Richard only became king because of the Council of the North. Got it….?

Something caught my attention in this article about the role York has played in our history. Here is the relevant extract:- “….In 1405, the Percys seriously proposed to create a separate Northern kingdom forever. The Wars of the Roses was at heart all about that divide. Richard III became king only because he had his…

Malmsey Wine – A Poem

  Don’t cry my son, it’s just a graze I know what can bring you cheer You’ll love the taste, so sweet, so fine Better than beer – Malmsey wine Chorus: Malmsey wine, fine and sweet Malmsey wine, you I seek Malmsey wine, heal the pain Malmsey wine: oblivion I know you’re sad, your wife…

Edward’s Pants

I saw the above on Facebook today and something rang a bell in my head, so I had a little fun in Paint and came up with this:

The book Kendall could write today (4) – Two Little Boys

On page 29, Kendall wrote: “ … {George} was everything that Richard was not – strong, big for his age, handsome, charming and spoiled”. The Third Plantagenet (Ashdown-Hill, p.61) quotes Jehan de Wavrin, in early 1461, guessing their ages as 9 and 8, which is two years too young for George but just right for Richard.…

Why did she not speak out?

I have come across a few conversations on the net in which the question is asked: If Eleanor Talbot was married to Edward IV, why did she not speak out when he ‘married’ Elizabeth Woodville? It’s a fair enough question, although in my view a tad on the naive side. 15th Century England was not…

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,…

A question of responsibility

Who takes the ultimate responsibility for events in late Medieval England? According to the Cairo-dwellers, from 1483 to August 1485, the answer is the King (Richard III), whether he knew what happened or not. According to the same people, the answer from 1471 to 1483 isn’t the King (Edward IV) but the Duke of Gloucester…

An update

Thankyou to those who read our post “The explorer and the Clarence descendent”. We now know that, just like Richard III himself, there is a facial reconstruction of Bartholomew Gosnold. http://historicjamestowne.org/news/gosnold_new_tests.php

The explorer and the Clarence descendant

Most people will be aware that Bartholomew Gosnold (1571-1607) was a Cambridge and Middle Temple law graduate born and raised at Otley Hall, a few miles north-west of Ipswich. They will also be aware that he attempted to found  British colonies in Virginia and Maine, eventually being successful in Virginia, also that his name and…