The New Murrey and Blue blog

Science

Signs of the Times (3)

Aug 19, 2015

Science

Edward V, Elizabeth of York, Henry of Buckingham, Henry VII, Lady Margaret Beaufort, signature

Here is the next instalment of my handwriting series! Here I will examine a few more of the main protagonists of the Wars of the Roses and you can leave any comments or suggestions as you will. First of all, let us consider that ‘most untrue creature living’, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. Here is…
Signs of the Times (2)

Aug 15, 2015

Science

death, Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, George Duke of Clarence, sex, signature

As a follow-up from my previous post about Richard’s handwriting, I thought I might consider the writing of a few others of his time period. Please bear in mind again, that this is just for fun and I am not a professional handwriting analyst. Also, there are only a few examples of the handwriting of…
More news from Jamestown:

Aug 4, 2015

archaeology, genealogy, Science

Bartholomew Gosnold, Catholic symbols, George Duke of Clarence, Jamestown, remains

As we established last year, Bartholomew Gosnold’s cousin was married to one of Clarence’s great-great-granddaughters (https://murreyandblue.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/the-explorer-and-the-clarence-descendant/). Now we can identify four of the 1607 founders who died in Jamestown during 1610: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3177841/Scientists-identify-men-died-Virginias-Jamestown-400-years-ago.html. We can identify them as Rev. Robert Hunt, Sir Ferdinando Wainman, Captains William West and Gabriel Archer. The latter was, intriguingly, buried with…
EDWARD V–YOUNG APOLLO OR INVALID?

Aug 2, 2015

Science

“Tudor” “sources”, Annette Carson, Apollo, bones, Dr. John Argentine, Edward V, evidence, George Buck, Hicks, intellect, jaw disease, Ludlow, Mancini, Richard of Shrewsbury, teeth

There are some, though increasingly few in number, who still wish to believe the ‘bones in the urn’ at Westminster are, without doubt, the remains of Edward V and his brother, Richard of York. Professor Hicks, among others, chides those who ‘do not wish to believe’ despite ‘the best medical opinion of the day.’ (Extraordinary…
Signs of the Times – the Handwriting of Richard III

Jul 28, 2015

Science

character, graphology, motto, Richard III, signature

I have recently reread an interesting book about analysing handwriting and have had fun playing about with my friends’ writing and seeing if their handwriting matches their characters; it mainly does. So, being interested in Richard III, I thought I would (just for fun) have a go at analysing his writing at different times in…
Skeleton from medieval battlefield goes on display at York museum….

Jul 12, 2015

battles, Science

archeology, museums, Towton, York

I wonder who this gentleman might have been? At over 6′, and apparently buried aside from most of the fallen, he is thought to have been high status. So…how many noblemen died at Towton? Might he be someone of consequence to the Richard III/House of York story? Two articles about this have come to my…
The latest on the search for Henry I in Reading

Jun 27, 2015

archaeology, buildings, Science

Civil War, Edward VI, Ground Penetrating Radar, Henry I, Henry VIII, Hugh Farringdon, Kingfinder General, Lampreys, MBE, Philippa Langley, playground, Reading Abbey, Reformation

Another good article here: http://www.livescience.com/51235-search-for-king-henry-tomb.html
Book Review: “The Royal Funerals of the House of York at Windsor” by Anne Sutton and Livia Visser-Fuchs with R. A. Griffiths.

Jun 19, 2015

Book Reviews, Science

Anne Sutton, Bermondsey Abbey, Edward IV, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth Woodville, Fotheringhay, George of Bedford, Grace Plantagenet, Henry VII, Livia Visser-Fuchs, Lord Maltravers, Mary of York, Ralph Griffiths, Royal College of Arms, Sir William Parr, Wardrobe accounts, Westminster Abbey, William Berkeley, Windsor

Based upon articles originally appearing in The Ricardian from 1997-1999, Royal Funerals is probably one of the most comprehensive treatments of Yorkist burials at Windsor, and an excellent companion piece to Sutton/Visser-Fuchs’ The Reburial of Richard Duke of York: 21-30 July 1476. Together, these texts offer not only detailed analyses of royal English funerals from…
Hair today, gone tomorrow

Jun 11, 2015

archaeology, Science

“Princes”, DNA evidence, hair, John Ashdown-Hill, Mary “Tudor”, Moyse’s Hall Museum

Following our post on Sunday, (https://murreyandblue.wordpress.com/2015/06/07/a-lock-of-a-kings-hair/) you may have heard that there was a lock of hair in Moyse’s Hall Museum, Bury St. Edmunds, belonging to Edward’s granddaughter Mary “Tudor”, who became Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk. This was investigated at the behest of John Ashdown-Hill, as she would share mtDNA with Edward’s…
A LOCK OF A KING’S HAIR

Jun 7, 2015

genealogy, Science

auction, Edward IV, hair, Society of Antiquaries

https://auctions.roseberys.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/38/lot/18809/ Recently a lock of hair purporting to be from the head of Edward IV turned up at Rosebery’s for what was, in my opinion, a very low estimated price. Edward’s tomb in Windsor was opened in the latter part of the 1700’s and it was said that visitors emerged clutching handfuls of ‘long brown…