Returning to Sutton Hoo

The Mid Anglia branch of the Richard III society met at Woodbridge railway station and drove to the National Trust’s Sutton Hoo. Sutton Hoo, made famous this year by the release of Netflix’s “The Dig”, starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, is the site of the Royal burial ground of East Anglia’s 6th, 7th and…

A property sale in Suffolk

Here is an East Anglian Daily Times article about Lamarsh Hall near Sudbury, which is for sale. It is Grade II listed and thought to date from c.1485, apparently built for the Beaufort family. Obviously, by 1471, the only legitimate “Beauforts” remaining were the two Margarets, first cousins who had vacated that surname by marriage…

So here is the challenge:

Dan Snow (LLoyd George knew his great-grandmother) said (punctuation corrected): “I thought twitter was full of Richard III fans. So, WATSON, why in the name of usurping cadet branches has the Henry V hoodie has massive outsold the Richard III one.”  “Where are you, Ricardians?” We can do something about it here.

The Crown Jewels of East Anglia?

This excellent EADT article suggests that a horde found near Tamworth about ten years ago included some crown jewels worn by Anna* or Onna, the (Wuffing) King of East Anglia and nephew of Raedwald. He is likely to have died in a 653/4 battle near Blythburgh, along with his Bishop, Thomas, fighting against Penda’s pagan…

An Easter exhibition

From Saturday to Easter Monday, the Richard III Visitor Centre will have a special interactive exhibition for children, including the chance to build the King from Lego bricks or to illustrate him in other ways.  

The Court of Requests and Thomas Seckford

In 1484, King Richard III created a minor equity court to deal with minor disputes in equity; these are disputes where the harshness of common law would be acknowledged by those appointed by the Crown. Equity courts were mostly seen as the Lord Chancellor’s remit, and the split of the Chancery Courts from the Curia…

Thetford Priory

We can recommend this piece, by Professor David Gill of the University of Suffolk, with several superb images of the original burial sites of the first two Howard Dukes of Norfolk. Both were probably transferred to St. Michael’s Church, Framlingham, at the Reformation

The Grundisburgh martyr

Today in 1558, Alice Driver and Alexander Gooch were burned on the Cornhill in Ipswich. Her trial record, particularly her testimony, shows that Alice Driver freely admitted not sharing certain Roman Catholic beliefs and this was sufficient to convict her. Both are commemorated on this monument in Christchurch Park (left) and Driver by a road…

Red Rose Chain presents… Shakespeare’s Richard III

Yes, it’s Shakespeare. Yes, it’s a travesty of history. But Joanna Carrick is a terrific director, and Red Rose Chain a terrific company of actors. Buy your tickets soon! Shakespeare’s Richard III

Russell & Rotherham, Lord Chancellors of King Richard III

The office of Lord Chancellor is one of the oldest of the Great Offices of State, second in rank only to the Lord High Steward. It dates from Herfast, the first Lord Chancellor of England, appointed in 1068 by King William I, Duke of Normandy. King Richard III had two Lord Chancellors, John Russell and…