Thank you, Karen!

We know from our New Zealand friends that the interest in Richard III and his times is very much alive in their beautiful country.  However, there also seems to be a link between my favourite wine, Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region on New Zealand’s South island.  I just read an article explaining this link.

Vineyard in the Marlborough region of New Zealand (photo by Dorothea Preis)

The largest river in the Marlborough region was named Clarence River in the mid-19th century.  It was thought that it referred to Queen Victoria’s uncle and predecessor, William IV, who had been Duke of Clarence before his coronation.

This accepted version has been discredited by George Holmes, who has investigated many place names and had about 95 spellings on maps changed to reflect his findings.

He suggests that the river had been named after a much earlier Duke of Clarence, one that we all know very well:  Richard’s brother George.  One hint was a tributary, Gloster River, which is named after none other than Richard himself, who before his coronation was Duke of Gloucester.  Mr Holmes intends to petition the New Zealand Geographic Board to correct the spelling of this river to reflect the family relationship.  Another hint was a stream near the mouth of the Clarence River, the George Stream.

The article may create the impression that the names were made up by Shakespeare for his infamous play, but of course we know he used real people and made up a story about them (not very different from many present day movies and TV dramas).  Shakespeare’s drama is referred to in the name of another stream, Murderers Stream, and a nearby hill, Warder, which might originally have been Mt Warden, named after the warden in the Tower of London, where George was imprisoned before his execution.  However, there does not seem to be any reference to George’s supposed execution method, no Malmsey Stream or Mt. Malmsey.

It is thought that the Clarence River was named by Sir Frederick Weld, who established a sheep station with business partner Sir Charles Clifford in the 1840s.  He had also named Lake Tennyson after his favourite poet.

Whether the inspiration came from Shakespeare or the real people behind his misrepresentation, I’ll remember this the next time we have some Sauvignon Blanc and lift my glass to George, Duke of Clarence, and of course to Richard, too.

You can find the article about the Clarence River here:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/8142481/Drama-behind-rivers-name

Tags: George of Clarence, New Zealand, Richard III

We all have been following the dig at the Greyfriars in Leicester with interest and fascination and are impatiently waiting for the results of all the various tests being carried out on the human remains which appear to be Richard’s.

Now it is your chance to contribute to this research project and no, we are not asking for money!

The Leicester dig has been nominated for an award as part of the 5th annual Current Archaeology Awards.  These awards celebrate the projects and publications in this year’s editions of the Current Archaeology magazine, and the people judged to have made outstanding contributions to archaeology.

The awards are entirely voted for by the public, there are no panels of judges.  In the category “Research Project of the Year” you will find the nominee “Richard III: the search for the last Plantagenet king’ – please show your support for this project which has been so close to all our hearts by voting for it.

Voting closes on 15 February 2013.  The winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony on 1 March at Current Archaeology Live! 2013.

Please go to the Current Archaeology website and vote:  http://www.archaeology.co.uk/vote

And should you be lucky enough to spot a copy of Current Archaeology at your local newsagent, and I know they are difficult to find in Australia, there are worse things to spend your money on!

Tags: Award, Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III

A big ‘Thank You’ to Renate for finding these links for us!

As you might have guessed, I’m talking about the dig in Leicester for the remains of King Richard III.  It was certainly very carefully planned.  The experts had carefully worked out, where the most likely location of the former church of the Greyfriars and where the best spot to start digging would be.  However, there was also luck involved, as the most likely spot was under a carpark – much easier to dig up than if it had been under some building.

And although it was possible to bring the various parties together – City of Leicester, University of Leicester and Richard III Society, thanks to the relentless efforts of Philippa Langley – money and time was limited, while the area originally covered by the friary of the Greyfriars was huge.  As Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist of the dig, said at the beginning of the project:

I would have loved to have had the time and money to dig numerous trenches and excavate large sections of the area, but that’s the way it goes.  We had to put all our eggs in one basket and pick three spots which we thought would herald results.

And we know by now that they hit the jackpot and found a male skeleton, which looks as if it might be Richard’s (tests to confirm this are being carried out).

