ISSN 0308 4337

Ricardian Bulletin

Magazine of the Richard III Society

ISSN 0308 4337 December 2009

Ricardian Bulletin

Magazine of the Richard III Society

The Ricardian Bulletin is produced by the Bulletin Editorial Committee,

Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd. © Richard III Society, 2009

Contributions Contributions are welcomed from all members. All contributions should be sent to Lesley Boatwright.

Bulletin Press Dates 15 January for March issue; 15 April for June issue; 15 July for September issue; 15 October for December issue.

Articles should be sent well in advance.

Bulletin & Ricardian Back Numbers Back issues of The Ricardian and the Bulletin are available from Judith Ridley. If you are interested in obtaining any

back numbers, please contact Mrs Ridley to establish whether she holds the issue(s) in which you are interested.

For contact details see back inside cover of the Bulletin

Ricardian Bulletin December 2009

Contents

2 From the Chairman

3 Annual General Meeting 2009

12 Bosworth 2009

17 Julia Redlich receives the Robert Hamblin award

18 Moira Habberjam becomes a Society Vice-President

19 ‘I knew I had found the Battle of Bosworth ...’

20 Study weekend April 2010: Richard III’s York: People and Places

21 Other Society News and Notices

25 News and Reviews

27 Media Retrospective

29 The Man Himself: the Television Trial of Richard III

31 Margaret Beaufort’s List: by Jennie Powys-Lybbe

34 Retrospective on the Quincentenary of the Death of Henry VII: Part 4: Henry’s illness at

Wanstead House and an extraordinary report from Calais: by Peter Foley

35 Notes and Queries

36 Medieval Cosmetics: by Tig Lang

38 ‘A pepe of chykennys’ and other flights of fancy: by Elaine Henderson

39 The Sheriff Hutton Monument, Part 2: by Jane Crease

42 Correspondence

44 The Barton Library

46 Reports on Society Events

55 Future Society Events

57 Branch and Group Contacts

59 Branches and Groups: Reports

63 New Members

63 Obituary

64 Calendar

2

From the Chairman

P resident Obama’s well-deserved reputation for oratory means that phrases from his speeches

are already appearing in dictionaries of quotations, and one in particular seems especially

apt for the reputation of Richard III and the work of this Society: ‘the arc of history is long but it

bends towards justice’. Since 1924, we have been helping to bend that arc in King Richard’s

favour and as a mark for our success, it gives me great pleasure to report that HRH The Duke of

Gloucester is willing to continue as our Patron for the foreseeable future (see page 21).

It would seem that two iconic Ricardian sites, Bosworth and Sheriff Hutton, must now be

viewed in a new light. The results of the recent archaeological investigations at Bosworth

confirm what most of us already expected about the battle’s location (see page 19), while Jane

Crease finishes her article on the Sheriff Hutton tomb with the definitive conclusion, which will

be a disappointment to many members, that the tomb is certainly not that of Edward of

Middleham. (Presumably this mean we can no longer refer to it as ‘Legless Eddie’?) The

Ricardian Churches Restoration Fund supported the consolidation of the tomb in 1985, and our

founder Saxon Barton contributed to restoration costs in 1949. However, it is a fifteenth-century

monument and is probably the tomb of a Neville, so none of this has been in vain. Where, then,

was Richard’s son buried? We’d like to hear your views. So, please, let the debate begin.

Once again, in this issue, we have an interesting range of articles and reports. Jennie Powys-

Lybbe concludes the series from the Cirencester Conference with an incisive look at the role of

Margaret Beaufort, a most appropriate re-evaluation in this the quincentenary year of her death.

Following on from references in the last issue to Richard III and lipstick, Tig Lang takes a

fascinating look at mediaeval cosmetics. There is a report about the Bosworth weekend and our

strong presence there, together with an account of the Society’s visit to South Wales, which gives

a real sense of the locations visited and the camaraderie of the trip.

The AGM and Members Day went well and, to me, seemed to have been a very happy and

friendly day. Most would agree that the lecture by Tobias Capwell was outstanding, challenging,

as it did, a lot of preconceived views about English armour in the fifteenth century. We hope

Toby will expand on his views in a future issue, but in the meantime Lesley Boatwright’s

excellent summary gives you an idea of what he told us. Down in the southern hemisphere,

Australian and New Zealand Ricardians held a successful convention in Perth, during which Julia

Redlich of the New South Wales Branch was presented with the 2009 Robert Hamblin Award by

vice-president Rob Smith. Our congratulations to Julia.

At the AGM, we also took a moment to celebrate Geoffrey Wheeler’s forty years of

continuous service as a member of the Executive Committee. On behalf of all, I congratulate

Geoff on this achievement and thank him for his contribution over those four decades.

As the year ends, let me wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous

2010, which will surely be another busy and productive year for the Society.

Phil Stone

3

Minutes of the 2009 Annual General Meeting of the Richard III Society

The 2009 Annual General Meeting of the Richard III Society was held at Staple Inn, Holborn,

London on Saturday 3 October 2009 at 2.30 pm. 121 members were present.

Apologies for absence were received from John Ashdown-Hill, John Audsley, Sandra

Church, Rachel & Gordon Field, Yvonne Ginn, Moira Habberjam, Sally Henshaw, Elaine Hunt,

Diana & Peter Lee, Andrea Lindow, Shirley & Roy Linsell, Wendy & Brian Moorhen, Jean

Nicholls, Ian Rogers, Josephine Tewson, Juliet Wilson and Tom Wallis.

The minutes of the 2008 Annual General Meeting, published in the winter Bulletin 2008,

were approved and signed as correct.

Chairman’s Remarks: Phil Stone welcomed members from the UK and overseas, including

Elisabeth Sjoberg who lives in Sweden and Julia Campbell who lives in Paris. He then gave an

address, including remarks on the year’s events and proposals for the future, and thanking a

number of people for their input. His address is fully reported in this issue on pages 6-8.

Secretaries’ Report: David Wells gave a brief report of his and Susan’s first period as Joint

Secretaries and emphasised that, although there had been a lot of work and a ‘steep learning

curve’, they had both enjoyed the experience and looked forward to continuing to make a

contribution to the Society. Susan read out greetings from the American, New Zealand and

Canadian branches, and from Moira Habberjam and John Audsley.

Reports from Members of the Executive Committee and other Society officers:

Richard Van Allen spoke on forthcoming productions/television programmes about the

period including:

a National Geographic programme examining the fate of the Princes as part of a series

about unsolved/unexplained mysteries;

a drama series for television written by Philippa Langley (Secretary of the Scottish Branch)

entitled Richard III, Last of the Warrior Kings for which production support was being

sought; and

a possible film of Sharon Penman’s novel The Sunne in Splendour which was a much larger

and, therefore, more costly, project.

Marian Mitchell gave details of the trips organised during the past year and proposals for

2010 which included:

day trip in May to Kenilworth

day trip in September, possibly to Tewkesbury

long week-end trip to Calais. Marian announced a change to the previously printed dates

for this trip which would now take place from 15 to 18 July. Further details would be

published in the December Bulletin.

Marian went on to emphasise how important it was for Members to support the trips – coaches

were becoming ever more expensive, and the more seats taken, the less expensive for each

participant. She commented that there were few smaller coaches and, generally, 49 seats were the

minimum. She then also emphasised that members of the Visits Committee enjoyed no privileges

and paid the same as everyone else for the trips.

Lesley Boatwright advised that the September Bulletin was the 26th in the new format, and

gave a brief summary of some points of policy. She asked if members thought that the Bulletin

Committee were ‘getting it right’ and invited responses by email or in writing to her address on

the back cover of Bulletin.

Annual General Meeting 2009

4

Articles ‘for debate’ had not attracted many responses, and so the series had been dropped.

For the series about ‘The Man Himself’ it was becoming more difficult to find something

meaningful to say. Should the series continue and, if so, what issues could be addressed?

Some issues attracted a degree of controversy. Currently, a response to the original article

was published and the author given the chance to provide a rejoinder. Thereafter, anything

further on the subject was published as general correspondence. Was this the right way to deal

with such matters?

The publication of fictional short stories had attracted much comment – favourable and

unfavourable. She emphasised that the stories were submitted by invitation only by specific

authors, who were asked to base their stories on a painting by Graham Turner.

Do members find book reviews interesting or tedious? Should fiction be reviewed? It was

felt that there should be a consistent policy, and there was a proposal under discussion within the

Bulletin Committee for the establishment of a post of Reviews Editor.

The Bulletin Committee would welcome information about work done by individual

members to promote the Society and its work.

Lesley concluded by saying that the Bulletin was for all members of the Society and the editorial

committee needed to know what the membership wanted and expected from it.

Anne Sutton mentioned that she had a small stock of off-prints of articles for sale at £1 each

plus p&p. These were:

The Arrival of Edward IV by Livia Visser Fuchs, and

Richard III and the Knave of Cards by Anne Sutton and Livia Visser Fuchs

Anne also spoke of the books published by the Trust – including The Beauchamp Pageant

and The Howard Household Books both of which linked with the presentation by Dr Tobias

Capwell at the Members’ Day. These and many others publications were available to purchase

from the Society and were a significant source for scholars.

Finally, Anne mentioned her disappointment at some aspects of the service currently provided

by the National Archives and urged any members experiencing similar difficulties to take up the

matter.

Lynda Pidgeon gave details of the Study Weekend that was scheduled to take place from 9

to 11 April in York. Accommodation had been arranged at the Elmbank Hotel in the city. This

was a new venue as the College of Ripon and York St John was no longer available and she

would welcome views for future reference.

Lynda then mentioned that two of the Society’s bursaries for the coming year had been

awarded to Simon Lamb and Sarah Fellowes. A third bursary was available to members and she

urged prospective recipients to get in touch so their application could be considered. (See p. xx)

She concluded by mentioning that the Barley Hall newsletter was available free of charge by

email and there was a list to sign up for this on the Librarian’s table.

Carolyn Hammond, the Society’s Library Co-ordinator introduced her colleagues: Anne

Painter, responsible for the Fiction Library; Keith Horry, Non-Fiction Books Librarian; and

Geoffrey Wheeler, Audio-Visual Librarian. She reminded members that there is a library, and

she also mentioned that there was a detailed search facility on the website.

Treasurer’s Report/Adoption of Accounts for financial year ending 31 March 2009: Paul

Foss presented the final accounts. He apologised for an error in the published figures but

emphasised that the approved accounts were correct and had been signed off (see p. 8). He

explained that marketing expenditure was high, due in large part to the cost of setting up the

Bosworth Portal and to general promotional campaigns. Some accounting adjustments were

made to ensure that the books were correctly balanced. There being no questions, adoption of the

accounts was proposed by Kitty Bristow, seconded by Carolyn West and approved unanimously.

Appointment of a Qualified Independent Examiner: Paul Foss recommended the

continued appointment of Anne Summerell to examine the accounts. This was proposed by Joan

Cooksley, seconded by Barbara Ellams and approved unanimously.

5

Reports from Branches/other officers: there were none.

Resolutions and Motions: there were none.

Robert Hamblin Award: the Chairman gave details of the award for this year, which was to

Julia Redlich, the Secretary of the New South Wales Branch, in recognition of her stalwart

service to the Branch over 20 years. He pointed out that it was particularly appropriate in this

year which was the 50th anniversary of the founding of the first Australian branch. The award

would be made by Rob Smith at the Australasian Convention later in October and Phil

emphasised the need to maintain strict secrecy until this event had taken place.

Geoffrey Wheeler: Phil then announced a further, surprise presentation to Geoff to mark his

40 continuous years as a member of the Executive Committee. He offered sincere congratulations

and presented a baseball cap, inscribed with Geoff’s name together with that of the Society and

‘40 glorious years’. Geoff thanked everyone for the gift.

Election of President: the re-election of Peter Hammond as President of the Society was

proposed by the Chairman, seconded by Heather Falvey and carried unanimously. Peter

responded with thanks.

Election of Vice-Presidents: The Chairman, on behalf of the Executive Committee,

proposed John Audsley, Kitty Bristow, Carolyn Hammond, Moira Habberjam, Rob Smith and

Isolde Wigram. The addition of Moira Habberjam to the list was in recognition of the extremely

valuable work she had undertaken on behalf of the Society in general and the Yorkshire Branch

in particular over a number of years. The proposal was seconded by Derek James and carried

unanimously.

Election of Executive Committee for 2009/2010: nominations having been received for all

current members of the Executive Committee and no others, it was proposed that the following

persons be elected to serve on that Committee for the coming year: Lesley Boatwright, Howard

Choppin, Paul Foss, Marian Mitchell, Lynda Pidgeon, John Saunders, Phil Stone, Anne Sutton,

Richard Van Allen, David Wells, Susan Wells, Geoffrey Wheeler. This was formally moved by

Joan Cooksley, seconded by Carolyn Hammond and carried unanimously.

Date of Bosworth 2010: the Bosworth commemoration would take place on Sunday 22

August 2010, and the Society would have a presence at the Battlefield event throughout the

weekend.

Date of AGM 2010: The AGM 2010 and Members’ Day would take place on Saturday 2

October 2010 in Leicester.

Open Forum and Questions: a question had been posted on the board by Rose Skuse who

wondered if there were any plans to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Northampton

in June 2010. The Chairman commented that nothing definite had been proposed but that it

would be added to the list of possible events for next year to be discussed by the EC.

Elisabeth Sjoberg asked whether consideration could be given to providing more

opportunities for socialising at Society events, suggesting a dinner in Leicester after next year’s

AGM, which the Chairman referred to the Executive Committee to consider, and a pre-lunch get

together in December at Fotheringhay castle, which was felt to be impractical given timing and

the weather.

Any Other Business: there was none.

RCRF Raffle: Elizabeth Nokes supervised the drawing of the winning tickets and selection

of prizes for the raffle.

Quiz Results: David and Susan Wells read out the answers to the quiz, ably assisted by

members of the audience. There were six winning entries, all scoring 16 marks out of a possible

18. They were from: Margaret Stiles, Annabel Morris, Sue Broughton, Barry Edwards, Iris Day

and Diane Paterson. The Chairman drew one entry for the prize which went to Diane Paterson.

Close of AGM: the Chairman closed the meeting at 4.15pm.

6

F ifty years ago, on 2 October 1959, the Fellowship of the White Boar held its last AGM. By

the end of the meeting it had become the Richard III Society, a change of name better to

reflect its purpose. This year we celebrate half a century as the Society. If we add the thirty-five

years of the Fellowship founded by Saxon Barton in 1924, we have eighty-five years of study of

the life and times of Richard III – something of which we can be very proud.

This year we also celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the first branch in

Australia in Melbourne. Founded by former Vice-President, the late Pat Bailey, it also came into

being on 2 October, 1959. How pleased she would be to know that the Society still prospers in

Australia, and in New Zealand, too, and how fitting in this anniversary year that the Australians

and the New Zealanders met for their triennial Australasian Convention.

In reviewing the events of the last year, let me say that, since last October, the Society has

faced a number of challenges, emerging stronger and more resilient.

Once again, our accounts show a healthy surplus, providing us with the capital to do yet

more. We are grateful to our treasurer, Paul Foss, for this, and for the help of our new Business

Manager, Diana Lee, as well as the Ways and Means committee, who keep a watchful eye on our

finances and how the money is used.

Part of what binds us together as an international society is our two key publications: The

Ricardian and the Bulletin. I said this last year but it’s worth repeating. Thanks go to Anne

Sutton for the excellence of The Ricardian and the Bulletin Editorial Team for the quality and

innovation in our quarterly magazine. A particularly special ‘thank you’ goes to Lesley

Boatwright who has taken on the lead editorial role.

An equally important source of cohesion for the Society is our website. Websites need

constant updating and redesign and maintaining them is a never-ending job. My thanks to our

new webmaster, Jane Weaver, and to our new Website Content Manager, my wife Beth, for their

work.

In the last year:

1. We returned to Olympia for the Who Do You Think You Are? – Live exhibition, helped

again in ‘keeping up appearances’ by our star attraction, Josephine Tewson.

2. We returned to Leeds for the prestigious International Medieval Congress, presenting a

lecture session on the subject of wills. Congratulations to Wendy Moorhen, Lynda Pidgeon and

Lesley Boatwright.

3. The new look Bosworth Battlefield Centre is winning many plaudits in the museum and

tourism world, and we can be proud of our part in their success. The Bosworth Portal puts across

a positive and balanced view of King Richard to its many visitors. Thanks to Richard Van Allen

and Sue and Dave Wells for manning the Society’s marquee during the commemoration. My

thanks go also to local members, Richard Smith and Terry and Val Cresswell.

This year I would like to call particular attention to the work of our branches and groups, be

they in this country or throughout the world. Many are engaged in a wide range of activities

making a valuable contribution to our work, bringing us to the attention of the general public.

You have all continued to make the Society’s presence felt in a very positive way.

Looking ahead, some of the things we are planning include:

1. A comprehensive review of our website, looking at its content, its format and its

accessibility.

A Strong and Resilient Society

The Chairman’s Address to the Society at the AGM

7

2. In 2011, we will publish two projects that have been long awaited, and indeed, have

become almost mythical, namely the History of the Society and a revised Ricardian Britain. We

will have a formal launch for these publications, and I have already made overtures to our patron,

HRH the Duke of Gloucester, inviting him to attend.

3. 2012 will be the 550th anniversary of the birth of John de la Pole, Richard’s heir

presumptive. At least, 1462 is a good compromise for the date of his birth. We plan to have a

programme of events focussing on the de la Poles, with a study day, a series of articles in the

Bulletin and, we hope, a plaque in Wingfield Church.

