KING ATHELSTAN

 by Judith Cooper

        

Athelstan was the son of Edward the Elder and grandson of Alfred the Great. He was born to Edward’s 1^st wife Ecgwynn around 894

The Anglo Saxon period began when the Romans left Britain in 410

The German speaking Anglo Saxon groups who had steadily been migrating to the Southern half of Britain from NW Europe. They occupied Britain for approximately six centuries from 410-1066.  By 495 the Kingdom of Wessex was in Anglo Saxon hands, and they steadily captured other parts of land from the Danes. 

Martha Brown - 1811-1856

 

by Patricia Cook

The Prison bell tolled 8am................

She had slept just a couple of hours, tossing and turning until one of the two female wardens brought in a cup of tea.    Martha was led on foot to the North Wall of the prison where 11 and 19 steps led to the gallows high above the North Wall.      This is now the car-park.   She was accompanied by the Prison Chaplain the Reverend Dacre Clemetson.  It was to him on the 7th August on death-row that she admitted she had killed her husband John Brown.  He had counselled her on religious studies and had a good understanding of Martha as a person.   He walked alongside her up the first flight of eleven steps but out of sheer emotion, he could go no further.   Martha walked the last 19 steps where her hands and legs were tied, a white cotton cloth put over the head and the noose put around her neck.