Category: Mysteries and Oddities

Posts relating to solving historical mysteries

Recital ‘Eala Earendel’ by Dr Edward Bridle “The Dapper Gentleman”

November 27, 2020

  Dr Edward Bridle “The Dapper Gentleman”, Special Collection, University of Newcastle (Australia) recites ‘Eala Earendel’ “Eala Earendel, engla beorhtast, ofer middangeard monnum sended, and sôðfæsta sunnan leoma torht ofer tunglas, þu tîda gehwane of sylfum þe symle inlîhtes!” i.e., O jubar, angelorum splendidissime, / super orbem terrarum hominibus misse, / radie vere solis, / … More Recital ‘Eala Earendel’ by Dr Edward Bridle “The Dapper Gentleman”

“M.E.H.”, Rob the Ranter’s Adored Poet

September 2, 2019

  By Louise Gale In Ross Edmonds’ post of 14 May 2019 on “Rob the Ranter” (1), he discusses the anonymous “Rob’s” contribution to the cultural life of Newcastle in 1861, and mentions Rob’s literary fellows: three equally anonymous poets who used only their initials in their contributions to the Newcastle Chronicle and Hunter River … More “M.E.H.”, Rob the Ranter’s Adored Poet

Shanghaiing in Newcastle and the Labour Schooner the Coquette & its Hunter region origins

May 13, 2016

Patrick Lindus is Cultural Collection’s first UON student ‘Historian in Residence’. His project looks at Newcastle’s Maritime history- with a particular focus on the practice of Shanghaiing in Newcastle, and the Labour Schooner the Coquette. Patrick uses his historical research skills to locate the diverse sources associated to this topic, including visual, written and oral … More Shanghaiing in Newcastle and the Labour Schooner the Coquette & its Hunter region origins

The Mystery of the Selwyn Chessmen by Greg Wilson

June 12, 2015

Have you ever heard of the Selwyn Chessmen – otherwise known as The Selwyn Trophy? Probably not! Forgotten in time, these Chessmen remain elusive in Novocastrian History. The mission is to track them down with the aid of historians and local readers of this blog. If you can shed any light on their whereabouts, no … More The Mystery of the Selwyn Chessmen by Greg Wilson

Why Mark Twain Lost A Tooth in Newcastle

July 20, 2013

Why Mark Twain Lost a Tooth in Newcastle – a Mythological Explanation By Gionni Di Gravio Archivist University of Newcastle (Australia) (Originally prepared for the Exhibition Catalogue The new adventures of Mark Twain : coalopolis to metropolis. [Newcastle, N.S.W.] : University of Newcastle, 2007. For the Coal River blog version (2013) I’ve added some extra … More Why Mark Twain Lost A Tooth in Newcastle