King John signs Magna Carta
Magna Carta at the State Library – a free one-day symposium.
Thank you to Rachel who told us about this interesting event at our branch general meeting today.
While it might be a bit far for us in NSW to see the Magna Carta exhibition which is at present being shown at the British Library, there are also events closer to us commemorating the signing of Magna Carta 800 years ago. The State Library of New South Wales is holding a one-day symposium on 7 May 2015 to answer the question ‘History’s Most Important Document?’
The symposium will include five eminent speakers who “will explore the historical and contemporary significance of this groundbreaking document”.
The symposium is free. You can find out more and book online here.
Tags: Magna Carta
This is the first part of the talk Bruce MacCarthy gave at the general meeting of the New South Wales Branch on 8 February 2014.
Introduction
Today, some historians divide the Plantagenets into four distinct Royal Houses: Angevins, Plantagenets, Lancaster and York but, collectively, the Plantagenet family as they are now known formed the longest-running dynasty in British history, with 14 kings over more than 330 years from 1154 to 1485. Even if we similarly group together the Hanoverians and their successors, from George I onwards, they have so far provided only 11 kings and queens and are only in their 300th year in 2014.
In my two journeys to Europe, I have always tried to visit places with Plantagenet connections. For example, I have been to the ruins of Dürnstein Castle, where Richard I was held captive by Duke Leopold of Austria in 1192-3. In May 2008, my wife and I toured King John’s castle in Limerick. This castle was built on the orders of King John, and was completed around 1200. It is well worth a visit for the excellent historical displays. Of course, we also visited the Richard III Museum in York, when we were there in 2010, and I recall an article on this museum in your 2011 journal.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Crusade, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II, Magna Carta, Richard I
Our next general meeting will take place on Saturday, 10 August, at the Harry Jensen Centre at 14h00. The speaker will be Dr John Twyford. Dr Twyford is a lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). He will be talking to us about Medieval Contract Law, and will show us the lesser known aspects of the Magna Carta. He also indicated that his talk will also cover the burning of witches, so be prepared.
A talk about the Magna Carta is a fitting topic for our August 2013 meeting. The (northern hemisphere) summer of 2013 marks the 800th anniversary of the first meeting meeting between the barons and the clergy to discuss severe grievances against King John at St Albans, in August 1213. It was this meeting which ultimately led to the articles that became Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede two years later in 1215.
Our meeting will more than make up for missing the celebrations planned in St Albans.
Tags: Magna Carta, NSW Branch