The New Murrey and Blue blog

anniversaries

Did Edward IV’s daughter Bridget have an illegitimate child….?

Jan 1, 2020

anniversaries, genealogy, religion

Agnes of Eltham, Bridget of york, Cecily Duchess of York, Dartford Priory, Edward IV, Elizabeth Wydeville, Eltham Palace, legends, nunneries, Weir

We all know that Edward IV’s youngest daughter, Bridget (born 10th November 1480), became a nun…or at least, entered the Dominican priory at Dartford at the age of ten. Not as a nun then, of course, because she was too young, but maybe she was always intended for the Church. And Dartford was a priory…
The truth about the Christian New Year’s Eve….

Dec 31, 2019

anniversaries, battles, buildings, culture, religion

Admiral Villeneuve, Antipopes, Charles “III”, Constantine, conversion, decimal system, Edmund of Rutland, Eglise St. Germain Rennes, Gregorian Calendar, Hogmanay, Horatio Nelson, Janus, Julian Calendar, Julius Caesar, Mary Stuart, Naval warfare, New Year’s Eve, paganism, popes, Richard Duke of York, saints, St. Sylvester, suicide, Trafalgar, Wakefield

New Year’s Eve now and New Year’s Eve in the mediaeval period actually refer to two different calendar days. Old New Year’s Eve was 24th March. For an easy-to-understand explanation, please go to here, but whichever the day, it was still New Year’s Eve. We now celebrate it with much fun, laughter and hope, but…
An unusual Baronet …

Dec 30, 2019

anniversaries, genealogy, Science

baronetcies, laws of inheritance, Scotland

… was Sir Ewan Forbes of Craigievar, who succeeded his brother on 30 December 1965. Sir Ewan was unusual because he was born a hermaphrodite and originally registered as Elizabeth Forbes-Sempill, which identity would have precluded him from the title. However, he re-registered as male in 1952 and married his housekeeper, eventually arguing his case…
Edmund, Earl of Rutland, a life cut short.

Dec 29, 2019

anniversaries, battles, buildings, genealogy

Battle of Bosworth, Cecily Neville, christening, Edmund of Langley, Edmund of Rutland, Edward IV, executions, Fotheringhay, George Duke of Clarence, Harry Lovedeyne, John Boyes, Lord Clifford, Ludlow Castle, Micklegate Bar, Mortimers, Priory of St. John the Baptist, reburials, Richard III, Richard of Salisbury, Rouen, royal tombs, signatures, Sir Edmund Mortimer, The history geeks, Wakefield, York

UPDATED POST AT sparkypus.com A Medieval Potpourri https://sparkypus.com/2020/05/14/edmund-earl-of-rutland-a-life-cut-short/ Fotheringhay Church and Yorkist Mausoleum 1804. Watercolour by unknown artist. A link here to an excellent article on Edmund, Earl of Rutland. The History Geeks can be found on Facebook: The article also give a plausible reason as to why Edmund’s christening ceremony at Rouen…
King Edward IV’s Last Christmas….

Dec 28, 2019

anniversaries, buildings, culture, sources

Andrew Paleologus, Byzantine Empire, Christmas, Crowland Chronicle, Edward IV, Eltham Palace, John Stow

Reconstruction of Christmas at Eltham 1482 – Historic England (illustration by Peter Urmston) In the 14th century it became a royal tradition to spend Christmas at Eltham, and by 1482, Edward IV also held his Christmas there. The top picture is an imagined scene of this Christmas in the great hall (pictured immediately above) with…
If only … (by SHW)

Dec 25, 2019

Alternative History, anniversaries, humour

Christmas message, television
Christmas under Henry VII, complete with “foot sheets”. . .!

Dec 24, 2019

anniversaries, culture, religion

banquets, Christmas, Coronation, Henry VII, mediaeval food, New Year, Twelfth Night, William Francis Dawson

I was browsing, and came upon the following interesting details about how Henry VII celebrated Christmas and Twelfth Night. It is from Christmas: Its Origin and Associations by William Francis Dawson, which I found in Google Books. The following extract has been tweaked a little by me, to create more paragraphs and thus make it…
The dolls, toys and playthings of medieval children….

Dec 23, 2019

anniversaries, culture

Christmas shopping, hobby horses, toys

If you are interested in what medieval children played with, i.e. theirs toys and so on, rather than the things they found lying around and used according to their imagination, then this is an excellent site. It is part of the lars datter site, which offers a great deal of scope and information. The site’s official…
Here’s to the successful rescue of Becket’s Well in Derby….

Dec 21, 2019

anniversaries, archaeology, buildings, religion

Becketwell, Derby, Leicester dig, Richard III, Thomas Becket, Wells

“This isn’t quite Richard III under a car park but a 12th century holy well attached to St Thomas Becket is still a rare survival.” Indeed it is, and I do hope the excavations in Derby lead to the well’s permanent restoration. It’s dreadful how we’ve allowed our precious past to be destroyed, but better…
There once was a “skirmish” at Worksop….

Dec 16, 2019

anniversaries, battles, buildings

ambush, Edmund Duke of Somerset, London, Nottinghamshire, Richard Duke of York, Richard of Salisbury, Wakefield, Wars of the Roses, William of Worcester, Worksop, Worksop Castle, York

A little-covered event took place at Worksop on 16th December 1460. It is covered in great detail in this excellent article. The whole of the Our Nottinghamshire site is worth exploring. However, it the Battle of Worksop that is dealt with here, and it seems there is very little known about exactly where the battle…