BBC History UK 04.2020

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debate at

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historyextra

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PARLIAMENT

TALKING POINTS

Sources of inspiration

HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

Secret passage

found in Commons

A 360-year-old passageway used by

luminaries including Samuel Pepys,

William Pitt the Younger and Robert

Walpole has been uncovered inside

the House of Commons.

For 70 years, the entrance was

concealed behind wooden panelling,

and historians believed it had been filled

in during repairs to Second World War

bomb damage.

But after researching the building’s

original plans, historian Dr Liz Hallam

Smith detected a concealed door in the

panelling of a cloister. “We realised

there was a tiny brass keyhole that no

one had really noticed before, believing

it might just be an electricity cupboard,”

she said. Her team prised open the door

to reveal a tiny stone-floored chamber

and bricked-up doorway.

The passageway was created in 1660

for the coronation of Charles II, to allow

guests to proceed to a banquet next

door at Westminster Hall.

It was subsequently used by genera-

tions of politicians and notables as the

chief Commons entrance, before being

sealed inside the walls of the Palace of

Westminster and forgotten about, with

the cloister since used as Labour party

offices and a cloakroom.

And a further surprise was awaiting

the excavators in the form of 169-year-

old graffiti by the bricklayer who helped

close off the passage.

The pencil scrawl dates to 1851, and

reads: “This room was enclosed by Tom

Porter who was very fond of Ould Ale.”

The wall is then signed by stonemasons

who joined Porter in a toast, and who

call themselves “Real Democrats” –

meaning they supported the Chartists,

a group that campaigned for work-

ing-class male suffrage.

“I was awestruck, because it

shows that the Palace of Westminster

still has so many secrets to give up,”

said Dr Hallam Smith.

The forgotten passageway was created for

Charles II’s coronation in 1660

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

NEWS

When James Palmer asked fellow historians which scholars

of the past they felt a connection with, Twitter was soon abuzz.

ANNA WHITELOCK looks at how the discussion unfolded

It was the first

book on Chinese

history I read, and

shaped how I think

about history

H

istorians can be rather easily

distracted, and they readily

responded when James Palmer

(@Jamespqr77) tweeted: “Tell me a scholar

from a previous generation or an earlier era,

one you never met when they were alive, but

whose work became so important to you

that you nevertheless feel a connection

with them.”

What followed was an incredibly interest-

ing insight into what it is that makes a

historian influential beyond the time and

field within which they were writing.

Of the many names, one that frequently

cropped up was that of French historian Marc

Bloch. As Sara Georgini (@sarageorgini)

put it: “Reading Feudal Society completely

shaped how I approach the many ideas,

peoples, and cultures of vast early America.

I’m incredibly grateful to medievalists like

Bloch and Henry Adams for their reimagin-

ing of primary sources, narrative, and ways

to widen our audience.”

Robert John Clines (@TheMe d

Historian) agreed, calling Bloch’s book The

Historian’s Craft “groundbreaking”. However,

Clines reserved special mention for another

member of the pioneering Annales School

of historians, Fernand Braudel. “His work

fundamentally shaped the way I think about

and do history and grapple with the Mediter-

ranean,” he tweeted.

Some historians were

inspired less by gratitude

and admiration, but rather

anger and outrage, as

Amanda Madden (@

MaddenAmanda) – now a

historian of early modern Italy

• explained. “I was so angered by Joan
  Kelly-Gadol’s argument in Did Women Have
  a Renaissance? when I read it as an undergrad
  that I marched straight to a female prof ’s
  office after class and asked her to supervise a
  thesis on women in the Renaissance because I
  felt she had to be wrong.”
  Meanwhile, others wondered how
  historians of the past actually managed to
  accomplish their work. “How Lynn
  Thorndike went around doing what he
  did without access to modern finding
  aids is beyond me,” wrote Jo Edge
  (@hagenilda). “[He] must have had an
  incredible memory.”
  However, my favourite suggestion came
  from James Carter (@jayjamescarter):
  “Ray Huang. His 1587: A Year of No Signifi-
  cance was the first book on Chinese history
  I read and shaped how I think about both
  China and history overall.” Well, that’s my
  next purchase sorted!

Anna Whitelock is head of history at Royal

Holloway, University of London

The Ming dynasty emperor Wanli

(left) played a key role in Ray

Huang’s hugely influential book

1587: A Year of No Significance

Jointhe

debateat

witter.com/

historyextra

AKG-IMAGES/UK

PARLIAMENT

TALKING POINTS

Sources of inspiration

HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT

Secretpassage

found in Commons

A 360-year-oldpassagewayusedby

luminariesincludingSamuelPepys,

WilliamPitttheYoungerandRobert

Walpolehasbeenuncovered inside

theHouseof Commons.

