Isles of Scilly and the 335 Years War

Summary

Stuff You Missed in History Class: Isles of Scilly and the 335 Years War

Released January 29, 2025 by iHeartPodcasts

Hosts: Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson

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Introduction

In this fascinating episode, Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson delve into the quirky and largely forgotten tale of the Isles of Scilly and their involvement in what is humorously termed the "335 Years War." This long-standing but non-violent conflict between the Isles of Scilly and the Netherlands serves as a unique lens through which to explore broader historical themes related to the English Civil Wars and international relations.

Early History of the Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly, located southwest of Cornwall, England, have a rich history dating back thousands of years. Tracy provides an overview of the islands' early settlement:

Tracy V. Wilson [04:33]: "The Isles of Scilly were once a single large island that likely separated from mainland England over 12,000 years ago. Human presence dates back to 6000 BCE, with permanent settlements established around 2000 BCE."

Archaeological evidence points to continuous habitation through the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Romano-British periods, indicating the islands' longstanding significance.

Ownership and Land Grants

Ownership of the Isles has shifted numerous times, primarily influenced by English monarchs and the Church. Tracy explains the transition of land grants:

Tracy V. Wilson [05:40]: "During King Henry I's reign (1100-1135), lands held by monks and hermits were granted to the Abbot of Tavistock. By 1193, Pope Celestine reaffirmed the Church's ownership, with the Earl of Cornwall, Reginald, asserting that shipwrecks were the monks' property unless they involved entire ships or whales."

This intricate web of ownership underscores the strategic and economic importance of the islands over the centuries.

Thomas Seymour and the Duchy of Cornwall

The narrative takes a pivotal turn with the story of Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, whose ambition led to significant changes in the Isles' ownership:

Tracy V. Wilson [07:49]: "Thomas Seymour, brother of Jane Seymour and uncle to King Edward VI, sought greater power during Edward's minority. His failed attempts to secure influence culminated in his arrest for treason in January 1549 and subsequent execution by March 20th, 1549."

Following Seymour's execution, his landholdings in the Isles of Scilly were transferred to the Duchy of Cornwall:

Holly Fry [16:10]: "With Seymour's execution, the Isles became part of the Duchy of Cornwall, established in 1337 by Edward III to provide for the heir to the throne. In 1549, the Isles were incorporated into the duchy and leased to various governors who paid annual fees, sometimes even in puffins."

Connection to the English Civil Wars

The English Civil Wars (1642-1651), a series of conflicts between Royalists and Parliamentarians, set the stage for the Isles of Scilly's unique role in international conflict. Tracy provides essential context:

Tracy V. Wilson [17:45]: "The English Civil Wars were rooted in conflicts over royal authority and governance, exacerbated by Charles I's contentious policies in Scotland and Ireland. This period, also known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, saw significant shifts in power dynamics across England, Scotland, and Ireland."

Isles of Scilly in the Civil War

As Royalist forces dwindled on the mainland, the Isles of Scilly became a strategic refuge:

Holly Fry [28:35]: "Royalists retreated to the Isles, occupying Tresco Castle and later Star Castle on St. Mary's. Approximately 1,000 troops used the islands as a safe harbor, leveraging the Royal Navy to launch privateering raids against Parliamentary and Dutch shipping."

Governor John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath, played a crucial role in fortifying the islands and disrupting trade:

Tracy V. Wilson [31:28]: "Granville's use of the Isles' naval capabilities significantly hindered Parliamentary trade routes, making the Isles a thorn in the side of the Parliamentarians and their Dutch allies."

The 1651 Dutch Declaration of War

The prolonged privateering led to strained relations with the Netherlands:

Holly Fry [32:22]: "In early 1651, Admiral Martin Tromp of the Netherlands, responding to Royalist seizures of Dutch vessels, declared war on the Isles of Scilly. This declaration was unconventional, as Tromp was effectively declaring war on a non-sovereign entity."

The lack of formal recognition complicates the legitimacy of this declaration, highlighting the informal nature of 17th-century conflicts.

