Henry V

The imposition of ransom….

Apr 16, 2022

anniversaries, art, battles, buildings, The play’s the thing

Alice Perrers, Berkshire, Brest, Brittany, Donnington Castle, extortion, Henry V, Hundred Years War, Ireland, Judi Dench, Lord Deputy of Ireland, Michael Jones, piracy, ransom, Remy Ambuhl, Robert Hardy, Shakespeare, siege of Brest, Sir Richard Abberbury, Sir William Windsor, Turner

My latest target for research is the English garrison/bastion of Brest, on the coast of Brittany, specifically the final years of the 14th century before it was handed back to the Bretons. My interest had been aroused when reading Ducal Brittany 1364-1399, by Michael Jones. In it I learned of the practice of…
A mystery at the Swan Inn at Clare, Suffolk….

Apr 11, 2022

anniversaries, buildings, genealogy, heraldry

Anne Morimer, cadency, Clare, Clare Castle, de Burgh arms, Edmund Earl of March, Henry IV, Henry V, Ireland, John of Gaunt, Lancastrian propaganda, Lionel of Antwerp, Mortimer arms, Mortimer History Society, mulberries, Richard Duke of York, Richard Earl of Cambridge, Richard II, Roger Mortimer 4th Earl of March, Suffolk, Swan Inn

On reading the February 2021 edition of the Mortimer History Society’s publication, Mortimer Matters, I was intrigued by an article (by Hugh Wood) about a curious piece of carved and painted wood. “….Brightening up the front of the Swan Inn in Clare in Suffolk is this colourful piece of carved wood. Its shape suggests that…
James I: Scotland’s Lancastrian King

Apr 4, 2022

anniversaries, battles, buildings, religion, sources

assassination, authoritarianism, captivity, castles, de heretico comburendo, executions, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, James I, Joan “Beaufort”, Lollards, Murdoch Duke of Albany, Pavel Kravar, Perth Blackfriars, ransom, Robert Duke of Albany, Scotichronicon, Southwark Cathedral, Walter Bower

Here is an excellent Gordon McKelvie article from History Extra about the king who was prisoner, hostage and then guest of the three Lancastrian kings, before marrying Henry V‘s cousin in Southwark Cathedral and going home to reign in person, heavily influenced in style by his former hosts, as the Stewarts of Albany and “Paul…
The perils of obtaining books….

Feb 19, 2022

anniversaries, buildings, religion

Archbishop Thomas Arundel, books, Canterbury Cathedral, Google, Henry IV, Henry V, piracy, security

Here at this link is the ultimate tease for this already whining, snivelling book-seeker who has been buying books all over recently and whose purse is becoming sadly threadbare. And whose house is running out of space for accommodating my endless lust for more books! This particular volume is expensive (natch, all the books I…
More naval archaeology

Feb 1, 2022

anniversaries, archaeology, battles, religion

Atlantic, Canada, cannon, downings, First World War, Henry V, Henry VIII, Holighost, Ireland, Laurentic, logboats, Malin head, Mary Rose, mines, Newport Ship, River Boyne, shipping forecast, St. Bridget, Titanic, Warwick the Kingmaker, White Star Line

We now know a lot about Henry V’s Holighost, Henry VIII’s Mary Rose and the Kingmaker’s “Newport ship“, as well as the Boyne’s mediaeval log boats. Now there is evidence of a much later find, also in Ireland. The SS (HMS) Laurentic was a White Star liner and sister to the Titanic, sunk by two…
Inventions

Nov 18, 2021

anniversaries, humour, religion, Science

de heretico comburendo, Edward IV, fire extinguisher, Henry V, Henry VIII, inventions, Mary I, Reginald Cardinal Pole, stair lift

Here is a selection of useful inventions. I was surprised to find out how old the stair lift was but Henry VIII and his maternal grandfather could both have availed themselves of it and 1536 was just in time for the former’s riding accident. The fire extinguisher only dates to 1818 but many people really…
Mud, mud, glorious Agincourt mud….!

Oct 25, 2021

anniversaries, battles, films

Azincourt, France, Henry V, Hundred Years War, longbowmen, mud, The King

When I watched the movie The King about Henry V of England, I was bemused by the mud bath that was Agincourt. It seems this one aspect of the movie’s depiction was accurate, even if liberties had been taken with much of the rest of the film. Which I enjoyed very much, albeit taking…
Guess what? Henry VII invented the London Watch….!

Aug 29, 2021

buildings, law

“Tudor” propaganda, Beefeaters, Henry V, Henry VII, Human Shredder, London, London Watch, policing, renaissance, Richard III, Titulus Regius

“….Watchmen were organized groups of men, usually authorized by a state, government, city, or society, to deter criminal activity and provide law enforcement as well as traditionally perform the services of public safety, fire watch, crime prevention, crime detection, recovery of stolen goods. The streets in London were dark and had a shortage of artificial…
The ruby that isn’t a ruby was worn at a battle that didn’t happen….?

Jul 25, 2021

anniversaries, art, battles

Azincourt, Battle of Bosworth, Black Prince’s Ruby, Edgecote, Edincott, Edward IV, Edward of Woodstock, Elizabeth II, Henri IV, Henry IV, Henry V, Imperial State Crown, Richard III

Aha, so it isn’t a ruby, see this article. Well, we knew that! But for all its associations with the Black Prince, Henry V and Richard III (to say nothing of later monarchs) it seems our present queen “….often likes to think of it being worn by Henry IV during the battle of…
Some Shakespeare scenes re-written

Jul 3, 2021

anniversaries, battles, films, humour, religion, The play’s the thing

Battle of Bosworth, Charles VII, cricket, de heretico comburendo, delivery companies, executions, Henry V, horses, Lollards, Michael K Jones, Richard III, Shakespeare, tennis balls

Henry V DRIVER (presses bell) BUTLER (opens door) DRIVER: Mr. Monmouth? BUTLER: Sorry, he is busy at the moment. DRIVER: Dauphin’s Sporting Goods here. I have a delivery for him; can he spare a moment to sign for it? Otherwise I’ll probably have to take it back to the warehouse. BUTLER: He is with some…