A Narrative of UK History Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The Norman Conquest changed England completely. The death of Edward the Confessor had left turmoil in its wake, with three claimants to the throne. Harold Godwinson had taken it, as Harold II based on an interpretation of his predecessor's wishes. The other claimants were Harald Hardrada, who invaded from the north and was defeated, and killed, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. William attacked from the south, landing at Pevensey Bay near Hastings, while Harold moved back south as quickly as possible. The decisive battle known as the Battle of Hastings took place at Senlac Hill where Harold's short reign ended with his death. This also brought the Anglo-Saxon era to an end.

William was crowned at Westminster Abbey, probably the first monarch to have their coronation there, although it is possible that Harold was also crowned there. Earlier kings had often be crowned at Winchester, including Edward the Confessor himself, and William held a second coronation there himself to consolidate his position. Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote his 'History of the Kings of Britain' in the twelfth century, claiming that it was a translation of an early British text. He was responsible for creating many of the myths surrounding Arthur and his knights, and probably created the magician Merlin based on some Celtic folk tales. His stories are entertaining, but mostly fictional.

Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester, had been a long-term friend and ally of King Henry III, but had turned against the monarch and led a rebellion against him. The Battle of Evesham, which took place in Worcestershire, was the culmination of the Second Barons' War, a civil war between the monarchy and nobles. De Montfort had captured the king, and took him with him when an attack led by Henry's son, Prince Edward (later Edward I) became the Battle of Evesham. De Montford was killed and this led to the collapse of the rebellion, which finally ended in 1267.

Geoffrey Chaucer began writing 'The Canterbury Tales' in 1387 and the stories were unfinished at his death in 1400. They were written in Middle English, providing a challenge to modern students in the UK who tend to have to read them as part of English Literature classes. The 'tales' are told to pass the time by members of a group of pilgrims who are travelling from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket who was martyred in the cathedral there.

Another turbulent period in English history took place between 1455 and 1487 as the Royal houses of York and Lancaster vied for control of the English throne. Best known as the Wars of the Roses, as each house was represented by a rose - York's being white and Lancaster's red - the Battle of St Albans became the first battle with the Yorkists winning. The conflict ended only when Henry Tudor (Henry VII) decisively defeated Richard III in 1485.

Francis Drake's voyage became the second circumnavigation of the world, after that of Magellan. Unlike Magellan, Drake survived the whole journey although the same can't be said of his crews. In total, six ships began the expedition and some were abandoned or scuttled as there were not enough men to sail them. Some mutineers were also executed. The expedition was gone so long that it was believed they had perished, but Drake returned to Plymouth in 1580 with valuable cargoes of spices and treasures looted from Spanish ships. Queen Elizabeth I awarded Drake a knighthood, although did not carry out the dubbing personally, contrary to popular belief.

Starting in 1665, the Great Plague of London was the last major outbreak to hit England. It spread to Eyam, in Derbyshire, when the local tailor received a batch of cloth from London which turned out to be infested with plague carrying fleas. Understanding what was happening, the leaders decided to put the village into quarantine to prevent the disease spreading across the region. The wisdom of the decision has been questioned, since it increased the death rate in the village, but that is with the benefit of hindsight.

John Wesley is one of the early founders of the Methodist movement, which began as an attempt to reform the Church of England. Along with his brother Charles he formed a group dedicated to Bible study - their methodical approach led to their being called Methodists. The Wesleys were at Oxford University at the time, although both spent much time travelling, including to North America, to teach their new form of religion.

Darwin was born in Shrewsbury in 1809 and initially studied medicine at Edinburgh. This didn't suit him and his interests moved more towards natural history. He then went to Cambridge University with the intention of becoming a church minister. His life changed when he was offered a place on HMS Beagle, which enabled him to pursue his real interests and eventually change the way in which the world was seen with his theories of how we all evolved.

The final century in the quiz is the twentieth, with 1936 being chosen to represent it. King George V died in January that year with his eldest son succeeding him as Edward VIII. Edward was never crowned, choosing to abdicate so he could marry the woman he loved. He was given the title Duke of Windsor. His younger brother, who had been Duke of York, became George VI and was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth, who was destined to become the UK's longest serving monarch by the time of her death in 2022.