We had heard that they had found it quite soon after the start of the project.  However, I had not known until now how soon they actually found the remains.  On the first day in the first spot they started digging, site manager Mathew Morris found a leg, just after scooping away a bit of earth.  They followed the leg  – and found the complete skeleton of an adult male who shows signs of having died violently in a battle and having had scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine.  Circumstantial evidence which looks most promising.

The find certainly convinced Richard Buckley, who had been sceptical whether they would find anything before the dig.  Now he says:  “As soon as I walked across and saw the skeleton under excavation with my own eyes, that was good enough for me.  Since then, I’ve made no secret to the fact I think it’s him.”

It sounds too good to be true, but in this case it actually is true.  As Philippa Langley, a screenwriter, said in a radio interview:  “If I had written this in a screen play I think it would have been thrown at me Good planning, good luck or a bit of both and said ‘get real’”.

She was there when he – and she is sure it is him – was found.  The exciting find was also filmed by the crew who was on site for the Channel 4 documentary, due to be broadcast in early 2013.

Here is the article describing the actual find:

‘Review of 2012: A year when digging up a Leicester city centre car park sparked worldwide curiosity’, This is Leicestershire (29 Dec 2012).  URL:  http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Review-2012-year-digging-Leicester-city-centre/story-17710559-detail/story.html Date accessed:  30 Dec 2012

Or you might like to listen to a BBC radio programme, describing the whole process:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p011xpt1/BBC_Radio_Leicester_Documentary_Richard_III/

Tags: Archaeology, Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III

– edited on 29 Dec 2012 (thank you, Renate) –

The Richard III Society announced that it is funding the facial reconstruction of the skeleton uncovered during the dig in Leicester, which is at present undergoing all sorts of tests to establish with as much certainty as possible whether these are the remains of King Richard III.

Although these tests have not yet been concluded, those in the know at the Society seem to be fairly confident with what is known so far, if they are prepared to fund a facial reconstruction.  It will be based on a CT scan and be carried out by a leading expert in facial anthropology According to National Geographic this is Caroline Wilkinson of the University of Dundee, Scotland.

It is truly amazing what can be done these days, just remember when last year we were able to see the face of Ötzi, the Iceman, as he himself would have seen it if he had had a mirror 5300 years ago (see for example in this article from the BBC).

The reconstruction of Richard’s face will feature in the Channel 4 documentary which will be broadcast early in 2013 and after that it will be made widely available.

What makes this part of the examination of the remains particularly interesting is that there are no surviving portraits of Richard from his lifetime, nor any detailed description.  The only description we have is by Nicholas von Popplau, who met Richard in 1484:

three fingers taller than I [i.e. von Popplau], but a bit slimmer and not as thickset as I am, and much more lightly built; he has quite slender arms and thighs, and also a great heart.

Though von Popplau’s understanding of English genealogy leaves something to be desired –  he has both Edward IV and Henry VI as Richard’s full brothers – he should be able to give a correct description of a man in whose company he spent some time.

The earliest surviving portraits are those from the Royal Collection and the Society of Antiquaries.  They have been dated to the second decade of the 16th century and were probably based on portraits painted during the king’s lifetime.  X-ray has shown that the Royal Collection portrait has been altered at a later stage, to make one shoulder higher and to give him a meaner expression.  The Society of Antiquaries had also been “updated” at a later stage, but cleaning revealed a more genial expression.

The picture on the right is the portrait which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London.  It is suspected to be the copy of a copy of a lost original, and therefore of questionable accuracy.  We might be able to replace this picture at some stage.

Richard III Society chairman, Dr Phil Stone, explained that  the Society is “delighted to provide the financial support for the reconstruction; the revealing of the face will potentially be both an historic and poignant occasion for all who have an interest in this much misunderstood king.”

Philippa Langley, the driving force behind the Leicster dig, added, “To be at the point of seeing what could be the face of the last warrior King of England is an incredibly exciting prospect.”

A sentiment that we all share.

You can find the Press Release in the ‘What’s New’ section on the website of the Richard III Society.

