Restoration Era Trivia Quiz

Answer: Return of the monarchy

The English Civil War ended in 1651 with Oliver Cromwell victorious and remaining in power until his death in 1658, when he was succeeded by his son, Richard. Charles I had been executed in 1649 with his son, also Charles, forced into exile in continental Europe. Richard Cromwell was ineffective as a leader, and the monarchy was restored in 1660 with Charles II proclaimed as the new king.

Parliament was still not the pre-eminent power in government, although that time was approaching and the Stone of Scone was not returned until 1996. Catholicism was certainly not restored, and the prospect of it being restored was greatly feared.

Answer: The Merry Monarch

Charles was certainly not a Puritan and England was ready for a change to enjoyment after the restrictions imposed during the Oliver Cromwell era. Charles II was known for his lack of thrift and his many mistresses, and the nickname of the Merry Monarch was certainly apt. He was kept under control to a degree by the agreements made prior to his restoration, but his failure to produce an heir, a tendency to be generous to anyone who asked for money, and military failings meant his popularity was well in decline before his death. Charles's fondness for the traditional enemy, France, didn't help. The "Encyclopaedia Britannica" refers to his 'shifty insincerity'.

The other names listed as options all refer to the grandson of James II, Charles Edward Stuart, who made several failed attempts to claim the English throne.

Answer: Eyam

Eyam is located in the Derbyshire Dales and is part of the Peak District. The plague arrived there with a delivery of cloth from London for the local tailor. The cloth was infested with fleas, carriers of the plague, which spread quickly through the village. Led by the church ministers, a plan was devised to prevent the disease spreading beyond the village. A cordon was created which villagers were forbidden to cross and with warnings to travelers not to come into the village. Supplies were left at the cordon for villagers to collect.

Other measures included burying victims near their place of death, rather than risk moving them, and holding church services in the open air. These were revolutionary ideas for the time when the disease was so little understood. Eyam lost a high proportion of its inhabitants, but the plague was contained.

Answer: Composer

Purcell was born around 1659 and died young in 1695, so his life closely mirrored that of the Restoration. He was something of a child prodigy, with an early work of his positively confirmed as having been written when he was only eleven years old. Purcell is classed as a Baroque composer. His works include anthems, hymns and other religious music - for someone who died with many potential years ahead of him, the list is extensive.

Perhaps his best known work is the opera 'Dido and Aeneas', dating from 1688, which includes the aria 'When I am Laid in Earth'. This is also known as 'Dido's Lament' and is one of the pieces of music played at the Service of Remembrance held at the Cenotaph each year.

Answer: Science

Still going strong in the twenty-first century, the Royal Society is the world's oldest society to be devoted to scientific matters. It brought together the leading scientific thinkers of the time, with Robert Boyle (of Boyle's Law) and Christopher Wren, architect and astronomer, among them. Members of the Society are known as Fellows, and have to be elected. It's considered one of the highest honours in the scientific world to become a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Among the famous names who have been chosen are Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking. Female Fellows include Dorothy Hodgkin and Jocelyn Bell Burnell.

The Society's motto is 'Nullius in verba', meaning 'take nobody's word for it', chosen by the original members to demonstrate their adherence to scientific principles.

Answer: Attempted to steal Crown jewels

Born in Ireland, Blood had already found himself in trouble, despite coming from a respectable and wealthy family. He had come to England to fight for Charles I but changed sides once he realised the Roundheads were going to win the Civil War. Blood's reward was land and a role as a Justice of the Peace.

The Restoration brought an end to that, and he escaped to Ireland where he attempted to seize Dublin Castle. Having returned to England under a false name, in 1671, Blood decided to steal the Crown jewels and befriended the keeper and his family. The plot worked to some extent, in that Blood and his accomplices were able to grab the crown, orb and sceptre. The keeper, who had been knocked out, regained consciousness, called for help, and the thieves were apprehended.

Surprisingly, King Charles found the incident, and Blood's panache, amusing and pardoned him. Blood remained in London and was frequently seen at the King's court. He died in 1680.

Answer: William of Orange

Mary was the daughter of the Duke of York, as he was then known, who would later become King James II in succession to Charles II, his brother. Princess Mary married her first cousin (his mother was the sister of Charles II and James II) and, crucially, both she and her husband were Protestants. This became an important factor later in the century, when James turned to the Catholic religion.

William had already made it clear that he was the best successor to James, and anti-Catholic feelings in England led to an invitation to William to invade and depose James. Mary was the more direct heir, but refused to become monarch without her husband, so they became joint rulers in 1689.

Answer: Oxford

The museum gained its original collections, and its name, from Elias Ashmole in 1682. Ashmole had amassed a large collection of items from around the world which he donated to Oxford University. The university had many historic items of its own, so they combined everything and opened a museum which they named after the benefactor.

The museum opened its doors to the public in 1683, making it the first of its kind and is still situated in Oxford in the twenty-first century.

Answer: Aphra Behn

Little is known about Aphra Behn's early life, other than she was born in England and baptised in 1640. She married Johan Behn, but they separated after a brief period and she was widowed when he died soon after that.

Aphra was short of money and began to write plays as a means of supporting herself. These included themes of arranged marriages and what would now be called feminism. Her comedies were considered shocking for their sexual content, but Behn was quick to point out the double standards which judged her more harshly for her gender. She is still remembered as paving the way for subsequent female writers.

The other three ladies listed as options are just three of the many mistresses of Charles II.

Answer: James II

James II was the younger brother of Charles II and his successor to the throne since Charles had no legitimate heir. James, though, had converted to the Catholic faith prior to his accession in 1685 and England was wary of another change of religion after the misery of the sixteenth century during the rule of Mary I. When James began favouring Catholics, and had produced an heir, James Stuart (later known as the Old Pretender), rebellion was in the air.

In 1688, William of Orange, the Protestant son-in-law, was welcomed to England with Mary, daughter of James, and the two reigned jointly as William III and Mary II. The transition became known as the Glorious Revolution. On her death, William ruled alone with Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, succeeding him.

James II made an attempt to reclaim his throne, which failed when he lost the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and he spent the rest of his life in exile.