Frank Oates in Africa
On Monday 9th April to celebrate the opening of our new Frank Oates Gallery; historians Dr John McAleer and Dr Chris Prior from the University of Southampton will be giving an exciting talk on the Victorian Explorer and the environment he travelled in. Frank Oates’s travels in nineteenth-century Southern Africa made
For the Modern Reader
Dr. J. Grant Repshire takes the modern reader of the Natural History of Selborne back in time… Gilbert White’s A Natural History of Selborne offers a glimpse into the often-idealised world of a English countryside village in the early-modern era, before industrialisation changed the face of the world forever. Reading
Hester Chapone
Today is International Women’s Day, and we are celebrating the women who form parts of the stories of our three male explorers. This year we are celebrating Hester Chapone, writer, critic and bluestocking. Hester Chapone was the sister of John Mulso, Gilbert White’s lifelong friend, Gilbert & John met at
Frank Oates; A life spent pushing boundaries
On the anniversary of Frank Oates’ death Dr. J. Grant Repshire explains why Frank Oates deserves to be remembered. On the 5th February 1875, 143 years ago, a life spent pushing boundaries set by the limitations of naturally poor health finally caught up with Frank Oates. Having just completed the
Christmas in Selborne in the 18th century.
David Standing tells us about Christmas in Selborne in the 18th century. Gilbert White gave his first Christmas sermon at Selborne in 1751, instructing on the devout observance of the feast, and referring to the puritanical way of ignoring it ‘ traces of commonwealth Puritanism still lingered’ Toward the end
Ten volunteering opportunities at Gilbert White’s!
Want to Volunteer at Gilbert White’s here’s ten things you could do, and the list goes on and on! Why not see what else there is by coming along to our Chocolate Biscuit Clubs where you can meet with other volunteers and learn how you can develop your skills and
Gilbert White & Shakespeare
This blog was written in 2017. Next week Gilbert White’s garden will play host to chapter house theatre company’s production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. White doesn’t often refer to plays or fiction in his writings, but was well read, in letter three of The Natural History of Selborne
Gilbert White & The French Revolution
Gilbert White lived through important political times and one of the biggest world events towards the end of his life was the French Revolution, of which events although seem far removed from Selborne were to catapult Britain into a long war with France. On Saturday 15th we are celebrating with
Jane Austen and Gilbert White
The quiet village of Selborne home to Gilbert White seems quite removed from the famous village of Chawton during the time of Jane Austen, however the lives of these two literary figures were not so disconnected, their lives overlapped by eighteen years and their homes were only four miles from