battles
pilltown
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This programme was first shown about twenty-five years ago and is now being repeated for the D-Day anniversary. It was presented by Richard Holmes, a military history lecturer and a Territorial Army officer, covering battlefields from centuries of conflicts. Series 2 covered Bosworth quite well, although it described “Tudor” as a “Lancastrian claimant” ready for…
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What on earth did the archbishop say to Edward III about Queen Philippa….?
Antwerp, Archbishop of Canterbury, Battle of Sluys, Blanche of the Tower, burghers of Calais, Edmund of Langley, Edward III, Edward the Black Prince, Ghent, House of Lancaster, Ian Mortimer, john de stratford, John of Gaunt, Kathryn Warner, Lionel of Antwerp, Phillippa of Hainault, possible infidelity, siege of Tournoi, Tournai, treaty of esplechin, Westminster AbbeyWe have all probably heard the story of John of Gaunt being an illegitimate commoner because he was swapped at birth for a royal baby girl who died when the queen “overlay” her in bed. Only a boy from the town of Ghent could be found as a replacement. So there was no royal blood…
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The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was undoubtedly a huge milestone in English history, and it has been written about many, many times. But now there is a new three-video series from historyhit.com, featuring Matt Lewis. You can view the first video here, as well as read all about the background to the great uprising.…
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Today, if we were to undertake a leisurely drive from Plymouth to London, showing an important foreign guest the sites along the way, all we’d need would be a decent car that was insured and perhaps a current MOT and full tank of fuel. Oh, and the wherewithal to feed said guest at the best…
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The Battle of Towton took place on the 29th of March1461 on an open field between the villages of Towton and Saxton in North Yorkshire on Palm Sunday. The battle took place during a snow storm and is believed to be the largest and bloodiest battle to be fought on English soil. The battle was…
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… ie dating from the era immediately after Richard III, in particular from Mary I and Philip to Charles I. These were found under the floorboards of a West Dorset house by Robert and Becky Fooks, having been hidden during the Civil War, to be auctioned shortly for about £20,000.
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We all know that Edward III and the Hundred Years War go together, not quite like peaches and cream, but together all the same, and during a truce with France he began to prepare for renewed hostilities when the truce ended. After many long weeks of delay, the date of embarkation for his great army…
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As Ascension Day arrives once again, we are reminded of the history of the Holy Land in Richard III’s era – that the Mamluks had displaced Saladin‘s heirs after the latter had defeated the Crusaders under Richard I and Philip Augustus. Of course, we have almost all watched Ivanhoe or read of Richard III meeting…
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On 17 April 1387, as part of the annual St George’s Day festivities, it was before the court of Richard II that Chaucer first performed his masterpiece, the Canterbury Tales. It was clear even then that he’d produced a very important work, but it’s only today that we appreciate it to the full—and are still…
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The Battle of Pwll Melyn, 5 May,1405.
abbot of llantarnam, Adam of Usk, Alianore Countess of March, battle of worcester, bramham moor, Dafydd Gam, executions, grosmont, gruffudd ap owain, Gwent, Henry Earl of Northumberland, Henry IV, Lord Grey of Codnor, monkswood, Mortimers, Owain Glyn Dwr, Pwll Melyn, rhys gethin, Sir john greyndore, Sir John Oldcastle, Usk CastleThe Battle of Pwll Melyn (Yellow Pool in English) was, in retrospect, the turning point for Henry IV. Up to this time, his enemies had largely held the initiative and were a real threat to him. This was to be the last time his forces were engaged in a full-scale battle against them. (1) Owain Glyndŵr‘s…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 