“A Closer Look at the Roses Used as Symbols During the Wars of the Roses”

presented by Dianne Herbert

Dianne Herbert, a long standing member of the Richard III Society, introduced us to the Alba Semi-Plena, the rose we know of as the White Rose of York. It is not like the mass produced roses we know today, being much simpler but more perfumed. Roses are thought to have originated in Persia (Iran) about 35 million years old and were brought to the west by the Crusaders. The Middle East was a major producer of rosewater, rose attar (rose essence or rose oil) and rose petals, for use in medicine, as food and in cosmetics. The Alba doesn’t interbreed successfully with other roses.

Rosa ‘Semi-plena’ (Photo by A. Barra via Wikimedia Commons)

There are a number of stories associated with roses. Apparently, roses only started to produce thorns when evil appeared in the world. At the Feast of Heliogabalus (204 – 222), guests died after being smothered in rose petals. The oldest rose bush alive today was established by King Louis the Pious (King of the Franks) in 815, and is at Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany. In the Middle Ages, a rose suspended from the ceiling meant that those present were sworn to secrecy.

Thousand-year-old rose, Hildesheim (Photo by Bischöfliche Pressestelle Hildesheim via Wikimedia Commons)

Edmund Langley, 1^st Duke of York was the first nobleman to use the White Rose of York. Edmund Crouchback, 1^st Earl of Lancaster used the red rose (Rosa gallica). Margaret of Anjou was known as the Red Rose of Anjou. Edward IV’s wife, Elizabeth Woodville used a white rose. Edward IV’s mistress, Jane Shore was known as the Rose of London. And it was not until 1829 that the term “Wars of the Roses” was used, when Sir Walter Scott included the term in his novel Anne of Geierstein.

White Rose of York

There is a “Jacobite” or “Bonny Prince Charlie’s” rose, as well as a rose called “York and Lancaster”. Roses have been cultivated in China since the 11^th century, and a Rose Museum has recently been opened in Beijing. Unfortunately, there are no native roses in the Southern Hemisphere.

It was interesting to learn about the history of roses and the white rose in particular. We could hear Dianne’s love of roses in her talk. Amongst other roses, she grows “Mr Lincoln”, “Duchess of Provence”, and the “Peace Rose”. I’m sure her garden is spectacular.

The NSW Branch held its 1^st Book Club at the Members’ Meeting on 8 June 2019 and it was a very lively and stimulating discussion.  It was so successful the Committee decided that the Book Club will become an annual event.

The books reviewed at our Book Club this year were: –

1. “Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England” by Thomas Penn
2. “The Devil in Ermine” by Isolde Martyn

Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England

The “Winter King” was acknowledged as not an easy read due to the writing style and terminology used by Penn.  The book was a more scholarly read and the narrative was not necessarily chronological, however Members persevered, and a very interesting picture of Henry VII arose, one that we may not have previously understood.  Henry VII emerged as a paranoid, secretive, devious and duplicitous individual who would stop at nothing to hold on to his crown and fill his treasury – he was unsentimental towards those who had served him well and subsequently, had fallen from favour.  Henry was avaricious and Penn’s narrative about how this was enacted was revealing.  Although it was hard going, the majority of the book club members finished the book, and all acknowledged they found it interesting and learnt from the experience.

The Devil in Ermine

“The Devil in Ermine” was acknowledged as excellent, as we have all come to expect from Isolde.  Isolde’s story on the Duke of Buckingham and his revolt was well researched and very informative about this troubling and treasonous event during the reign of Richard III.  Isolde made this complex event into an easy to read and understand narrative that brought to light a treacherous, inexperienced, reactive and emotional character in Buckingham that seriously threatened Richard III and his reign.

We look forward to the next Book Club, to be held on Saturday 4 April 2020.  The Books we will be reading are:

1. “Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses” by Sarah Gristwood
2. “Women of the Cousins’ War: The Real White Queen and Her Rivals” by Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin and Michael Jones

Please join us!

Our last general meeting of the year will be on the 14th of December 2019 at 2pm at the Sydney Mechanics Institute, as usual.

The featured speaker will be our long-time member Dianne Herbert on the topic of “A Closer Look at the Roses used as symbols for the Wars of the Roses.”

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Announcing the books selected

to read for next April

I am excited to tell you about the two books that the committee has approved for the Book Discussion at our branch meeting 4 April 2020, in order to give everyone plenty of time to obtain and read them. The intention is to look more closely at the fascinating women of the Lancasters and Yorks. Both titles are nonfiction and come highly recommended.

Sarah Gristwood, Blood Sisters

Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin & Michael Jones, The Women of the Cousins’ War

If you prefer, you can, of course, choose any Ricardian or English History book, fiction or nonfiction, to read instead and share your opinion with us at the meeting. In our first discussion meeting this past June several members introduced the group to wonderful new titles to add to their ever-lengthening reading lists!

Book Depository.com has the best prices I have seen along with free shipping, but of course if you can find them second-hand or at the library that would be even better. The SMSA library has The Women of the Cousins’ War by Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin & Michael Jones, and the City of Sydney library system has a copy of Blood Sisters by Sarah Gristwood.

Happy Reading!

An invitation for all Members and Friends of the

NSW Branch of the Richard III Society

Our Annual General Meeting for 2019 will take place on Saturday, 12 October 2019,at 2.00 pm at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD.  

We will be electing new (or returning) members of the Executive Committee. The program will be our Scrabble Speakers, with selected members presenting their offerings on various Ricardian topics of interest.

Please remember that renewals for membership of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society are due by 1 October 2019.  However, should you prefer to pay your renewal for the 2019/2010 Ricardian Year in person, you may do so at the meeting.  Please come prepared with the membership form completed to accompany your payment.

Our next general meeting will be on Saturday, 10 August 2019, at 2pm at the Sydney Mechanics Institute, Level 1, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

We are fortunate to have as our speaker for this meeting the University of Sydney Honorary Research Associate in History, Judith Bonzol, who will speak on her chosen topic of “Cunning Folk: popular medicine and magic in the time of Richard III”.

Dr Bonzol is widely published in the academic press and has a long time interest in the medical attitude towards supposed demonic possession and supernatural illness in early modern England. This will be an outstanding program you should try not to miss!

The next meeting of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society will take place on Saturday, 8 June 2019, at 2 pm at our usual venue, The Sydney Mechanics’ Institute of Arts, Level 1, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

The program for our branch meeting in June will be a book discussion!

Everyone who wishes to can actively participate. You can tell us about, or comment upon, a favourite Ricardian (or related) book you have read or a new find you are excited about.

There is so little time over afternoon tea to talk together, so the Executive Committee thought we could try having a meeting where we could discuss books with each other.

For those members undecided about which book to read we had suggested Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England, (or Isolde Martyn’s The Devil in Ermine which was sadly hard to find). But any book you want to share with us will be warmly welcomed!

Leslie & Doug McCawley will be facilitating the discussion, in a very casual, unstructured and unpressured setting. We hope you will come!

Berkhamsted Castle

Our next General Meeting will be held on Saturday, 13 April 2019, at 2 pm at the Sydney Mechanics Institute, Level 1, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

Our featured speaker will be our own long-serving executive committee member Dorothea, who will take us on a visit to Richard III’s mum, Cecily, at her long-time residence of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. She will tell us about the town and the castle, starting from its pre-conquest origins to the present day.  The castle was very significant in the development of the town.  Along the way, you will meet some of its colourful residents.

Please join us for this most interesting sounding program!

You might also like to watch a YouTube video with an Animated Tour of Berkhamsted Castle here.