We already have a number of things agreed for 2010:

1. After this year’s disappointing cancellation, the study weekend is back. We will be in

York with the appropriate subject of ‘Richard III’s York’. See details on p. xx in this issue.

2. We will be back in Leeds for the Medieval Congress in July, and at Bosworth in August as

usual.

3. The visits team are taking a party to Calais in July. It is the one place in France that people

in fifteenth-century England would have known something about. After all, we owned it.

4. We will continue to watch out for media opportunities that offer the chance to make the

positive case for King Richard.

5. Some members of the Society are busy behind the scenes with projects for presenting the

facts about Richard III on television. Next year could see us watching these programmes on our

screens.

6. Our Research Programme will undergo a major review over the coming year as we seek to

build on the success of the Wills Project.

For our AGM next year, we will meet for the first time in the city of Leicester, when our venue

will be the Adult Education College. The hall where we will gather is a converted Methodist

Chapel, which will surely be something different. When we began alternating AGM venues with

London, the presumption always was that, for the most part, the alternative would be York, but

that, occasionally, we would also give other parts of the country the opportunity to host the

meeting. It is time to move away from York and London again and, this time, we are giving the

Midlands their chance to play host. We shall return to York in 2012 and, naturally, we will be

there again in 2014 to celebrate our 90th birthday. Can anyone imagine a better place than York

for such a party?

It has always been my pleasure to take the opportunity at the AGM to thank the officers of the

Society, at every level, and this year is no exception. I extend my special thanks to the Executive

Committee for the support that they have given me, especially this past year.

Last year, I made reference to the BBC TV series The Tudors, noting that Henry VIII had found

the fountain of youth. In the new series this year, there was more realism, particularly with regard

to the savage suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace and Henry’s treatment of the Pole family

and the Countess of Salisbury in particular. In many respects, she was the last of the

Plantagenets. What a change to see a programme about the Tudors which pulled no punches

about their disgraceful treatment of the heirs of the House of York! Perhaps some of the shine is

coming off the Tudor reputation. Such can only be a good thing for us, of course.

Sometimes, I wonder what Richard III would have thought about the Richard III Society?

Once over the surprise that such a thing could exist or was even necessary, I imagine that he

would have been rather proud to know that his reputation and honour are still being upheld and

advanced more than half a millennium after his death. At first glance, the Richard III Society

appears to be an extraordinary phenomenon – a society dedicated to reclaiming the reputation of

a king who died over 500 years ago having reigned for little more than two years. Perhaps it was

8

best summed up by our Patron some years ago, ‘… the purpose and indeed the strength of the

Richard III Society derive from the belief that the truth is more powerful than lies – a faith that

even after all these centuries the truth is important. It is proof of our sense of civilised values that

something as esoteric and as fragile as reputation is worth campaigning for.’

That the Richard III Society prospers in 2009 is doubtless a reflection on the qualities of the

man himself. He is worth fighting for today as much as he was worth fighting for in August

1485. Friends and fellow Ricardians, let us continue the campaign to restore the reputation of

‘Good King Richard’, and let us do it, happy in the knowledge that the Society is in a good shape

so to do.

Major Craft Sale at the AGM 2009

The thirty-first Major Craft Sale, in aid of the Ricardian Churches Restoration Fund, made a total

of £426.10, to which we hope to have added, by the time you read this, at ‘minor’ sales at

London Branch meetings, etc.

Grateful thanks, as always, to all who contributed to the success of the sale, either by serving

on stalls or contributing items for sale. We know who the former were, but suspect we do not

know the names of all the latter, as people came up to the ‘grot’ and book stalls with items for

sale throughout the day: so, if your name is not listed below, and you did contribute, very grateful

thanks, nevertheless.

Known contributors and helpers, whom we thank: Kitty Bristow, Joan Cooksley, Pamela

Evans, Peter and Carolyn Hammond, Jean Hester, Renée Jennison, Maureen Nunn, Diana

Powell, Jean Richards, Elaine Robinson, Beth Stone and Geoffrey Wheeler.

This year, very particular thanks go to Elaine Robinson, at the conclusion of her long period

of donating all the proceeds from her hand made cards. This has been an enormous contribution

to the RCRF funds over the years, and we thank her very much indeed. Please note that she is not

stopping making cards, and will still undertake commissions for members: she is not however

selling cards for RCRF at meetings, and will in the future be undertaking card sales on a more

commercial basis.

Elizabeth Nokes and Phil Stone, Trustees, RCRF

THE ROBERT HAMBLIN AWARD FOR 2009

This year’s winner is Julia Redlich In the fiftieth anniversary year of the founding of the first Australian branch, the award is given

to Julia Redlich in recognition of her nearly twenty years of service to the Society, particularly

through the roles she has played in the New South Wales Branch.

See pages 17-18 for an account of the presentation to Julia at the recent Australasian

Convention in Perth. For the full story behind the founding of the first Australian branch see

‘Ricardian Heroes: the Australian Connection’ in the Spring 2007 issue of the Bulletin.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2008-09: CORRECTION The financial statement published with the Annual Report as an insert in the last issue of the

Bulletin contained two errors which we now amend. These are:

1. In the list of expenditure for 2009 the figure of £1286 representing purchases is missing, so

the column as it stands does not add up to the correct figure of £51,865 because of this omission.

2. In the Represented By section at the end of the statement, the library’s value is given as £1700

rather than £17,000.

We apologise for these errors and are grateful to those members who brought them to our notice.

9

The title of Dr Capwell’s talk was very specific: ‘English Armour 1471 to 1487’, which sounded

rather precise and limiting. In fact, we were treated to an account of a brilliant investigation

which completely overturned some preconceived notions.

He was interested in funerary sculpture, and when he looked at the effigies of knights in

armour he saw that the armour shown did not match up with what he was reading in the

literature. The books say that the good quality armour in the fifteenth century came from Italy or

Germany, and that England was a

backwater, and English armourers

were no good. This, Dr Capwell

roundly declared, was rubbish.

There are 230 military effigies

from the 15th century in England and

Wales. Only one of these has German

armour, and it’s a low-quality ‘bargain

basement’ effigy. What’s more, only

three effigies of the 230 show late-

15th-century Italian armour: A Lancas

-trian knight killed at Tewkesbury had

one asymmetrically-armoured arm, a

typical Italian design which arose

from the fact that Italians fought as

cavalry and so needed the sword-arm

to have more protection. In general,

the Italian armour in this country was

also cheap stuff. They exported lots of

it (there could be up to 800 ready-

made armours in one consignment),

and had workshops in other countries.

The best armour was bespoke, and

measured within millimetres. Only

about ten of the 230 effigies in the country are well-known, and he looked at these and all of the

others, hoping patterns would emerge. They did. English armour had a distinctive style, looking

‘organic, more grown than made’. A Harcourt effigy from Aston, dating about 1460-80, has ‘an

armoured green man’ quality. ‘A man in armour is a walking work of art.’ What was more, the

230 effigies are all very individual portraits of armour as well as of the man who wore it.

English skirts were significantly longer, with up to eight plates, and the wearer had far more

mobility in it than in German or Italian armour. The style depends far more on the fitting of the

armour, which enhanced mobility. Plates overlap downwards, and are rivetted to leather. The

main reason for the differences was that the English would nearly always fight on foot, and the

Germans and Italian armours were more suitable for cavalry. When the new sport of foot combat

in armour developed at the court of Maximilian, the armour they used resembled English

battlefield armour .

In response to questions, Dr Capwell said no, you were not allowed to be left-handed; an

armour could weigh up to 60 lb; and the English style cuts off at about 1490 as many of Henry

VII’s knights had lived on the Continent and got their armour there.

Dr Tobias Capwell’s talk to the AGM

‘A Man in Armour is a Walking Work of Art’

Dr Capwell addresses the AGM

10

Forty Glorious Years ...

Geoffrey Wheeler joined the Society’s Committee in 1969, when he and I were collaborating on

an article on ‘A Spanish Account of the Battle of Bosworth’. In 1973 came the National Portrait

Gallery Exhibition, in which he worked closely with Pamela Tudor-Craig, and in 1974 the

Jubilee Banquet and Grand Masque,

for which he did a great deal of

design work, notably producing a

splendid range of subtleties: the

silver pheasant of Burgundy, the

caravel (decks laden with sugared

almonds), the White Tower (celery-

stick outer walls encasing inner walls

of bread), and the Boar’s Head.

Indeed, Geoff is the Society’s

designer par excellence. For the

Guildhall Banquet, part of the

Quincentenary celebrations, he

created all the table decorations as

heraldic shields, which were later

auctioned off to members.

Can there be a Ricardian event or

activity that has not been recorded by Geoff’s photographs? As well as the major national events,

he used to be a regular attender at, and recorder of, the Yorkshire Branch medieval parties, which

always gave him a good excuse not to get into costume at the hotel, like everyone else, but to

allow the full glory of his costume to burst upon all at the actual venue. These costumes were

always inventive. One year he was Duke Charles of Burgundy in armour largely held together by

staples. Another year he was Clifford, with the Duke of York’s head, horribly realistic. Yet

another time he was Shakespeare, with a puppet Richard III on strings.

When I edited the Bulletin I relied on Geoff to illustrate articles, concepts and memorabilia

and to provide a whole series of

wonderful drawings for its covers. He

has designed commemorative plaques for

the Society, including the Mechelen

plaque, and the plaque on the Leicester

bank which commemorates Richard’s

burial at Leicester. He also designs and

produces the most splendid personal

Christmas cards. When the Middleham

jewel was found, a replica of it duly

appeared on Geoff’s card. And he has

created great ‘leaving-cards’ for retiring

officers: ‘This is Your Ricardian Life’

Geoff is also an indefatigable contri-

butor to the Media Retrospective section

of the Bulletin. No Ricardian reference

escapes his eagle eye, and woe betide the

author or journalist who wrongly

attributes an illustration.

Elizabeth Nokes

Phil Stone makes the presentation to Geoffrey Wheeler ...

... of a baseball cap with suitable inscriptions

11

The Croydon Group man the reception desk: left to right,

Rosemary Waxman, Ann Walters and Denise Price

... and one busy day

Rosanna Salbashian and Betty

Beaney of London Branch do sterling

work at the refreshment stall. Other

helpers at this stall included Margaret

Stiles and Gillian Lazar.

The usual range of sales and

services was on display at the

AGM. As well as buying craft

work, including Elaine Robinson’s

super hand-made Christmas cards,

members were able to pay their

subscriptions, find out about the

website and record their views

concerning it, and meet the new

web-team, discover what visits are

planned for 2010 and hear about

past visits, talk to various

committee members, buy books

and Ricardian artefacts, including

the new tote-bags (which were

selling like hot cakes), talk to the

Library Coordinator and buy books

surplus to library requirements

and, whenever necessary, get a

cup of tea and a biscuit.

Of course our champion

sales-team, headed by Kitty

Bristow, was in full swing. Sue

Wells brought in three jugs

(which she had borrowed from

an aunt ) for the refreshment

stall and incautiously put them

down near Kitty’s stall. Minutes

later, when she looked round for

them, Kitty had already got

them unpacked and marked up

for sale.

Marjorie Hodgkinson and Angela

Moreton (pictured here) and Pauline

Pogmore of Yorkshire Branch came

to London and set up stall with their

merchandise, including books from

their Rosalba Press and a splendid

new boar T-shirt.

12

I t is written into the Richard III Society’s constitution that there shall be an annual visit to

Bosworth Field to commemorate Richard’s death in battle. The pattern of the day was seen

traditionally as first, a service in Sutton Cheney church to remember the dead; second, a walk

round the Ambion Hill site where, until recently, it was assumed that the actual fighting had

taken place; and then a tea at which all members who had come to the battlefield could meet and

talk and spend time together.

Some Branches and members who live in places from where it is not easy to travel to

Bosworth for a day now organise their own commemorations. A report of the Yorkshire Branch’s

remembrance day appears later in the Bulletin, on page 62.

Until recently, the battle’s anniversary at Bosworth itself was a one-day event but now,

following the refurbishing of the Battlefield Centre and the installation of new and wonderfully

technological exhibits, it is a weekend. And it is beginning to turn into a Fun Weekend for All the

Family. This year the programme included, as well as the usual displays of birds of prey and

combat re-enactments, such delights as ‘The Wars of the Roses in 30 Minutes’ in the combat

arena, a medieval fashion show on the courtyard stage, a session called ‘Meet the King! Meet

King Richard at lunch with his Officers’ in the Living History camp, and a talk by Philippa

Gregory on her new novel The White Queen.

To be fair, there was also a service at Richard’s Well on the Saturday, and one minute’s

silence at 4 p.m. (subtitled, strangely, ‘The Battle of Bosworth up to the fall of Howard’). And it

is still possible to walk round the battlefield, even if the trail is not so clearly marked or

explained as it once was.

Round the roped-off area in which the re-enactments take place there are rows of tents great

and small where people ply their trades and sell their products. It probably feels a bit like a

medieval fair used to feel, but the babies are in posh buggies and most of the myriad dogs that

cavort about would not have been recognised as real dogs in the Middle Ages.

It is all great fun. ‘Shop ‘til you drop medieval style’ says the leaflet, which has obviously

given idiosyncratic thought to the uses of punctuation. ‘Ale was all the soldiers had before a

battle, so pop into the tent to prepare yourself for the battle re-enactment finale!’ ‘Entertainment

for all the family with mini jousting [eh?], medieval games and stories of chivalrous knights,

gallant Kings and treacherous villains’.

The Society’s portal is now established as a permanent part of the new exhibition, a glitch in

the wording of one of its screens having been sorted out. In addition, we recently invested in a

sales tent in which to join the medieval marketing round the re-enactment area. After all, many of

the people who turn up for the fun may well be interested in the history behind it, and we must

not waste any opportunity to convert them to our way of thinking.

Our new secretaries, Sue and Dave Wells, together with our Public Relations specialist,

Richard Van Allen, did sterling work throughout the weekend, manning the tent, publicising the

Society, selling our books and other items, and talking to anyone interested. They have written

their own account, which follows on pages 14-16.

On a more serious note, once again a service of commemoration was held in Sutton Cheney

church. Elizabeth Nokes, who, as usual, organised a coach from London to come to the service,

has written an account of this. We thank all four for their magnificent efforts on our behalf.

Lesley Boatwright

Bosworth 2009

Carnival or Commemoration?

13

The Church Service at Sutton Cheney

The London coach party comprised twenty eight members, and arrived in good time at Sutton

Cheney, to be united in the church with the wreaths, made as usual by Ruth Cochrane, to whom

go our grateful thanks for their making and delivery. Wreath cards were attached: this year an

identical card for each wreath, crediting both the Australasian and Canadian Branches, who fund

the wreaths, with the logo and web address of the latter: Australasian logos are awaited. Since

the wreath with the silk, as opposed to fresh, white roses, usually remains in place all year, it

seemed better to credit all parties on both wreath cards.

The service as usual comprised hymns, a psalm and Old and New Testament readings, the

latter from Mark, 4, verse 35 to the end, read by the Society’s Chairman. We sang the ‘Bosworth’

hymn In our Day of Thanksgiving and the Rev. Mr Hunter-Clare’s ‘King Richard’s Hymn’, with

its emphasis on loyalty. The Rev. John Plant welcomed the congregation, and thanked the

Richard III Society for its support to the church, noting that the interior re-decoration was now

almost complete (which reminds the Trustees of the Ricardian Churches Restoration Fund that

they have indented to fund the cleaning and restoration of the Society plaque). This is made the

more urgent by the donation to the church of two new banners of the York rose and the boar, to

hang on either side of the plaque.

The Rev. Mr Plant preached the sermon, using the text of the New Testament reading, noting

that the mention of Christ laying down his head ‘on a pillow’ might be either an authentic eye-

witness comment, or an imaginative addition by a later commentator, noting the difficulty of

getting back to an actual account, not only for events during Christ’s life time but also for historic

events such as those of the time of Richard III. A moral had to be drawn from events, and if the

facts did not fit this – adjust the facts! And where in all this did the ‘ordinary people’ fit? It is not

possible to ascertain even such facts as the location of the battle of Bosworth, and both New

Testament and fifteenth-century events demonstrate the difficulty of promulgating stable and

secure government and the delicate transition from one regime to another. This kind of event,

warfare, the deployment of force, has a very contemporary relevance, to the events occurring in

Iran, Afghanistan, etc. Mr Plant confessed that he reserved judgement about Richard: certainly,

there was ‘Tudor propaganda’, but we are being asked to choose based on limited information,

Two new banners flank the Australasian and Canadian wreaths and the Society’s plaque in Sutton

Cheney church

14

with a high level of uncertainty. The historian is of his time and cannot be impartial. Similarly, he

said, we cannot avoid the storms of life, and must seek the spirit of Jesus in local and national

events.

The two memorial wreaths were hung on either side of the plaque by Marian Mitchell and

Howard Choppin.

After the service, some members had lunch in the Village Hall, by the kind offices of Miss

Anne Read, and to the benefit of church funds, and then departed for the battlefield, visiting the

Society Tent, the exhibition, medieval village, craft tents, and activities in the arena, along with

the well and battlefield trails. The impression is that Leicestershire County Council is

concentrating its efforts on the Battlefield Centre, rather than the site as a whole.