End of the Conflict and Its Resolution

Parliamentarian forces, led by Admiral Robert Blake and Sir George Askew, swiftly responded to regain control:

Tracy V. Wilson [33:14]: "Blake and Askew captured key islands, including Tresco and Briar, and eventually took St. Mary's, ending the Royalist presence. By 1651, with the Isles under Parliamentarian control, the active phase of this unique conflict concluded."

Despite the lack of traditional warfare, this prolonged state of hostilities was formally unresolved for centuries.

The 335 Years War: A Ceremonial Conclusion

Fast forward to April 17, 1986, when Dutch Ambassador Jonker Heidekoper officially ended the 335 Years War during a ceremonial visit:

Holly Fry [34:10]: "Roy Duncan, a local historian, discovered that no treaty had officially ended the conflict. His efforts led to Ambassador Heidekoper presenting a calligraphy scroll, formally terminating the war."

This resolution was largely symbolic but garnered media attention, boosting the Isles' tourism industry.

Modern Impact and Legacy

Today, the Isles of Scilly remain under the Duchy of Cornwall, thriving as a tourist destination:

Tracy V. Wilson [36:26]: "Tourism employs 70% of the population and accounts for 85% of the local economy. Additionally, the Isles are renowned for their flower cultivation, benefiting from a milder climate."

An amusing tidbit concludes the episode:

Holly Fry [37:01]: "The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust pays rent to the Duchy at the rate of one daffodil per year—a quirky modern reflection of the islands' unique history."

Listener Mail Segment

Holly engages with listener Erica's nostalgic memory of German pickle ornaments, a playful interlude that ties back to historical traditions and personal anecdotes. This segment highlights the show's commitment to connecting historical narratives with contemporary experiences.

Holly Fry [39:40]: "While many listeners contested the authenticity of the German pickle tradition, some shared genuine family stories, suggesting a localized or hyper-regional practice."

Conclusion

Holly and Tracy wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to engage with their stories and subscribe to the podcast. This episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class masterfully weaves a tale of maritime strategy, international tension, and ceremonial diplomacy, all centered around the serene yet historically tumultuous Isles of Scilly.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tracy V. Wilson [07:49]: "Payment in puffins may seem charming, but it was a practical solution to the lack of Saxon coinage in Cornwall."

• Holly Fry [16:10]: "The transfer of the Isles to the Duchy of Cornwall marked a new chapter in their governance, intertwining their fate with royal succession."

• Tracy V. Wilson [33:14]: "The Isles of Scilly played a subtle yet significant role in the broader context of the English Civil Wars, impacting international trade and naval strategy."

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For more intriguing historical insights, subscribe to Stuff You Missed in History Class on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Martin Luther King III]

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[Lexi Brown]

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[Holly Fry]

Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Holly Fry]

So today's episode involves a kooky scenario of a war being declared and then paperwork regarding that war really dragging. But the whole thing involves needing to have a big chunk of context about the English Civil wars. So we're Going to talk specifically about what is considered the first English Civil War today. Basically the beginning of that larger conflict. So just to set expectations, not a comprehensive exploration of all the mechanisms involved in that massive set of conflicts. So this one will talk a little bit about the Isles of Scilly in terms of their early history. And then we're going to do that context part and that will then lead into explaining how this small set of islands ended up in a centuries long war. And we have to put air quotes around war there.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The Isles of Scilly are southwest of Cornwall in England, 25 miles or about 40 km from the mainland shore. Like the coast of Cornwall, these islands are largely granite. But unlike Cornwall, the climate is a bit milder than the rest of England. It tends to be warmer. It's possible that the Isles of Scilly were once one large island which likely separated off from the mainland of England more than 12,000 years ago. That one large island was probably visited by humans as far back as 6000 BCE. According to Dr. Catherine Sawyer, an archaeologist who offers guided tours of the islands, the earliest people on the island during the Mesolithic era lived there seasonally. Over time, these part time occupants brought livestock to the island. And by about 2000 BCE there was a permanent settlement of a couple hundred people living there. The settlement was referred to by the Cornish word for great island, which is Enor. There have been numerous archaeological finds indicating that there were people on the island dating to the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano British period, well after the island's initial settlement was abandoned.

