RICHARD WHITTINGTON c.1350-1423. MERCER, MAYOR AND A MOST BENEVOLENT CITIZEN OF LONDON

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @sparkypus.com A delightful artist’s impression of ‘Richard Whittington dispensing his charities’.  Artist Henrietta Ray before 1905 oil on canvas.  Royal exchange. Even the most disinterested in history children would recognise the name Dick/Richard Whittington and also his best, and only friend,  his cat,  most of them being familiar with the rather delightful folk…

Meet Branwen, the Tower’s new raven….

The new raven at the Tower of London is to be called Branwen! According to Wikipedia  : “….The earliest legend that connects the Tower with a raven is the euhemerised Welsh tale of the war against the Irish leader Matholwch who had mistreated the princess Branwen. Branwen’s brother Brân the Blessed (King of the Britons)…

Was this a practice to prevent corpses from becoming revenants . . . .?

I have watched a documentary about these skeletons with stones in their mouths. Sorry, I can’t find a link to it online, but it was fascinating. While looking around Google for more about this, I came upon another site which explains more. And another, not otherwise worth the link, which contained the following tantalising passage:…

THE ETON CHAPEL WALL PAINTINGS – A PORTRAIT OF QUEEN ANNE NEVILLE?

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri sparkypus.com The Empress from the Eton Wall Paintings.  Her eyes have been deliberately damaged.  If you should happen to visit Eton College and enter the chapel there you will find the glorious range of medieval murals now known as the Eton Chapel Wall Paintings.  Painted between 1479-87 and thought to  be…

Henry VII, the posh schoolboy….?

This Kent Online article, about Sir Henry Wyatt (1460–1536) of Allington Castle, seems to be anti-Richard, but actually goes some way to exonerating him. And while I having sneaking admiration for the cat (see illustration below) which saved Wyatt from starvation in prison by bringing him pigeons, she isn’t what riveted my attention on the…

The legend of Fowlescombe Manor….

It is a fact that in this modern age most of us frown upon the ancient practice of hunting with hounds, whether on horseback or not, but in times gone by, such things were commonplace and accepted. I’m not here to promote a debate on the rights and wrongs of hunting, but to mention a…

Did Edward IV’s daughter Bridget have an illegitimate child….?

We all know that Edward IV’s youngest daughter, Bridget (born 10th November 1480), became a nun…or at least, entered the Dominican priory at Dartford at the age of ten. Not as a nun then, of course, because she was too young, but maybe she was always intended for the Church. And Dartford was a priory…

Leicestershire’s griffin of Griffydam….?

Here’s Legends an interesting book of Leicestershire folk tales for children. It includes the intriguing story of the griffin of Griffydam. Oh, and it also relates the “legends” about King Richard III !!

Rewarded for betraying Buckingham to Richard…?

  While browsing around in pursuit of the legend of the pool that bubbled blood in Finchampstead, Berkshire, I came upon these snippets. Does anyone know more?  “West Court is a fine 17th century building which, before improvements made in 1835, still had a moat and a drawbridge! It was taken on by Lady Marvyn’s…

Edward III, slanting eyes and the legend of Melusine…

These days, any mention of Melusine might conjure thoughts of Jacquetta of Luxemburg, Elizabeth Woodville, witchcraft and the like. But the story of Melusine was around before then. On browsing through John Gardner’s Life and Times of Chaucer, I came upon the following anecdote, which begins with Gardner’s rather precise description of Edward himself: “He…