Edward IV’s (illegitimate) daughter Margaret.

There is no doubt that Margaret Plantagenet (if we may call her that) existed. She married Thomas Lumley (1462-1502) the son and heir of George, Lord Lumley (1445-1507). Though her name is given as ‘Elizabeth’ in some sources, contemporary documentation reveals that she was in fact ‘Margaret’. What is less certain is who her mother… Continue reading Edward IV’s (illegitimate) daughter Margaret.

Meet the Brownes

Sir Thomas Browne (abt. 1402-1460) was a fervid Lancastrian. This is no doubt the reason that after the Battle of Northampton, he was either beheaded or hanged, drawn and quartered. (Sources differ). He was found guilty of High Treason, a bit of a stretch given that Henry VI was still King at the time and… Continue reading Meet the Brownes

Various Goings on in the General Area of Cheshire.

Although Cheshire was fiercely loyal to Richard II, after the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403) that loyalty gradually transferred itself to the House of Lancaster. Cheshire was a royal earldom and palatinate, with the King (or the Prince of Wales when there was one) as its immediate lord. As in next-door Lancashire, there was no resident… Continue reading Various Goings on in the General Area of Cheshire.

The OTHER MARGARET BEAUFORT

  When anyone hears the name ‘Margaret Beaufort’, they always think instantly of the mother of Henry Tudor. However, there was another Margaret Beaufort, who also had a famous son called Henry, whose mother also bore the surname Beauchamp, who married one of the Staffords, and who was widowed young and remarried—although there her life… Continue reading The OTHER MARGARET BEAUFORT

The Wandering Butler: John, 6th Earl of Ormond

FAMILY BACKGROUND The Lancastrian leader who faced – or failed to face – Thomas, Earl of Desmond, at the Battle of Piltown in 1462 was the fourth of the five children born to James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond (otherwise known as the White Earl), and his countess Joan Beauchamp, daughter of William Beauchamp, Lord… Continue reading The Wandering Butler: John, 6th Earl of Ormond

ORCHESTON & THE DUKES OF BUCKINGHAM

During lockdown, I found myself walking around local villages, some that I had only passed through before. An interesting one was Orcheston, a tiny, sleepy place which has not one, but TWO medieval churches, St George’s and St Mary’s, one set at either end of the village. Both were interesting to visit but what was… Continue reading ORCHESTON & THE DUKES OF BUCKINGHAM

The “awkward mediaeval cities” (2) : Northampton

Another such is Northampton. Like Oxford, most (all in fact) of the trains run to or from London, although the latter will reconnect to Cambridge in a few years, with Milton Keynes and Northampton joining the line via Bletchley. Northampton is only currently accessible from East Anglia via London, Birmingham, or switching to a coach… Continue reading The “awkward mediaeval cities” (2) : Northampton

SALISBURY GREY FRIARS–BUCKINGHAM’S BURIAL SITE?

  Salisbury Grey Friars has all but disappeared from the archaeological record. Founded in 1225-8 , it was never a very large house, situated near the still impressive medieval St Ann’s Gate leading into Salisbury’s Cathedral Close. At the reformation, Grey Friars was destroyed and any extant buildings and stonework sold off and re-used (several… Continue reading SALISBURY GREY FRIARS–BUCKINGHAM’S BURIAL SITE?

It WASN’T the Battle of Edgecote Moor, it was the Battle of Edgcote….

  On Monday, 24th July 1469, was fought the Battle of Edgecote Moor, and 549 years later, on 26th July 2018, I was being informative about it here . Except I had my facts wrong. It wasn’t Edgecote Moor, it was just plain Edgcote or sometimes Edgecote, but just that one word! Apparently I was… Continue reading It WASN’T the Battle of Edgecote Moor, it was the Battle of Edgcote….

New Wars of the Roses postage stamps showing Graham Turner’s magnificent paintings….!

Wow! These new postage stamps are brilliant. So colourful and truly interesting. Well done whoever chose to do this, and well done even more Graham Turner for his amazing paintings. Among the other battle scenes depicted are Wakefield, Towton, First Battle of St Albans, Tewkesbury and Northampton.