[Holly Fry]

The Isles of Scilly are believed to have experienced flooding during sea level rise in the 5th century that separated it by water from one landmass into several islands comprised of its highest points. And there are now a group of roughly because it does change, because counting them is difficult. 50 small islands and dozens of islets. The number of total separated pieces of land is often noted as more than 200. But to be clear, some of those are very small rocks, like you could maybe stand on them but not even turn around. They're little. Five of the islands are named and have people living on them. St. Mary's is the largest and has the biggest population. It's about 6 square miles and has about 1800 inhabitants centered around its main municipality of Hewetown. The remaining named islands are Tresco, St Martin's Briar and St Agnes. The rest of the islands in some cases have little nicknames from the locals, but they do not have formal names.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The islands have changed hands and been under a Mix of leadership over the centuries since, their history has been recorded. And this is because as various kings reigned, they granted and regranted land to different people, mostly men of the Church. Sometime around the reign of Edward the Confessor, who who ruled England from 1042 to 1066, monks lived on the modern day island of Tresco, which at the time was known as St Nicholas. They had been given portions of the various islands that make up the Isles of Scilly. During the reign of King Henry I, which ran from 1100 to 1135, the king granted those lands previously held by the monks and hermits, plus all the churches in their surrounding lands to the Abbot of TAVISTOCK. Then in 1193, the Pope @ the time Celestine, reasserted the land that the Church held to the abbey. In that same period, the Earl of Cornwall, Reginald also stated that any shipwrecks were also the property of the monks, unless they were entire ships or whales. That's whales. Not the place. The animal, yes.

[Holly Fry]

Not the place.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I was imagining that people could mishear that one just because of the context that we're talking about. Entire ships or whales would have monetary value in their whole states.

[Holly Fry]

Now, all of this does not mean that the monks who lived on the Isles of Scilly had autonomy there. There were various secular land and title holders who did things like demand taxes on the properties where the abbeys operated. And there were also men who governed the Isles that were not related to the Church. And some did not hold any property on the Isles, but were given the title of governor over the island chain as an honorific. In cases of property ownership, this often meant paying certain fees to retain that land and thus that power. In one particularly charming example, for a while that fee was paid in puffins.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I feel like this is the most charming if you're imagining that they're going to lil puffin Sanctuary where they're gonna have long and happy lives. They're not, no. This is explained in a 2010 paper by RD Panaleric titled Ancient and Early Medieval Coins from Cornwall and Scilly. This paper notes that there's a drop off in coinage use in the area in the late medieval period, and it discusses the puffins this way. Quote. Markets operate well enough through barter, and the dearth of Saxon coinage in Cornwall proves this. The later medieval payment of rent in puffins may be of significance here. Margaret Midgley showed that on Scilly, payment in 1296-97 consisted of 300 puffin annually, valued at 6 shillings, 8 pence in 1336-37, John Dallet agreed to pay Sir Ralph Blanch Mr. 150 puffon for his land on Brier and St Martin's in default of which payment was lawful at the rate of one pence for three birds. Such payment may well date back to 1141, when Reginald de Dunstanville was created Earl of Cornwall in Scilly, because an annual cull of birds may have long existed in the islands, in spite of a lack of archaeological evidence to prove it. Similar payments in gulls are recorded in Cornwall from the late 16th century to 1714, although then it reflected the Tudor predilection for gulls as well as puffins for the dinner table.