The description of Richard III by Nicholas von Popplau’s description is quoted from:
Livia Visser-Fuchs, ‘He hardly touched his food, but talked with me all the time:  What Niclas von Popplau really wrote about Richard III’, The Ricardian, Vol.XI, No.145 (June 1999), pp.525-530

Tags: Archaeology, Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III, Richard III Society

– edited (16 Dec 2012) –

My Google Alert just alerted me to an article from the British Daily Mail, saying that the remains found in Leicester “DO belong to Richard III”.  Please note, I am aware that the Daily Mail might not be the best source, when it comes to accuracy in historical research.

They quote a source with “knowledge of the excavation” revealing that not all evidence was published at press conference in September and that the remains were shown for certain to be those of Richard III.

I have no doubt that not all available information was divulged at that press conference, but the Daily Mail’s assertion that the scientists were holding the news back to achieve greater publicity, sounds to me like too much of a journalist’s approach.  We all know that in the media industry it is vital to get the news out first, no matter whether they later on turn out to be inaccurate.

However, I would think that scientists first want to make absolutely sure that what they announce is actually true.  This point was also made clear by a spokesman of the University of Leicester saying that “everything we were willing to reveal and that we were sure of, we revealed (in September).”

Maybe that just sums up the difference between some journalists and scientists.

There is quite a variety of indications that the Daily Mail’s assertion might very well turn out to be true, and I most certainly hope so, but in the end, I would prefer to have scientific evidence rather than the say-so of some unnamed source with “knowledge of the excavation”.

In response to the Daily Mail story The University of Leicester issued a statement denying that they withheld any additional evidence at the press conference in September.  They stressed that the tests have not yet been completed, but so far they “are yet to find strong evidence to challenge our original hypothesis”.  The results will be published early in the 2013.

They also added that they will not benefit financially from the Channel 4 production, as they value the “complete academic independence in [their] judgement.”   Ricardians are often asked why we care about someone who has been dead for over 500 years.  We care because we care about justice, which can only be based on independent research.

You can find original article here:

Anthony Bond, ‘Human remains found in Leicester car park DO belong to Richard III… but scientists are holding back findings until Channel Four documentary is aired, claims insider’, Mail Online (15 Dec 2012).  URL:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2248448/Human-remains-Leicester-car-park-DO-belong-Richard-III–scientists-holding-findings-Channel-Four-documentary-aired-claims-insider.html Date accessed:  15 Dec 2012

The response is here:

‘Search for King Richard III: Statement from the University of Leicester, 15 December 2012’, University of Leicester (15 Dec 2012).  URL:  http://www2.le.ac.uk/news/blog/2012/december/statement Date accessed:  16 Dec 2012

Tags: Archaeology, Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III

We all often feel that music can make a boring or unpleasant task easier.  An impression that the University of Leicester shares.  To make the wait for the results of tests being carried out on the male remains found during the Greyfriars dig easier, a concert of medieval music “which will tell the story of King Richard III’s life” has been announced.

The idea is to bring together a collection of music from the times and places Richard would have known.   The music is to be performed by a recorder trio, TritonE, led by Janet Forbes.  She has been researching the kind of music which would have been around in England during Richard’s youth, but also music he would have encountered during his time in Burgundy.

Here he might have heard music from the Glogauer Liederbuch, a collection of 3-part instrumental arrangements of popular songs.  These are not songs which would have been used in a liturgical, ceremonial, or political context, but rather is full of tunes to be played for fun by anyone.   The book has been regarded as the first documented intersection of music and the market. [Wallmark]

In addition to songs from the Glogauer Liederbuch there will also be other music from the Franco-Flemish area.  As Janet Forbes said:  “We are trying to pick music from places he visited and pieces written about things he was doing.”

The concert is organized by the archaeological team behind the Leicester dig.  Prof Lin Foxhall, Head of the School of Archaeology & Ancient History at the University of Leicester, said that the concert would offer another perspective of Richard and his times through the sounds he would have heard.  We know that Richard appreciated good music, because his visitor Nicholas von Popplau listened at his court to “the sweetest music he had ever heard”. [Visser-Fuchs]

The concert will take place on 11 January from 18h30 to 19h30.  Tickets are £5 for the general public, however, for most of us in New South Wales the airfare would have to be added to this, making it perhaps a tad pricey to attend.  For our readers, who are in the Leicester area, this should be a great way to spend the time waiting for the results, expected for early next year.

