Tag: heraldry

The Middleham Jewel and Richard III….

  Among the treasures going on display at the Yorkshire Museum is the Middleham Jewel (see above). Of course, the National Portrait Gallery painting of Richard III (see below) is also going on display, because Yorkshire has a great attachment to the king who, as Duke of Gloucester, lived there for many years. The Middleham… Continue reading The Middleham Jewel and Richard III….

More’s cryptic reference explained?

In his unpublished semi-satirical volume, More has the Lord Protector and Defender of the Realm, Richard Duke of Gloucester who was also Lord High Constable of England for life, call for some strawberries before the Constable’s Court could pronounce sentence on William Lord Hastings. Many historians have struggled to understand the significance of the strawberries… Continue reading More’s cryptic reference explained?

The Ludlow Castle Heraldic Roll….

“It was a couple of years ago that I first heard about the existence of an old roll of parchment containing the coats of arms of people connected with Ludlow Castle. It was owned by a dealer in the Portobello Road in London who had had it for several years. Heraldic rolls like this are… Continue reading The Ludlow Castle Heraldic Roll….

An angelic Tudor mystery in Devon….

The great hall at Dartington Hall, near Totnes in Devon, is a magnificent example of 14th-century architecture, but there is a little oddity that not everyone will notice. It concerns the supporting figures on the corbels supporting the five-bay hammerbeam timber roof. The figures are angels holding the heraldic shields of the families that have… Continue reading An angelic Tudor mystery in Devon….

Unicorn, Unicorn! Wherefore art thou Unicorn….?

Unicorns do not exist. They never have. Well, that is the general consensus. They are mythical beasts, along with the dragon, centaur, phoenix and so on, but in the medieval period the unicorn was believed in. It was thought that to hunt the unicorn was perhaps the greatest hunt of all, surpassing even the white… Continue reading Unicorn, Unicorn! Wherefore art thou Unicorn….?

CARDINAL JOHN MORTON’S TOMB CHAPEL OF LADY UNDERCROFT CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL.

Updated post @ sparkypus.com A Medieval Potpourri https://sparkypus.com/2020/07/03/cardinal-john-mortons-tomb-in-the-chapel-of-lady-undercroft-canterbury-cathedral/   On Friday 13th June 1483 Cardinal Morton, along with others, was arrested at the Tower of London.  It is well documented the role Morton played in the downfall of Richard lll.  Morton was Richard’s arch enemy and his deviousness, cunning and powers of manipulation being  well… Continue reading CARDINAL JOHN MORTON’S TOMB CHAPEL OF LADY UNDERCROFT CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL.

Blanche Mortimer – The Grandison Monument

In the chancel of the church of St Bartholomew,  Much Marcle, Herefordshire can be found one of the most beautiful tombs chests in England, that of Blanche Mortimer, Lady Grandison.  I happened by chance on this lovely monument  some years ago.  I stood there entranced, unwilling to leave.  Blanche’s tomb has been described by Nikolaus Pevsner… Continue reading Blanche Mortimer – The Grandison Monument

Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge and its Royal Patrons

Originally posted on Giaconda's Blog:
? ? ? In the very heart of historic Cambridge, stands a tall and elegant late Perpendicular Gothic church, sandwiched between the colleges and market square. The church of St Mary the Virgin has stood on the site since 1205; the first recorded rector being Thomas de Chiveley who was…

OLD FAMILIAR FACES: THE HUNKY PUNKS OF LANGPORT

The last few times I’ve gone to visit the other half’s family in Somerset, we’ve driven through the town of  Langport, a small place  now but once an actual port and quite an important site in the Middle Ages. As we rounded the corner in the car, I kind of obliquely wondered why there was… Continue reading OLD FAMILIAR FACES: THE HUNKY PUNKS OF LANGPORT