[Holly Fry]

Through all of this, the Isles of Scilly were privately owned, but the end of that status came From Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, who had inherited most of the estates and owned them when King Edward VI reigned. Thomas was the brother of Jane Seymour, who was King Henry VIII's third wife, and that made him the uncle of King Edward VI, who took the throne in 1547. When Henry VIII died, Edward was only nine years old. So Thomas's brother Edward was made the young boy's chief counselor while Thomas became Lord High Admiral. This did not please Thomas one bit because he wanted the same level of power as his brother or more. He would go on in the two years that followed to basically be jealous of anyone who was charged with advising the young king and even considered kidnapping the king in the guise of securing his safety. None of his various efforts to expand his influence and power in regards to King Edward VI really worked, and instead it made him very unpopular with the people who were actually in charge.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Coming up, we will talk about some of the scandals that defined Thomas Seymour's life and how they led to the Islands of Scilly becoming the property of the Crown. First, though, we will pause for a sponsor break.

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[Martin Luther King III]

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[Holly Fry]

There is so much drama and intrigue to Thomas Seymour's story. For one, he married Catherine Parr, Henry VIII's widow, after he failed to secure a marriage to the 13 year old princess Elizabeth, destined to become Elizabeth I. When Catherine Parr died after giving birth in 1548, there were rumors almost instantly that Elizabeth was going to become his wife. And it seems that Thomas Seymour himself circulated those rumors, or at least he encouraged them. He was also rumored to have killed Catherine with the intent to use her death as a means to secure money and power. And those Elizabeth rumors did not help his image in that regard. Thomas and his brother, who was officially recognized as the King's protector, argued constantly and often those arguments happened in public.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

All of Thomas's various machinations and angling for more power eventually got him in very deep trouble. He was arrested for treason in January 1549. 33 Articles of Treason were charged against him. This was a unique case in that he should have been tried before his peers. But the King's Privy Council had made arrangements to sidestep that process. A Bill of Attainder was introduced in the House of Lords on February 25 regarding what was to be done with Seymour and then it passed to the House of Commons. It was determined by vote on Seymour's accusations that, quote, the said offenses of the Lord Admiral for diverse causes were in the compass of high treason. That meant that with no one willing to defend him against those charges, and if the King approved, the council could handle the matter as they saw fit. 11 year old King Edward did approve, and on March 20th, Seymour was executed by beheading.

[Holly Fry]

And all of this is germane to the Isles of Scilly because when Seymour was executed, his significant land holdings on the islands passed into the ownership of the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy of Cornwall was established in 1337 by Edward III. He had wanted to set up an estate for his son and the heir to the throne, Prince Edward. And the charter that created the duchy also established that going forward, the eldest son of the English monarch and heir to the throne would inherit the duchy and would receive the income that the estate generates. That estate, which still exists today, is only part of the county of Cornwall. But in 1549, the Isles of Scilly became part of the duchy. From there, the Isles of Scilly were leased to a series of governors who paid a yearly rental fee on the land. In 1604, for example, that annual fee was £20.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In an account published in 1814 by topographers and antiquarians Daniel and Samuel Lyson, they note of the islands quote, except what relates to their trading connections with the Phoenicians and Romans, and the circumstance of their having been occasionally appropriated by the latter as a place of banishment for state criminals. The first mention we find of the Scilly Islands in history is in the 10th century when they were subdued by King Aethelstan. After this, we hear nothing of them till the time of the Civil War, when they became of considerable importance.

[Holly Fry]