Thirty-eight members took tea in the Heritage Room, where the menu was a new departure

this year, and included very ‘muffin top’ muffins, characterised by Phil Stone as being

reminiscent of Monet’s haystacks. Phil then said the Chairman’s customary few words, noting

that this event, the Society’s annual visit to Bosworth, had been taking place since at least the

1950s. He thanked the good efforts of Sue and Dave Wells and Richard Van Allen in the Society

tent, and conveyed good wishes from his wife Beth, in her absence.

Elizabeth M. Nokes

Two Days in the Tent

On a bright but very windy weekend, Richard Van Allen and Sue & Dave Wells took the time-

honoured path to Bosworth, albeit via a somewhat different route and mode of transport to that

taken in 1485. We also doubt that the B&B arrangements we all enjoyed would have been

available at that time – would things have been different if they had? Probably not but, as can be

imagined, the issues of ‘if only’ and ‘what might have been’ often came to the fore over the week

-end. Sue & Dave stayed at the Royal Arms in Sutton Cheney – and a very comfortable time was

had. The artwork on the wall in the bar was of particular interest with portraits of both Richard

III and Henry VII accompanied by what we thought were very fair and neutral summaries of their

lives. What caught our eye particularly was a large collage of Richard’s death at the battle which

had been made by local school children. It was colourful and conveyed movement and drama.

We are grateful to

the Royal Arms

for allowing us to

re-produce it here.

Richard Van

Allen and Terry

Cresswell, a local

member, had put

up the Society’s

small, colourful

and excellently-

designed marquee

on Friday evening,

ably assisted by a

local re-enactor –

taking the part of

one Jack Addle-

rick, one of

Richard’s personal bodyguards (but who more prosaically was Craig Eldridge in the twenty-first

century). To most of us he looked remarkably like a medieval ancestor of Captain Jack Sparrow.

15

We had been given a very good location just inside the main entrance to the showground and

re-enactment arena. Most visitors had to walk past us to get into this area and we were not shy of

waylaying them. The marquee looked very professional with its blue and white colouring and

banners, including a new one depicting Graham Turner’s artwork of Richard in battle. In

addition, Terry had made a small stand for the sales table which helped us to present an eye-

catching display of books and other publications/items for sale as well as ‘freebies’ (badges etc.)

and Society leaflets and information. This was also an early outing for the new tote bags and

sales were brisk.

We had previously

felt that the main thrust

for sales would be from

the more popular fiction

items such as Good King

Richard? and The

Maligned King but we

were to be proved very

wrong from the start.

The Centre did not open

its doors until 10.00 am

but by this time on the

Saturday we had already

sold a copy of The Logge

Wills and Richard III,

Crown and People to a

fellow stallholder. Over

the rest of the week-end

we had an exceptionally

good sales and member-

ship campaign. New members totalled 10 (of which three were young people, see below) and

nearly £450 of books and other items, including three Logges and many of what could be

described as our more academic publications. Shame on us for underestimating the visitors’ level

of interest.

During the whole week-end, we were always busy with queries, ranging from people who

were rather amused by the concept of the Society (given the traditional view of the wicked King)

to those who claimed to have always had doubts about that traditional view but had no idea that

there were so many like-minded people. Visitors were from all over the world and included a

student from America who was celebrating her 21st birthday by visiting Bosworth as it was

‘something she had always wanted to do’.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect was the number of young people who visited us and

showed a genuine interest and knowledge in the period. Enquiries by us indicated that one of the

UK’s GCSE and A-level boards has now started the Tudor period in 1483 to provide background

and understanding of how the dynasty came to rule. This is clearly starting to pay dividends as

three students (under 18) joined the Society on the spot. One 18+ A-level student who also joined

is currently looking for a degree course that covers the Wars of the Roses, but has found only two

– at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities. He thought that the latter offered a more detailed

curriculum that covered what he wanted to study. The future is looking good.

We had many visitors to the stand, including authors Michael Jones (did he know if he was in

the right battlefield location?) and David Baldwin, who both spent some time with us. Another

frequent caller was the author and television historian Julian Humphreys who will be familiar to

members of the London Branch who attended his recent very entertaining talk. Julian is a

development officer with the Battlefields Trust and was in an adjacent marquee. He is great fun

The Society’s tent at Bosworth. Sue and Dave Wells, Lesley Boatwright

16

and there were a lot of friendly insults being exchanged. He is also of the Kitty Bristow mould

and it was almost impossible to walk past his stall without being assailed by exhortations to buy.

We were not immune but, to be fair, he purchased some back copies of The Ricardian from us so

we felt honours were even. After the week-end Julian contributed a very fair and positive article

on the blog of the BBC History Magazine (www.bbchistorymagazine.com/blog/battlefield-health

-and-safety). He discusses the period and the battle and makes an positive mention of the Society.

Perhaps our most distinguished visitors were Sir John Conyers, his wife and another member

of his family. They were loyal members of Richard’s inner entourage and Sir John was a knight

of the body, Constable of Middleham Castle and a member of the Council of the North. To be

honest, we suspected that they were probably re-enactors with ‘Sir John’ being a direct

descendant of the Ricardian knight – either that or they were ageing very well indeed. However,

their costumes were by far the best we saw over the entire event and they assured us that they had

been made using only medieval methods and materials. They certainly looked absolutely

splendid.

One person we failed to attract to our stand was the author Philippa Gregory, whose new

book The White Queen (about Elizabeth Woodville) was being heavily promoted. She was

present on both days, giving talks in the lecture room. Sue attended on the Saturday and found

the presentation very interesting. It took the form of a ‘conversation’ with David Baldwin and

they discussed the life and times of the Woodvilles. Sue had previously read the book and

noticed a typographical error in the genealogical table which removed Margaret of Anjou and

had Henry VI married to Edmund Tudor at the same time as the latter was married to Margaret

Beaufort. The mind boggles! Sue had the opportunity to speak to Ms Gregory after the talk and

pointed out this error to her. She had not known about it before but said that she had recently

dismissed her proof-reader and this just helped to confirm that she had made the right decision.

On the subject of Ricardian novels, ‘Lady Conyers’ told us that in the twenty-first century her

alter ego was writing a Ricardian novel which was already at 1,400 pages and not yet finished. In

Historians visit our tent

David Baldwin with Sue Wells

Michael Jones with Richard Van Allen and

Dave Wells

17

addition, in the adjacent marquee we met Joan Szechtmen – a member of the US Branch – who

had paid her own way from New England to Bosworth to promote and sell her new novel. It is

entitled This Time and is a based around the premise that Richard has time-travelled forward to

the twenty-first century in America. An interesting idea. During one of her breaks, Richard (Van

Allen – not III) sat at her stand and managed to sell some of her novels.

We would like to thank Terry and Val Cresswell for their support over the two days, and

Richard Smith, chairman of the East Midlands Branch who was in attendance on the Saturday

and visited us frequently to give encouragement to prospective members. Lesley Boatwright

arrived ahead of the main Ricardian group at lunchtime on Sunday and also contributed her time

and knowledge to the stand.

The event finished at about 5 pm on Sunday and we packed up and headed home, very tired

but enthused about the success of the week-end.

Dave and Sue Wells

As a final point, Sue and Dave visited the stone marking the alleged site of Richard’s death.

Disappointingly, there were no signs indicating where it was (they knew because of previous

visits) and, indeed, no banners depicting the location of the main protagonists. Things are rather

more difficult now for visitors wishing to do more than join in the fun of the fair or look at the

exhibitions in the Battlefield Centre.

The stone was fine but there were more dead flowers than live ones around it, which did not

enhance its appearance, although Sue and Dave did manage to tidy up. This was in marked

contrast to the memorial in Leicester Cathedral which they had visited on the way up on the

Friday, and on which a fresh wreath of white roses had been laid.

The Society wishes to thank all the people whose efforts made this Bosworth visit so

successful: Elizabeth Nokes for organising the coach from London; the Rev. John Plant of Sutton

Cheney; Terry and Val Cresswell, and Richard Smith of the East Midlands Branch for help with

the Society’s tent; and, most of all, Richard Van Allen and Dave and Sue Wells, who gave up a

whole weekend to man the Society’s tent with such resounding success.

Julia Redlich receives the Robert Hamblin award

The Robert Hamblin Award for

Service to the Society was set

up to recognise members who

have given significant service to

the Society. It is most appro-

priate that the 2009 award

should go to Julia Redlich of the

New South Wales Branch, since

this year we are celebrating the

fiftieth anniversary of the

founding of the first Australian

branch. Julia has had an interest

in Richard III since her school

days and for nearly twenty years

has been a stalwart of her

Vice-President Rob Smith

presents Julia with the award

18

branch and to the cause of King Richard in Australia. She has held a range of posts within the

branch, including in more recent years the pivotal office of secretary, and has been active in pro-

moting Richard’s reputation through the many talks she has given to outside groups.

Vice President Rob Smith presented her with the award at the recent Australasian convention

hosted by the Western Australian Branch in Perth. Julia expressed her surprise and delight in an

email to the Chairman:

‘I had to contact you as soon as possible after my return from Perth tonight to tell you how

thrilled and honoured I am ... it was the most wonderful start to the Convention. When Rob

Smith announced on Friday evening that you had told him that the award this year was to go to

an Australasian member, everyone was surprised and elated. And when the announcement was

made, no-one was more surprised and elated than me and (an infrequent occurrence) I was at a

loss for words. The delight and congratulations from my fellow Ricardians who were present was

positive proof of what a special Society we are. Any input I have into promoting the cause of

Richard III is done with love and loyalty. The latter word plays a major role in my life; even my

school motto was Semper Fidelis.’

A report and photos of the Australasian Convention will be published in the March Bulletin.

Moira Habberjam becomes a Society Vice-President

Our Chairman, Phil Stone, announced in

the last Bulletin that Moira Habberjam,

who has served the Society so well for

many years, was to be made a Vice-

President after her retirement from the post

of secretary of the Yorkshire Branch. Our

President, Peter Hammond, presented her

with her insignia of office at the Yorkshire

Branch Medieval Banquet on 24 October.

It is the done thing to wear medieval

costume at the Yorkshire Banquet, and so

this event looked particularly magnificent.

It took place at the fourteenth-century

Bedern Hall, just opposite the east end of

the Minster, attended by 25 members and

their friends. Originallly the college of the

vicars choral of the Minster, the hall, which

is beautifully panelled, is now the HQ of

three of York’s livery companies.

As well as her Vice-Presidential badge

of office, Moira also received the grateful

thanks of the Yorkshire Branch in the

shape of a specially-made card showing the

White Boar, designed and produced by David Pogmore, a cheque from her many friends and

wellwishers, and a framed copy of the letter written from Grantham by King Richard to Chan-

cellor Russell concerning the bad behaviour of the Duke of Buckingham.

Moira has not been well recently, and unable to attend Society or Branch official occasions

since her award was announced, so it was very pleasing that she was able to come to the party

(about which she did not have the least inkling) celebrating her Ricardian career.

President Peter Hammond presents Moira with her

insignia as a Vice President of the Society

19

‘I knew I had found the Battle of

Bosworth ...’

A t a press conference on Thursday 29 October, Glenn Foard, leading the team which has

been looking for Bosworth Battlefield for the last four years, announced that they had found

it, in a completely different place from either the traditional site by Ambion Hill, or where it has

been placed by new theories. It is in an area about two miles south-west of Ambion Hill, between

the villages of Dadlington, Shenton, Upton and Stoke Golding, and it can, it is said, be seen from

the top of Ambion Hill. The exact site will not be revealed until another press conference, on 20

February next year, as steps are being taken both to safeguard the site from treasure-hunters and

to negotiate public access with the landowners.

The evidence is archaeological: 22 lead cannon and handgun pellets (19 cannon shot, 3

handgun shot) found in two clusters, fragments of scabbards, bridle fittings, spurs, and

three coins. One of the cannon balls was 7.2 kg in weight.

The team had examined all the usual sources of evidence: chroniclers, maps and place-names,

soil analysis and metal detecting, and it was the latter which provided the key discoveries. The

lead used in the manufacture of shot decays less than the iron and steel of other weaponry, and so

is more likely to be found after the passing of centuries. Another factor that preserved these 22

pieces for modern discovery was that the site is in an area where rumour had not placed the battle

and so no-one went digging for spoils.

Historians of weaponry and warfare are finding these discoveries exciting. Apart from

pinpointing Bosworth, they have implications for the development of the use of mobile artillery

in battle. These 22 pieces of lead shot add up to more than have been found from all other 15th-

and 16th-century battlefield sites in the whole of Europe put together, and it is said that they pre-

date by ten years other hard evidence for cannon used as mobile battlefield weapons. The

Guardian (28 October) says that the scale of the ‘ammunition haul’ transforms Bosworth from a

national landmark to a site of international importance. The Times (28 October) quotes Steve

Walton, a specialist in medieval artillery from Pennsylvania State University, as saying that

standard military history has it that artillery becomes mobile when the French invaded Italy in

1494-5. Glenn Foard said at the press conference that only two bullets have been found in 27

years’ work at Towton, fought in 1461. This means that Bosworth in 1485 might be seen as a real

turning point in the use of mobile artillery in battle. ‘Mobile’ is the key word here. Artillery

might well be used at the start of a battle, but the cannon are heavy and difficult to turn round to

face a re-grouped enemy, and were originally just used for an opening salvo.

The fact that the cannon balls are found in two clusters has given rise to speculation (in both

The Independent and The Times) that artillery may have been used by both sides, by Henry as

well as Richard.

The Times has a typically cliff-hanging final paragraph in its account of what Glenn Foard

told the press. ‘By March 1 this year Mr Foard’s team had only one likely field left to survey and

were no closer to positively identifying a new location. “I was completely disillusioned,” he said.

“I stood at that gate to the field and said to the chaps, ‘This is it. Either we find it in this field or

we are not going to find it’. About an hour later one of them walked up to me and dropped this

artillery lead roundshot into my hand and I knew I had found the Battle of Bosworth”.’

The four-year search cost well over £1 million, and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund

and Leicestershire County Council.

We hope to have a fuller account of the discovery and its significance in the March

Bulletin, though the date of the press conference on 20 February, when the whereabouts of

the site will be revealed, is too late for us to be able to include this important information.

20

Study Weekend April 2010

Richard III’s York: People and Places

Date: the weekend will run from the evening of Friday 9 April to after lunch on Sunday 11 April

2010.

Place: the Elmbank Hotel, The Mount, York, YO24 1GE.

The Elmbank was built as a large private house in about 1870. In the 1890s some of the interiors

were altered to an Art Nouveau style with some splendid stained glass. There are also wall

paintings in a late pre-Raphaelite style in some of the main rooms. All rooms are ensuite and car

parking is available. The hotel is a short walk (or bus ride) from York station.

Cost: Residential rate: £210 per person for single occupancy, with all meals from Friday dinner

to Sunday lunch. The cost for those sharing a twin or double room on the same basis will be £180

each. Non-residential rate: £90 per person, which includes lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Non-

residents will be able to book dinner at the hotel on Friday and Saturday nights if they wish, at an

additional cost of about £25 per dinner.

Programme:

Based on the theme of ‘Richard III’s York’, the talks will cover aspects of life in the city,

including both people and buildings. There will be guest speakers as well as speakers from the

Society.

We had hoped to arrange a tour of the Minster Glaziers’ Studio on Saturday afternoon, but

unforunately they are not open at weekends. Instead, we recommend a visit to the ‘Plague,

Poverty and Prayer’ exhibition at Barley Hall, a fascinating insight into illness and its treatment

in the Middle Ages, with special emphasis on what happened in York.

We hope that the after-dinner speaker on Saturday evening will be Josephine Wilkinson,

author of the new biography of Richard III: Richard III: the Young King to be.

If you would like to attend the weekend please complete the booking form in the centre of

the Bulletin and return it before the end of January 2010 to our Research Events

Administrator, Jacqui Emerson, together with an A5 envelope for the joining pack.

The Elmbank Hotel

21

Royal Patronage in Perpetuity At a recent meeting of the Executive Committee,

the question was asked as to whether it was time

to renew the patronage – i.e. to ask Kensington

Palace if the duke was willing to continue to be

our royal patron? I replied that I had no idea, since

it had never been mentioned before, but as it had

been, I would check. That evening, an email was

sent to the duke’s equerry.

HRH The Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester,

has been the Society’s patron since 1980, which

we consider to be an outstanding accolade for our

work in rehabilitating the reputation of His Royal

Highness’s namesake, for, of course, he is the first

Richard of Gloucester since ‘the man’ himself.

Many times, when he has spoken at the events to

which he has been invited, the duke has left us all

in no doubt that he fully believes that Richard III

has been ill-served by history and that he greatly

approves of our work to restore ‘something as

esoteric and fragile as reputation’.

In 2002, when the late Robert Hamblin retired as chairman, he and I were invited to

Kensington Palace to have tea with the duke.

Whilst there, I couldn’t help but be greatly taken by his sense of humour. He made some truly

dreadful puns, but mercifully, I didn’t find myself in the Tower after groaning at some of them.

The duke asked many questions about the Society, where we were going and what we were

planning, and yet again he made it quite clear that he approved and was happy to be our patron.

Most recently, the duke attended the prize-giving for our schools competition as part of our

celebration in 2006 of fifty years since the refounding of the Society, and once again he reminded

us all of the place Richard III should take in our nation’s heritage.

If the duke is happy to be our patron, the Society is no less pleased to have his patronage

since it benefits us in many ways, not least

in acknowledging that we are the premiere

society associated with the study of

Richard III, with the highest pedigree, with

eighty-five years of research into the life

and times of that king, but also that it gives

us respectability.

