anniversaries
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Well, I think present-day Chiddingstone village is cleaner and healthier than it was in Tudor times, but it’s certainly very very beautiful. Mind you, it was there before the rotten Tudors! For instance “….The historical epicentre is the village shop [illustrated above] believed to be the oldest functioning shop in England, dating back to…
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In 1376 King Edward III granted the manors of Vastern and Wootton to his son Edmund, Earl of Cambridge. The manors adjoin, with Wootton know better known as Royal Wootton Basset, Wiltshire. Vastern Manor still exists, although it has been extensively rebuilt. The core of the stucture is, however, said to be fifteenth century. It…
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Elizabeth Vernon, Countess of Southampton.
Constance of York, Diana Princess of Wales, Duke of Cambridge, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth Vere, Elizabeth Vernon, Essex rebellion, Henry Earl of Southampton, Henry IV, Humphrey of Gloucester, imprisonment, maids of honour, Margaret Audley, marriages, Robert Devereux Earl of Essex, Tower of London, William Cecil, Winston ChurchillElizabeth Vernon, who lived from 1572 to 1655, was a maid-of-honour to Queen Elizabeth I. In 1598, while serving in that capacity, she became pregnant by Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton (1573-1624) who is perhaps best remembered as a patron of Shakespeare. Queen Elizabeth was not amused, and had the pair of them thrown in…
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How many of you have books on your shelves that you’ve had for years but have yet to read? I’m guilty of that, I fear. However, today I grabbed a book at random, to read while my car, name of Iggy, underwent his first MOT. When I arrived and was seated, I discovered that the…
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It is not just King Richard III who has had numerous scientific tests done on his mortal remains. Tests have also recently taken place on the jawbone of Louis IX of France who died in 1270 while on Crusade in Tunisia. Louis is also known as ‘The Saint’ and was the husband of Margaret of…
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The headless Lord Chancellor and the legless aviator
A Night to Remember, A Tale of Two Cities, Aberdeen, Andrew J. Mitchell Gill, aviation, Catholic Emancipation, Catholic families, Charles Lightoller, Douglas Bader, executions, Father Brown, Gerrards Cross, high treason, India, John Buchan, Kenneth More, Lord Chancellor, Martin Wood, Moirs of Stoneywood, pilots, Polar explorers, Poona, RAF, Reach for the Sky, Richard Hannay, Scott of the Antarctic, The 39 Steps, The Family and Descendants of St. Thomas More, The Forsyte Saga, The Franchise Affair, Thomas More, Titanic(or “Reach for the Woolsack” or “More Mores”) Kenneth More (left) was most famous for his role as Douglas Bader in Reach for the Sky, as well as appearing in A Night to Remember and The 39 Steps, but he occasionally spoke or wrote about being descended from Sir Thomas More, without providing references. Here,…
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According to Caroline Halstead in Richard III As Duke Of Gloucester And King of England, the White Rose derives from Clifford Castle (near Hay-on-Wye). It therefore came to the York family as part of their inheritance from the Mortimers, who had themselves inherited Clifford Castle. But why is Clifford Castle associated with a white rose?…
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Seeing family likenesses is always irresistible, and few can deny that Henry VII and his mother are practically identical…well, except that as far as I know he wasn’t inclined to dress up to resemble a nun! From this I conclude that Beaufort blood is the key. Just how much Beaufort blood is arguable, of course.…
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While searching for information about the above house in Dartford, Kent, I ended up at this link. Oh dear, I know Edward III reigned a long time, but not THIS long! “….In the reign of Edward II (1307–1327) the manor was owned by Thomas de Luda. Towards the end of the reign of Edward…