The “awkward mediaeval cities” (3) : St. Alban’s

Unlike Northampton and Oxford, St. Alban’s (City) is on the Thameslink network and also has a branch line to Watford Junction. Accommodation can be expensive but the less historic Luton is surprisingly convenient as a base, being about fourteen minutes away on the same line and costing about five pounds for a day return. Turning right… Continue reading The “awkward mediaeval cities” (3) : St. Alban’s

The price of one royal progress….

  King Charles III’s fleeting visits to the separate nations of the United Kingdom have been the modern equivalent of the royal progresses of the past. From very early times each new monarch embarked on a progress through their realm, to show themselves to their people. As their only transport was the horse, it took… Continue reading The price of one royal progress….

My Tottering TBR: The Black Prince by Michael Jones

On this day in 1376, “the strenuous and warlike Prince departed to God. He died on Trinity Sunday, during the Great Parliament, and may God protect him, for he was the very flower of chivalry, without peer in this world.” — from the personal tribute to the Prince by military surgeon John Arderne* Our current… Continue reading My Tottering TBR: The Black Prince by Michael Jones

Was anyone Regent of England in 1360….?

John Bokyngham (or Buckingham; died 1399) was Bishop of Lincoln and was (according to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bokyngham) “….appointed Chamberlain of the Exchequer from 1347 until 1350, Keeper of the Great Wardrobe in 1350 until 1353, Keeper of the (Household) Wardrobe in 1353 until 1357, and a Baron of the Exchequer in 1357 until 1360….” He was also “….keeper of the seal of Thomas, regent in England from March… Continue reading Was anyone Regent of England in 1360….?

THE THREE HUNDRED YEARS WAR – PART 3 : the dogs of war

Preface This is the third of three articles charting the course of continual Anglo-French conflict from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries. The first, covered the rise and fall of the Angevin Empire, and the Treaty of Paris (1259). The second, continued my narrative from the accession of Edward I until the Treaty of Bretigny… Continue reading THE THREE HUNDRED YEARS WAR – PART 3 : the dogs of war

Murrey and Blue interviews Michael K. Jones

Which of the Black Prince’s military achievements is the most impressive and why? The main attraction in writing a biography of the Black Prince was to bring to life his martial exploits, for Edward of Woodstock, the eldest son of Edward III, captured the imagination of fourteenth century Europe. The chronicler Jean Froissart described him… Continue reading Murrey and Blue interviews Michael K. Jones

When the English ruled the Bastille….!

Historical reconstruction showing the moat below the walls of Paris (left), the Bastille and the Porte Saint-Antoine (right) in 1420 We all know about the storming of the Bastille on 14th July, 1789, resulting in the continued annual celebration of the occasion throughout France. But the Bastille was a medieval fortress, and we, the English,… Continue reading When the English ruled the Bastille….!