Savory tongue pie, trout pasties, scotch collops, and quaking pudding; sound yummy? These are examples of dishes made during the Tudor...

Love tokens were small, personal gifts given to a loved one: be it from a man to his betrothed, a husband to his wife or a wife to her...

Who doesn’t love a good beach read? Something quick and entertaining, be it a romance, comedy, mystery, or thriller, as long as it is not...

From Barbies to basketball, jump ropes to Jenga, children of today have a seemingly endless variety of toys and games with which to play....

Thomas C. Williams, Jr., was a man of varied interests, both business and personal, as evidenced by where he left his money after he...

T.C. Williams, Jr. was inspired to create the Windsor Farms neighborhood in the image of an idyllic English village. In the center of his...

The dining parlor at Agecroft Hall has obviously changed throughout its centuries in existence. While we are not sure when a dining...

These greeting cards are a few of those held in our collection. They are from the 1880s through 1949. We extend our sincerest wishes for...

During the holiday season, Agecroft Hall is dressed to impress. While wreaths and garlands abound, a special piece of our collection can...

“...These are they who by the permission of God disturb the elements, who drive to distraction the minds of men, such as have lost their...

In the March Ask the Past post, we introduced a Williams’s family letter collection from the family’s voyage around the world--a trip...

When the Dauntesey family moved out of Agecroft in the early 20th century, they took all of their belongings with them. As a result, the...

T.C. Williams, Jr.’s name is inextricably linked to Agecroft, but he only lived in the house for a little over a year before his death at...

In honor of this month’s coronation of Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms, we are going to discuss...

Enjoy these photos from our beautiful outdoors!

Most museums have grappled with identity in the past few years as they started looking inwards and exploring more of their own history...

Sleeping habits in the early modern era were a bit different from ours now. We are all led to believe that we need a solid seven to eight...

Winter is long. Naps are great. On average, humans spend about 33 years in bed so those who can afford it often devote a great deal of...

With the time change occurring in early November, it seems to get dark at 5m. Darkness is easy enough for modern people to combat...

We have been the lucky recipients of generous donations here at Agecroft Hall & Gardens. While we, as with most museums, have strict...

As a continuation of last month’s post, let us briefly discuss the other large collection of documents housed at Agecroft Hall. These...

Deep in Agecroft’s archives lies a treasure trove of information that expands upon our current understanding of the house, its people,...

We all think we know certain “facts” from Tudor history: people were so much shorter thanks to poor nutrition, no one lived past the age...

Enjoy this collection of flower photographs from one of our favorite times of year!

Sometimes, life is in the details. In the museum world, sometimes an object’s smallest detail can provide vast amounts of information....

Many times, when people find out what I do for a living, the first question they ask is, “What is your favorite object?” I am always...

When reading a recipe, salt is usually included—even in those shockingly sweet baked goods! Salt has a very long history (search online...

We are so lucky to have had a great response to our August Ask the Past (which you can read here) We are fortunate to have a family...

In the servants’ quarters on the upper floor of Agecroft Hall, there lies a secret space. What appears to be a solid, built in, shelf...

William Shakespeare famously asked “What’s in a name?”[1] Try naming a baby, a new pet, or a company—the challenge to pick the perfect...

History is constantly evolving—our knowledge grows and, at museums, our exhibits change to reflect that new knowledge. If you’ve visited...

Agecroft Hall has a very long history. There’s been some version of the hall standing since approximately 1500. While we know about the...

Earlier this summer, digital money was in the news with dogecoin, a form of cryptocurrency, stock doing extremely well in the market....

In our upper hallway, a portrait of a woman hangs. This woman, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Countess of Lincoln, was once thought to be the most...

Today, high-profile divorces are reported as breaking news. There have been many epic divorces throughout history. Divorces among famous...

For this month’s blog post, I took a moment to speak with Joseph Day, our Head of Horticulture and Maintenance, about our magnificent...

Mantle Clock AH1967.0044 Late 1800s-early 1900s Brass Ormolu, Marble, Glass One of the many benefits of our self-guided tours is the...

What was the cultural makeup of Tudor and Stuart England? If one were to judge on readily available sources—portraits from the time...

Insurrections and rebellions against the ruling government are common throughout history. While we in the United States are used to...

Agecroft Hall was rebuilt in Richmond in the late 1920s. In December of 1927, T.C. Williams, Jr. and his wife Bessie moved into the house...

The United States conducts a census survey every 10 years. The most recent one—as you probably know, was taken earlier this year in ...

Dr. Ian Tyers, a dedrochronologist from England, was here in 2016, inspecting and dating our wood panel paintings. While looking at our...

During the 16th and 17th century, Michaelmas (pronounced mich-al-mis) was an important day, not only in the liturgical calendar, but also...

Agecroft’s halls are filled with portraits, and they are some of the objects that prompt the most questions from visitors. This blog...

At the far end of our gardens, past the formal Sunken Garden, sits the Tradescant Garden. Here, our horticulturalists have planted a...

To understand the phenomenon of Curiosity Cabinets, we must first understand the mindset of European society in the early to mid-17th...

It is said that history repeats itself, and those who do not learn from it are the ones doomed to repeat it. Well, as 2020 has proven, we...

I began researching this post with great intentions of writing up a piece about Lady Day and its importance as an English quarter day....

Icon, Kazan Mother of God ca. 1900 AH 1967.0011 A-B Enamel and silver Russian As anyone who has visited Agecroft Hall & Gardens knows,...