And the answer to my e-mail to the

equerry? ‘HRH is your Patron ... we have

recorded that he will remain so in

perpetuity! So no action necessary to

renew his Patronage.’

Your Royal Highness, we thank you

for your continued support.

Phil Stone

Other Society News and Notices

The Duke, Phil Stone and Samuel Davis, winner of

the senior essay prize in the Schools Competition

22

Membership Matters Thank you to those of you who have renewed your membership, and a reminder to those of you

who haven’t that, although you have received this Bulletin, it will be the last until your

subscription is paid. The renewal form is in the centrefold of the September issue. We do hope

you will take the time and make that renewal, as we don’t want to lose you!

Despite the current financial situation, many members have continued to make a donation to

the Society along with their subs. However great or small, your additional contribution to the

Society’s funds is very much appreciated, so thank you to all concerned.

Some newer members might be slightly confused by the wording in the last Bulletin

regarding the need to advise us of any changes in category, particularly if you are now entitled to

the concessionary senior citizen rate. An editorial error ‘omitted’ a word so the sentence read that

the Society ‘does not hold birthdates for members’ and of course should have read ‘does not hold

all birthdates for members’. We have in fact requested and recorded this information for

members joining since 2002.

Finally, one or two members had problems with finding details of how to use the Society’s

PayPal account to make payments. Although these have been published twice in the Bulletin

(autumn 2008 and summer 2007) you may not always have your back copies to hand, so working

on the logical basis that if you have a PayPal account you obviously have access to the internet

and the Society’s website, details have now been published there under the ‘Membership’ section

entitled Payment Methods. However, the magic thing to remember about PayPal is the Society’s

email address, which is ricardianfunds@yahoo.co.uk. Of course PayPal can be used to pay for

any Society product or service but please remember to add the 5% admin charge to your total to

cover the costs incurred by the Society.

Brian and Wendy Moorhen

Website Questionnaire

Over the last few months, the website team has been working hard to bring the site up to date.

We have not completed the task yet but are well on our way. In order continually to improve the

site, we would like to know about your experiences and ask for your feedback.

A short questionnaire, which was piloted at the AGM, was developed and is now available in

the What’s New section of the website. We would like to ask you to take a few minutes to fill it

out and return it to us. The questionnaire was created in Microsoft Word with a series of check

boxes plus space for you to include any comments and/or thoughts. The questionnaire can either

be e-mailed or returned by post. Mailing instructions are provided at the end of the questionnaire.

Beth Stone

The Richard III Bursary for 2009-10 tenable at York The Society is pleased to announce that this bursary of £500, tenable for one year at the

University of York Centre for Medieval Studies, has been awarded to Sarah Fellows.

Sarah has just completed her undergraduate degree in history at the University of York, where

she achived a high 2:l. Her undergraduate dissertation was on the Bolton Hours in York Minster

Library, and other manuscripts produced in York in the fifteenth century. She plans to continue

her study of later medieval York in her MA, and in particular to build on her undergraduate

research to examine further the social and political history of York in the second half of the

fifteenth century, the age of Richard III.

Lynda Pidgeon, Research Officer

Change of Address John Ashdown-Hill has moved to Genistae, 115 Long Road, Lawford, CO11 2HR. His email

address remains the same, but the telephone number is still in doubt. John assures us that the

house was named ‘Genistae’ (as in Plantagenistae) by its previous owners.

23

Now you see it, now you don’t ... a tale of the Leicester Plaque

In 1990, the Society’s patron, HRH the Duke of Gloucester, unveiled a bronze plaque on the

outer wall of the NatWest Bank, on the side that faced the ‘Grey Friars’ in the heart of Leicester.

The plaque commemorated the fact that near to that site had stood the church of the Greyfriars,

where the body of Richard III had been interred after Bosworth.

A few years ago, the bank closed and the building stood empty. When we heard that

developers had moved in, we immediately made arrangements to ensure that we would be

informed if anything was found that related to Richard. There was nothing, as far as we know.

Once the work was done, it was necessary, of course, for the developers to advertise the fact

that the building was available to let, and a large sign to this effect was set up on the outside wall.

Guess where they put it? Yes, right over our plaque. Completely covering it. Yards of blank wall

and the sign was fixed over the Society’s plaque.

As soon as we learnt about it, the Society went into action. Letters were written and phone

calls were made. Local members Sally Henshaw and Terry and Val Cresswell made visits to see

if anything had been done and kept Richard Van Allen and myself up to date with the situation.

For months, nothing happened. Letters went unanswered. Promises made on the phone went

unkept – ‘Oh yes, Dr Stone, we’ll have it taken down immediately. What a nuisance.’ It was

impossible to tell where that last comment was directed – for us, for them or were we the

nuisance? Undaunted, Richard, Sally, Terry and I continued to plug away at any possible lead,

seemingly getting nowhere. But we were not alone ...

In August, a

letter from a

member of the

local history

society was

published in the

Leicester Mer-

cury, in which

it was sugges-

ted that the

covering up of

the plaque was

nothing short of

a ‘commercial

insult’ to King

Richard III.

This was

followed up by

a letter from

me, telling about the plaque, which the paper printed in full. Meanwhile, Terry got through to a

member of the City Council Planning Department and elicited a promise that something would

be done. The man was as good as his word, and a few days after my letter was published the sign

came down from over the plaque to be set up some yards further along the same wall – now, why

couldn’t they have done that from the start? We were relieved to see that the plaque was none the

worse for having been covered up – a bit dusty but it was unharmed.

Grateful for a good result, I wrote to the Planning Department to give our contact our thanks,

and to the Leicester Mercury to thank the editor for having supported our cause to keep our

heritage visible to all. To my surprise, that letter was published as well. After that win for the

Society over commercial vandalism, perhaps we can now also get someone to keep Richard’s

statue in Leicester clean from pigeon poo. As we have learnt, the pen really is mightier than the

sword! Phil Stone

24

Reviews of the Logge Wills and the Testator Index The Logge Register of PCC Wills has been in print for just over a year now (it appeared in time

for the 2008 AGM in York), and we are beginning to see some reviews.

As you will have seen, James Ross reviewed the volumes in The Ricardian for 2009. The

November issue of the Magazine of the Friends of the National Archives carried a review by

Robert Yorke, the archivist of the College of Arms, which was very favourable: ‘this is a

handsomely-produced edition, by a top-class trio of scholars ... it is a worthy successor to

previous editions of PCC will registers ... If anything it is superior, as apart from anything else it

edits in full rather than merely abstracts.’ He points out that the wills can be found on the

Documents Online section of TNA’s website, but ‘for the person who wants to see all the wills of

a particular period in context, there is no substitute for the traditional book’.

He adds, ‘The Richard III Society wisely realizes that printed and electronic formats comple-

ment each other’, and gives details of our CD-ROM index to testators between 1399 and 1540

whose wills have been published.

Christian Steer is also very complimentary in the Monumental Brass Society’s Bulletin (no.

112) for September 2009. (Thanks to Iris Day for bringing this review to our attention.) Steer

says, ‘For anyone interested in medieval history ... this splendid two-volume set is a ‘must have’.

Naturally he concentrates on the wills of testators whose memorial brasses survive, for example

Geoffrey Kydwelly of Little Wittenham, Berkshire (will no. 90, proved in May 1484). Kydwelly

did not specify that he wanted a brass, but asked that ‘a stone tumbe wyse be ordeynyd for me

with my pycture and my armes and that by the discretion of myn executours and this scripture

Miserere me deus [Pity me, God] sett uppon the tumbe.’ Steer prints a picture of Kydwelly’s

brass, with the words ‘Miserere mei deus’ engraved on a scroll plate above his mouth: his

executors honoured his request.

25

News and Reviews

Lecture: The Cult of Henry VI On 7 October 2009 Prof. Eamon Duffy of Cambridge University gave the Maurice and Shelagh

Bond Memorial Lecture to a large audience at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, just yards

away from where Henry is buried.

Henry’s cult was the fastest-growing saint’s cult on the eve of the Reformation, said Professor

Duffy. Alive, Henry had roused very little enthusiasm among his subjects, but after his death they

remembered him as a shabby figure who was a suffering ruler. There was a deep-seated feeling

that the ruler who was a victim should be venerated. The very traits which had made Henry a

failure as a king emphasised his likeness to the suffering Christ: he was the mirror of the Lord.

Edward IV did his best to suppress the cult. In 1480 an ordinance to the Grocers’ Company of

London forbade pilgrimage to Chertsey, where Henry was first buried. Before that, on 17

October 1479, Archbishop Booth of York had forbidden people to venerate Henry’s statue in

York Minster. Professor Duffy pointed out that none of the miracles recorded for Henry had

taken place in Yorkshire, and wondered if that was because he had a shrine there (and so any

miracles there would not have been recorded at either Chertsey or Windsor). More than 400

pilgrim badges for Henry VI had survived, which was second only to Becket’s total.

Several times Prof. Duffy referred to Edward IV as ‘Henry’s murderer’, but did not put any

share of the blame on Richard III. In fact, he said that Richard, disapproving of the goings-on at

Edward’s court, had ‘wanted to put clear blue water’ between his own reign and Edward’s, and

that part of this was to have Henry’s body taken from the more obscure Chertsey Abbey to St

George’s Chapel.

There are three surviving statues of Henry VI in alabaster, but there were many altars. Some

painted images of him survive today in Norfolk, and he is sometimes shown as wearing a blue

robe, and one of the miracles refers to his appearing dressed in blue to a delirious man. The

images in Norfolk probably copy the one at Windsor. Henry has no particular attribute (saints

often are identified by the instruments of their deaths, such as St Catherine’s wheel and St

Laurence’s gridiron) but Henry is just shown as a king in Tudor times. This is an interesting fact

in itself, as it is the opposite of what people valued about him: his humility.

Prof. Duffy gave examples of other royal saints who were seen as humble, as in the case of

the early sixteenth-century East Anglian cult of St Wulstan, a Saxon prince, whose legend is

probably fiction. Born at Bawburgh, he renounced his royal status to become a farm labourer,

and was recognised as holy, a patron of tillers of the soil. His images in Norfolk churches look

like the images of Henry VI.

The lecture did not touch at all on the political dimension of the cult, but concentrated on the

religious aspect. Prof. Duffy dealt with the feelings generated in the hearts of ordinary people by

the archetype of the suffering king and the suffering Christ, rather than the political statements

made possible by saying one’s prayers to the dead leader of the opposition.

Lesley Boatwright

News from Majorca Our treasurer, Paul Foss, and Eric Swainsbury have been in Majorca again, and visited the King

Richard School, taking them the DVD and the book of The Trial of Richard III (see the article by

John Saunders on page 29).

The school was very pleased to receive these. The ultimate recipient will be the drama

teacher, as the school’s Christmas theatre production will focus on King Richard III.

26

From Pontefract to Fotheringhay: a journey along the funeral route of

Richard, Duke of York in 1476 In 2010 the Wakefield Historical Society will commemorate the 550th anniversary of Richard of

York’s death by retracing that journey along its original route on the anniversary dates of 21st to

30th July, stopping each night at the town where the body rested. Each day will include visits

mainly to places of direct relevance to the journey itself or the Wars of the Roses, some of them

not generally open to the public, and each evening will include a performance of a medieval

Vespers of the Dead, if possible in the church where the duke’s body rested, and a talk by an

invited lecturer.

The provisional itinerary includes Sandal Castle, Wakefield Bridge, Pontefract Castle and

Hermitage, Conisborough Castle, Roche Abbey, Blyth church, Gainsborough Old Hall, Laxton

medieval field system, Southwell Minster and Bishop’s Palace, Newark, Grantham, Boothby

Pagnell and Woolsthorpe manor houses, Stamford, Burghley House and Apethorpe Hall. The

cost per day (including coach travel and entrance fees but not accommodation or meals) will be

about £20-£25. Participants will be responsible for booking their own accommodation (lists

available).

For further information email info@wakefieldhistoricalsoc.org.uk or write to Pam Judkins at

18 St John’s Square, Wakefield WF1 2RA. Final details will be sent out in December, with

payment by March 2010.

There is also a website planned, to provide information about places and facilities along the

route, and generally to raise the profile of the event. It may well be up and running by the time

you read this: www.richarddukeofyorkfuneral.org.uk

New groups needed We have had no fewer than three requests in recent months from people who would like to find

other Ricardians living locally, with a view to forming a group

Marion Moulton writes: I have just retired from teaching in Lincolnshire and have moved back

to my roots in Cheshire. Are there any Ricardians living in Cheshire, North Shropshire or Greater

Manchester, or even Staffordshire, who would be interested in meeting socially as Ricardians, or

even form a group? I would love to hear from them. [Contact Marion at 6, Shrewbridge Crescent,

Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5TF, or phone her mobile: 07866 130 276.]

Susanne Wingenfeld writes: I have recently joined the Richard III Society and hope I can play

an active part in it. One of the first things I found was that in the Netherlands, where I live, there

are no active groups like the ones in the UK or USA. I would like to set up a Dutch group, do

some research work on Richard III, exchange ideas, arrange activities with like-minded people

living in the Netherlands or neighbouring countries. We could meet once a month or as preferred,

and take an active part in promoting the Society’s ideas. And are there Ricardians in other

countries who would like to get in touch with me to do some research work or arrange activities?

[Contact Susanne at ivanhoe1190@yahoo.co.uk]

Angela Vosden has moved to Hampshire from Nottinghamshire, where there was a very active

group, and is now feeling very demotivated. Are there any Ricardians living near Southampton

who would be interested in meeting for coffee and a chat, and to discuss subjects of interest?

Phone Angela on 01489 576 425 or email her at annia65@hotmail.co.uk

Bulletin Distribution Please note that if you have any problems concerning the distribution, or the non-arrival or

arrival in a damaged condition of the Bulletin, the person to contact is our Business Manager,

Diana Lee. Her address is 161 Green Lane, Shepperton, TW17 8DY (tel. 01932 219665), and her

email address for Bulletin purposes is diana.pr.lee@googlemail.com

27

Media Retrospective

As usual, Bosworth Day generated various

Ricardian references in the media

From Marilyn Garabet and others

Daily Mail weekend magazine, 22 August,

article by ‘Horrible Histories’ Terry Deary:

‘Richard III is one of those characters you

either love or hate .. This pantomime villain ..

Richard had a queue of people laying claim to

his throne, yet it was the man who was 13th

in the queue who did something about it ...

From Fiona Price, who says ‘I found this on

the news agency wires’:

‘On this Day: August 22. [In] 1485 the battle

of Bosworth was fought in Leicestershire and

Richard III was butchered as he vainly tried

to reach the usurper Henry Tudor. He was the

third King Richard to die by violent means

and cautious monarchs have avoided the

name since.

On the other hand, Geoff Wheeler points out

that The Independent did not mention Richard

or Bosworth on 22 August, but headed their

obituaries page ‘1972 Thursday 22 August,

Rhodesia Ejected from Olympics’, although

on 6 July they had headed it ‘1483, Sunday 6

July, Richard III Crowned King’.

The site of Bosworth continues to draw

media attention

From Geoff Wheeler

The Daily Telegraph, 28 September, Nick

Britten, ‘Bosworth battleground “a mile from

official site”’

One of the most celebrated British battle

sites is on the wrong spot, archaeologists now

believe ... [Bosworth] was the last time a

British king was killed on a battlefield, an

event marked by William Shakespeare ...

Richard Knox, the curator of Bosworth

Battlefield, said it appeared likely that the

battleground was on low-lying ground

between the villages of Shenton, Stoke

Golding and Darlington [sic: they mean

Dadlington], a site first proposed by Peter

Foss, the historian, in 1990. ... The council

was awarded a £1 million Lottery Heritage

grant to carry out the survey, the most

comprehensive ever conducted on a British

battlefield. The results were due to be

released this summer but have been put back

until next year following the wet summer of

2007, which made much of the research

impossible.’

A week later, the Telegraph published a

letter from Brendan Douglas-Hamilton, of

Berwickshire, pointing out that Richard was

the last English, not the last British, monarch

to die in battle: ‘this was James IV of

Scotland, at the Battle of Flodden in 1513’.

Philippa Gregory and her novel The White

Queen have been in the news these last few

months. In particular, The Times on 8 August

had a long review article of the book by Kate

Saunders, memorably entitled ‘The prances in

the tower’. Thanks to Marilyn Garabet and

others for sending it to us.

‘Historical fiction falls broadly into two

categories. First, there are serious novels ...

then there are the others, as exemplified by

Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen, the

likes of which won’t get near the Booker until

Hell is an ice-rink. ... This sort of historical

fiction is about historical characters falling in

love and having lots of sex, against a

backdrop of the livelier and better-dressed

events in history. ... This was the 15th

century, when ladies wore traffic-cones on

their heads and men wore tights ... Gregory

does not attempt any kind of antique language

[and] all her characters would be at home in

21st-century Camden Town ... As history it’s

incomplete and dodgy; as a romantic story it’s

wonderful. I’m positively grateful to the

author for not cluttering it up with a lot of

stuff about ship-building .. Gregory’s writing

is robust, unpretentious and rather shamefully

compelling, and it is precisely her knowledge

of history that makes her so adept at teasing

out the sexy bits.’

