The three queens of Queens’ College….

There are two articles in this series about Queens’ College, Cambridge. The first covers the college’s early history and can be read here and the second, which covers the later medieval period, is available here here  The college received its name because no fewer than three 15th-century Queens of England became its patrons. Margaret of…

Marriage and the medieval Cistercian monk….

  To us the curious intricacies of medieval marriage seem endlessly complicated…and often cost a lot to those who disagreed with a certain situation. Contexts of Marriage in Medieval England: Evidence from the King’s Court circa 1300 by Robert C Palmer contains a fascinating instance with a twist. After all, we usually hear of women…

IF THE SHOE FITS…

15th C fashion could be quite dramatic…and sometimes, to our modern eyes, a bit ridiculous. Nothing more so than the infamous Poulaine shoes, with their excessively long pointed toes that looked as if they were dangerous to walk in (the nearest we had to them in modern times were the Winklepicker shoes worn by Teddy…

The outstanding exception in the “Cambridgeshire” six….!

Well, it’s true, I don’t know many of the six Cambridgeshire castles that are listed in this article . Many of them disappeared very early on in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and hill forts aren’t something about which I know a great deal anyway. Poor old Cambridge Castle suffered the ignominy of having a Shire…

Walking “Tudor” England

Suzannah Lipscomb has just completed another series on Channel Five, this time visiting the sites related to the “Tudors”. In the first episode, she concentrated on Henry VIII and the naval power he inherited from John Howard, Duke of Norfolk. The second was principally about the penultimate “Tudor”, Mary I, as well as Edward VI…

‘NASTY, BRUTISH AND SHORT’

  The term ‘nasty, brutish and short’ is a phrase often used, half jokingly, for the lives of our pre-modern ancestors. It wasn’t always, but in many cases, life in the Middle Ages could be harsh–especially in regards to illness and injury. A recent assessment of skeletons discovered in Cambridge at three separate sites shows…

Buckden Towers-Heritage at Risk

Caring for heritage buildings is a never-ending job. They may have stood for hundreds of years but just like every other building, they crumble and decay with time and need urgent restoration. A recently addition to the ever-growing ‘Heritage at Risk’ ledger is Buckden Towers in Cambridgeshire. Formerly known as Buckden Palace, it was home…

The Royal Progress of Richard III

Following his coronation, Richard III – like all medieval monarchs – went on his “royal progress” through the realm.  Along with an entourage in excess of 200 household men, ecclesiastics, supporters, and administrative officials, he visited towns and cities as far west as the River Severn, as far north as the River Ouse, and as…

An Earlier Time

I enjoy reading novels about the life and times of Richard, nore than anything else, but sometimes there is not much new available about him, so I turn to other eras. I am gradually learning a little more about history other than the Wars of the Roses and sometimes I uncover real gems. I have…

DR JOHN ARGENTINE – PHYSICIAN TO PRINCES

UPDATED POST ON sparkypus.com A Medieval Potpourri https://sparkypus.com/2020/06/15/dr-argentine-physician-to-the-princes-in-the-tower/ King’s College Chapel.  Dr Argentine is buried in a chantry chapel on the south side close to the alter. In Kings College Chapel, Cambridge, just south of the alter can be found the chantry chapel where Dr John Argentine, Provost of Kings College from 1501 until his death…