Tag: Adam of Usk

The Battle of Pwll Melyn, 5 May,1405.

The Battle of Pwll Melyn (Yellow Pool in English) was, in retrospect, the turning point for Henry IV. Up to this time, his enemies had largely held the initiative and were a real threat to him. This was to be the last time his forces were engaged in a full-scale battle against them. (1) Owain Glyndŵr‘s… Continue reading The Battle of Pwll Melyn, 5 May,1405.

Tyrants – Part 2

Henry Bolingbroke, of course, was not a tyrant. Not at all. It’s just that before he became king, he executed an earl and four knights, no doubt by mistake. He was neither king, high constable nor marshal, and anyway was a banished man. So he had no lawful authority whatever. But he was merely carrying… Continue reading Tyrants – Part 2

The Lordship of Powys (Part 2)

Owain de la Pole‘s daughter, Hawise (1290-1349), eventually inherited the Lordship, her brother having died. She was known as Hawise Gadarn, which means in English ‘the Hardy’. Hawise married John Charlton (or Cherleton) a knight from a relatively minor Shropshire family who had acquired the favour of Edward I. In 1313 Edward II sent John… Continue reading The Lordship of Powys (Part 2)

The blunders awaiting the Coronation….

Well, blunders and accidents can accompany just about any human activity, not only coronations, and the crowning of King Charles III is going to be a departure from the ancient ceremony, with a lot of changes and “modernising”. I’ve already written about my fears concerning that word “modernising”. My entire disenchantment with the Church of… Continue reading The blunders awaiting the Coronation….

Joanna Fitzalan, Lady of Abergavenny

Joanna was the daughter of that Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, who was executed by Richard II in 1397. In 1392, when she was about 17, she was married to William Beauchamp, Lord Bergavenny, younger brother of the Earl of Warwick, who was 55. They had a son, Richard, who eventually became Earl of Worcester,… Continue reading Joanna Fitzalan, Lady of Abergavenny

How and why the House of York laid claim to the throne….

Here is an article from English Historical Review, 1st June 1998, telling of how and why Richard, 3rd Duke of York, laid claim to the throne of England. The root cause was an entail to the will of Edward III, who was admittedly in his dotage at the time. The entail, which excluded a female… Continue reading How and why the House of York laid claim to the throne….