The miracle witnessed by Edward IV….

An anonymous Yorkist supporter wrote an account describing Edward IV’s march through England in the spring of 1471, when he came to reclaim his throne from the Lancastrian Henry VI. On 7th April, Palm Sunday, Edward heard mass in the parish church at Daventry, and during the service a miracle occurred, witnessed by everyone present. At that…

Snowballing, medieval style….!

An unlikely scene, surely? Would medieval ladies really go out snowballing in such décolleté gowns? Can’t believe it. One of them is even bending down to present a better target. I would be far  better wrapped, and so would all of you, I’m sure. Or do I have some very daring minxes among my lady…

What is a Wapentake?

English counties were divided into smaller administrative units. Normally, these are called ‘Hundreds’ but in the former Danelaw, they are called ‘Wapentakes’. It is thought the name comes from the ancient practice of brandishing weapons to signal assent. If a wapentake was in crown hands the sheriff would hold his ‘tourn’ there at intervals, usually…

Lucy does WOTR fibs….

I awaited Lucy Worsley’s latest series with great eagerness. Her impish character and entertaining presentation is always worth watching. And so it was again on Thursday, 26th January, in the first episode of British History’s Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley. It concerned the Wars of the Roses. Well, obviously, as a Ricardian I was keen…

Descriptions of two important Ricardian books….

Here’s how Kent County Council describes the two important Ricardian books. https://erl.overdrive.com/media/1389033 Richard III:A Small Guide to the Great Debate by Annette Carson “Ever since the discovery of his lost grave in Leicester, the eyes of the world have been drawn to the twists and turns surrounding England’s King Richard III… Annette Carson, acclaimed author…

Some historical figures of Ipswich

Originally posted on Mid Anglia Group, Richard III Society:
Terry Hunt of the EADT writes here about some famous people with Ipswich links: Chaucer (as an ancestor of Richard’s brother-in-law) and Wolsey (Richard’s contemporary) are obvious cases, as is Dickens. He doesn’t mention Thomas Cromwell (after whom the Square is named) but he does mention…

A GOLDEN GOWN

Queen Margaret (also known as Margrethe and Margareta) was a Scandinavian queen who died in the early 15th century. Briefly she was monarch of Sweden, Norway and Denmark and earned herself the title of ‘the Lady King.’ Her only son died young and hence her heir became Eric of Pomerania; it was her desire to…

Tadcaster Bridge

This, over the Wharfe whereby part of the defeated Lancastrian army at Towton fled, has been closed since the 2012 and 2015 floods but will be re-opened on 19th February and the Archbishop of York will preside at a ceremony the following Sunday.

The ghostly places of Gloucestershire….!

This link is worth following, if only for the eerie photographs! Gloucestershire certainly has some ghosts…although how Owlpen Manor escaped inclusion I really do not know. http://owlpen.com/history/owlpen-ghosts It has the ghost of Margaret of Anjou. Mind you, that lady seems to have stayed everywhere in the county around the time of the Battle of Tewkesbury! One…

Henry VII At Hogwarts

Fans of the Harry Potter films might have noted a familiar face looking out from the wall at Hogwarts–Dr Ashdown Hill certainly did, and duly mentioned it in a recent post on his FB site! Yes, a  portrait of Henry VII is hanging in the wizarding school’s great hall, amidst those of more, um, fantastical…