15 Oct History, Truth or Fiction?

In school we are taught to believe the version of history we are given. There is never a hint that there might be a chance it is incorrect.  Is this right?

Manorial Counsel Limited have to admit to being surprised when we started researching manorial history to find the quantity of variances.  After thinking for a while this seemed to be logical.  History is documented by whoever wishes to do it.  By our very nature we record things in our own particular way and with the information we have at hand.  It is not surprising that two people with different sources and who have a passion for certain elements of history would write up two different versions.

We have found that part of the pleasure and frustration (we have to admit) is to work out the most likely version of history.  At the end of the day, we will never know if we are correct and in many respects it does not matter if the answer does not affect anything today.

One area of modern society that has become affected by the flaws in history is the determination of an owner of a lordship title.  Let’s look at some of the reasons why these inaccuracies can be caused:

• Family disputes
• Wars
• Major events (plague)
• Deeds incorrectly completed (the Lordship should have been included but it was not)
• Adverse Possession of the land but not of the rights
• The land owner excluding the rights owner from exercising them
• And many others to name but a few

So the point of this blog is to get you thinking about how much we should rely on history.  Telling stories and learning from our mistakes is a valuable use for history.  Where there is uncertainty it is a dangerous thing to use history as a method to prove ownership.  Of course this can only be done where history exists.