John of Gaunt

There’s been another Murrrrdah…!

Mar 30, 2022

anniversaries, law

executions, Grayingham, Henry IV, History of Parliament, John of Gaunt, King’s Bench, Lincolnshire, Maud Neville of Scotton, murder, petty treason, Richard Gyse, Richard II, Robert Coke, Sheriff of Lincolnshire, Sir John Bussy, Sir Philip Neville, Sir Thomas de Kydale, Sir William de Cantilupe, Speakers of the Commons

Maud Neville of Scotton, Lincolnshire, was the daughter and heiress of Sir Philip** Neville and Sarah (birth name unknown) and was born in about 1360. She married Sir William Cantilupe, a substantial landowner and member of a family which, historically, been of considerable importance in England. ** Some sources say Ralph. Take your pick. Allegedly,…
Sibling marriages again

Mar 22, 2022

anniversaries, archaeology, law, religion, Science, sources

Affinity, Alexandra Sinclair, Anne Beauchamp, Anne Neville, Beauchamp Pageant, canon law, Cecily Neville the Younger, Constance of Castile, denialists, Edmund of Langley, Eleanor of Provence, George Duke of Clarence, Henry Duke of Warwick, Henry III, Hicks, incest, Isabel of Castile, Isobel Neville, John of Gaunt, Leicester Greyfriars, marriage ceremony, Richard Earl of Cornwall, Richard III, Richard III’s remains, Richard of Warwick, Sanchia of Provence, sibling double marriages

In the teeth of the evidence, some authors maintain that Richard Duke of Gloucester and Anne Neville required a third dispensation because his brother had already wed her sister, an argument that Barnfield has conclusively fisked. We don’t have to go very far to find a similar case of sibling marriages – the Neville sisters’…
Medieval tombs weren’t commenced at the time of death….

Mar 20, 2022

anniversaries, art, buildings, religion

Blanche of Lancaster, Canterbury Cathedral, Edward Despenser, Edward of Woodstock, Great Fire of London, Henry IV, John of Gaunt, London, Mary de Bohun, Old St. Paul’s, Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, Richard II, royal tombs, Tewkesbury Abbey

According to this article about the tomb of Edward of Woodstock, the “Black Prince”, at Canterbury: “….The study also re-dates the effigy to a decade after Edward’s death, suggesting that although Richard II faithfully followed his father’s instructions, it did not happen immediately….” Perhaps it should be remembered that Richard II was only ten…
John of Gaunt by Kathryn Warner

Mar 6, 2022

anniversaries, genealogy, law, sources

biographies, Blanche of Lancaster, Caherine de Roet, character, Constanza of Castile, Edmund of Langley, Edward the Black Prince, generosity, greed, John of Gaunt, Kathryn Warner, Lancastrians, Lionel of Antwerp, Thomas of woodstock, translation, wills

This is a very valuable new biography of John of Gaunt. As usual with this author, the incredibly complex network of family relationships is successfully navigated. There is a fair amount of ‘correction of the record’. For example, Duchess Blanche did not die of plague in 1369, but of unknown causes in 1368. Duchess Constanza…
When it comes to receiving kickings, Richard II begins to catch up with Richard III….

Feb 14, 2022

anniversaries, art, buildings, law

Anne of Bohemia, Black Prince, Edward III, France, Henry IV, Henry VII, Isabella de Valois, John of Gaunt, Lancastrian propaganda, Peasants’ Revolt, Pontefract Castle, Richard II, Richard III, royal marriages, Wilton Diptych

Oh dear, here we have 10 “facts” about Richard III’s predecessor namesake, Richard II. Yes, poor old Richard of Bordeaux gets it in the neck yet again. At this rate he’ll soon be Richard III’s equal. Well, maybe not quite, but you know what I mean. Firstly it’s stated that Richard of Bordeaux was…
Two Huggin Lanes, two churches of St Michael….

Jan 19, 2022

buildings, religion, sources

Agas map, Cheapside, churches, Dictionary of London, Edward VI, Huggin Lane, John of Gaunt, John of Northampton, John Stow, Kingsford, London, Map of London, maps, marriages, Mary Godwin, Nicholas Brembre, Percy Shelley, Ralph Sporoun, Savoy Palace, Sir Christopher Wren, Sporran Lane, St. Michael Hoggenlane, St. Michael Queenhithe, St. Mildred and St. Margaret Moses, Thames Street, Wood Street

The 14th-century story of John of Gaunt enjoying dinner in a friend’s house (including oysters, I understand) in the city of London when rebels ransacked his palace of the Savoy in the hope of laying hands upon him. He escaped, but not before cracking his shin (or some such part of his anatomy) on…
A new book by Helen Carr is in the pipeline….

Jan 8, 2022

anniversaries

biographies, Helen Carr, Isabella de Valois, John of Gaunt, Richard II, royal marriages

Fourteenth-century England may not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially when the fifteenth century is more important for Ricardians, but the reign of Richard II is very much my interest. So I look forward to this new Helen Carr work. Bring it on! I’ve ordered Helen Carr’s biography of John of Gaunt, and hope to…
The Earls’ Rebellion

Nov 24, 2021

anniversaries, buildings, genealogy, law, religion

Agnes Dunbar, annulment, Archibald the Grim, Avignon popes, Battle of Neville’s Cross, Callum Watson, captivity, coronations, david II, Earls’ Rebellion, exile, France, imprisonment, Joan of the Tower, John of Gaunt, Margaret Drummond, mediaeval canon law, patronage, rebellions, Robert I, Robert II, Scone Palace, Scotland, Sir John Logie, Tantallon Castle, William Keith

This is a quite remarkable article by Dr. Callum Watson about the revolt against David II in 1363. To summarise the background:David succeeded Robert I in 1329 at the age of five. He was exiled in France between 1334 and 1341. He was captured at the Battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346 and ransomed in…
The true significance of posy rings….

Oct 29, 2021

art, culture, sources

Catherine de Roet, Countess of Salisbury, courtly love, Duchy of Lancaster, Edward III, Froissart, Geoffrey Chaucer, gifts, John of Gaunt, posy rings, royal mistresses, Troilus and Cressida, Wales

Treasure buried in fields and discovered centuries later are always in the news these days. These are usually coins, of course, but also jewellery, including posy rings. A posy ring was found in Wales very recently so I was interested to then read about the true meaning of such rings in A Crisis of Truth…
A new series of medieval murder mysteries….

Oct 26, 2021

anniversaries, archaeology, Book Reviews, buildings, genealogy, religion, Science

“Charter for Murder”, Alfred the Great, historical fiction, Hyde Abbey, John of Gaunt, Peasants’ Revolt, Richard II, William Wykeham, Winchester

“….AN initiative to find the bones of Alfred the Great in the Hyde suburb of Winchester, sponsored more than 20 years ago by the City Council, has had a surprising outcome. This is the launch of a series of whodunnits in settings that many readers will find easy to imagine. “….The first title, Charter…