Barb Drummond historian

10/12/2025

My book tells the history of . It was a practice in Rngland caused by young people moving to towns for work, so often married people they barely knew and in some cases soon fell out of love. But was only possible for the rich, usually for men in need of a male heir. So when couples fell out, some brave ot foolish chose to agree a sale of the to her new beau, in the belief that this assured he would become legally responsible for her.
Many attempted to ensure the sale was legal by adopting market practices, especially by holding it in a public market place and declaring all involved agreed to the sale. Sometimes they signed market books, exchanged rings or shared drinks and/or meals with friends.
Famous folkloricist witnessed the aftermath of a sale when he was a child. There are records of happy, successful second marriages. It was common in markets and was sometimes witnessed by French officers during the Napoleonic wars.
My book is available in all formats and can be bought from physical or online stores.

09/12/2025

My EnlightenmentMachine tells of the giant called . It travelled and the entertaining and demonstrating the latest and for over 40 years. The clockwork part was found in Paris after the last war and survives in the .
It also played musical accompaniment and visitors could play the organ. Commemorative pamphlets were updated as new discoveries were made, sold as .
It provided a social environment for the public to meet and to share their own investigations. George Washington saw it twice. Irish aristocrat and father of Maria Edgeworth, children’s novelist, RL Edgeworth, minor member of The Lunar Men, planned to become an MP but became an engineer after visiting the show. Pamphlets survive which were updated to include latest astronomical discoveries. It is hard to imagine Britain’s Enlightenment or Industrial Revolution without it.
My book is available in all formats from & bookstores.

02/12/2025

After the rain Green Squirrel

24/11/2025

My are available in all formats from online stores and can be ordered from physical stores.
is stocked at , and .

04/11/2025

02/11/2025

My book in shines a light on the rights of women and of society. The practice of marriage till death generally worked well in small communities where couples grew up together so knew each other well. But as England urbanised more marriages were made in haste and soon failed.
Some brave -or foolish- couples believed that if they enacted a public sale of the wife l, demonstrating all parties to be willing, that the deal was legal. Some me sales happened when a husband was away for too long- at sea, or war, so he family needed support so his wife remarried, causing problems if he returned.
This book shows a wide variety of sales, including some successful ones.
My book is on sale online and can be ordered from physical shops.

30/10/2025

My book The Great Flood of 1607 began soon after lockdown when I began visiting churches and discovered several on the Gwent Levels with markers showing the height of the waters. Some people claim the Great Storm of 1703 produced higher floods but a marker in the porch at Redwick shows this to have been lower.
The book describes the disaster, its extent, impact, aftermath and also lists other floods in the region.
It’s on sale in all formats from physical & online stores.

29/10/2025

Green Squirrel from tonight’s lantern walk and performances at

15/10/2025

08/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FTxqHUMUq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Every month, a community center in the Netherlands transforms into the Kids Repair Café, where primary school children learn to fix broken items with the help of volunteers.

From game controllers to stuffed animals, everything gets a second life! This way, kids playfully discover the importance of reuse and sustainability. 🌍♻️

06/10/2025

Heritage Open Days

02/10/2025