An Open Sesame to all sorts of links to the mediaeval world….

While Googling around in search of old portraits, I happened upon this interesting site, which has a LOT of pictures/information on mediaeval jewellery, as well as portraits and many things of note for those who like the mediaeval period. A very satisfying way to pass a little time in amiable browsing. The link is to rings…

A Game of Thrones?

I was lucky enough to get a board game for Christmas from my 29 year old son, Jim, who is a board game fanatic! Luckily his wife, Kat, is too! Anyway, this one is a bit special because it is called “Richard IIITM – The Wars of the Roses” by Columbia Games, Inc. (Incidentally, I’m…

Quite an unfortunate family

Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, cannot be called unlucky. The story of his revolt against Richard III, ending in Salisbury at the start of November 1483 is so well known that even Shakespeare has the right end of this particular stick. However, his family suffered fates that they didn’t always deserve so obviously: 1)…

A Richard for every month of 2015….?

Among the tongue-in-cheek reports for looking back on 2015  (that’s not a typo), Guardian.com for 28th December 2014 has this to say:- Twelve more bodies identified as Richard III The laboratory that identified the skeleton from under a Leicester car park as the last Plantagenet king was in the spotlight again last spring when 12…

Richard III – Christmas in Bruges

by Merlyn MacLeod  A Christmas candle is a lovely thing. It makes no noise at all, but softly gives itself away. ~Eva Logue   “I ask ye, is it too much for a good man to ask for a bit of warm comfort on a cold Christmas Eve?” Hastings raised his hands about chest high.…

An overheard Conversation

‘Edward,’ said the Duchess of York, in her sad-but-angry voice, ‘it is high time we had words. This ridiculous marriage you say you have made is simply the last straw. What sort of king marries in secret? And to someone, I may add, of no particular distinction of birth! You should be ashamed of yourself,…

Review of A Cautionary Tale by Joanie Swift

As Joanie Swift herself states, “If only the Battle of Bosworth had not ended in a Tudor victory . . .” Yes, but it did, and we can’t change that, although Joanie takes a huge swipe in the right direction with this hilarious little roman à clef. Instead of Bosworth in 1485, we’re in London…

It isn’t quite clear …

… who Petrus Alamire was spying for but he survived possibly outwitting Henry VIII: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-29693410 Here is a little more about him: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-29693410

And Richard yelled “Pell-mell!”….

The following is from an article by Dave Kiffer in a newspaper from Ketchikan in Alaska. “And wasn’t it Richard III who used the phrase “pell-mell” to describe rapid advancement of troops or some such thing. Of course, Richard III’s too rapid advancement led him to spending a few centuries buried under a parking lot.…

A palace belonging to one of Richard’s ancestors

The palace was at Garth Celyn (Clwyd) and the ancestor in question was Llewellyn (Fawr) ab Iorweth, whose daughter Gwladys Dhu married Ralph de Mortimer of Wigmore. So, despite the recently highlighted doubts about the other contender at Bosworth, Richard at least was of royal Welsh descent. Here is Paul Martin Remfry’s article in full:…