The New Murrey and Blue blog

anniversaries

A PERIOD DEPICTION OF EDWARD IV & ELIZABETH WOODVILLE

Aug 14, 2021

anniversaries, buildings, religion, sources

Barnard Castle, double chin, Edward IV, Elizabeth Wydeville, illuminated manuscripts, John Rylands Library, stone corbel, University of Manchester

Recently I came across these two roundels from a late medieval manuscript, held in the John Rylands Library, which depict Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville seated on thrones, crowned and holding their sceptres. These two miniatures are extremely colourful even after the intervening 500 + years and hold lots of interesting details, including, in the…
The Wanderings of King Henry VI

Aug 12, 2021

anniversaries, archaeology, art, battles, buildings

Alfred Wainwright, artefacts, Bolton Hall, Bolton-by-Bowland, Bracewell Barn, Clitheroe Castle, Henry VI, Hexham, Lake District, Luck of Muncaster, Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass, Readeption, Richard of Warwick, royal burials, Sir James Harrington, Sir Ralph Pudsey, Sir Thomas Talbot, Tower of London, Waddington Hall, Wasdale Head Inn

After the Battle of Hexham (15 May 1464) Henry VI very wisely made himself scarce. His first recorded place of refuge was Muncaster Castle in what is now Cumbria. The distance involved is roughly 90 miles, but anyone who has read Wainwright’s Guides to the Lakeland Fells will appreciate that this would include many…
A VINTAGE CARTOON OF EDWARD IV

Aug 11, 2021

anniversaries, art, buildings, humour

barrel, cartoons, Edward IV, executions, George Duke of Clarence, Margaret of Salisbury, Richard III, symbolism, Tower of London

I seem to collect pictures of Edward IV. He’s quite searchable online and has many various portraits come up, ranging from small illuminations in manuscripts to copies of copies of copies. They range from the sublime to ridiculous, as they rather do with Richard, but there are a lot more of them, as one might…
A new documentary about Shakespeare….

Aug 9, 2021

anniversaries, buildings, law, religion, The play’s the thing

Alice Loxton, Dan Snow, secret marriage, Stratford, William Shakespeare

Dan Snow (who married in secret, although nobody has ever done that) and Alice Loxton have been filming in Stratford-upon-Avon for a new documentary about Shakespeare, to be released in September. I do hope it’s sensible!
The story of Queen Margaret’s Gate, York….

Aug 8, 2021

anniversaries, buildings

“Tudors”, Bootham Bar, Henry VII, James IV, King’s Manor, Queen Margaret’s Gate, royal marriages, royal visits, Scotland, York

“….[Queen Margaret’s Gate, Bootham Bar] was supposedly intended as a short-cut for King Henry VII (the man who had defeated Richard III) when he was visiting York and stayed at the Abbot’s Lodging, now King’s Manor. The short cut would have made it quicker for him to get from the abbey to the Minster….”…
Henry’s lookin’ at you….!

Aug 7, 2021

anniversaries, Science

cross eyes, facial reconstruction, Henry VII, movement

If you go almost to the bottom of this article, you’ll find a very brief view of Henry VII moving in a lifelike way! Well, his eyes do! They even operate together! It’s spooky. I’ll always be rude about him because (to me) he really was horrible in just about every way – AND he…
Gone Medieval Podcast

Aug 5, 2021

anniversaries, archaeology, genealogy, Science, travel

Africa, Apple podcasts, barfleur, building, Cat Jarman, Charles Earl Spencer, diving, Gone Mediaeval, Henry I, History Hit, Indian Ocean, John of Gaunt, Lindisfarne, Matilda, Matthew Lewis, Normandy, Plantagenets, podcasts, The Anarchy, The White Ship, trade, Vikings, William Adelin, wreckage

I’ve Gone Mediaeval. That may not be a surprise to most, but now you can come with me. I am co-hosting a new podcast from History Hit called Gone Mediaeval. I present an episode every Saturday, mostly covering the high and late medieval period. The other host is Dr Cat Jarman, a bioarchaeologist, who specialises…
An excellent site dealing with the history of Chester….

Aug 4, 2021

anniversaries, battles, buildings

Battle of Evesham, Cheshire, Chester, Chester Castle, Chester Cathedral, Chester city walls, Earls of Chester, Grosvenor Museum, Minerva Shrine, Old Dee Bridge, Simon de Montfort, The Rows

When roaming around the internet it’s always satisfying to come upon a site that is well worth recommending. The history of Chester has been dealt with thoroughly at this website. So if you want to know about that city (and its county) please pay an e-visit!
The lost city …

Aug 3, 2021

anniversaries, archaeology, battles, buildings

Berwick, Borders towns, David I, Floors Castle, James II, Lancastrians, Richard III, River Teviot, River Tweed, Roxburgh, Scotland, Scottish campaign 1482, siege of Roxburgh, Time team

… of Roxburgh, one of David I’s auxiliary capitals, in Border country, was visited by Time Team in 2004. Now we can all have a better vision of the scene of the 1460 siege and understand how Richard’s 1482 invasion of Scotland hastened its end.
Henry I is probably under a nursery school, and might be best left there….!

Aug 2, 2021

anniversaries, archaeology, buildings, religion, Science

bastardy, Henry I, Historia Anglorum, Kingfinder General, Matilda, murder, New Forest, nursery schools, Reading Abbey, Robert Curthose, royal burials, Walter Tirel, White Ship Disaster, William II

There are kings…and there are admirable kings. I’m afraid that from what I’ve heard about Henry I, he’s best left where he is! My friend hoodedman has written: “….It’s funny how Henry is not regarded as a controversial king despite maybe being implicated in his brother’s death in the New Forest, kept another brother…