In case you haven’t noticed …

… we like our anniversaries here at Murrey and Blue. Having received this book about anniversaries as a birthday present, I found a substantial amount of unfamiliar information and several new cases, but there were two noticeable lacunae: (14th June on the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt): “Sudbury‘s skull survives, in St. Gregory’s Church in Norwich …”… Continue reading In case you haven’t noticed …

The Strange Reluctance to Accept Facts

Much of history is simply interpretation. You can interpret events, and facts, in various ways. Often there is no absolute truth and the interpretation depends on the standpoint of the historian. For example, a passionate Welsh nationalist is likely to see the events of 1282 in a rather different light to the interpretation of an… Continue reading The Strange Reluctance to Accept Facts

No longer passing the Buc(k)?

Now for some very interesting news: Arthur Kincaid’s The History of King Richard the Third is set for a new edition, based on forty years of further research. Kincaid has managed to distinguish the forensic research of Sir George Buc (1560-1622), whose great-grandfather fought at Bosworth and whose grandfather was at Flodden, from that of… Continue reading No longer passing the Buc(k)?

Long live the King

This interesting tome has finally appeared in paperback. The opening Parts read like an abridged biography of the story familiar to us through Warner’s The Unconventional King, but to be read with an open mind as to whether Edward II survived his “official death” today in 1327 or not. The reader will re-learn the events… Continue reading Long live the King

“There was I, waiting at the church …….”

“There was I, waiting at the church, Waiting at the church, waiting at the church; When I found he’d left me in the lurch. Lor, how it did upset me! All at once, he sent me round a note Here’s the very note, this is what he wrote: “Can’t get away to marry you today,… Continue reading “There was I, waiting at the church …….”

The book Kendall could write today (3) – the “pre-contract” and

Or, more correctly, the “previous contract of marriage”. This is the other topic that has really moved on over the past sixty years. From a situation in which Lady Eleanor’s very existence was denied as late as twenty years ago, anyone who understands the subject and lays the evidence, including that of the cover-up, in… Continue reading The book Kendall could write today (3) – the “pre-contract” and

The book Kendall could write today (1) – Elizabeth of York

Paul Murray Kendall (1911-73) was a Professor of English, famous for writing three landmark historical biographies. Apart from “Warwick the Kingmaker” and “Louis XI”, his “Richard III” was published in 1955. Scientific and historical records are always developing and thus Kendall had the advantage of knowing things that Markham could not, just as Markham knew… Continue reading The book Kendall could write today (1) – Elizabeth of York