For all of us who cannot attend the concert but may appreciate some music to make the wait easier, here is a song from the Glogauer Liederbuch on YouTube.  It is called ‘Die Katzenpfote’ (The Cat’s Paw).

References:

‘Concert to tell story of King Richard III’s life through medieval music’, University of Leicester Press Office (14 Dec 2012).  URL:  http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/press-releases/2012/december/concert-to-tell-story-of-king-richard-iii2019s-life-through-medieval-music Date accessed:  15 Dec 2012

Dr Livia Visser-Fuchs, ‘Richard III’s personal interests’, Richard III Society.  URL: http://www.richardiii.net Date accessed:  9 Aug 2010

Zach Wallmark, ‚Glogauer Liederbuch‘, The Taruskin Challenge (22 Nov 2009).  URL:  http://taruskinchallenge.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/glogauer-liederbuch/ Date accessed:  15 Dec 2012

Tags: Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Music, Richard III

The last meeting of the year was held on Saturday, 8 December 2012, with old members and new, and various friends visiting from other branches. Judith, our branch chairperson, welcomed a full house and was followed by Judy with a brief treasurer’s report. She confirmed that all the renewal fees had been received and were now en route to the UK.

Our branch secretary Julia then discussed the ongoing news from Leicester about the parking lot dig where the suspected remains of Richard III have been unearthed. It is a very exciting time to be a Ricardian and the timing is excellent to pique the interest of the general public for the upcoming convention. The convention deadline is fast approaching so please get your registrations in soon. There is a lot of work involved in putting on an event so all offers of volunteer assistance are welcome, please contact any of the committee members if you can help. Julia also made a plea for a replacement for her role as branch secretary, as she will be leaving soon and needs time to hand over a lot of business to her successor.

The webmaster’s report was then given by Dorothea, who reminded us that it is a lot of work to keep it active and interesting, and she would like to think that all members with an internet connection are reading it regularly. There are still increasing numbers of international visitors to the website, and that is high praise. The website also features book reviews and links to an every growing array of fascinating late medieval oriented websites.

One of Dorothea’s most recent posts was a link to a Canadian TV news report on the progress of the identification of the remains found in Leicester, which was very interesting and well worth watching. Author John Ashdown-Hill was interviewed, along with the forensics experts who reported the skeleton as having scoliosis of the spine, a significant head wound and the presence of an arrowhead near the spine. Also featured was a 17th generation Canadian descendant of Richard’s mother, Cecily Neville, whose maternal DNA will hopefully help to confirm the skeleton as Richard’s.

Dorothea then distributed the always well-written branch journal, The Chronicles of the White Rose, one of the best perks of membership.

Lynne then gave her report regarding the stores of memorabilia, and presented a sample of the appealing pewter boar lapel pins now available on order.

Our program for the day was a very interesting talk by our treasurer Judy about her April attendance at the 11th Triennial Conference at the University of Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK entitled “Bosworth and Warfare: New Finds, New Ideas.” Many experts on late medieval warfare spoke about all aspects of war in the era of interest.  Judy’s detailed presentation is posted on our branch website, and well worth reading, as it was fascinating!

Following Richard’s body from Bosworth to Leicester, Dorothea gave a short update on the dig and the find of male remains as well as the variety of tests being performed on the remains.

A highlight of this holiday meeting was a performance of vignettes written and performed by Isolde and Julia. This included cleverly reworked Christmas carols with Ricardian commentary for group singing (e.g. ‘Away in Some Danger’ and ‘O Little Town of Middleham’); a play about Elizabeth Wydville’s dim prospects as a single mum; and a list of personages never to be invited to a Ricardian Christmas, including Thomas More, Lord Stanley, and Henry Tudor.