For 70 years,theentrancewas

concealedbehindwoodenpanelling,

and historiansbelievedit had been filled

in duringrepairsto Second World War

bombdamage.

Butafter researchingthebuilding’s

originalplans,historianDr Liz Hallam

Smithdetecteda concealeddoor in the

panellingof a cloister.“We realised

therewasa tinybrasskeyholethatno

one had really noticedbefore,believing

it mightjustbeanelectricitycupboard,”

she said. Her team prisedopen the door

to reveala tiny stone-floored chamber

andbricked-updoorway.

Thepassagewaywascreatedin 1660

for the coronationof CharlesII, to allow

gueststo proceedto a banquet next

doorat WestminsterHall.

Itwas subsequentlyused by genera-

tionsofpoliticiansand notablesas the

chief Commonsentrance,beforebeing

sealedinsidethe walls of the Palaceof

Westminsterand forgottenabout,with

thecloistersinceusedasLabour party

officesand a cloakroom.

Anda furthersurprisewas awaiting

the excavatorsin the form of 169-year-

oldgraffitiby the bricklayer who helped

closeoff thepassage.

Thepencilscrawldatesto 1851,and

reads:“This room was enclosedby Tom

Porterwho was very fond of Ould Ale.”

Thewallis thensignedbystonemasons

whojoinedPorterin a toast,andwho

call themselves“Real Democrats”–

meaningthey supportedthe Chartists,

agroupthat campaignedfor work-

ing-classmale suffrage.

“Iwas awestruck,becauseit

showsthat the Palaceof Westminster

stillhassomanysecretsto give up,”

said Dr Hallam Smith.

Theforgottenpassagewaywascreated for

Charles II’s coronation in 1660

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

NEWS

WhenJamesPalmeraskedfellowhistorianswhichscholars

ofthepasttheyfelta connectionwith,Twitterwassoonabuzz.

ANNA WHITELOCKlooks at how the discussion unfolded

Itwasthefirst

bookonChinese

historyI read,and

shapedhowI think

about history

H

istorianscanberathereasily

distracted,andtheyreadily

respondedwhenJamesPalmer

(@Jamespqr77)tweeted:“Tellmea scholar

froma previousgenerationoranearlierera,

oneyounevermetwhentheywerealive,but

whoseworkbecamesoimportanttoyou

thatyounevertheless feel a connection

withthem.”

Whatfollowedwasanincrediblyinterest-

inginsightintowhatit is thatmakesa

historianinfluentialbeyondthetimeand

fieldwithinwhichtheywerewriting.

Ofthemanynames,onethatfrequently

croppedupwasthatofFrenchhistorianMarc

Bloch.AsSaraGeorgini(@sarageorgini)

putit:“ReadingFeudalSocietycompletely

shapedhowI approachthemanyideas,

peoples,andculturesofvastearlyAmerica.

I’mincrediblygratefultomedievalistslike

BlochandHenryAdamsfortheirreimagin-

ingofprimarysources,narrative, and ways

towidenouraudience.”

RobertJohnClines(@TheMe d

Historian)agreed,callingBloch’sbookThe

Historian’sCraft“groundbreaking”.However,

Clinesreservedspecialmentionforanother

memberofthepioneeringAnnalesSchool

ofhistorians,FernandBraudel.“Hiswork

fundamentallyshapedthewayI thinkabout

anddohistoryandgrapple with the Mediter-

ranean,” he tweeted.

Somehistorianswere

inspiredlessbygratitude

andadmiration,butrather

angerandoutrage,as

AmandaMadden(@

MaddenAmanda)– nowa

historianofearlymodernItaly

• explained.“IwassoangeredbyJoan
  Kelly-Gadol’sargumentinDidWomenHave
  a Renaissance?whenI readit asanundergrad
  thatI marchedstraighttoa femaleprof ’s
  officeafterclassandaskedhertosupervisea
  thesisonwomenintheRenaissance because I
  feltshehadtobewrong.”
  Meanwhile,otherswonderedhow
  historiansofthepastactuallymanaged to
  accomplishtheirwork.“HowLynn
  Thorndikewentarounddoingwhathe
  didwithoutaccesstomodernfinding
  aidsis beyondme,”wroteJo Edge
  (@hagenilda).“[He]must have had an
  incrediblememory.”
  However,myfavouritesuggestioncame
  fromJamesCarter(@jayjamescarter):
  “RayHuang.His1587:A YearofNoSignifi-
  cancewasthefirstbookonChinesehistory
  I readandshapedhowI thinkaboutboth
  Chinaandhistoryoverall.” Well, that’s my
  next purchase sorted!

AnnaWhitelockis headofhistoryat Royal

Holloway, University of London

TheMingdynastyemperorWanli

(left)playeda keyrolein Ray

Huang’shugelyinfluentialbook

1587: A Year of No Significance