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.

A forgotten Mortimer

Two of the children of Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, are relatively famous. Edmund the 5th Earl, who was involved in the Southampton Plot, and Anne Mortimer who is the ancestress of anyone who is anybody in England – and many others besides. The younger son, Roger, who died at some point after 1405… Continue reading A forgotten Mortimer

Joan/Joanne/Joanna Holland, Duchess of York

  Joan Holland was born about 1380, one of the many children of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and his wife Alice Arundel (aka Fitzalan) and the second-eldest daughter. It seems to have been Kent’s policy to marry his daughters into every family that could conceivably inherit the throne. Accordingly, towards the end of… Continue reading Joan/Joanne/Joanna Holland, Duchess of York