So the English Civil wars took place over the years 1642 to 1651, and they boiled down in the most basic sense to a conflict between royalists and non royalists. Though there were multiple non royalist groups involved coming from England, Ireland and Scotland, the seeds of the English Civil wars really were planted some years earlier, with King Charles I engaging in conflicts with Scotland and Ireland. Charles I took the throne in 1625, and at the end of the 1630s, he became embroiled in a religious battle with Scotland that became known as the Bishop's Wars. Scotland at this point was largely Presbyterian and had developed a political movement known as the Covenanters. The hierarchical structure of the Scottish Church placed bishops in the position of leadership and governance, while in terms of religious ideology, Scotland's Presbyterian Church wasn't super different from the Anglican Church. The leadership structure and specific rights in practice were quite different. And Charles I wanted Scotland to adhere to the Anglican ways. The first implementation of this plan was the mandatory introduction of an Anglican prayer book in 1637 in Scotland, which led to riots and people organizing to resist Anglicanization of Scotland's church.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Charles was not particularly interested in hearing Scotland out on all this, and instead decided it was time for military action. So he started marching on Scotland. But this was not the best planned offensive. There really wasn't money in the royal coffers to pay for it, and the military wasn't especially well prepared. So this resulted in a peace treaty instead of combat. That treaty, known as the Pacification of Berwick, ended what came to be known as the First Bishops War. And its terms included things like Scotland releasing its English prisoners and Charles agreeing to call a general assembly of the Church of Scotland so they could work out all their differences. So though this is called the First Bishops War, there was no actual combat.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, it's more like the first bishop's heated discussion. But the peace over the matter did not last for even a year. Charles was really heated over this whole thing to begin with, and then he found out that Scotland was talking to France about it, so he decided that he had to invade Scotland. That same money issue still existed. It wasn't like he had magically conjured a lot of extra income. So he called a meeting of Parliament, a governing body that he had dissolved, by the way, in 1629, and asked them to hash out a plan and get the funding arranged. But that did not go his way either. Once that matter was discussed and examined, Charles I did not get the backing he had hoped for. So he kind of went rogue and he dissolved the Parliament again and he mounted an attack on Scotland without support from most of England. And as you can guess, it went really poorly. Charles's troops were completely overpowered and Scotland managed to not only defend itself, but also took control of Northumberland and Durham in northern England.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This second Bishop's war left Charles I in such a dilemma that he summoned another Parliament in the spring of 1640. He needed it to get money for what had escalated into an ongoing war with Scotland. This gathering, known as the Long Parliament, in contrast to the Short Parliament where he didn't get his way and kind of stomped off, led to events that plunged England into a civil war. Charles was in constant conflict with Parliament. And when England also had to fight Ireland after the 1641 Ulster Rebellion, there was not only a need for more money, but there were also arguments about who would lead the military action against Ireland. The Ulster Rebellion has come up a few times lately. So as a quick recap, Charles was sending so called English settlers to Ireland to shore up his support there, sometimes seizing land to do so. This led to attacks on English Protestants in the area in 1641 as part of a larger offensive and a demand for the return of Catholic land, as well as calls for Irish independence.

[Holly Fry]

With the growing financial needs of military actions that were catalyzed by Charles the first policies that were not especially popular with Parliament in the first place, things got really tense, particularly with the House of Commons. This was on top of ongoing issues with the King's various policies and behaviors since taking the throne in 1625. And as 1641 came to a close, politician John Pym compiled a detailed account of all of the things that he and several other politicians felt Charles had done wrong in his 16 years on the throne. This document, called the Grand Remonstrance, was voted on by the House of Commons and was able to get through the vote with enough support to validate it. But it did not pass to the House of Lords. Instead, it was brought directly to Charles I. He did not care for it and he decided that it was treasonous. That led to the King entering the House of Commons on January 4, 1642 to arrest Pym and four of his collaborators on charges of high treason, believing that they were collaborating also with Scotland. Those men were William Strode, John Hampton, Denzel Hollis and Arthur Haselring. But the men were no longer at the House of Commons and the House Speaker, William Lenthal, was questioned by the King as to their whereabouts. Lenthal did not give up the men. And his reply, which is often quoted, was, may it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place. But as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here, I. E. You're not the boss of me in this building.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Charles had made a serious blunder. He had completely broken protocol and procedure by entering the House, and his inability to take those five men into custody also made him look weak. Then, as the year played out and Parliament made clear that they wanted no part of a war with Ireland, Charles ignored that. He tried to go around them to create an army by decree. By the late summer, England was officially engaged in a civil war. So it was Charles I and his Royalist supporters versus the Parliamentarians at home, the Covenanters of Scotland and the Confederates of Ireland. This set of conflicts is also known as the wars of the Three Kingdoms.

