Edward V and Coldridge: the evidence so far

Thanks to this Daily Telegraph article last December, the world is now far more aware of  the distinct possibility that the former Edward V lived on as “John Evans” at Coldridge in Devon into the reign of Henry VIII, his nephew, as a parker minding deer for his half-brother Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset. In…

Mysterious Minster Lovell in the mist….

  It doesn’t seem possible now that it was 30th April 2014 when my late husband and I paid an early-morning visit to Minster Lovell. There was a mist and we were virtually alone. The River Windrush, surely one of the loveliest little rivers in England, whispered past the old ruins of Sir Francis Lovell‘s…

Edward of Warwick, a “pretender” to Henry VII’s throne? Well, REALLY Mr Amin….!

  Oh dear, Nathen Amin wants us to fork out £10 to listen to him lecturing that poor old Henry VII was beset by wicked imposters and pretenders? I think not. Not even 10p! Especially as poor Edward, Earl of Warwick didn’t pretend to be anything at all, he was imprisoned as a child and…

Simply Simnel

As we approach the holidays, I am flipping through at least fifty English cookbooks to get the lowdown on Simnel Cake.  I know that it has long been associated with both Mothering Sunday (similar to North America’s Mother’s Day) and the Easter season.  Nevertheless, it is a relatively simple fruitcake, covered in the usual marzipan…

The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximilian I

Originally posted on RICARDIAN LOONS:
Portrait of Maximilian I, from the workshop or a follower of Albrecht Dürer. Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) is one of those larger-than-life historical figures. Straddling the medieval and Renaissance eras, he worked tirelessly and spent a vast fortune to establish the Habsburgs as one of Europe’s dominant ruling…

“THE MEMORY OF KING RICHARD STILL LAID LIKE LEES AT THE BOTTOM OF MENS HEARTS’ Sir Francis Bacon

UPDATED POST AT sparkypus.com A Medieval Potpourri https://sparkypus.com/2020/05/14/the-memory-of-king-richard-still-laid-like-lees-at-the-bottom-of-mens-hearts-sir-francis-bacon-2/ Entry from the York City House book…’King Richard late mercifully reigning upon us was thrugh grete treason of the duc of Northefolk and many othre that turned ayenst hyme, with many othre lordes and nobilles of this north parties, was pitiously slain and murdred to the grey hevynesse of this citie’ (1) “The…

Another piece …

… on two of the major rebellions – Simnel and “Perkin” – against Henry VII. This article is from Voyager of History and we may soon be in a better position to know whether Richard of Shrewsbury could have been at Tyburn in 1499. During the same reign, there was also the Stafford-Lovell rebellion starting…

Was Richard the big-spender on fashion? No, it was Henry….

  I must admit that the following article didn’t come as quite the surprise it should. Henry has always struck me as a man who enjoyed the good things in life, and was prepared to be lavish when he felt like it. Yes, indeed! And he enjoyed being entertained and so on…but that he was…

Insurrection: Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell and the Pilgrimage of Grace

An intriguing new book by historian Susan Loughlin is about to be published by The History Press on April 4th of this year (2016) detailing an event in world history that has perhaps gone unnoticed by some historians and those who run with the history blogs and bloggers.       I first “met” Susan Loughlin  on the…

The First Cornish Rebellion

(guest post by Max) Fire raging, Wild south-west . Bright beacon blazon sad oppressed. Michael Joseph, Martyred name . Behold him lead the fervent flame. Artisan of iron and steel. Man of Cornwall, Steadfast zeal. Justice, Law, Flamank’s desire. One and all for rustic shire. Flag of Piran, Cross of white . Proclaiming peasants’ human…