Christmas had been a non-event for James Nutter who, as a Baptist and a true Puritan spirit, had worked most of that day. After all, Christmas had been condemned and banned in the 1640s by the Puritan parliament who saw
Folklore Finds: Astragali, or Knucklebones
While these five small objects might not look important at first glance, on closer inspection they have a huge wealth of history and lore surrounding them. They are astragali, or knucklebones, and are the talus bones from sheep or goats.
The Miller of Cambridge – December 1804: Christmas Special!
In Georgian times, the festive season started on the 6th of December (Saint Nicholas’ day) and finished on Twelfth Night (the evening preceding Epiphany). This meant that, at least for the middle classes and the aristocracy, there was during this
Josiah Chater’s 1844 Christmas
We continue looking into Victorian Cambridge through the eyes of Josiah Chater, a young draper’s apprentice. Read on to see what 1844 Christmas had in store for him! An observation Josiah noted down and was impressed by was the amount
Josiah Chater and the Circus
Josiah Chater started to keep his diary in October 1844 at the age of 15. He was living at the time at 12 Market Street, apprenticed to William Eaden Lilley, draper, carpet warehouseman, paper merchant and seller of painting materials.
A Festive weekend of Christmas Shopping
We had a delightful weekend of shopping at the Museum of Cambridge this past weekend, with our Made in Cambridge Christmas Market! Running from Friday 29th November to Sunday 1st December, we welcomed 16 talented artisans, craft people and makers,
Collecting my AMA from the Museums Conference
Photograph by Julian Eales. By Alex Smaridge, Engagement and Collections Manager It’s not every day that I get the chance to hang out with one thousand people who all love museums as much as I do, but on a recent
The Miller of Cambridge -November 1804: Straitjacket and Leeches
As we uncover more of James Nutter’s life, read on to see what November had in store for him, as we look into James’ discovery and research on his friend’s Reverend Robert Hall’s illness. At the end of October 1804,
The Swindling of a Generation: The story of Ephraim Wayman
It was an email to Capturing Cambridge earlier this year that uncovered this tragic tale of greed and embezzlement. It revealed family feelings that are still raw today, looking back on the suicide of Anthony Phypers, a well-off and respected
Folklore Finds: Witch Balls
There are many eye-catching objects at the Museum of Cambridge, but surely this is one of the most beautiful. Rightfully so – a little research shows that it was specifically made to catch and hold attention! Exploring the folklore collection