Pot Pourri of English History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mary I

Mary I (1516-1558, reigned 1553-58), daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon became queen on the death of Edward VI. She married Philip II of Spain and, as a devout Catholic, was instrumental in the Restoration of Papal Supremacy and zealously persecuted Protestants - hence 'Bloody'.

Answer: Banknotes

The Bank of England was established by an Act of Parliament in 1694, moving to the now famous Threadneedle Street in 1734. It was nationlized in 1946.

Answer: Adrian IV

Adrian IV (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Hadrian), was born Nicholas Breakespear in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire in 1100. He was Pope from 1154 until his death in 1159.

Answer: Alcock and Brown

In 1919 two Englishmen, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown, in a Vickers Vimy aircraft originally designed as a bomber for use in WWI, made the first transatlantic crossing. The distance of 1,980 miles from Newfoundland to Ireland took 16 hours and 12 minutes. They were awarded the prize of $50,000 put up for the first crossing.
Richard E Byrd was the first man to fly over both the North Pole (1926) and the South Pole (1929). Louis Bleriot was the first man to fly the English Channel (1909) and Charles Lindberg was the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic (1927).

Answer: Window Tax

Window Tax was payable on a house with more than 6 windows with the burden being on the occupier not the owner. Many older English houses still show windows which were bricked up to avoid the tax.
Poll Tax, levied 1377, was later abolished until reintroduced as the 'Community Charge' in 1989/90; Income Tax was first introduced in 1799; Salt Tax was levied in British India in 1891.

Answer: The Yeomen of the Guard

The Yeomen of the Guard (1485) was formed after the Battle of Bosworth as the King's bodyguard. They were called 'Beefeaters' after their physique, and are now ceremonial - attending such events as the State Opening of Parliament and attending investitures and summer garden parties at Buckingham Palace.

The uniform of red and gold, dating from the 15th century is still worn today. Yeomen Warders (1548) were formed to guard the Tower of London, as they do today. The Life Guards were raised in 1660 and are the senior regiment of the British Army.

The Royal Company of Archers (1677) are the monarch's bodyguard whilst in Scotland.

Answer: 116 years

The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts between England and France between 1337-1453. They began after Edward III claimed the crowns of England and France and ended with England in possession of the French town, Calais. It was not until 1558 that the French reclaimed Calais from English sovereignty.

Answer: Pelican

The Pelican left England in December 1577. After rounding Cape Horn she was renamed the 'Golden Hind', successfully returning to England in September 1580. The Endeavour (1764) was the ship of James Cook; the Victory (1765) was Nelson's flagship (now preserved in dry dock at Portsmouth) and the Cutty Sark (1869) was a tea clipper bringing cargoes from China to Britain, now in dry dock in Greenwich, London.

Answer: Locomotion

In 1825, George Stephenson manned Locomotion No.1 on the newly opened Stockton-Darlington railroad. Stephenson's famous 'Rocket' came later, in 1829. The Great Western was a steamship which made its first passage to New York in 1838, The Great Eastern (1857), also a steamship, laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable. Both these ships were designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859).

Answer: Iceni

Boadicea (Latin 'Boudicca'), queen of the ancient Iceni, raised all southeast England in revolt against the Romans, burning London (Londinium), St Albans (Verulaneum) and Colchester (Camulodunum) the Roman Capital of England. Boadicea poisoned herself in AD 61.
The Iceni dwelt mainly in Norfolk and Suffolk, the Silures in Wales (probably of Iberian descent), the Brigantes were native to the modern counties of Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire and Cleveland while the Cantiaci were native to Kent.