[Holly Fry]

We're going to talk about how that played out after we hear from the sponsors that keep Stuff youf Missed in History Class going.

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Do you want to understand an invisible force that's shaping your life? I'm Osvaloshin, one of the new hosts of the long running podcast Tech Stuff. I'm slightly skeptical, but obsessively intrigued.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Kara Price, the other new host, and I'm ready to adopt early.

[Osvaloshin]

And often on Tech Stuff. We travel all the way from the mines of Congo to the surface of Mars to the dark corners of TikTok to ask and attempt to answer burning questions about technology.

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One of the kind of tricks for surviving Mars is to live their life long enough so that people evolve into Martians.

[Holly Fry]

Like data is a very rough proxy for a complex reality.

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How is it possible that the world's new energy revolution can be based in this place where there's no electricity at night?

[Holly Fry]

Oz and I will cut through the noise to bring you the best conversations and deep dives that will help you understand how tech is changing our world and what you need to know to survive the singularity.

[Osvaloshin]

So join us Listen to tech stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Experiencing the news each day can feel like a journey with up first from NPR, though it doesn't have to be. Welcome to 15 Easy Minutes of breaking news, clarity on international and national affairs, and a casual tone that you can take in with breakfast. Begin your day informed, ready and refreshed. Begin your day with Up First. Subscribe to up first. First from NPR on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Holly Fry]

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[Martin Luther King III]

Welcome to My Legacy. I'm Martin Luther King III and together with my wife, Andrea Waters King, and our dear friends Mark and Craig Kilburger, who we explore the personal journeys that shape extraordinary lives.

[Holly Fry]

Each week we'll sit down with inspiring figures like David Oyelowo, Mel Robbins, Martin Sheen, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Billy Porter and their plus one, their ride or Die as they share stories never heard before about their remarkable journey. Listen to My legacy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is my legacy. Charles and the Royalists did not fare well in the wars of the Three Kingdoms, and they slowly gave up ground in England. Eventually they were sort of backed into the corner of the island of Great Britain, with Cornwall as their last hold. What the Royalists had in their favor at this point was the Royal Navy, which meant that Royalist forces could retreat to safety on the Isles of Scilly and still have a pretty good chance of defending themselves from there. Roughly 1,000 troops occupied the Isles of Scilly as a safe harbor, making use of a castle on the island of Tresco as their base of operations. That castle had been built almost 100 years earlier in the 1550s when King Edward VI reigned, and for a time it had been the main stronghold of the islands, though 40 years later another castle was built on St. Mary's called Star Castle, which then became the main fortification on the islands, and that also made the Tresco Castle somewhat obsolete. But it was very important to the royalists who took refuge there.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In 1648, though there were royalists ensconced on the islands, Charles I was not. He was captured by the Scottish army in battle and then handed over to the Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell. In 1647. He was held in various locations, then escaped and was recaptured. In 1649. He faced a convoluted series of trials in which there were arguments about exactly what to charge him with. The idea of trying a king for treason had some fundamental problems, particularly for people who believed in the idea that God granted monarchs their power. But he was ultimately charged with treason based on the accusation that he had used his power to benefit himself at the cost of his people. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. His execution by beheading was carried out on January 30, 1649.

[Holly Fry]

At that point, Prince Charles, who was already staying on the Isles of Scilly, became ruler in the eyes of the Royalists. The parliamentarians, of course, rejected the monarchy and established the Commonwealth of England. But the important part in regards to the Isles of Scilly was that the governor of the islands was John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath, and he was a royalist who fortified the islands as a safe haven for Charles ii. Grenville also welcomed privateers willing to work for the monarchy, and with them, combined with the remaining naval forces that the Royalists commanded, he was able to make a lot of trouble for trade in the surrounding waters. Granville was consistently able to disrupt trade by launching ships from the islands to intercept ships that were sanctioned by Parliament. That was a significant issue. The trade that came through the Western approaches, those are the waters to the immediate west of Britain and Ireland, was vital to the English economy. In disrupting it, the Royalists were able to really hurt their opponents.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Enter the Netherlands. The Dutch had been engaged in their own lengthy conflict. The 80 Years War with Spain. It was over, among other things, Dutch independence. The 80 Years War had only just ended in 1648, with the Peace of Munster, in which Spain recognized the Netherlands as its own independent nation. And with its independence, the Netherlands, long an ally of England, had to choose a side in England's civil war, believing the Parliamentarians had the upper hand. That's where the Dutch allied themselves. As part of that alignment, the Netherlands sent its own naval resources to assist the parliamentarians. That meant that the Dutch also suffered at the hands of the fleet that launched ships from the Isles of Scilly. Several Dutch vessels were seized in this ongoing conflict.

