anniversaries
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After the time of long barrenness, God first send Anne, which signifyth grace, In token that at her heart’s heaviness, He as for barrenness would from them chase. Harry, Edward, Edmund, each in his place Succeeded; and after twain daughter came Elizabeth and Margaret, and afterwards William. John after William next born was, Which both…
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Originally posted on RICARDIAN LOONS: Lady on Horseback, mid-15th c., British Museum My husband and I had the good fortune to spend two weeks in England and Wales in October, 2017. I had been asked to moderate a conference about Richard III and 15th century warfare at the Leicester Guildhall, sponsored by the Richard III…
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Reading in Berkshire is apparently famous for, among other things, five varieties of potato. Nine other items for which Reading is renowned are listed here, and I presume that eight of them are correct. But the last one definitely is NOT! I quote: “Philippa Gregory, the woman who found the body of Richard III under a car…
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A MAN WHO WOULD BE KING: THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM AND RICHARD III
“Beauforts”, books, Buckingham rebellion, Edward IV, Edward of Buckingham, excepta dignitate regali, executions, First Battle of St. Albans, George Duke of Clarence, Henry of Buckingham, Henry VI, Henry VIII, High Steward, Humphrey Duke of Buckingham, Janet Reedman, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Lancastrians, Northampton, Richard III, Staffords, Tewkesbury, Thomas of woodstock, Tower of LondonThe Duke of Buckingham is rather a ‘dark horse’ figure in the history of Richard III. No one knows for sure why he aided Richard to take the throne only to turn upon him in rebellion a few months later. Simplistic ideas such as ‘he repented of his ways after the princes were murdered’ don’t…
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The Battle of Mortimer’s Cross took place on February 2, 1461. Here, in a Herefordshire field, 18 year old Edward earl of March, gazed up and saw the phenomena known as the Parhelion, the three suns, rising in the sky. His men were frightened but Edward turned the situation to his advantage, telling his army…
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Today in 1606, the last of the “Gunpowder Plotters”, including Guido Fawkes, were executed at Tyburn. Some had been put to death the previous day whilst others, including Robert Catesby, were shot at Holbeche House , resisting arrest, soon after the plot was discovered. All of the executions were carried out by drawing, hanging and…
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There have been no fewer than seventeen attempts on the lives of US Presidents, only four of which succeeded. The very first one of them all was a failure, and the would-be assassin was an Englishman who thought he (the assassin, not the President) was King Richard III. His intended victim was Andrew Jackson.…
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Here is a link to an interesting article first published in the BBC History Magazine in October 2016. Written by Steven Gunn, a professor of early modern history at Merton College, Oxford, the article gives appraisals of five of the ‘upstart’ advisers who Henry came to rely upon and their varying fates. Professor Gunn, however,…
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The above illustrations are an indication of the generally accepted view of the reign of Edward II. He preferred men and ignored his wife. She resented this, took a lover and turned successfully upon her husband, becoming the “She Wolf” of legend. So let us go back to the beginning. On 25th January 1308, Edward…
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A source at the National Archives says that John of Gaunt’s daughter Elizabeth was married to the boy, John Hastings, Earl of Pembroke, on 24th January 1380. She was about 17, he was about 8. She then “disagreed” with the marriage, because of her husband’s youth and inability to consummate the marriage, and the source…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 