History
Albion's history is that of our world - and not.
Historically speaking, the turning point comes in 1483, in the events that led to The Pact and The Silence, the agreement with the magical beings of Albion to separate magical and non-magical communities, in a treaty that brought certain advantages to everyone involved. (Check out those links for more details.)
Schola already existed, as did the precursor to the others of the Five Schools (though the other four all moved locations at various points after the Pact). Trellech had already existed as a magical city (after the fall of the de Clare family in the 13th century) but this is the point at which it grows back to a city of about 20,000 people, and the Ministry, Temple of Healing, and other key locations are slowly but steadily established.
While it took some time for a more cultural separation to take place, there were several significant changes in the 16th century.
One part of the Pact was the agreement with the Fatae to share some of the techniques used in making portals. Portals had existed before the Pact, but had only been created and maintained by the Fatae, mostly the human lines descending from the Grandmothers, up to that point. They do exist overseas, but for quite a while - centuries - Albion's portal keepers were the only country who could reliably create new ones.
Obviously, adding rapid transit between parts of the country changes a number of dynamics and opens up a wide range of potential crime opportunities, as well as people making a wide range of poorly considered magical explorations. This promptly led to the creation of both the Guard and the Penelopes by early in the 1500s.
