Dr Craig Spence

Historian of early modern accidents, occasional archaeologist, academic interest in space history/heritage and, not suprisingly, coffee addict

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

So it's finally arrived Early Modern Accidents in all their critical gory ( I mean glory) buy it now from @boydellbrewer

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@AnnaRCusack @BGULincoln @essexhistory I know you'll be run off your feet at the moment so just let me know a good day for you when you have a chance and maybe we can grab a coffee in curiositea

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@AnnaRCusack @BGULincoln @essexhistory Congrats great news, if you ever want to meet and chat early modern London dead or BGU stuff let me know

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@spyhistory @BGUMilitaryHist @wnbooks @orionbooks @NorthbankTalent Boffin 🕵️‍♀️😂

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@historymatt Here's a much better (ethical) way of doing this without feeding the multinationals - BBC News - Wood guitar to be built in a day for community group
https://t.co/JtlEi3w4z8

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@BishopburnB @Ben_Aaronovitch The City of London had a one way street system as early as the 17th century as they tried to regulate carts moving to and from the waterfront. They were managed by dedicated bailiffs, effectively making them the first traffic wardens, but they didn't have traffic lights!

[Daniel Grey @djrgrey]

In light of Lucy Letby's conviction and the sometimes disturbing turn that discussion of it have taken, the 1st known case of a qualified nurse killing child patients - in SE London in 1918 - was considered similarly baffling and horrific at the time: https://t.co/dz5Q74WjNl

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@wartsandbrawls My old institution actually did this, kept fees to the previous level when everyone else upped their's. It made zero difference to recruitment, just made the uni poorer the following year. In a flawed market price competition can't work.

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

Congratulations! Just ordered myself a copy. Very much looking forward to reading it.

[Dr Lee Raye @LeafyHistory]

I'm just ever so excited to announce that today is release day! My book is now officially out!🙀💚
THE ATLAS OF EARLY MODERN WILDLIFE catalogues the state of nature in Britain and Ireland between 1519-1772 CE. I've found some astonishing records!! 🐺🦫🦅🦃🐳🐟🐢🐍🦞🦐

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

Just been buzzed by a swarm of #bees Heard them before I saw them. Happily they buzzed off after a minute or so, by which time I was back indoors!

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@EnglishHeritage Visited today, excellent restoration work and v helpful staff. Cant believe it's been closed for 5 years! Shame to see a D Starkey book stocked the bookshop however...

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@SophieMHistory @RWLDproject I ended up using the term 'accident event narrative' when working through both the wider circumstances of an accidental death and also for the telling/retelling of the event by those who experienced it, or those who later reimagined it (eg in newsprint)

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@RWLDproject @SophieMHistory Have to agree 'victim' is a difficult term, although there are I think circumstances when it's appropriate. I try to use 'casualty' if possible but that's a contemporary 17/18th century phrasing for the 'victims' of accidents so an easy option.

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@SophieMHistory My base source was the London Bills of Mortality, so no names. I'm correlating those events with parish registers newspapers, court records etc. There are unfortunately no coroners inquests for the main focus of my research.

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@SophieMHistory Yep too many really, but currently I've confirmed IDs on between 40-60 per cent. Less than half way through. If I'd had this info earlier I would have certainly used more names in my book.

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@SophieMHistory This chimes so closely with my experience of researching accidental deaths. The nature of a thesis acts to distance empathy. So now, having completed that, I'm in the process of trying to name all those I researched
(15,529). It will take some time but I'm determined to try.

[Sophie Michell @SophieMHistory]

For #IWMD23, I'm going to share a few stats from my data.

Bear in mind, this is ONE coronial jurisdiction, across fifty years: it doesn't even cover the whole city of Peterborough. The GER station, Woodston and Fletton are largely excluded.

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@DrFrancisYoung And of course if you used 35mm slides getting a projector from AV Services, setting it up, loading (the right way round). Then the time the previous user had left a slide in it - turn it on, full frontal Robert Mapplethorpe - but it was #Goldsmiths so 🤷‍♂️

[Chris Lowndes 🇺🇦🕊️🇬🇱 @chrislowndes]

I really can't ridicule the incompetence of the UK government over post-Brexit trade enough

Remember the phantom Seabourne Ferries debacle?

Well, the latest example is a tale of utter incompetence, phantom shipping companies and the Great UK Tomato Shortage of 2023 🧵

[Dr Craig Spence @cgspence]

@mikegallacher1 @Sarah_May1 I think we need to look at the mess that has been made of NHS dental services to be forewarned. While those who can afford what is effectively private dental insurance are ok, if out of pocket, the NHS service for those who can't has withered almost to nothing.