anniversaries
-
ANOTHER MISSING QUEEN: JOAN OF SCOTLAND
Alexander II, Bishop of Salisbury, burial mystery, Cistercians, Dorset, Eleanor of Provence, Ermengarde, Henry III, Hugh X of Lusignan, Isabella of Angouleme, Joan of Scotland, John, pilgrimage, Reformation, Richard of Cornwall, Richard Poore, royal marriages, Scotland, Tarrant Crawford Abbey, York MinsterThe village of Tarrant Crawford really isn’t a village anymore. If you type the address into your Satnav, it will vanish from the screen while driving down the nearby main road–there are no signposts and the only other road visible is a simple farm track fringed by thick trees. However, here at one time was…
-
The Cockayne family eventually established themselves as lords of the manor of Ashbourne (Derbyshire) for all practical purposes – in truth, it was a manor that belonged to the House of Lancaster, and they served in the roles of bailiff, steward, and so on. As time went by they took on wider responsibilities and became…
-
Medieval childbirth was a fearful time for women. Dangers were many, and little could be done if there was any kind of medical problem. Women routinely wrote their wills prior to going into labour as the death rate was so high. Out of this fear came the use of many charms and rituals meant to…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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,…
