Convicts & Physicians

NEWS

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) has announced the unveiling of its new online archive catalogue.  The RCPI archive is one of the most important resources for the history of medicine and medical education in Ireland, but the collections have been underused in the past because of the lack of a detailed catalogue.  Anyway, I wouldn't want to steel the thunder of the source from where I heard of this piece of news, so why not go to read it yourself at the excellent Scottish GENES Blog.

OK, not exactly GB&I, but here's something for free - access to all Australian Convict Records at Ancestry.com.au until the end of January.  Additional info here.  It's all in honour of Australia Day (26th January).

Got an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch?  No, me neither.  Anyway, if you have then you'll want to check out the new 'Old Money' App here.

MEDIA

Forthcoming TV/Radio history programmes can be found here and here.

ON THIS DAY

Birth of...
Sir Francis Bacon, English Philosopher and general all-rounder, in London in 1561;
George (Lord) Byron, English Poet, in Dover, in 1788.

Death of...
Queen Victoria, at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, in 1901 (aged 81). She died of a cerebral haemorrhage after a long general decline.

1879: Battle of Isandlwana, followed immediately by the Battle of Rorke's Drift, which continued into the next day.  Part, of course, of the Anglo-Zulu War.

1924: Ramsey MacDonald becomes the first Labour British Prime Minister.  His government lasts for less than a year.  He rose from humble origins - being born in Lossiemouth, N.E. Scotland, the illegitimate son of John MacDonald, a farm labourer, and Anne Ramsay, a housemaid.

1927: World's first ever live radio commentary of a football match - Arsenal v Sheffield Utd at Highbury.