The first meeting of the new year will be on 9 February 2013, with invited guest speaker Rosamund Burton who will be talking about the ancient pilgrim path in Waterford, Ireland known as Saint Declan’s Way.

Tags: Battles, Bosworth, Leicester, NSW Branch, Richard III

Should you be or live with one of those strange creatures – a Ricardian – you might wonder what would be a suitable present.  A few things showed up on my Google Alert and other sites lately, showing us something different for the Ricardian that has already got all the books (as if that was possible!).

There are some nice items from the University of Leicester [1] themed for the archaeological dig in which their scientists are playing such a vital role.  What about a mug in a Yorkist blue?  Or a T-shirt, either in blue or khaki?  Not only will this be your very own memento of this exciting period, the profits from the sale will go to support the University’s research commitment.

If the Ricardian in your life not mind Shakespeare’s more questionable portrayal of this king, s/he might like a window transfer [2] showing the image of Richard III falling from his horse, which is a reproduction of the Shakespeare window in Southwark Cathedral in London.  Unfortunately it also bears the famous – but untrue – quote about a horse.

If you want to splash out a bit more what about a coin [3] like the one which sold recently for £ 36,000?  It’s not just any old coin – though it is old, dating from 1484 to be precise.  It is a gold angel in almost pristine condition depicting bearing Richard III’s personal emblem, a boar’s head.  It was discovered earlier this year about 12 miles (about 19 km) south of the Bosworth battle site, but it is unlikely that it was lost by someone going to or coming from the battle.

Another suggestion for the discerning Ricardian might be something like the document bearing Richard III’s signature [4] which was recently auctioned for £ 109,250.  The document was written just a few months before Bosworth settling a property dispute in Warwickshire between a “pooer Subgiet Robert Dalby” by “oone Robert Worsley of Chepyngton”.  Documents signed by Richard as king are very rare as his reign was so short.

Having solved the problem of what to get, you might consider wrapping your present in a suitably themed wrapping paper [5], showing the famous portrait from the National Portrait Gallery in the UK (on the right of this post).

Of course, the celebrations are not all about the giving of gifts, there should be some feasting with family and friends, too.  May we suggest some ‘Richard III Wensleydale’ cheese [6] with a glass of ‘Battle of Bosworth’ wine from McLaren Vale [7]?  The wines are made from organically grown grapes.  To accurately assess Richard III’s brother, George duke of Clarence, might be a bit a sticky problem, but it might be easier with a glass of ‘Clarence Sticky Semillon’.  Though for special occasions like the holiday season the ‘White Boar’ has to be a must.

1.    http://shop.le.ac.uk/
2.    http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/homeware/shakespeare-richard-iii-round-window-transfer/invt/cmcn436490/?stylecat=shop_shopby
3.    Peter Warzynski, ‘Collector pays £36k for gold coin found in Leicestershire bearing Richard III emblem’, This is Leicestershire (8 Dec 2012).  URL:  http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Collector-pays-pound-36k-gold-coin-Leicestershire/story-17525801-detail/story.html Date accessed:  9 Dec 2012
4.    ‘Richard III signed document tops estimate by 628.3%’, Paul Fraser Collectibles (13 June 2012).  URL:  http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/News/AUTOGRAPHS/2012-News-Archive/Richard-III-signed-document-tops-estimate-by-628.3pc/11121.page Date accessed:  8 Dec 2012
5.    http://www.etsy.com/listing/112879386/richard-iii-wrapping-papergiftrwrap
6.    http://www.finecheese.co.uk/our-cheeses/richard-iii-wensleydale.html
7.    http://www.battleofbosworth.com.au/

Tags: Christmas, Richard III

I might have mentioned before that Facebook for me has often been a good source of interesting information.  Today, thanks to Joan Szechtman, author of novels about Richard in This Time, I watched a Canadian broadcast about the dig in Leicester.  It is a very interesting programme and it is nice to hear Dr John Ashdown-Hill  talk about the subject that he has researched so extensively.  Enjoy!

Here’s a link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVBOIXayfxE&feature=share&list=ELkUpoWD1apic

Tags: Archaeology, Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III