This is episode four of Historyzine.
In this episode we review Parnell’s History Podcast and History Podcast plus we look at the requirement to read the Banns before a wedding can be legalised.
In the feature on the War of the Spanish Succession the allies are busily arguing among themselves at the Hague trying to decide who will lead the allied armies. The French are threatening Nijmegen and John Churchill who is eventually appointed as leader of the alliance rushes off to try and organise his forces.
The focus this time is upon the Duke of Marlborough and we do a potted history of the Duke and try to get a feel for the genius of this great English General.
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Great podcast 4, Jim.
Jim ….
Once again nice job !!
The material on the War of the Spanish Succession is really interesting. It is an era now not well known. In an earlier episode I thought the campaigns of 1689-1700 were glossed over a bit. Many of the regiments of the British Army trace their origins to this period, and some Battle Honours (Oudenaarde, Malplaquet) refer to places visited again and again by the British Army over the following centuries.
I was also interested in the bit about Banns of Marriage. Lord Hardwicke’s Act in 1753 is a late entry. The requirement to publish banns was established by Pope Innocent III at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 as a means of preventing clandestine marriages, and was retained in the First Prayer Book of Edward VI in 1549 (Cranmer’s original book, from which the 1662 edition still in use is derived).
Anyway, thanks, and keep up the good work.
Thanks Anna and thanks Robert.
Also thanks to Bill for your thoughtful comment.
Yes, it was unfortunate I skipped through the period 1689 to 1700 so quickly but I think it important for entertainment purposes that I retain the focus of the show as the War of the Spanish Succession at the moment.
I’ve seen many battle honours from the War of the Spanish Succession still worn proudly by modern regiments. This war is undoubtedly (in my mind) the moment when the British army came of age.
There’s a good page on the regiments involved here
http://www.spanishsuccession.nl/english_army.html
Thanks for the Banns information – I shall be googling away as soon as I’ve finished typing this message.
Glad you’re enjoying the podcast.
Kind regards
Jim