William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke

William Herbert, otherwise ‘Black William’ was born in 1423, the son of Sir William ap Thomas ‘the Blue Knight of Gwent’ and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam the ‘Star of Abergavenny’. His main claim to fame is that he was the first Welshman to become an earl in the peerage of England, except for Henry VI’s… Continue reading William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke

THE SECRET TUNNEL OF TINTERN ABBEY

Legends about tunnels leading to and fro churches and abbeys are rife throughout the British Isles. However, there are very few such tunnels actually proven to exist. Most of them are, in fact, remains of cellars and store rooms. However, a recent discovery at Tintern Abbey in Wales had indeed discovered what definitely is a… Continue reading THE SECRET TUNNEL OF TINTERN ABBEY

THE MARRIAGES OF THE SIBLINGS OF ELIZABETH WOODVILLE

Elizabeth Woodville Royal Window Canterbury Cathedral Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri sparkypus.com Very soon after the clandestine marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville had taken place in 1464 it became abundantly clear to the old nobility that the siblings of the new Queen would henceforth be having their pick of the most sought after heirs and heiresses of… Continue reading THE MARRIAGES OF THE SIBLINGS OF ELIZABETH WOODVILLE

Anne Herbert Countess of Pembroke, Yorkist widow & mother in law to Katherine Plantagenet

Reblogged from sparkypus.com A Medieval Potpourri Anne Devereux, John Lydgate’s Troy Book and Siege of Thebes @British Library Well that old wheel of fortune could certainly whizz around and no more so than in the lives of the noble women from the turbulent times we now know as the Wars of the Roses.  An example… Continue reading Anne Herbert Countess of Pembroke, Yorkist widow & mother in law to Katherine Plantagenet

Has one of the Kingmaker’s pirate ships been found in Newport….?

Last night I watched (on PBS America) a BBC2 Timewatch episode entitled The Mysteries of the Medieval Ship. It concerned the discovery, in June 2002, of a foundered/scuttled medieval vessel of some size, buried in the oozing mud of the Severn Sea – well, the oozing mud of the River Usk, at Newport, to be… Continue reading Has one of the Kingmaker’s pirate ships been found in Newport….?

The Banbury Barmaid and the Battle of Edgcote. . . .

According to this site, (http://www.northamptonshiresurprise.com/news/2018/the-battle-decided-by-a-banbury-bar-maid/) Edward IV lost the Battle of Edgcote in 1469 because of a Banbury barmaid. And no, amazingly, Edward was not involved in the lustful squabble. The culprits were the Earls of Pembroke and Devon. . .and a barmaid from Banbury. It seems that prior to the battle:- “Edward decided to… Continue reading The Banbury Barmaid and the Battle of Edgcote. . . .

RICARDIAN AND MEDIEVAL NORTHAMPTON

When people think of places connected with Richard III, they sometimes think of Northamptonshire due to his birthplace at Fotheringhay…but seldom of the town of Northampton itself. However, the town, although having lost in grandest medieval structures in two devastating fires, still has features of interest to Ricardians, Wars of the Roses students and medievalists.… Continue reading RICARDIAN AND MEDIEVAL NORTHAMPTON

A Welsh family for St. Crispin’s Day

We start with Dafydd Gam (c.1380-1415), who fought against the Glyn Dwr rebellion at the beginning of the fifteenth century, apparently trying to assassinate the leading rebel and being imprisoned by him. He may have saved Henry V’s life at Azincourt but was definitely killed there. His daughter, Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam, married twice and… Continue reading A Welsh family for St. Crispin’s Day