Upholland is a village in Lancashire, about 4 miles from Wigan and these days only just outside Greater Manchester. It was formerly the HQ of the Lancashire gentry family of Holland. (Up until the 15th Century, it was often, if not invariably, spelt ‘Holand’, but I will stick with the modern spelling for consistency.) The… Continue reading The early Hollands – or Holands
Tag: murder
Exactly how and to whom did Richard II surrender his crown….?
13 October was the Feast of the Translation of Edward the Confessor, who was Richard II’s most cherished saint and king. So great was Richard’s veneration that he even impaled the Confessor’s arms with the royal arms of England. See above. And on this day every year of he presented a gift at the saint’s… Continue reading Exactly how and to whom did Richard II surrender his crown….?
From child marriages to a royal murder in Calais….
While seeking information that might help with the child marriage of Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford and Philippa de Coucy, granddaughter of King Edward III, I came upon this link which is from Illustrations of Ancient State and Chivalry, From Manuscripts Preserved In The Ashmolean Museum, edited by William Henry Black and… Continue reading From child marriages to a royal murder in Calais….
Secrets of the Royal Palaces (series 3)
This enthralling programme has returned, but made a dubious claim in the third epsode. Apparently, Jack Ketch was so hopeless at swinging an axe in a straight line, you would be better off as a commoner if facing execution, because almost anyone could be reasonably competent at short drop hanging, where breaking the subject’s neck… Continue reading Secrets of the Royal Palaces (series 3)
Picking the Bones….
This ghost story was inspired after reading this post by my good friend sparkypus. And the Battle of Barnet just happened to take place at an earlier Easter. Oh, and there’s a nod toward Dickens, but the facts don’t cooperate with Christmas! The eve of the Battle of Barnet, Holy Saturday, 13 April, 1471 It was… Continue reading Picking the Bones….
Newport and the lucky/unlucky Staffords….
It seems to me, looking at the list in this article about Newport Castle, that a few members of the Stafford family came to sticky ends, some deserved, some apparently not. They may have been unlucky, but the family was wealthy and titled, so perhaps not that hard done by. In 1377 Hugh, Earl of… Continue reading Newport and the lucky/unlucky Staffords….
Rebellion in the Middle Ages
This is the latest of Matthew Lewis’ books and covers a longer period than any of the others, from Hereward the Wake’s emergence after Hastings to the beginning of the Wars of the Roses, almost as long a period as this book. Lewis is already an expert on “The Anarchy” (chapter 2) and the Roses… Continue reading Rebellion in the Middle Ages
Murder at Pencoed Castle….
Last night I watched a documentary about the 2016 murder of call girl Georgina Symonds by her lover, millionaire Peter Morgan. The story of the murder is intriguing enough, but I found myself being more concerned about the scene of the crime, the picturesque ruins of Pencoed Castle in Monmouthshire. It’s situated at Llanmartin, near… Continue reading Murder at Pencoed Castle….
The Rise of the Stanley family.
In the late 14th Century, the Stanleys were a gentry family, their power base lying chiefly in Cheshire, notably in the Wirral. Their ancestry might fairly be described as ‘provincial’. There were certainly no kings in their quarterings. This is not to say they were unimportant, but their influence was of a local rather than… Continue reading The Rise of the Stanley family.
The Case of Mary Blandy: Guilty or Innocent?
Originally posted on Giaconda's Blog:
Mary Blandy “Alas! the record of her page will tellThat one thus madden’d, lov’d, and guilty fell.Who hath not heard of Blandy’s fatal fame,Deplor’d her fate, and sorrow’d o’er her shame?”~”Henley,” anonymous 1827 poem The case of Mary Blandy divides opinion even today. Was she an innocent victim of…
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