28

Richard III has also been turning up in

some rather strange contexts

From John Trevett and others

Gibbons Stamp Monthly, September 2009,

article ‘Stamping up the Great North Road’,

by Alan Sacks, depicting people, places and

events linked with the road. The bracketed

numbers refer to the stamp number in the

Stanley Gibbons Catalogue:

‘[York] Minster has a memorial window to

Richard III (2817) who was extremely

popular in York. Richard is one of history’s

most controversial and possibly much

maligned figures: he stands accused as the

murderer of his late brother’s, Edward IV

(2815) sons ... the elder being the uncrowned

Edward V (2816). This has been disputed as

a Tudor myth, propagated by Shakespeare’s

portrayal of Richard as a hunchback criminal,

made especially memorable by the Laurence

Olivier (1921) portrayal; in fact there is no

contemporary evidence of his deformity ...’

From Frank Bland

Sunday Times, 13 September 2009, small

news item

A council canteen in north Wales has banned

spotted dick from the menu in case diners

take offence at the name. It has been re-

christened “spotted Richard”. ... Well, I just

hope that they don’t have any cockneys

working for the council who have a decent

knowledge of rhyming slang, or they’ll be

truly put off their dinners. As in Richard III.’

[Eds: this reminds us of the immortal Ronnie

Barker ‘sermon’ on the subject of the man

who found ‘a small brown Richard III’ on the

pavement, and picked it up so that no-one

should tread on it. Whereupon it flew away.]

Historical Howlers of one sort or another

are still being perpetrated in the media

From Geoff Wheeler and others

Daily Mail, 6 August 2009, Question from

Will Roebuck of London: On a recent visit to

Salisbury, I saw a plaque in the marketplace

proclaiming that Henry, Duke of Buckingham

was executed there in 1483. What’s the

history behind this?

The answer was fairly unexceptionable, and

explained that Buckingham had ‘played a

major role in [Richard III’s] rise and was also

a primary [sic: do they mean prime?] suspect

in the disappearance (and presumed murder)

of Richard’s nephews ...’ The piece was,

however, illlustrated by a large picture cap-

tioned ‘Lost his head: the Duke of Bucking-

ham fell out with Richard III’. The picture

was of the third Duke of Buckingham,

Henry’s son Edward.

From Geoff Wheeler

Daily Express 21 August 2009, article ‘What

those pub names really mean’, by Natasha

Weale, reviewing The Old Dog and Duck, by

Albert Jack (Penguin Books).

The chosen explanation of ‘the Cat and

the Fiddle’, is not that it is from ‘Catherine la

Fidele (Catherine the Faithful)’, seen as a

codename of Catherine of Aragon, but that it

comes from the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle

Diddle, ‘which was inspired by the dubious

route Richard III took to the English throne ...

rather than voice their concerns openly the

English people used the nursery rhyme to air

their grievances’.

The Rose and Crown is attributed to either

the Wars of the Roses between Lancaster

‘whose supporters wore red roses’ and York

‘who wore white’, or the marriage of Henry

VII to ‘the old king’s beautiful niece Eliza-

beth, the Rose of York ... Pubs were named

Rose and Crown in the couple’s honour’.

It is very sad to see these old chestnuts

repeated.

From Geoff Wheeler

History Today, July 2009. Article, ‘Spanning

Centuries: London Bridge’, by Leo Hollis

‘The Gatehouse ... by the 15th century had

become a formidable stone building which

was crowned by the unsavoury spectacle of

the heads of the executed, dipped in tar and

displayed on spikes. A previous incarnation

was adorned with the heads of Scottish

outlaw William Wallace, and the leader of the

Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, Jack Cade.’

[Geoff comments: not the first writer to have

confused Jack Cade with Wat Tyler .. Shakes-

peare’s Cade expresses Tyler’s demands.]

29

The Man Himself

The Television Trial of Richard III

C harles I, Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Caroline of Brunswick (wife of George IV) all

share the unfortunate experience of being put on trial, with a fatal outcome for two of them.

Twenty-five years ago Richard III laid some claim to join them, albeit posthumously and with a

more satisfying outcome.

The television trial of Richard III had its genesis in a conversation that the former Society

Chairman and President, the late Jeremy Potter, had at a dinner in February 1980. Jeremy was

then the Director of Corporate Affairs at London Weekend Television and he was seated next to

the producer Richard Drewett. They talked at length about Richard III and from this conversation

the idea of a televised trial was sown. In 1983, five hundred years after Richard became king, the

idea became a reality when LWT commissioned a programme based on a trial of the king.

Having been responsible for planting the seed Jeremy Potter, and indeed the Society, were to

play a significant role in both the research and production process. Jeremy himself was to be the

star witness for the defence, where his prodigious debating skills proved an invaluable asset for

the defence team.

Our President, Peter Hammond and his wife Carolyn, who were then the Society's Research

Officer and Librarian respectively, played an important role in the preparation of evidence for the

trial and were present throughout the filming. In the 1984 June Bulletin Carolyn recorded her

experiences of the trial and we reprint it here for the benefit of newer members and to remind the

more vintage amongst us about this groundbreaking television programme:

For Peter and myself it all started back in the autumn of 1983, when we were

contacted by Mark Redhead, a researcher at London Weekend Television, who was

collecting material for a programme on Richard III and the disappearance of the Princes.

This was to take the form of a trial in a modern court before a present-day judge and jury.

After months of meetings and talking to people interested in the controversy, and

reading everything possible (some urgently required material even being collected from

the Society’s library by despatch riders), the research team, which by now included the

Society’s Chairman and Research Officer and the Editor of The Ricardian, was ready to

brief the barristers who were to present the cases for prosecution and defence. For those of

us who don’t move in legal circles it was a revelation how quickly ‘our’ barrister mastered

all the salient points of the controversy, and became an expert on fifteenth-century history

almost over-night.

On the evening of Monday 20 February twelve ‘good men (and women) and true’

converged on London from all parts of the country, having been told they were to form

the jury in a televised trial about a famous historical controversy. Which one they didn’t

know, as the audience research organisation who had recruited them had canvassed their

views on Stalin, Elizabeth I and Richard Nixon, as well as you know who. Perhaps the

fact they were all booked into the Tower Hotel gave them a clue.

Next morning, they arrived at LWT’s studios to be ushered into an accurate

reconstruction of Court No. 4 of the Old Bailey – so accurate that the barristers said they

felt completely at home despite the lights and cameras. Presiding over the trial was Lord

30

Elwyn-Jones, the former Lord Chancellor. Representing the prosecution and the defence

respectively were two leading QCs, using assumed names (‘Mr Russell’ and ‘Mr Dillon’)

for reasons of professional etiquette. The charge before the Court was that Richard III had

murdered, or caused to be murdered, his nephews the Princes in the Tower in 1483. The

judges asked Mr Dillon how his client pleaded. In his unavoidable absence, Mr Dillon

replied on his behalf that he pleaded ‘Not Guilty’.

‘Mr Russell’ then called Jeffrey Richards, Dr A.J. Pollard and a Tudor historian, Dr

David Starkey, to testify to the probability of Richard’s guilt. (The rules of evidence had

been amended to allow for the probability rather than certainty beyond all reasonable

doubt.) Dr Rose, an anatomy lecturer from the Charing Cross Hospital, gave evidence on

the ages of the children represented by the bones found in the Tower in 1674. Then ‘Mr

Dillon’ called Lady Wedgwood to talk about the anti-Richard propaganda demonstrated by

the portraits of the King, Anne Sutton to describe the pre-contract and Richard’s right to the

throne, and Jeremy Potter to sum up the case for Richard’s innocence.

It was fascinating to watch the scene in the studio – in company with a distinguished

guest, our Patron HRH the Duke of Gloucester, who had already been filmed at the Tower

giving an introduction to the programme, and who stayed all day to watch the programme

taking shape, showing a keen interest in all stages of the procedure. Cameras and technical

staff moved silently and unobtrusively about the set on instructions received through their

headphones from the unseen director. Panels in the solid-seeming walls of the court room

swung open to allow close-ups of the participants from different angles; always swinging

shut again before a camera on the opposite side could reveal the secret of their existence.

Filming proceeded smoothly, with only one re-take necessary; for spectators and parti-

cipants alike the trial had become the reality and the paraphernalia of cameras, lights and

set were forgotten – after all, only the court officials were actors, everyone else was playing

themselves. Even the meal break was announced by the judge calling for an adjournment –

no cries of ‘cut’ as in the best film tradition. Over a pleasant dinner the prosecution and

defence teams were allowed to mingle, having been kept apart until now, occasionally

catching glimpses of the Other Side disappearing down a different corridor at tea breaks.

After six hours of cut-and-thrust questioning and counter examination came the moment

of truth – the jury were asked to consider their verdict. But our suspense was not over – for

two verdicts were filmed: ‘Not Guilty’ and ‘Guilty’. Only the jury know which was the

correct one, and they are pledged not to reveal it in advance of the TV screening. Then

came an abrupt return to reality. As the jury filed out of the court room the carpenters

moved in, and in no time the Old Bailey was reduced to a pile of panels ready for the next

time a court room setting was required. Our day ended with more of LWT’s lavish

hospitality – including alcohol this time (no alcohol until filming is completed is one of the

rules) and a chance to chat with everyone involved in making the programme, including the

director Graham Williams and the producer Richard Drewett, and of course the jury, who

until now had been strictly segregated from all contact with either side. The production

team now have the daunting task of reducing six hours’ filming to a more manageable

length. They hope to be able to sell the programme to Channel 4 for showing in two

instalments later this year.

Members did not have long to wait; the televised Trial of Richard III was broadcast as one three-

hour programme on Sunday 4 November 1984 on Channel Four. There was an estimated

television audience of one million, and twenty-five years later many more have experienced the

trial through the publication of its transcript, the video and the DVD.

But the most satisfying feature for Ricardians was the Jury’s actual verdict: not guilty.

The book of the trial can be borrowed from the Non-Fiction Librarian (Keith Horry), and

the video and DVD from the A-V Librarian (Geoff Wheeler). Contact details on back page.

31

W riting of the later reign of Edward IV,

Polydore Vergil gives us a touching

vignette of the Lady Margaret Beaufort and

her physician Lewis Caerleon. ‘This Margaret

usid thadvyse of a physition namyd Lewis, a

Welshman born, who because he was a grave

man of no smaule experience, she was wont

oftentimes to conferre freely withal, and with

him famylyarly to lament her adversitee.’1

Her adversity? This lady was acknow-

ledged as one of the most distinguished at

court. She was wealthy, and married to the

king’s steward, Sir Thomas Stanley. At the

christening of Edward’s youngest daughter

Bridget she had the distinction of carrying the

baby. Later at Richard and Anne’s coronation

she would carry Anne’s train. Her position,

in fact, could hardly have been further from

‘adversity’.

We know, of course, what she lamented.

With hindsight we can see that one thing

consumed her every waking thought: the

position of her son Henry Tudor. She knew

by heart the list of nine people who stood

between him and his due. After 1471 Henry

Tudor would have been the senior

Lancastrian but for one person – Henry

Holland, Duke of Exeter. In 1475 he sailed

with King Edward’s army to France and,

despite the lack of fighting, failed to return. In

mid-channel, whoops, he fell off the boat. No

one thought to pick him up. Nothing to do

with Margaret Beaufort of course, she wasn't

there, and Edward was known to dislike him.

Eight to go.

A particular thorn in Margaret’s side was

the duke of Clarence. Why? Not only was he

Edward’s heir should the princes prove

illegitimate (Margaret knew all the

Woodvilles’ fears), but Clarence held the

Honour of Richmond. Margaret called herself

countess of Richmond and her son earl of

Richmond, a title given to his father, Edmund

Tudor. During the six-month re-adeption of

Henry VI in 1470-71 Margaret and her then

husband, Henry Stafford, plagued the duke of

Clarence and the lawyers trying to obtain for

Henry Tudor his ‘rightful title’. Clarence said

‘No’. The Government confirmed the title to

Clarence – but for his life only. On his death

it would revert to Tudor.2

We all know what happened to Clarence,

and that Edward regretted it. The Woodvilles

were blamed. Margaret was merely their good

and influential friend. Two down and seven to

go: Edward IV and his two sons, Richard and

his son, Buckingham who had royal blood

and great pretensions, and Hastings, who was

strong, popular and influential.

Margaret was always aware that Henry

must marry Elizabeth of York, as his claim

was not strong enough on its own. She raised

the matter with Edward but he had other

plans. From this time at least, to be well in

with the Woodvilles, particularly the Queen,

was a major plank in Margaret’s policy, its

success shown by her carrying of the baby

Bridget.

Edward’s unexpected death in 1483 has

never been satisfactorily explained. Yes, he

had lived to excess, but he was only forty.

Caerleon was the Queen’s physician.

Margaret would have told her what a clever

man he was. Edward gone, six to go.

Margaret Beaufort’s List

JENNIE POWYS-LYBBE

This article is an extended version of the talk Jennie gave to the Triennial

Conference at Cirencester last year, with a few further postulated victims

added. It brings to an end our series of articles based on papers given at the

Triennial.

32

Richard was coming south. Margaret’s

nephew-by-marriage, Buckingham, was

dispatched to meet and ‘befriend’ him. As

soon as Buckingham arrived on the scene,

Richard began complaining of attacks on his

life. There is evidence (no room here) to show

that at this stage he had every intention of

putting his nephew on the throne, and thus no

reason to lie. Of course there were attacks on

his life. Buckingham almost certainly had his

eye on the throne himself and would play

along with Aunt Margaret’s schemes hoping

to benefit thereby. And Margaret would have

seen through Buckingham, whom she knew

well since the days when he stayed at

Woking. With their different aims, each

thought they had fooled the other. Both

needed Richard dead.

In London attempts to assassinate Richard

continued. Small wonder if Richard

developed habits of half unsheathing his

dagger and looking round quickly. Living in

constant fear of a knife in the back, it was

probably his quick reflexes that saved him.

He was led to believe that the Woodvilles and

Hastings were behind it. Who persuaded him

that Hastings was guilty? We know – it was

Catesby. Catesby who had done legal work

for Buckingham and Margaret, Catesby who

was married to a relative of Margaret’s,

Catesby whose will states that he had trusted

the Stanleys to save him after Bosworth. That

will leaves no doubt as to whose side he was

on. Hastings gone, five to go.

When Richard left London on progress,

Margaret stayed in London and would have

been aware of the strength of feeling among

the people in favour of the princes. It was

sufficient, with a little encouragement, to start

a rebellion. Just as well. No one would have

started a rebellion to put the unknown Henry

Tudor on the throne.

Now she had to achieve a miracle of

timing. She had to be sure that the rebellion

had started, that it was too late to draw back –

and then she must unleash the news that the

princes were dead. She had been involved in

the plot to free them at the end of July. After

this they were withdrawn to the inner parts of

the Tower and not seen. What easier than to

say they were dead? Richard could not say,

‘No, they're not, here they are’, without

immediately sparking off a riot against

himself to put the elder one on the throne.

Nor could he say, ‘Yes, they are dead’

without branding himself a murderer. He had

no other choice than to keep silent on the

subject. Oh, the cunning of the woman!

But what had happened during the attempt

to rescue the princes? There is always danger

in springing people from a secure fortress,

and especially if the people are children.

Surely some of Margaret’s men were secretly

working for a terrible ‘accident’ to befall

them. We can be sure they didn't get both

princes because later, when Henry was king

and plagued by pretenders, it seems clear that

he did not know if there was a prince alive or

not. At least one must have survived

Margaret's rescue attempt. But they had been

‘kicked into touch’ as far as the rebellion was

concerned, they were not secured by the

Woodvilles and not available for the

rebellion. This had of course been Margaret’s

object in the July plot. The Crowland

Chronicle states, disingenuously, ‘all those

who had begun this agitation, realising that if

they could not find someone new at their head

for their conquest it would soon be all over

with them, remembered Henry, earl of

Richmond, who had spent many years in exile

in Brittany’.3 How strange, to remember

someone they’d never known. Could anyone

have reminded them?

Even in such dire need, they would only

support Henry if he pledged himself to marry

Elizabeth of York. But, as Polydore tells us,

Lewis Caerleon ‘made up the matter easily

betwyxt the two women, [Elizabeth

Woodville and Margaret] who because of his

scyence becam a messenger betwene them

without any suspytion’.4 John Nesfield was

guarding the Sanctuary to prevent just such a

plot, but naturally the physician was allowed

through Margaret’s physician.

Buckingham planned the rebellion, which

he fondly thought of as his, to start on 18

October. Margaret would have wanted it

earlier when the weather in the Channel was

better. The rebels had to be nudged to start

early. The first person to come out fighting

and proclaiming rebellion was John Welles,

33

Margaret’s half-brother. Risings broke out in

the southern counties. Buckingham was

announced as siding with the rebels. Wonder

who made that announcement? Now Margaret

had just to sit back and watch Buckingham

and Richard destroy each other. As soon as

they had done so, Henry would land.

Margaret had always known her nephew

Buckingham was not the sharpest card in the

pack, but even she must have been

disappointed at his showing. His failure to

make a battle of it with Richard put back

Henry’s arrival by two years. But this mother

never gave up. Buckingham down, only two

to go.

There is no evidence that Edward of

Middleham was murdered. All that can be

said is that his death was both sudden and

entirely unexpected. And that a household as

large as Middleham’s would be unusual if

there was not one person in it who could be

bribed. If you go back to Margaret’s early

days at the court of Henry VI, probably even

then she was interested education, one of her

main interests in later life. At that court there

was a man who wrote a book on education

which must have interested Margaret. His

name was Peter Idley. His wife was Anne

Idley, later a widow who had charge of the

nursery at Middleham. These are facts and

beyond them we cannot go. There is no

evidence against her. After the lad's death

there was only Richard left on the original list

of nine.

