anniversaries
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The above illustration is from the Spectator. Margaret Beaufort‘s machinations were indeed vital in the overthrow of the rightful king of England, Richard III. By treachery, of course, because she and her odious son never did anything honestly and up-front. Maybe she couldn’t help her face, but the sourpuss above was probably spot-on. And she…
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Well, impressed as I am, all I can say is “rather him than me”! Go up there? Never! I hate heights. But for those you who are made of sterner stuff, this BBC South video of the nooks, crannies and heights of Salisbury Cathedral is well worth watching.
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SARUM LIGHTS–A COMMEMORATION
“Pillars of the Earth”, Battle of Bosworth, Buckingham rebellion, Ela Countess of Salisbury, Eleanor of Aquitaine, executions, Gothic architecture, Henry II, Henry III, Iron Age, Ken Follett, Lionel Woodville, Magna Carta, Margaret of Salisbury, Normans, Old Sarum, Richard III, Salisbury Cathedral, Sir John Cheney, stained glass, William Longspee2020 is the 800th Anniversary of the founding of Salisbury Cathedral. Before ‘New Salisbury’ came into existence, the town stood on the windy cone of Old Sarum, a huge iron-age hillfort with massive earthen ramparts. There was a particularly forbidding Norman castle on the height, with a windswept bridge over a deep moat–here, Henry II…
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Recently I came across a Victorian piece of art by Ford Madox Brown which is supposed to depict Elizabeth Woodville first appearing before Edward IV with her two small children. It’s rather odd piece and not particularly flattering–I am guessing that the artist was not a Woodville fan? Here, a rather plain-looking Liz W. has …
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Shadow King: the Life and Death of Henry VI
Armagnacs, Beaufort family., biographies, Burgundians, Calder Bridge, Catherine de Roet, Edmund of Langley, Edmund of Rutland, Edward III, Edward IV, France, George Goodwin, Henry V, Henry VI, House of York, John of Gaunt, Lancastrians, Lauren Johnson, Lionel of Antwerp, Margaret of Anjou, Outwood, Pontefract Castle, Readeption, Richard Duke of York, Richard of Salisbury, Sandal Castle, Tim Sutherland, Tower of London, Towton, Wakefield, Wars of the Roses, Winchester PalaceHelen Rae Rants! Shadow King: The Life and Death of Henry VI by Lauren Johnson Head of Zeus Publications, 2020, paperback, 700 pages, £12.00 ISBN 978-1784-979645 <img class=”i-amphtml-intrinsic-sizer” style=”max-width: 100%; display: block !important;” role=”presentation” src=”data:;base64,” alt=”” aria-hidden=”true” /> Henry VI has gone down in history as one of England’s worst kings. Not for being cruel…
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I prefer to think of the 2nd (Howard) Duke of Norfolk as the great John Howard’s son…Anne Boleyn, fascinating as she was, is not of such great interest to devotees of the House of York, and Richard III in particular. John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, was, of course, killed at Bosworth, and Thomas Howard…
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We’re often told that the medieval period was one of bright colours. The interiors of castles and great houses were painted with vivid scenes, and the churches and cathedrals were brilliantly decorated. It’s one thing to know this, but quite another to actually see what it might have been like. The above illustration of…
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UPDATED POST @ sparkypus.com A Medieval Potpourri https://sparkypus.com/2020/06/20/waddington-hall-refuge-for-henry-vi/ THE GATEWAY HAS A CARVING OF A HAND CARRYING A LANCE AND BATTLE AXE WITH THE INSCRIPTION “I WILL RAISE UP HIS RUINS, I WILL BUILD IT AS IN THE DAYS OF OLD” Waddington Hall, another one time refuge for Henry VI after the battle of Hexham,…
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In the late 1930s it became fashionable for railways to “streamline” steam locomotives. The Great Western Railway could not be bothered to do a proper job, but as a gesture towards the trend modified one of their existing locomotives to the incredibly ugly condition seen above. The engine chosen? King Henry VII. Clearly someone…
