Phineas Pett (b. #otd 1 Nov 1570, buried 21 Aug 1647), Shipbuilder and first Master of the Shipwrights' Company. Unknown artist, c. 1612. (NPG)

Getting ready to teach in @historyplymouth.bsky.social @plymuni.bsky.social Foulston Room at the Box this morning - what fun archival delights await

🎉We are pleased to announce new Applied History Fellowships in partnership with @royalhistsoc.org & @findmypast.bsky.social. Join us on the 19 November at our launch event to find out more about the Fellowships and how to apply: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Just spotted this is on tonight - I will hear nothing bad spoken of this film

A few of our @plymuni.bsky.social class of 2025 graduating history students yesterday with Dr Simon Topping

A wonderful opportunity for an #EarlyModern scholar with an interest in knowledge, libraries, collecting or recordkeeping.... 🗃️

Room is filling up for my talk at the Old Plymouth Society this afternoon in Mutley Baptist Church

A beautiful evening in Central Park in Plymouth

Registration is now open! Join us this Halloween for a conference full of (historical) blood, conflict and violence 🩸We're hugely grateful to all who have submitted proposals and can't wait to see you all soon! 🗡️ Keep an eye out for the full programme, and register here: forms.gle/be4TAxmG9SVX...

If you are in Plymouth on 17 Oct I'm speaking about 'Plymouth Women and the Royal Navy in the Age of Sail' at the Old Plymouth Society. The talk is in the afternoon at Spurgeon Hall in Mutley. Details online here: oldplymouthsociety.net/events/

Our @plymuni.bsky.social colleague Dr Darren Aoki is making the news with his research into Japanese Canadians - Read the full story here: www.cbc.ca/newsinteract...

Delighted to be in Calstock to speak at the South West Maritime History Society event today

Dr Richard Blakemore speaking about Precarity and Opportunity in seafaring careers, 1650-1750 at #martimebritain conference

Dr Lucy Huggins is now speaking about maritime mobility in the 18th C at #maritimebritain conference

Kicking off #maritimebritain conference with @clairejowitt.bsky.social speaking about the Gloucester wreck in 1682

1st keynote! @plymprivateer.bsky.social on Women & British Warships in the c17 ... huzzah! 👭⚓️👭⚓️👭

Dr Chris Ware speaking about Plymouth dockyard at #maritimeBritain - fabulous 1694 picture of the dockyard

& we're off! 1st paper at #maritimebritain conference on maritime predation in the narrow seas from Dr Robert Blakemore & a forthcoming book! 🏴‍☠️⚓️

Delighted to be at the Maritime Britain conference in Southampton this week with some great sounding papers @clairejowitt.bsky.social

I have a new planner for the year ahead - it gladdens my rubber duck loving heart

The database from my PhD-dissertation is finally publicly available! Detailed data from 3250 south-Swedish probate records, both urban and rural, from between 1570 and the 1860s, free for anyone to use for your own projects. www.lusem.lu.se/organisation...

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS TODAY!! 📝

I’ve been gifted an awesome ‘The Back Sheep’ soap in the shape of a wee black sheep - it smells lovely and will be getting a run out - great & fun Irish product

We are hiring! Lloyd's Register Foundation is looking for an experienced Communications Manager. They will provide communications support for our two centres: the newly launched Global Safety Evidence Centre and the Heritage Centre. Apply 🔗 www.lr.org/en/careers/l...

I’m speaking about women and the Rn at the South West Maritime History society’s even in Calstick on 20 September- all welcome

Dublin for some research and the sun is shining

It's very sad to have the news of Bríd McGrath's death. She was an indefatigable editor for @irishmanuscripts.bsky.social See our tribute to her here: www.irishmanuscripts.ie/brid-mcgrath/

One phone call, and the rest is history @plymuni.bsky.social History graduate Peter Nash outlines his last-minute journey to uni to help reassure prospective students. Read peter's story here: www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/one-pho...

A number of Four Courts Press books can now be borrowed on archive.org. Four Courts is a key publisher of works on Irish history, and this means some out of print edited collections on early modern history are now more readily available. And you can read some of my articles there too! For example:

A sunny Sunday in Plymouth-tide is low

The courgettes continue to thrive and at last some baby tomatoes are starting to appear - was afraid I’d. It have any!

Looe to Polperro on the South West Coast Path - always a great walk on a nice sunny Saturday

Just put the finishing touches on the schedule for the NNI seminar for 2025-2026, and let me tell you: it is absolutely fantastic. I'll be emailing it out next week to all on our mailing list. (And if you aren't on the mailing list and would like to be, let me know!)

In exciting news I’m being promoted to Professor of Maritime History @plymuni.bsky.social on 1 August. Some maritime rubber ducks seemed best suited to here

What puts the fun in any trip to Spain - another funicular; this time in Bilbao with stunning views from the top - a more modern car than San Sebastián but an old system going back to 1915 and very steep

A really interesting visit to the Guggenheim in Bilbao today - Lots of things to think about and interesting to commemorate women in waterfront and maritime communities with the Las Sirgueras statue

San Sebastián has a funicular and it’s very beautiful and cool, and steep - simple pleasures

Lots of rather nice artillery pieces on Mount Urgull in San Sebastián- including the last one from 1512

In case you haven't seen it, here's our call for the upcoming Forum in Early Modern Women. Consider submitting a short piece on the theme of migrancy! #EarlyModern

The saint should give my location - harbour views and an image of a ship on the alter of St Mary’s church

I've got a new article about the failed British invasion of the Netherlands in 1673 on the splendid Heart of Oak website! heart-of-oak.org/2025/07/18/t...

Santander is my kind of town - fabulous wine and great cheesecake - and a ferry from Plymouth!

The Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH) has recently been updated with 4500+ new references. Discover further details about this update in our latest On History blog blog.history.ac.uk/2025/07/bibl... @brepols.net

Santander is beautiful - not sure what I make of the sign!!

The Naval Museum in Madrid is excellent some fabulous models and artefacts - the cannon is described as a British semi culverin from 1592 by Henry Pitt; the iron chain plate is from the Santa Ana in 1588

Fabulous to finally visit El Escorial- amazing to see the library in particular with the insides facing out to give a golden effect

Final couple of touches to the ol' powerpoint slides for #shsconf2025 tomorrow. Come along to the Early Modern Networks: Work, Leisure, and Consumption strand to take a trip into the maritime with me, alongside print trade and fashion with @marloavidon.bsky.social and @joesaunders1.bsky.social

We are thrilled to announce that the Conflict, War and Violence in the Early Modern World Conference, with a keynote address by Professor Mark Stoyle, will be held on 30-31 October at the University of Exeter. Please help us spread the world, and consider submitting a proposal!🗡️

We had Sir W. Pen, who I hate with all my heart for his base treacherous tricks, but yet I think it not policy to declare it yet, and his son William, to my house to dinner, where was also Mr. Creed and my cozen Harry Alcocke.

Can you spot who is moving in our Friday Fun animation of the Quadraille @plymuni.bsky.social