As Richard prepared for Henry’s

challenge he believed that he had secured

Wales. The most charismatic Welsh leader

was Rhys ap Thomas, who had accepted a

pension from Richard and sworn that Henry

Tudor would only get through Wales over his

body. A legend says he crouched under a

bridge while Henry rode over it, so that he

would not break his word. Another legend

claimed it was actually Rhys who killed

Richard at Bosworth. Certainly it was he who

brought in the support for Henry in Wales.

Shortly beforehand he had a visitor who

explained to him how all the old Welsh

prophecies were fulfilled in the person of

Henry Tudor and that therefore he should

break his agreement with Richard. His

visitor’s name was – Lewis Caerleon.5

As a woman Margaret could take no part

in violence. But for those who know what to

look for, her signature is there on every

happening that smoothed her son’s path or

obstructed Richard’s. (Who wrote notes to pin

on tents? Never a man. Who pinned them?

Catesby, whose nieces she later brought up in

her own household.) Her achievement was

monumental.

References 1. H. Ellis, ed. Three Books of Polydore

Vergil’s English History, Camden Soc. p.195.

2. Michael Hicks, False, Fleeting, Perjur'd

Clarence, Sutton, 1980. p.85.

3. N. Pronay & J. Cox, eds., Crowland

Chronicle, Richard III & Yorkist History

Trust, 1986. p. 163

4. Polydore Vergil, op.cit. p. 196.

5. H.T. Evans, Wales and the Wars of the

Roses, Sutton, 1998. p.125.

Ancient and Medieval History Books

(3500BC-1600AD)

For a catalogue of secondhand fact and fiction send SAE to :

Karen Miller, 59 Psalter Lane, Sheffield S11 8YP

34

H enry VII of England had ruled, not

unwisely, for nineteen years when a

very confidential meeting, touching upon

indelicate matters, took place at the English

garrison at Calais in 1504. It had been

convened by Sir Hugh Conway, garrison

treasurer, and among those present were Sir

Richard Nanfan, Deputy Governor of the

port, Sir Samson Norton, Master Porter, and

John Flamank, or Fleming, of unknown title.

Sir Hugh Conway reported to the

assembly, ‘the king’s grace is but a weak and

sickly man. Not long since, he was sick and

lay ill at his manor of Wanstead. At that same

time, I met with many great personages which

fell into communication of the king’s grace

and of the world after him if his grace

happened to depart this life. As to the king’s

successors, some spoke of Edward, Duke of

Buckingham, and others of Edmund de la

Pole, Earl of Suffolk. None of them spoke of

my lord prince.’

‘My lord prince’ was, of course, the

king’s chosen successor, the future Henry

VIII. Such things as had been spoken of could

easily be construed as treason. Sir Sampson

Norton and Sir Richard Nanfan urged that

those previous discussions mentioned by Sir

Hugh be reported to the king.

Hugh Conway replied that they should not

be conveyed to the king, saying, ‘Whatever

we speak or commune for the king’s surety

and for the surety of this his town can be no

treason’. The inference was that the young

prince Henry was no satisfactory candidate

for the succession. It is doubtful whether the

meeting or its suggested successors would

have met with the king’s approval.

The king was not in the habit of

sojourning in Wanstead House for more than

a day or two’s hunting. Not long before his

sickness at Wanstead he had completed the

magnificent Richmond Palace and made it his

home for all occasions, and there seems little

doubt that a short visit to Wanstead in the

winter of 1503-4 resulted in a protracted stay

through illness.

The first Tudor king was a saddened man

at this time. On the Saturday after Easter

1502, his eldest son Arthur died, followed

only ten months later by Elizabeth, his Queen.

To compound his misery, King Henry

suffered greatly from respiratory problems, a

likely reason for his sickness at Wanstead,

and his eyesight was fading long before his

final years. So active a king, not necessarily

the austere financial manipulator of some

historians, but a keen participant in all the

festivals of the church year, of which in his

reign there were many, together with the great

family occasions, must have been seriously

impatient to be well enough to depart from

Wanstead on that occasion.

Details of that extraordinary meeting at

Calais were, indeed, reported to Henry by

John Flamank. No heads rolled, but the king

would not have found pleasure in the names

of likely successors mentioned at that

assembly. Edmund de la Pole, in particular,

was a traitor in exile whom King Henry

would dearly have wished to make captive.

Edward, Duke of Buckingham was one of a

Retrospective on the Quincentenary

of the Death of Henry VII

Part Four: Henry’s Illness at Wanstead House and

an extraordinary report from Calais

PETER FOLEY*

35

long line of rebels, and his father, his

grandson, his great grandson and numerous

cousins all lost their heads, mostly in matters

related to royal succession. In keeping with

family tradition, both of the projected

successors to the throne, de la Pole and

Buckingham, ended their days on the block in

the next reign.

News that the king lay unwell in his house

at Wanstead, so recently purchased from Sir

Ralph Hastings and converted into a well-

appointed royal hunting lodge, must have

quickly percolated through court and

kingdom. His protracted confinement there

would have made the subject of succession

the [talk of] officials riding urgently along the

tree-girt lanes up to the door of the house and

departing again along the City road with the

latest tidings.

Henry was to prolong all the argument

and discussion regarding succession for

another five years. He survived bouts of

illness, mostly what was described as

consumption or the severe throat condition

known as quinsy, for each of his remaining

years, always, it seems, in late winter and

early spring. He succumbed finally on

Saturday 21 April 1509, at his beloved

Richmond Palace. The momentous reign of

the Tyrant King, his son Henry VIII, had

begun.

The sylvan beauty, the hunting grounds

and the green acres of Essex remained an

attraction to each of the Tudor monarchs.

Henry VIII at Boreham, Blackmore and other

retreats; the young princesses Mary and

Elizabeth at Boreham New Hall, where their

wayward father once dallied with Ann

Boleyn; Mary, later, at Copt Hall; and the

great house at Wanstead, particularly to

Elizabeth, remained a constant, and very

special, attraction.

*We are grateful to Peter Foley for permission to reprint this article, and to Margaret Stiles

for finding it for us.

I n this issue of the Bulletin we are launching a new occasional series covering historical notes

and queries raised by members.

If you have some information or thoughts which do not warrant writing a whole article, but you

would like to share with other members, please tell us about them. We will do our best to find

answers to the queries – and, of course, all members are welcome to write in with extra details, or

even to disagree profoundly. Please send your notes and queries – and comments and answers –

to Lesley Boatwright (contact details on the back cover).

Jo Quarcoopume starts the ball rolling with the following query:

Henry VII had quietly to shred Titulus Regius in order to marry Elizabeth of York, as it was

necessary for her to be legitimate. If Richard really had intended to marry his niece, would he not

also have had to reverse her bastardisation? And thereby re-instate his nephews’ rights? I’ve

never been convinced that he had any such intention, but I don’t see how he could have done so

anyway if he had had to revoke Titulus Regius, unless he could prove his innocence regarding

whatever might have become of the boys.

Notes and Queries

36

O n seeing the question (as mentioned in

the September Bulletin) ‘Did Richard

III wear lipstick?’ I realised that, although I

knew some medieval recipes for lipsalve, I

had never paid any attention to any other

medieval cosmetic recipes. There is in fact an

entire treatise ‘On Women’s Cosmetics’ from

the twelfth century, once attributed to the

female doctor Trota of Salerno, but now

considered to have been written by a man.1

Cosmetic recipes also appear in medical texts

and recipe collections. Surgeons such as

Theodoric of Cervia and William of Saliceto

in the thirteenth century, and Guy de Chauliac

in the fourteenth century, included in their

surgical treatises recipes we would definitely

see as cosmetic. In many cases they copied

recipes from the Salernitan treatise, which

seems to indicate that the ideals of beauty did

not essentially alter during this time.

The treatise ‘On Women’s Cosmetics’

deals with the following topics: removing

unwanted hair, cleansing and whitening the

face, treating sunburn, and colouring the lips

and face. In addition to these it also deals

with the problems of bad breath, lice, and

scabies, and has (curiously) a trio of recipes

‘so that a woman who has been corrupted

might be thought to be a virgin’.2

The recipes for removing unwanted hair

give instructions for the whole body to be

treated, which suggests that all body hair was

considered unattractive in women. The

recipes can only be described as deeply scary.

One instructs the woman to cover her body

with a preparation of quicklime and orpiment:

‘take care, however ... that it not stay too long

on the skin, because it causes intense heat ...

Another uses a blend of various substances

including quicklime and mercury, with which

the body was to be anointed all over, and then

‘let her sit in a very hot steam bath, but she

should not rub herself because her limbs will

be excoriated.’3 It all makes leg waxing sound

positively inviting by comparison.

The treatise then moves on to recipes to

wash, scent, or dye the hair. The hair wash

consists of ‘ashes of burnt vine, the chaff of

barley nodes, and liquorice wood (so that it

may the more brightly shine) and

sowbread’ (cyclamen). ‘After the washing, let

her leave it to dry by itself, and her hair will

be golden and shimmering’. Scented powders

of dried roses and spices are to be combed

through the hair: ‘let her make furrows in her

hair and sprinkle on the above-mentioned

powder, and it will smell marvellously’. The

hair might be treated to make it curly, with

root of danewort (ground elder) and oil, or to

make it long, with root of marsh mallow, pork

grease, wine, cumin, mastic and egg yolks.4

It appears that in twelfth-century Italy

dark and fair hair were equally desirable.

There are several recipes for dying the hair

black, varying from the repulsive ‘take a

green lizard, and having removed its head and

tail, cook it in common oil. Anoint the head

with this oil. It makes the hair long and

black’, to the more ordinary ‘mix powder of

galangal with juice of a walnut and make it

boil, and anoint’. There are also recipes to

make the hair ‘golden’ (one of which contains

henna, suggesting that a reddish tone may

have been what was desired), two for

whitening the hair (a curious wish), and two

to make the hair blonde. ‘In order that the hair

might be made blond, cook greater celandine

and root of agrimony and shaving of

boxwood, and tie on oat straw. Then take

ashes of oat or vine and make a cleanser, and

wash the head.’5

‘After beautifying the hair, the face ought

to be adorned, because if its adornment is

done beautifully, it embellishes even ugly

women.’ The face should be washed with

French soap and warm water, and anointed

Medieval Cosmetics

TIG LANG

37

with oil of tartar ‘for seven nights and as

many days, and even for fifteen days if she

has an abscessed and freckled complexion’.

There is a recipe for a depilatory specifically

for the face, made with a mixture containing

Greek pitch and wax ‘but let her take care not

to touch the eyebrows’. The face is then to be

whitened with a substance called cerotum,

which contains white lead, or ‘powder

sowbread [cyclamen] cleaned of the exterior

and dried in the sun, or in a hot oven. With

this powder the woman whitens her face’. A

number of alternative recipes for whitening

the skin are given, some with white lead and

some without. It is curious to think of our

ancestors endangering their health in pursuit

of a white skin, while health scares in our

own news tell of young people risking skin

cancer in pursuit of a good tan. Once the face

has been whitened it must be reddened

(presumably in selected areas, though this is

not stated here) with brazilwood, alum and

rosewater, or with the roots of red and white

bryony in honey. (Note that Brazil was called

after brazilwood, rather than the other way

round). There are recipes for moisturisers,

and one to treat sunburn.

There are recipes for simple lipsalves, but

also for the use of ‘composite colour’ to dye

the lips or the face. The colouring agent in

this is once again brazilwood, which would

give anything from pink to deep red

depending how much was used, and ‘the

marine herb with which the Saracens dye

leather hides green’. The herb is not named;

presumably it would not colour lips and skin

green. The colour aimed at is stated elsewhere

in the text to be ‘a mixture of red and white’.6

The teeth are to be whitened by rubbing with

a powder made of burnt white marble and

burnt date pits, white natron, red tile, salt and

pumice, or by chewing fennel, lovage or

parsley ‘which is better to chew because it

gives off a good smell and cleans good gums

and makes the teeth very white’.7

In a period nearer our own beloved

fifteenth century, the French surgeon Guy de

Chauliac provides some cosmetic recipes.8

His concerns are much the same as those in

the Salernitan text. It is somewhat of a relief,

however, to find that as well as using

quicklime as a depilatory, Guy offers the

alternatives of cutting hair with shears,

shaving it off, plucking it out, or removing it

with pitch laid on the fingers or on a cloth (on

the same principle as modern waxing). He

gives a variety of recipes for colouring the

hair, and once again these include recipes for

black, golden (red), and yellow hair. As well

as providing recipes Guy provides a bit of

local information, informing us that the

women of Montpellier put the flowers of

French lavender and broom in their hair

washes, the women of Boulogne put in

boxwood shavings and citrus rind, and the

women of Paris use gentian root, berberis root

and cardamom flowers. All these, obviously,

would make the hair smell nice, like the

roses, musk and cloves recommended in the

Salernitan text.

To whiten the skin Guy recommends

some recipes including white lead, but also

some starch-based recipes such as one using

‘the mele of schalede (i.e. shelled) benes’.9

Guy makes it clear, interestingly, that these

substances were to be used to wash the face

or to be left on overnight, but were to be

washed off in the morning ‘with water of bran

or of violettes’. They were, in other words,

more in the nature of modern cleansers and

toners than modern foundation or powder.

However, once the skin has been whitened in

this way, ‘afterward if thou wilt colour the

apples of the chekes, enoynte ham with water

of alume in the whiche a litel of the shavynge

of brasyl be temperede’.10 Whitening the skin

remained a concern into the fifteenth century

and beyond, and recipes for skin whitening

appear in a manuscript which was certainly in

use at the court of Edward IV (of which more

on another occasion).

Guy gives no recipes for lipsalves, but the

Middle English translation of Gilbertus

Anglicus (the translation dates from the

fifteenth century) gives many recipes, one

including sandalwood, which would give a

pinkish or reddish colour.11

It should be noted that the Salernitan

treatise is specifically aimed at women, and

that Guy seems to assume that women will be

the ones seeking to whiten the skin.12 There

are no specific references indicating that men

38

might be colouring their hair, lips or cheeks.

So, did Richard III wear lipstick? Well,

probably not, though delicately pink to rich

red lipsalves were certainly around in his day.

But, as a final thought, whatever Richard III

may have done, the portrait of Richard II on

the Wilton Diptych looks suspiciously pink

and white to me ...

References 1 See Monica H. Green, The Trotula: an

English Translation of the Medieval

Compendium of Women’s Medicine,

Pennsylvania 2001, p. 48. ‘On Women’s

Cosmetics’ is translated in full on pp. 113-24. 2 Green, p. 123. 3 Green, pp. 113-14.

4 Green, pp. 115-17. 5 Green, pp. 115-17. 6 Green, pp. 117-22. 7 Green, p. 122. 8 For the Middle English translation of Guy de

Chauliac’s treatise, which I have used here,

see Margaret S. Ogden (ed.), The Cyrurgie of

Guy de Chauliac, Early English Text Society,

vol. 265, Oxford, 1971, where the cosmetic

recipes appear on pp. 415-36. 9 Ogden, p. 431. 10 Ogden, p. 432 11 Faye Marie Getz (ed.), Healing and Society

in Medieval England, A Middle English

Translation of the Pharmaceutical Writings

of Gilbertus Anglicus, Wisconsin, 1991, p. 89. 12 Ogden, p. 430.

Birds of a feather flock together – in charms, peeps and watches. The English language is rich in

collective nouns for birds, and there was a curious flourishing of these in the fifteenth century.

Some group terms such as a ‘bellowing of bullfinches’ were simply linguistic jokes, but

others demonstrate a pleasingly imaginative interpretation of a species’ characteristic song,

behaviour or appearance. A ‘gagyll of geese’ (c.1470), for example, is an alliterative term

intended to represent the cackling of the birds in the farmyard (and was also used to describe a

group of unruly or raucous women). An ‘exaltation of larks’ (c.1430) on the other hand is rather

more elevated, and instantly evokes that unmistakable song tumbling from apparently nowhere

out of a clear blue sky. Sociable starlings gather in a ‘murmuration’ (‘a murmuracione of stares’

c.1450), while vociferous little finches congregate in a ‘charm’ (c.1430) from the Old English

cirm-an, to make a noise, shout. The soft, sad cooing of doves gives rise to the ‘dole of

doves’ (1486), from the Latin dolere, to lament.

Other terms relate to behaviour, as in a ‘fall of woodcock’ (1486), which demonstrates the

ease with which this game bird was trapped (‘woodcock’ was also used as a term for fool or

simpleton). Family groups of partridges get together in ‘coveys’ (c.1440), from the Old French

covee, to sit on or hatch, referring to the long hours spent sitting on their nests. Nightingales, the

night singers, are appropriately gathered in a ‘watch’ (‘wache of Nyghtingalis’ 1486), from Old

English wæcce, to watch, while nervous little chicks huddle together in a ‘peep’ (1486).

Other birds have a much more sinister reputation and this too is reflected in their group

word. Ravens have been regarded as birds of ill omen since Roman times, hence an ‘unkindness

of ravens’ (‘unkyndenys of rauynnys’1486). Unfortunately the poor old crow has gained an even

blacker reputation. Traditionally associated with violent death, crows congregate in a

‘murder’ (‘a mursher of crowys’ c.1475). The crow’s corvine cousin, the rook, however, seems

to have escaped such character assassination and has achieved an altogether more superior status,

a ‘parliament of rooks’ (c.1400, from Old French parler, to speak) – although given the current

general reputation of the British parliament it might not be such an accolade after all.

