GLEASTON CASTLE – RENDEZVOUS FOR THE YORKIST REBELS IN 1487?

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @ sparkypus.com Gleaston Castle today.  Entrance to south west tower.  Photo Chloe Grainger @castlestudiestrust.org Some of you reading this may be familiar with other posts I have written concerning what I call the Coldridge theory.   For those of you who are not familiar with the theory here is a brief…

Another Richard III musical?

This one (Digging up Dick) was being written by the late Anthony Newley and is being resumed by Tara, his daughter with Joan Collins. As you will have observed, a lot has happened since Newley’s death in 1999, not least finding Richard’s real grave and reburying him.

Cut Down That Family Tree!

Online History groups are frequently visited by new members who excitedly tell tales of their illustrious ancestral history–Eleanor of Aquitaine is their x 20 gran, Richard III is a direct forebear along with Anne Boleyn, they have mysterious Dark Age chieftains, Roman generals like Magnus Maximus…even King Arthur has popped up from time to time.…

JOHN DE LA POLE EARL OF LINCOLN AND ELSTON CHAPEL – A POSSIBLE BURIAL PLACE?

Reblogged from a Medieval Potpourri @ sparkypus.com   The Last Stand of Martin Schwartz and his German Mercenaries at the Battle of Stoke Field 16th June 1487.  Unknown artist Cassell’s Century Edition History of England c.1901. The battle of Stoke Field fought on the  16th June 1487 has been discussed elsewhere extensively so there is no need for…

Buckden Bishop’s Palace

A few years back I wrote about Buckden Towers in Cambridgeshire, the old palace of the Bishops of Lincoln. Finally, with the pandemic receding, I was able to visit the site in its small village (once a thriving place in coaching times and earlier but much diminished with the advent of the railways.) Here Richard…

Richard III and the Addams Family….?

It seems that while watching the new two-part hit Netflix series Wednesday (I’ve never heard of it, but apparently it stars Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams. 🙄) an expert on folk music noticed that it included an ancient Welsh tune. See here. The article goes on to state “….The tune is also recorded…

The RICL: Anthropology and forensic science

I have made a habit of watching the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for over forty years. A single scientist, with guest contributors, covers a subject over three (to five) days and demonstrates some of the detail to a live audience of inquisitive children, who take part in the experiments. Last year’s lecturer was Professor Dame…

Richard III was one of the five most fearsome medieval warrior kings….?

I don’t know which five of our medieval monarchs you’d choose as the most fearsome warriors, but according to this article it seems the Fearsome Five are (in chronological order) William I, Edward I, Robert the Bruce, Henry V and … Richard III. Now, I’m not saying Richard wasn’t a fearsome warrior, because he was,…

Neddy and Duckie—waiting for Widow Twanky….

Oh dear. There are times when words simply will not suffice, and this, I fear is one of them. If you go to this site you’ll see what I mean. Richard’s story, and the supposed fate of his nephews, has surely been done to death (sorry, no pun inended) but this time I fear it’s…

Antony Woodville and his daughter, Margaret.

Antony Woodville, quite early in his career, had an affair with Gwenllian Stradling which led to the birth of a daughter, Margaret Woodville. As it turned out, although he subsequently married twice, this was his only child. Or certainly, his only child who grew up. The Stradlings were a long-standing Glamorgan gentry family, based at…