Thanks to Karen Clark I read recently a note about “King Henry VI English Spring Water”.  To be honest at first I thought that it might be a belated April Fools’ joke, but it seems to be for real.

After the loss of the Battle of Hexham on 15 August 1464 the Lancastrian king Henry VI stayed in hiding for several months with Sir Ralph Pudsey, a Lancastrian supporter, at Bolton Hall.  This is in Bolton-by-Bowland in Lancashire, not far from Skipton, the home of another Lancastrian family, the Clifford (see here).  There is a memorial to Sir Ralph Pudsey in the local church, which also includes his three wives and twenty five children. Read the rest of this entry »

On behalf of all the members and friends of the New South Wales Branch of the Richard III Society, may we offer all the New Zealand Branch members our concerns and thoughts for you all, and hope that none of you have been badly affected by the Christchurch earthquake.

We shall be thinking of you and hope that all is well.

God bless and Loyaulte me lie.

Last week my husband attended a conference in Hobart in Tasmania.  So I went along for some sightseeing.  Visiting St David’s Cathedral I admired the beautiful stained glass windows.  One of them showed St Alban, which after my recent work on St Albans in Hertfordshire was like meeting an old friend.

Saint Alban was the first martyr of Britain (executed in c. 304). His story has often been told, among others by the Venerable Bede.[1]  According to this, Alban was a Romano-British citizen of Verulanium, who gave shelter to a Christian priest, called Amphibalus, during a persecution of Christians.  He was so impressed by what this man had to say that Alban converted to Christianity.  When Roman soldiers came to search his house for the priest, he pretended to be him and was arrested.  During the trial he stood firm to his new faith and was beheaded.[2]  However, en route to his execution he performed several miracles like stopping the water of the river to flow and causing a spring of water on the hill, where he was beheaded (hence the street name ‘Holywell Hill’).  His original executioner converted to Christianity on the spot and the man who eventually did the deed was punished by blindness.  Unfortunately all this did not help Amphibalus, who along with some others was a few days later stoned to death.[3]

At the time we were there, the Australian Shakespeare Festival was taking place in Hobart.  Unfortunately we did not have time to visit any of the vents, but William was looking down on us from a great height all over the city, which was like running into another old friend.

Notes:

1.    “St Alban”, Catholic Encyclopedia – New Advent.  (accessed 23 May 2010)
2.    “The Story of St Alban”, The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban.  (accessed 24 May 2010)
3.    “St Alban”, New Advent

A 36ft (approx. 11 m) long sign has been erected at Bosworth Battlefield saying “Bosworth 525”.  It is supposed to draw attention to the Anniversary Re-enactment of the Battle.  The sign is so large that it can be seen from a mile away.

This year marks the 525th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth in which King Richard III was killed on 22 August 1485.

It is questionable whether such a Hollywood style sign is appropriate to mark the death of a person, whatever your personal view of him.  It creates the image of a Disney World extravaganza rather than an interpretation of an actual battle based on factual evidence.

Source:  BBC Leicester

We just heard that all the DVDs and CDs of Loyalty Binds Me are now available to buy through Amazon.

Amazon.com (US):

Sandal Castle DVD
Sandal Castle Music CD
Middleham Castle DVD

Amazon.co.uk (UK):

Sandal Castle DVD
Sandal Castle Music CD
Middleham Castle DVD

For more information on the titles go to Loyalty Binds Me, you can of course still order directly from them as well.

To mark the 525th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth this year, Bosworth Battlefield has launched an international search for the descendants of those who fought at the battle on 22nd August 1485.

The Visitor Centre has a list of names of many men who fought in the battle, but there is still much to be learned about them and bring them back to live, so to speak.  As Curator Richard Knox explains:  “We have a list of names of men who fought at the battle from sources, including the Italian historian Polydore Vergil, but we know very little else about them. We would love to hear from families who believe their ancestors are connected to the battle and start to add some flesh to the bones of the Bosworth story.”