Note Many terms are taken from The Book of St Albans 1486, a treatise on hawking, hunting and

heraldry, printed by The St Albans Press. The Book has the earliest example of colour printing.

Elaine Henderson

‘A pepe of chykennys’ and other flights of fancy

39

T he manor of Sheriff Hutton had been part of the Nevill estates since the marriage of Emma,

daughter of Bertram de Bulmer, with Geoffrey de Nevill in the twelfth century. The

existing castle, replacing an earlier building whose earthworks can still be seen, was built by

John, Lord Nevill of Raby who received a licence to crenellate in 1382. The castle was not

completed until after his death; the Garter shield of John Nevill’s son, Ralph, first earl of

Westmorland, at the entrance to the inner court indicates that completion must have been after

1402. Possibly because of its isolation from the main Nevill holdings at Middleham, it seems to

have been regarded for most of the fifteenth century as a dower property: in 1404 Ralph, earl of

Westmorland settled the castle and manor of Sheriff Hutton on his second wife, Joan Beaufort,

daughter of John of Gaunt, with reversion to the heirs male, and she held it in dower from his

death in 1425. She died in 1440 having transferred her rights in Sheriff Hutton to her son,

Richard, earl of Salisbury, shortly before her death.1 The castle and manor was left as a dower

property on the earl of Salisbury’s death at the battle of Wakefield in 1460 to Alice, his widow,

with a similar reversion to the heirs male.

There are several records of the castle at

Sheriff Hutton, over nearly one hundred years,

which give a detailed picture both of the layout

of the castle and its condition. In 1526 the

castle was surveyed for the king by Thomas

Magnus, Sir George Lawson and John

Uvedaile. ‘There are 3 wards, the inner one

contains the hall, kitchen, and lodging for the

lord, chapel, se….r [illegible] buttery, pantry

and offices. The walls and towers are strong

and high but must be mended with lime and

wood ... The base court is all open, the walls

decayed and the gates gone. The gate of the

inner ward is worn and needs 3 tons of iron to

mend it.’2

Emery suggests that the remnant of a

vaulted apartment in the south-east tower may

have been the chapel as it is on the east/west

axis.3 Leland saw the castle in the 1530s and

described it as ‘well maintained ... No house

in the north so like a Princely Logginges..’.4

In 1546 the chantry commissioners recorded

the chantries in the parish of Sheriff Hutton.

As well as Thomas Wytham’s chantry, located

in the chapel in Sheriff Hutton church, they

recorded a chantry of the ‘Holy Trinity and our

The Sheriff Hutton Monument

Part 2

JANE CREASE

South-east tower of the castle, showing vaulting at first-floor level

40

Blessed Ladye’ in the chapel of Sheriff Hutton castle (possibly the chapel’s dedication): ‘Chantry

of 2 priests within the Castle of Sheriff Hutton ... Having no foundacion to shewe albeit they

have used always, when any noble man or constable of the sayd castle lye there, then to singe

masse within the said castell or either to singe in the sayd parysse church of Sheryfhoton ...’5 By

1618, and the survey by James I’s commissioners, the castle was ruinous: ‘… the case of a stately

castle, the inward materials transposed and the walls ruyned’.6

The evidence, particularly that of James I’s commissioners ‘the case of a stately castle, the

inward materials transposed…’ indicates that by 1618 the castle was ruinous and much material

from it had already been removed. The tomb is first reported in the parish church in 1623. An

alabaster tomb left in a building exposed to the elements is likely to exhibit the damage seen on

the Sheriff Hutton tomb. The representation of the Trinity on the tomb chest together with the

donor figure may relate it to the chantry of the Holy Trinity and St Mary established in the chapel

at Sheriff Hutton castle. There is, of course, evidence from elsewhere of monuments erected in

the private chapels attached to castles or fortified houses; perhaps the best surviving example in

Yorkshire is the chapel of the Vavasours at Hazlewood castle which still retains several medieval

Vavasour tombs.

Neither the style of the tomb chest, which

predates the death of Edward, Prince of Wales,

by about sixty years, nor the iconography of the

donor figure at the feet of God the Father,

suggest that the tomb was commissioned by a

king for his son who died in the 1480s. The

donor figure wears armour and is bareheaded

with the short, round haircut of the early part of

the fifteenth century, an unlikely representation

of the king. Compare the representation of

Richard II on the Wilton diptych, painted

between 1395 and 1399, shown as the donor in

his crown and regal robes.

If the monument is not that of the Prince of

Wales, is it possible to offer an alternative

identification? This question was exhaustively

considered by Routh and Knowles in 1981 and

their conclusion, based on interpreting heraldry

rather ambiguously described by Dodsworth,

was that the tomb was probably that of a young

son of Richard, earl of Salisbury.7 There are

some difficulties with this identification: Sheriff

Hutton did not come into the hands of Richard,

earl of Salisbury until the death of his mother,

Joan Beaufort, in 1440, and the design of the

tomb relates to other tombs made around twenty

years earlier. One possibility is that the child is

from an earlier generation of Nevills; Ralph, earl

of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort had fourteen

children of whom three were sons who died

young: Henry (b. c.1402) Cuthbert (b. c.1405)

and John (b. c.1413).8 The provision of such a

high-status tomb for a young boy would not be

so surprising if his mother were half-sister to the

king. As a speculation, the presence on the tomb

Trinity panel with donor at the centre, south

side of tomb

41

chest, in the position of highest precedence near the head of the effigy, of the figure of John the

Evangelist could indicate that the child’s name was John.

One consequence of the acceptance of the notion that the Sheriff Hutton monument is that of

Edward, Prince of Wales, is that it has discouraged any serious effort to establish what

commemoration Richard III actually arranged for his son. For a monarch whose claim to the

throne ultimately rested on dynastic considerations, the loss of his heir must have been

politically, as well as personally, catastrophic. That said, the ceremonial of funeral and

commemoration was not only a religious obligation but a human comfort as well. It seems

inconceivable that the funeral and monument for the Prince of Wales should not have been

provided with all the ceremonial appropriate to a royal death. No doubt his monument, wherever

it was, was equally princely. The highest-status lay burials in the late medieval period were in

monastic houses or collegiate foundations; these choices for burial sites were, of course, related

to the greater availability of intercessory prayer for the deceased in an establishment with a large

number of monks or priests. Westminster Abbey, the royal mausoleum, itself was a monastic

foundation, as was Canterbury. If the Prince was buried in a monastic church his tomb may have

been lost at the Dissolution, like the tomb commissioned for his father in the Greyfriars at

Leicester. Whatever the case, it seems clear that the parish church at Sheriff Hutton was not the

original site of the child’s tomb, whoever we believe it commemorated.

Notes

1. Page, W. (ed.), The Victoria History of the County of York: North Riding, III, London 1925, p.

177, notes 75-80.

2. Brewer, J.S. (ed.), Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic of the Reign of Henry VIII,

London 1872, IV, part II, p.1089 no. 2436.

3. Emery, A., Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales: Northern England, Cambridge

1996, p. 392.

4. Toulmin Smith, L. (ed.), The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the Years 1535-1543,

London 1905-10, I, p. 65.

5. Page, W. (ed.), The Certificates of the Commissioners Appointed to Survey the

Chantries….etc. in the County of York, Surtees Society XCII, p. 475.

6. London, British Library, MS Harl. 6288, f. 1b. [2 more refs hidden]

7. Routh and Knowles, The Sheriff Hutton Alabaster, p. 27.

8. Cokayne, G. E. et al., The Complete Peerage, p. 553 n. (d).

Holinshed’s Chronicles On Line An Oxford-based team has just made available an edition of Holinshed’s Chronicles of England,

Scotland and Wales. It is free on line; to access it, go to http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/holinshed/

The Chronicles are the source text for a number of Shakespeare’s plays, but were also used

by other dramatists and poets, and also by lawyers, politicians and general readers. There were

two editions which differed from each other, one of 1577 and the other of 1587. This new

parallel electronic edition allows the reading of the two editions alongside each other.

The team who worked on this edition were Ian W. Archer (General Editor of the Royal

Historical Society Bibliography on British History), Dr Felicity Heal, Dr Paulina Kewes, and Dr

Henry Summerson (The Oxford Holinshed Project Research Assistant).

The project has commissioned forty essays, to be published by OUP in 2011 as The Oxford

Handbook to Holinshed’s Chronicles.

The project website http://www.cems.ox.ac.uk/holinshed/ has a comprehensive analysis of

the sources behind the Chronicles, undertaken by Dr Summerson.

42

Correspondence

Will contributors please note that letters may be shortened or edited to conform to the standards

of the Bulletin. The Bulletin is not responsible for the opinions expressed by contributors.

The Reviewer’s Task: Opposing

Views Reviewers must come to the work fresh

From Bill Featherstone

I was surprised to understand from the letter

from Susan Higginbotham, ‘Errors and the

Reviewer’ (September Bulletin) that the rules

for reviewers for this Society do not disbar

anyone who is acknowledged in the volume

being reviewed. Both the learned Journals for

which I undertake reviews have such a rule

and it would seem to me a basic requirement.

I have no reason, or wish, to cast any

doubt on the review in question, and I am

sure that John Ashdown-Hill would be

scrupulous in his objectivity but reviewers

must come to the work on which they are to

comment entirely fresh, as though they are a

first-time reader, if they are to fulfil their duty

to those who might wish to read or purchase

in future.

A common practice in literary circles

From Barbara Gaskell Denvil

Although loath to further illuminate the words

of Susan Higginbotham in the last issue of the

Bulletin, as a former literary critic for many

years I feel obliged to add a few words.

Ms Higginbotham appears outraged by

John Ashdown-Hill’s recommendation for the

recent publication Richard III: the Maligned

King, by Annette Carson. In particular, she

cites the (fully disclosed) previous working

relationship of Carson and Ashdown-Hill,

hinting that it is positively improper for pro-

fessional collaborators to review each other’s

work. Yet this is a common practice in

literary circles, both on a disclosed and on a

more secretive basis. Indeed, especially in

non-fiction where one expert is likely to have

some acquaintanceship with others in the

same field, this is openly accepted by most

publications of literary review.

During my own years in the business I

have often heard complaints concerning

particularly negative criticisms, but to read a

third-party complaint regarding a positive

review seems to me both alarming and unnec-

essary. Ms Higginbotham also seems to have

a misunderstanding with regard to the

difference between a critique and a review.

Mr Ashdown-Hilll’s brief and succinct review

of Ms Carson’s book did not allow either the

space or the necessity for listing the few small

and unimportant errors that Ms Higginbotham

discovered. This was frankly not his responsi-

bility and in no way reflected on his con-

clusions.

I find Ms Higginbotham’s clear assertion

that John Ashdown-Hill’s review must

perforce be dishonestly prejudiced frankly

insulting and utterly unfounded. An assault on

the integrity of any reviewer’s impartial

opinion is surely unwarranted unless proven,

whereas Ms Higginbotham simply chooses to

assume it. For the record, I am no no way

acquainted with Mr Ashdown-Hill either

personally or professionally, but I felt this

attack sufficiently outrageous to warrant a

mild reply.

The Third Dukedom From Annette Carson

Like any responsible author I welcome

corrections and humbly apologise for errors.

However, I hope I may be forgiven for pro-

testing when I am misquoted, as in Susan

Higginbotham’s letter in the September

Bulletin.

I did not claim that the Woodville family

acquired three dukedoms, which would be

silly. The careful reader will note that I wrote

only of ‘advantageous marriages’. The third

dukedom into which they married, which Ms

Higginbotham has overlooked, was that of

Exeter.

43

The Bones of Anne Mowbray From Mary E. Reynolds, Derby

It was with interest I read in the September

Bulletin about the belated publication of the

examination of the bones of Anne Mowbray.

This rang a bell with me as I remembered

reading, and keeping, the report of her

discovery some 45 years ago.

On searching my compilation history

book, sure enough, I found the piece complete

with photograph. This probably came from

the Daily Mirror, as that was one of the news-

papers my parents took at the time. I thought

this might be of interest to you, so I am

enclosing a photocopy owing to the fragility

of the original.

Thanks for clearing up the mystery some-

what, as I’ve sometimes wondered what

happened to her body before it’s re-burial, if

anything.

Keep up the good work of the Bulletin, I

thoroughly enjoy all of it, including the

fiction.

[The cutting sent by Mrs Reynolds is head-

lined ‘A ‘murder’ probe on child bride Anne’

and is written by a John Smith. He reports

that the Museum of London said they are

making a six-month ‘murder-style’ investig-

ation into her death, and that a search was

being made for her wedding ring ‘which may

give a clue to [her] life and death’. ‘Mr Brian

Spencer, one of the museum team ... said

yesterday, “it is likely that wedding rings

were exchanged”.’ Francis Celoria is quoted

as criticising the delay before experts were

called in to see the coffin: ‘The thing was put

on its feet and its bones tumbled.’ The coffin

was, it was said, taken to the nearby police

station with a label tied to it, which read

‘Found Property’.

What is really interesting, too, is that the

report, in explaining who Anne Mowbray

was, said that her husband Richard ‘is

believed to have been murdered in the Tower

of London in 1483 or 1485’. The writer was

clearly aware that Henry VII was also a sus-

pect. Had he been reading The Daughter of

Time?

Another cutting sent by Mrs Reynolds

quoted a Dr Martin Rushton as saying in the

British Dental Journal that her teeth showed

little wear. ‘From this, the dental detective

concludes that Lady Anne’s diet was not

gritty. The bread she ate was probably made

from flour sieved through fine cloth to

remove all the coarse particles and most of

the bran. ... But she would have developed an

abscess had she lived a few years longer.’]

The Bones of ‘Robert Morley’ From Patricia Payne, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Many thanks to Marilyn Garabet for sending

in ‘A Knight’s Tale’ from the Scottish Daily

Mail, 30 June 2009. I suggest that those in

charge of the Stirling Castle chapel excava-

tions look again at the tentative identification

of one of the skeletons as Robert Morley who

died during a tournament of 1388. If this is

indeed Morley, then he did not die as a result

of injuries sustained during a tournament. The

rules and weaponry of Joust and Tourney are

so well documented, and in what was a

military spectacle, so marshalled by heralds

and officials, that type of injury was unthink-

able. In addition, Morley would have worn

his Great Helm, a padded and beplumed ‘coal

scuttle’ of a helmet designed to prevent

injury, for a lance touch to the visor scored

maximum points during the competition.

Since gentry expected and got prompt

medical attention, the fact that the casualty in

question survived some time with a large

arrowhead lodged in his chest suggests this

was a man-at-arms, perhaps one of the royal

bodyguards, though no conclusions can be

drawn without seeing the official report.

Thanks to Diane Paterson, Iris Day, Anne

Barber and others, we can now identify

some of the Christimas revellers at

Fotheringhay in the photograph on page 57

of the September Bulletin.

In the bottom photo, on the left are Sue

Barber and Julia Hefford (Anne Barber’s

daughter and mother). The man in the

middle is Geoff Noble, with his wife Joan

on his right and perhaps Pat Ruffell on his

left. Joan was the founder of the Beds and

Bucks group.

44

The Barton Library

Many thanks to those who supported the Book Sale at the AGM by buying books the

Library no longer required – this raised £150 towards buying new books for the Library.

Additions to the Non-Fiction Library

Richard III: the Maligned King by Annette Carson (History Press, pbk, 2009).

A detailed review of this book can be found on pages 24-25 of the Winter 2008 Bulletin. This

paperback version includes new Latin translations and corrections and updates of some of the

information quoted.

Richard III and the Murder in the Tower by Peter A. Hancock (History Press, hbk, 2009).

This text presents an analysis of the events and circumstances which precipitated the execution of

William, Lord Hastings. This investigation goes directly to the heart of the legitimacy of the

assumption of the throne by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, also providing an explanation for the

fate of the ‘Princes in the Tower’.

Richard III and the Death of Chivalry by David Hipshon (History Press, hbk, 2009).

The conventional view of Richard III’s defeat at Bosworth is that it was due to a loss of support

for him after his usurpation of the throne. However, the author argues that the result might very

well have been in his favour, had not his support for James Harrington in a long-running family

feud with Thomas, Lord Stanley led to betrayal on the battlefield. Bosworth was the last English

battle in which the monarch relied on feudal retainers. Hipshon examines how the power politics

of the conflict between the Stanleys and the Harringtons, and Richard’s motives in supporting the

latter led to the King’s death.

Margaret of York: the Diabolical Duchess by Christine Weightman (Amberley Publishing, pbk,

2009).

A paperback edition of the book first published in 1989. As the duchess and wife of the

wealthiest ruler in Western Europe, Margaret was at the centre of a glittering court and became

the patron of William Caxton. It was at her command that he printed the first book in English.

Her marriage to Charles, Duke of Burgundy, had been the talk of Europe. Within twenty years,

Charles was dead, her own family had been destroyed, but this strong woman became what

Henry VII termed his ‘diabolical duchess’, and unlike her family proved a great survivor.

Richard: the Young King to be by Josephine Wilkinson (Amberley Publishing , hbk, 2008).

The first of two projected volumes, this biography concentrates on the early part of Richard’s

life, from his birth as a cadet of the House of York, to his marriage to Anne Neville – and shows

how his experiences as the son of an ambitious duke, a prisoner of war, and an exile, shaped the

character of England’s controversial monarch.

