident Admiral Sir William Penn MP (1621-1670), in whose honour Pennsylvania was named. Admiral Penn had great skill at manoeuvring not only his ships but also his political position. In the tumultuous and bloody times of the English Civil War and throughout the Commonwealth and the Restoration, he was pragmatic about the dangers of allegiance to either the Parliamentarians or the Royalists. Penn was rewarded with confiscated lands in Ireland by Cromwell, for his contribution to the Parliamentarian cause in the Irish Sea. However, he was a deceitful double dealing turncoat as throughout the Civil War and Commonwealth, Penn remained in secret correspondence with the Royalists and twice he was arrested and thrown in the Tower of London on suspicion of this but both times he managed to talk his way out of danger.
| UPDATED: 17:46, Sun, Dec 13, 2020
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Plymouth offers plenty to see and do and boasts some excellent walking routes. Express.co.uk teamed up with tourist board Destination Plymouth to discover two of the best. One sees walkers enjoy The Mayflower Trail and the other follows the South Coast Path.