One of those they found is James Orrell, whose ancestor Ralph Orrell was a cousin of Lord Thomas Stanley, whom he helped to decide the battle for Henry Tudor. As a reward he was paid ten marks a year for life, for good and faithful services.  Fortunately his descendant displays for us more acceptable loyalties when he says:  “I can’t help but feel Ralph fought for the wrong side, but understandably you didn’t argue with the Stanleys!”

On the weekend of the anniversary itself there will be a spectacular re-enactment of the battle, to which the descendants will be invited.  The event will also include a thrilling jousting tournament, majestic falconry displays, skill-at-arms, guided walks, medieval market, living history encampment and expert talks.  You even get the chance to meet King Richard III at lunch with his Commanders and ask him any questions you may have about the impending battle.

You can find out more from the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre as well as Leicestershire Museums.

We learned with sadness that Carole M Rike passed away peacefully at home yesterday afternoon, surrounded by her family.  She was a long time member of the American Branch of the Richard III Society and, among other duties, editor of the Ricardian Register.  Her loss will be deeply felt by many.  Our condolences go to her family and friends.

Loyaulte me lie.

At present Stirling Castle is undergoing extensive refurbishment with the aim to return the castle to its 16th century magnificence.

The first step was to find out how the palace might have been furnished and decorated. In some cases there were surviving records, for instance that there were a great many tapestries and also that James V had bought himself some four poster beds, which were the latest fashion in his day.

Other inspiration came from comparison with Scottish royal and noble residences of the time, paintings and inventories of people’s belongings, as well as surviving items in museum collections in the UK and overseas.
Top-quality craftsmen were commissioned to use authentic materials and techniques to refurnish and redecorate the palace. A team of weavers are also recreating a series of late medieval tapestries.

A special feature are the Stirling Heads. Thirty three of these large oak medallions, which once decorated the ceilings of some of the royal apartments, have been handed down to us. They are carved with the faces of Scottish kings and queens, European royalty, Roman emperors and Classical heroes.  The original ones will be on show in a special display area on the first floor of the palace. The gallery will also have exhibits and displays about the fine stone statues on the outside walls of the palace, and about Scotland’s place in Renaissance Europe. However, a replica set of the heads has been hand-carved and will be used to decorate the ceiling of one of King’s Presence Hall.

The refurbishment should be finished by Easter 2011, when visitors will be able to experience the 16th century in all its splendour.

To find out more about this fascinating project click here, there is also a link to a short film about the refurbishment on YouTube

Illustration:  The Great Hall at Stirling Castle, © Copyright Iain Russell and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

This is the title of a ‘Special Interest Weekend to re-evaluate an historically neglected but pivotal English conflict’ which will be held from 24 to 27 March 2011 at Christ Church in Oxford in association with Holts Battlefield Tours and The Richard III Society.  To a Ricardian the description of a “neglected” conflict is hardly appropriate, as it is essential to our period of interest.

Special Interest Weekends are offered every spring by Christ Church, offering sound scholarship by distinguished speakers to their visitors.  Participants will stay on campus and enjoy college life.  The social highlight of the weekend will be the Gala Banquet on Saturday night.

This weekend promises to take the participant through one of the most complex narratives of English History and to explore the debates surrounding the parts played, not just by the king but by the aristocracy.  The talks include:

•    The Origins of the Wars of the Roses
•    The Role of Margaret of Anjou
•    Edward IV and the Establishment of the House of York
•    Richard III:  Reputation and Reality
•    The Army of Richard III
•    Alice Duchess of Suffolk and the Wars of the Roses – this will take place at Ewelme Church, where she is buried
•    The Battle of Bosworth – Dr Glenn Foard, who led the team that discovered the real battle site, will talk about their research.

What a pity that we are so far away, the weekend does promise to be fascinating!  It would be good if we could find out whether the talks might be published in book format after the weekend.  This would allow people, who live too far away and haven’t got the means to just pop over to Oxford for weekend, can enjoy some of it.

For a copy of the programme and a booking form click here.