William of Malmesbury

The Death of Robert, Earl of Gloucester

Oct 31, 2019

anniversaries, battles, genealogy, sources

Adela of Normandy, Arundel Castle, Battle of Lincoln, books, Bristol Castle, Faversham Abbey, Geoffrey Plantagenet, Henry I, illegitimacy, Matilda, Matthew Lewis, Reading Abbey, Robert of Gloucester, St. James’ Priory Bristol, Stephen, The Anarchy, White Ship Disaster, William I, William II, William of Malmesbury

In writing Stephen and Matilda: Cousins of Anarchy, I was keen to apply the same narrow-eyed pursuit of solid facts that I hope comes across in my books on the Wars of the Roses. More than being about battles and, well, anarchy, I wanted to discover the real personalities behind the stories, the people who…
Was Sir Gawain’s head still displayed in Dover Castle in 1485….?

Oct 25, 2018

anniversaries, buildings

Arthurian legend, Calais, Dover Castle, Englynion y Bethau, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Henry II, Ramon de Pelleros, Roger Mortimer, Roger Mortimer 4th Earl of March, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Thomas Becket, Thomas Malory, Wales, Welsh, William of Malmesbury

One of the greatest of Arthur’s knights was Sir Gawain, hero of (among other legends) the tale of the Green Knight. There is some very interesting information about Gawain here: I always knew that the Welsh tradition has Gawain (Welsh – Gwalchmai) buried as follows:- “The grave of Gwalchmai in Peryddon, as a disgrace to…
1066: THE YEAR OF THREE KINGS

Oct 14, 2017

anniversaries, battles, genealogy, sources

Alfred son of Ethelred, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Athelings, bastardy, Battle of Britain, Battle of Hastings, Bayeux Tapestry, Cerdic, Cnut, David Douglas, Domesday Book, Dover, Eadmer, Edgar the Atheling, Edward the Exile, Emma of Normandy, English Channel, Ethelred II, Eustace of Bologne, Frank Barlow, Fulford, Godwin Earl of Wessex, Gytha, Hakon grandson of Godwin, Harald Hardrada, Harald Sigurdsson, Harold Harefoot, Harold II, Harthacnut, Herleve, hindsight, hostages, House of Wessex, Hungary, invasions, Isle of Wight, Jane Austen, John of Worcester, Leofric, Lotharingia, Magnus Magnusson, Magnus the Good, Matilda of Flanders, Michael Lawson, Norman conquest, Normans, oaths, Oderic Vitalis, Odo Bishop of Bayeux, Papacy, Paul Hill, Peter Rex, Pevensey Bay, primogeniture, promises, propaganda, Queen Edith, Richard Duke of Normandy, Richard III, Robert Chumpert, Romney, Scotland, Shakespeare, shipwreck, Sigurd, Sir Frank Stenton, St. Edward the Confessor, Stamford Bridge, Stigand, Sveyn Godwinson, Sweyn Estrithson, Synod of Chelsea, Tostig, Vik, Vita Edwardi Regis, William I, William of Jumieges, William of Malmesbury, William of Poitiers, Winston Churchill, Witangemot, Wulfnoth Godwinson, York

“History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days” (Winston Churchill) “I often think it odd that it should be so dull, for a great deal of it must be invention.” (Catherine…

William of Malmesbury

The Death of Robert, Earl of Gloucester

Was Sir Gawain’s head still displayed in Dover Castle in 1485….?

1066: THE YEAR OF THREE KINGS