[Holly Fry]

And that is why, in early 1651, the Dutch sent a dozen ships to the Isles of Scilly under the command of Admiral Martin Tromp, who had fought in the 80 Years War and had an excellent reputation as a naval commander. His mission was to demand reparations from the Royalists. The Netherlands had suffered significant losses in those Royalist raids of Dutch ships, and they wanted their ships and their cargo back. But the Royalists didn't really even acknowledge this demand. And so Admiral Trump declared war on the Isles of Scilly. It's a bit unclear whether he actually had the authority to make such a declaration, but he did it just the same. This also has the complication of him declaring war on an entity that was not a nation or an independent territory.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

But a few months after the Dutch demand and war declaration, the Parliamentarians sent Admiral Robert Blake and Sir George Askew to capture the Islands of Scilly once and for all. The Parliamentarians were able to gain control of Tresco and Briar, but Granville was dug in on St. Mary's Blake and askew fortified the islands they held and mounted their offensive. Soon they also held St. Mary's and the Royalist occupation of the Isles of Scilly was over. By this time, Charles II was already gone. He had left the country well before any of these events. In the 1640s, Blake and Askew handed the Isles of Scilly over to Parliament and a garrison of 800 parliamentarian soldiers occupied the Isles. The Dutch, seeing that things were over, sailed for home. So conflict done, sort of.

[Holly Fry]

And now we're jumping to 335 years later, on April 17, 1986, when Dutch Ambassador Jonker Heidekoper traveled to the Isles of Scilly to formally end that war. That ceremonial visit included the presentation of an old fashioned calligraphy scroll which declared the war officially terminated. And this entire event was catalyzed by a man named Roy Duncan. Roy was a local historian who had served in leadership positions on the Isles of Scilly since the age of 21, when he was first elected to the.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Council of the Isles in 1985, Duncan was researching the events of the English Civil wars as they related to the Isles of Scilly. And he decided to hunt down information on the local story that the islands were still at war with the Netherlands. There were apparently jokes on the islands that Dutch tourists could technically be taken prisoner and that the Netherlands could attack at any time. Duncan reached out to the Dutch embassy for an assist but that did not lead to the unearthing of any kind of resolution. It turned out that while Trump had declared war, he never followed up to file any sort of treaty paperwork after the parliamentarian forces took control of the islands.

[Holly Fry]

And once all of this was verified, plans were made to rectify the situation and end the conflict, which, unlike most wars, involved no actual combat whatsoever and no lives lost. In a statement to the press during the lead up to the ceremony, Roy Duncan said, quote, it's all fairly light hearted and good fun, but it's all factual Dutch holidaymakers are amazed to learn they are officially at war with us. During his visit to the islands, Ambassador Hoyta Koper joked in a statement, quote, I am extremely pleased to be able to visit the islands and tell the people who live here that the war is finally over. It must have been awful to know we could have attacked at any moment. While the end of the war didn't materially impact anyone in either of the countries, it did get a decent amount of press, which no doubt bolstered the Isles of Scilly's tourism industry.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Today, the Isles of Scilly remain part of the Duchy of Cornwall, and they're still primarily a tourist destination, with 100,000 people visiting annually. According to the Duchy of Cornwall's website, tourism is the source of employment for 70% of the population of the Isles of Scilly, and it accounts for 85% of the local economy. Flowers make up a significant part of the remaining 15% of the economy, since the island's mild climate compared to the rest of England allows for longer growing seasons.

[Holly Fry]

And to end this story with yet another interesting form of rent payment, the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, which protects the wildlife of the islands, pays rent to the Duchy of Cornwall and that rent costs one daffodil per year. Oh, Isles of Scilly. Okay. And then I have also some sort of fun listener mail that's sort of fun. It's fun. This is from our listener Erica, who writes hi Tracy and Holly. I listened to your podcast on the history of Christmas decor and the behind the scenes. You had asked if anyone had any information about the supposed German pickle ornaments. While I don't have any actual info on it, I do have fun memories of them. In high school and college I worked at Pier 1 Imports. Every Christmas we would get in glass pickle ornaments to sell, and they did come with a little tag saying they were a German tradition. My co workers and I made our own tradition with the pickles, who found them first when our Christmas stock came in in September because it's retail. We'd get boxes of ornaments to open and hang up for sale. The only label on the boxes for the ornaments was just glass ornaments, so we never knew what would be in each box. This is where the pickle ornaments came in. Whomever randomly opened the box containing them was deemed the winner. When they got to loudly shout, I got the pickles. No one actually ever won anything except the bragging rights to having found the pickles. It's a fun memory that I think about when I decorate my Christmas tree because I had finally bought myself a pickle ornament the last Christmas I worked at Pier Woman. My children laugh at the pickle each year, but we don't do the tradition of getting an extra present if they find it. For my pet tax, I've included a photo of my son's fish that he got this past Christmas, which he named Dragon Bite. I have horrible allergies to pet dander, so a fish made the perfect pet. My son loves his fish and it's so wonderful to see him take ownership of his pet. Thank you for all the wonderful podcast episodes, Erica. Okay, Dragon Bite is a very beautiful betta. I have a soft spot for Bettas. I love them very much. I do not keep them because we have kitties, and one of our cats who is no longer with us used to terrorize the fish by running full tilt like a linebacker into the tank and just slamming against it and fretting them all out. So we don't do that. But Erica, thank you for this because it enables me, one, to share a funny version. I love the idea of retail making a fun version of the pickle game. But two, we have gotten a lot of listener mail about the pickles, many from people who grew up in Germany or had parents that did. And I'm actually surprised at the split that there are a lot of them who are like, no, we didn't. I don't know what the pickle thing is that's clearly made up by Americans, but there were some that were like, oh, yeah, my grand. My German grandmother's always done that. So that makes me think it might be hyper regional.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah, I was gonna say a very regional thing.

[Holly Fry]

Like, it might be a very small pocket of somewhere in Germany that. Yeah, some person from the US Visited once and said, I can market this. Make a lot of pickle ornaments is my guess. Anyway, I love it all. Send me your fish pictures. Send me your plant pictures. Send me your pup. Anything joyous. We need it. You can Write to us with that, your pickle ornament commentary or whatever else you'd like to@history podcastheartradio.com you can also subscribe to the podcast. It's just as easy as finding a pickle on a tree. Probably easier. You can do that on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to your favorite shows.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Stuff youf Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Osvaloshin]

Do you want to see into the future? Do you want to understand an invisible force that's shaping your life? Do you want to experience the frontiers of what makes us human? On tech stuff we travel from the mines of Congo to the surface of Mars, from conversations with Nobel Prize winners to the depths of TikTok to ask burning questions about technology, from high tech to low culture and everywhere in between. Join us Listen to tech stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Cara Price]

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[Martin Luther King III]

Calling all Yellowstone fans, let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the Official Yellowstone Podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch, my protector of my life. Listen to the Official Yellowstone Podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lexi Brown]

I'm so sick of hearing men talk about women's basketball. This is Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose and we've got a new podcast, Full Circle every Wednesday. We're catching you up on what's going on in women's basketball. We've got you with analysis, inside stories and a little bit of tea. Full circle is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to Full circle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.