Additions to the Fiction Library

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (hbk, 2009)

This is the first in a series of novels set in the Wars of the Roses or ‘The Cousins War’ as it is

described in the book. The novel portrays the life of Elizabeth Woodville from her first meeting

with Edward IV until the eve of the Battle of Bosworth. A lot is made of the tradition that

45

Elizabeth and her mother are descended from the water goddess Melusina. The disappearance of

“The Princes” is seen from another angle.This edition also contains an essay in which Philippa

Gregory reveals what drew her to write this novel. There is also an extract from ‘The Red

Queen’, the next novel in the series this time featuring Margaret Beaufort.

This Time by Joan Szechtman (pbk, 2009)

Richard III is transported from the point of death on Bosworth Field to twenty-first century

Oregon. Here he tries to undo the damage done to his reputation over the past 500 years. In this

novel the past and future and also fact and fiction overlap.

Contact details for all the Librarians are on the inside back cover.

Please note that the email address for the Non-Fiction Papers Librarian, Gillian Paxton, is

now RichardIII@genealogus.co.uk

Richard III and the Knave of Cards: An Illuminator’s Model in

Manuscript and Print, 1440s to 1490s

Anne F. Sutton and Livia Visser-Fuchs

The Antiquaries Journal, Volume 79 (1999), pages 257-99

Price £3.50, including p&p, for UK members, from the Sales Officer, or direct from Dr A.F.

Sutton, 44 Guildhall St, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1QF. Overseas members please consult the

Sales Officer.

For over 200 years it has been asserted (originally by Joseph Strutt) that an

unflattering portrait of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, exists in the presentation

miniature of the copy of the Chronicle of England by Jean de Wavrin owned by

Edward IV. The authors recite the history of this assertion and prove that no such

portrait exists. In fact the figure of the courtier concerned turns out to be a figure

commonly used by illuminators and painters of all sorts, ranging from Dürer to the

first designers of playing cards. The figure in fact was the original knave of cards.

When Strutt and his imitators searched for a figure that answered their imaginary idea

of what a villainous Richard looked like they chose, by chance, the knave of cards!

They did not find a portrait of the historical Richard. This off-print is extensively

illustrated.

46

Here Be Dragons ...

Visit to Wales, Summer 2009 This year the summer excursion was a longer one than usual, to do justice to as many as possible

of the delights of Wales. Individual members of the group have here written independent

accounts of the five days, from which we can see that, although the weather was not kind, the

sites and sights were interesting and varied, and the memories happy.

Thanks are as always due to the Visits Team for creating such a good programme, and doing

all the work of arranging the practicalities. In particular, of course, to Marian Mitchell, efficient

organiser and setter of diabolical quizzes.

Off to the Dragons’ Den: Caerphilly’s Three Stars Friday 10 July

Bright and early on Friday morning, a coach full of intrepid Ricardians set out on what turned out

to be one of the better days, weather wise, of the whole weekend, for the Dragons’ Den. We were

joined by two more members en route and arrived in Caerphilly in time for lunch and a free

afternoon.

Caerphilly lies in a wide geological basin, bounded to the south by the Border Ridges and to

the north by open uplands each side of the narrow Rhymney Valley. The town is famous for three

things, the creamy cheese to which it gave its name (and which was once sold at the town’s

cheese market, and is now available from the Tourist Office); the castle; and Tommy Cooper, the

magician and entertainer, whose statue is in the Twyn.

The castle was started by Earl Gilbert de Clare in 1268 to try to protect the coastal plains

from Llewellyn the Last. Earl Gilbert was immensely rich and as a Marcher lord did not require a

royal licence to build his castle. He was apparently greatly impressed with the water defences

used by Simon de Montfort at Kenilworth. The castle passed to the Despensers, then in 1416,

together with the Lordship of Glamorgan, it passed to Richard Beauchamp, earl of Worcester

(d.1422), through his marriage to the Despenser heiress Isabel. On his death, Isabel married

Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick (d.1439). In 1449 the inheritance came into the hands of

Richard Neville, earl of Warwick (d.1471). In 1461 Edward IV appointed Warwick Chief Justice

and Chamberlain of South Wales. After Bosworth Henry VII granted the Lordship of Glamorgan

to his uncle Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke (d.1495). In 1550 Caerphilly passed with the

Lordship of Glamorgan to William Herbert, who was to be created earl of Pembroke.

The castle dates from the thirteenth century, and is set in 30 acres, and was the first concentric

castle to be built in Britain. There is a Roman auxiliary fort beneath the tree-covered hill to its

north. The castle has huge lakes to the north and south which were sufficient to impede any mass

attack on the central stronghold, and they would have prevented any concerted effort to

undermine the walls. Its most celebrated feature is perhaps its ‘leaning tower’ – the southeast

tower of the inner ward, which leans at an angle of 10 degrees. The leaning is probably caused by

ground subsidence.

The great hall remains essentially an early-fourteenth-century construction and belongs to the

time of Hugh Despenser the younger. The masonry of the hall is almost certainly the work of

Thomas de la Bataille, a mason who had worked for the crown and is known to have worked at

Reports on Society Events

47

Caerphilly in 1326. In the same year Despenser played host to Edward II at Caerphilly from 29

October to 3 November.

After visiting the castle I strolled round the town and went to have a look at the statue of

Tommy Cooper (1921-1984). He was born in Llyn Onn Street and his family moved to Devon

when he was three. He acquired his trademark fez when performing in Cairo during the war. The

Tommy Cooper Society was founded in Caerphilly in 2003 and commissioned a nine-foot-high

‘bronze’ statue which was unveiled by the Society’s Patron, Sir Anthony Hopkins, on 23

February 2008.

After tea, back on the coach and on to the University of Swansea, where we had our

accommodation for the weekend.

Rosemary Waxman

Swansea and the Gower Peninsula: Deep Water, Shallow Water Saturday 11 July

We were well prepared by the weather forecasters to expect the day that had been allocated for

the scenic trip around the glorious Gower Peninsula and the exploration of our host city to be a

‘washout’, and we were not disappointed. Our on-board guide for the morning was Phil Coates,

who proved to be a wealth of information delivered in a pleasant and entertaining manner,

somewhat reminiscent of Rob Bryden.

As we swept down the drive of our Swansea University campus, set in the old Singleton

estate developed in the nineteenth century by the copper-baron Vivian family who brought their

smelting skills from their native Cornwall, Phil pointed out the Botanical Gardens which cover

what was only the walled garden area of this once vast estate. Turning east along the seafront

road for the two-mile journey into Swansea proper, we saw the remains of the world’s first

passenger railway. Opened in 1804 for the transfer of minerals to the docks, it adapted some

carriages for people-carrying in 1807. Phil explained that we would see very little of ancient

Swansea because the old quarter was adjacent to the docks, (unlike its neighbour Cardiff) and the

Luftwaffe had done their worst. Town planners had been presented with a blank canvas and it is,

with very few exceptions, a very new and vibrant city at its waterfront heart, but surrounded by

great swathes of Victorian and Edwardian suburbs sweeping up the high ground which encloses

the Bay.

The castle, recaptured from the English by Owain Glyndwr, survives as a remnant, still

guarding the mouth of the River Tawe (Abertawe is the Welsh name for Swansea) as did Sweyn

Forkbeard’s wooden one centuries before when the Vikings developed the port of Sweyns’ Ey

(island) because of the exceptionally deep water afforded by the five-mile-long bay. The

combination of the coal deposits in the surrounding area and the deep water enabled Swansea, in

the Industrial Revolution, to import raw materials from the rest of the world, and then to smelt

and re-export them. In fact, Swansea provided 60% of the world’s copper needs and earned itself

the soubriquet ‘Copperopolis’. More survivors of the infamous Round-the-Horn sea-route lived

in Swansea than anywhere else.

An incongruous white clapboard church (possibly rebuilt?) nestles in the docks and we were

told it was for Norwegian sailors who brought over great quantities of wood for pitprops after the

region had devoided itself of its own trees for the purpose. So, a link to the original Vikings! We

drove past the Evening Post offices and its adjacent pub where Swansea’s most famous son,

Dylan Thomas, began his illustrious career. The strangely-named Salubrious Place was on the

footprint of the medieval financial area, and I was divested of my assumption that the name was

merely a ‘Dylanism’.

We then left the city, following the old railway route for the westward journey to the Gower

Peninsula, whose breathtaking beauty deserves the enhancement of sunshine, but, alas, it seemed

not to be. The first stop was the equally strangely-named Mumbles, the destination of the old

railway where there is an old-fashioned pier that connects the pyramidical line of rock outcrops.

48

One theory about their name is

that they were called Les

Mamelles by French sailors.

Catherine Zeta Jones has built a

house in the next bay, where she

played on the beach as a child.

Unsurprisingly, it cannot be seen

from the road.

We turned around and

headed north-west to view

(externally) the castle of

Oystermouth, which had a

position overlooking the whole

bay, whilst its sister castle on

low ground guarded the walk to

the castle. We then entered the

Gower itself and the weather

closed in, obscuring the fantastic views of the Bristol Channel and the rugged cliff scenery. We

passed fields of the hardy Black Welsh cattle and, of course, numerous sheep. We were

privileged to witness some being rounded up in the traditional manner, with dogs and whistles ...

not a quadbike in sight. Our coffee stop was to be the furthermost west clifftop village of

Rhossili, with its five-mile sandy bay. Unlike Swansea, it is very shallow and thus totally

unspoilt, apart from the ribs of a 130-year-old wreck protruding from the sand. The tide goes out

for half a mile here, and after storms it is said that silver coins can be found from the wreck of

Catherine of Braganza’s dowry ship, which foundered with the loss of all hands. (Despite

spending every summer holiday here in the 60s and 70s, I was never lucky.)

As we drove into the Worm’s Head carpark, a miracle occurred and the sun broke through

with a vengeance. It was to remain so for our all-too-short stay. As far as I know, nobody

ventured down all the way to the beach, but we availed ourselves of the cliff walk towards the

spectacular reptilian rock formation over a mile distant. It is accessible for an alarmingly short

space of time by means of a needle-sharp rocky causeway. Some of us had a cup or two in The

Worm’s Head Hotel, enjoying the

panorama, and the National Trust shop

did a roaring trade in some reduced

Welsh wool blankets. We left the sun

behind us as we headed north for the

high central spine of the Gower on our

different route back to Swansea. If we

had continued to the north coast we

would have seen Weobley Castle (yes,

there are two!) which belonged to our

old enemy Rhys ap Thomas. We

stayed on the high middle ridge which

gave views to the sea to both north

and south, although the weather was

closing in ominously.

On the highest point, called Cefn

Bryn, there stands a neolithic rock tomb called Arthur’s Stone (he had thrown a pebble that was

caught in his shoe on the way to a battle which he won, and it grew). We were told that it was a

famous site of pilgrimage for those entrenched in things Arthurian, and that some of Henry

Dylan Thomas drank in this Swansea pub

Arthur’s Stone, Gower Peninsula

49

Tudor’s Bretons visited here for luck and/or blessings on the way to their battle. The proximity

of Weobley perhaps lends some credence to this?

We returned to Swansea centre with the coach, and most of us endeavoured to cover as many

of the places of interest as we could, scuttling in the torrential rain from one indoor attraction to

another. The Dylan Thomas Centre was amongst the most popular places to visit, but

unfortunately the Industrial and Maritime Museum had been taken over by some kind of

Saturday Afternoon Yoof Extravaganza. There was even an indoor Botanic Gardens called

Plantasia.

Joan Cooksley

Milford Haven, Pembroke and Tenby: Tudor Country Sunday 12 July

There is perhaps a small irony that our most Tudor day in Wales proved to be the driest and

sunniest. All three places we visited witnessed pivotal moments in the life of Henry Tudor before

he became Henry VII. It was also an area closely associated with Henry’s uncle, Jasper Tudor,

who was such an important figure in his early life. Our coach first stopped briefly at Milford

Haven, which provided a fine natural harbour for the Tudor landing in 1485 and is so large that it

dwarfs the oil tankers moored near the refinery there. It was here that Jasper received a message

of support from well-wishers in Pembroke, which was our next stop.

Pembroke is dominated by its medieval castle, which started life as a Norman stronghold in

the late eleventh century. It was re-built in stone from the early thirteenth century. It was in 1204

that William Marshall, earl of Pembroke, began the Great Tower, which is one of the castle’s

most notable features and which, from the top, offers fine views over the town and surrounding

countryside. In 1453, Henry VI created Jasper Tudor earl of Pembroke, and granted him a

number of properties in south-west Wales, including Pembroke. Jasper spent a lot of time here

and built a mansion house here, which was lost, but was excavated in the 1930s. One part of

Jasper’s residence that does survive is the Henry VII Tower, where the newly-widowed thirteen-

year-old Margaret Beaufort, gave birth to Henry in 1457. There is now a tableau in the tower re-

enacting a scene from the Tudor nursery, though this scene did not melt the hearts of some in our

party. This sort of commemoration is in fact nothing new: an information board in the room

Pembroke Castle: it is not raining

50

mentioned how that Tudor traveller, John Leland, had seen a chimney-piece here decorated with

Henry’s badges in the 1530s. The castle was certainly a safe place to bring a baby into the world,

since though besieged a number of times it first fell only in 1648 – to Oliver Cromwell. He then

ordered it slighted and so much of the castle’s fabric is in fact a Victorian re-creation; but even

so, it is a fascinating place to explore.

Our last and longest stop of the day was in Tenby, where we were dropped off at the Five

Arches Gateway, part of the town’s walls which Jasper had heightened in the late 1450s. It was

behind these walls in 1471, after the Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, that Jasper and Henry

took refuge. St Mary’s Church contains the tombs of the two merchants, father and son Thomas

and John White, who supposedly sheltered them until they could take a boat into exile. Finding

such a boat would have been relatively easy, as Tenby was then a prosperous trading port and

Jasper probably chose to go there for that reason. The Tudor Merchant’s House in the town,

which is furnished with contemporary Welsh items, reflects the prosperity of that era. In the

centuries that followed Tenby’s economy declined, until it revived from the late eighteenth

century as a tourist resort.

As we walked down to

the harbour, we saw some

fine Georgian and

Victorian houses painted

in a variety of pastel

shades, which looked

their best in the afternoon

sunshine. The Tenby

Museum and Art Gallery,

on a headland

overlooking the beach,

contains portraits and

other paintings by two of

the town’s most famous

children: Augustus and

Gwen John; the security

system is so tight, that not

only can you not touch,

you cannot even point!

The Museum also

contains a number of copies of monarchs’ seals, including Richard’s. While the other monarchs’

portraits appeared perfectly normal, Richard’s had worn to appear as a rather sinister-looking

skull, which may suggest that somewhere in sunny Tenby the odd Tudor gremlin is still in the

works.

Howard Choppin

St David’s: a vision in purple, gold, green and grey Monday 13 July

Although there had been rain in the air when we went to breakfast, the sun shone as we left for

Wales’ most south-westerly city, St David’s. There we had a little trouble with parking the coach

which was my fault, unfortunately. I recalled the car park I’d used two years before, forgetting

that it was not suitable for a coach. Mercifully, Barry, our driver, was made of strong stuff and

got us back out again, before finding somewhere better to set us down. Having a little time to

spare, some went for coffee, while others headed for the cathedral, approaching it from the

Tower Gate, at the top of The 39 Articles, the steps named for Cranmer, which give such a

wonderful view of the purple and gold sandstone church in its lush green setting.

Tenby Harbour

51

Sadly, it was grey and

overcast when we met with our

guide outside the north door.

There, he told us a bit about the

outside of the building before

taking us inside to tell us more.

Unfortunately, our man talked a

lot without saying much, but he

did demonstrate how the nave

slopes upwards towards the

altar, which was deliberate, and

how the pillars slope outwards,

which was not. We saw most of

the cathedral, including the

great table tomb of Edmund

Tudor, earl of Richmond, who

had died in 1456. The tomb is

just in front of the high altar, in

the most inconvenient place possible – typically Tudor! As well as those of numerous bishops

and unnamed knights, other monuments to be seen include that of the eponymous saint, David,

who had been born nearby and who founded the original monastic church; Bishop Gower, who

built the rood screen to contain his own tomb, and Geraldus Cambrensis, the prelate who wanted

to be bishop, but upset too many people, and who wrote a history of Wales. His monument shows

a mitre at his feet, symbolising

how he never got to wear it on

his head.

When our guide left us, we

dispersed, many going to the

refectory for lunch. While we’d

been in the cathedral, the rain

had come down in torrents and

it continued to do so as we

returned to the coach. Members

of the party came up with some

inventive ways to try to keep

dry – one even made a hat out

of a plastic bag from the

cathedral shop.

There is much to see in St

David’s Cathedral. I loved it

the first time I visited two years

ago – it rained then, too – and it was a joy to see it all again. It was also a pleasure to learn that,

by making this second visit, according to a decree of Pope Calixtus II, in 1120, Beth and I had

completed a pilgrimage, the spiritual equivalent of a visit to Rome.

As we left the small city – or large village – the plan was to head for Carmarthen, but as we

set off in the pouring rain, we collectively decided to give it a miss and head straight back to

Swansea. As it happened, it soon became obvious that we weren’t going to have time to reach

Carmarthen anyway, as we found ourselves in a line of stationary traffic – a car was on fire up

ahead. Ironically, the rain had now stopped and the sun shone warmly.

St David’s Cathedral

Group listening to the guide

52

Back at the University, we had time to relax and dry out before getting ready for the Gala

Dinner. This also gave us a last chance to tackle the unsolved questions in Marian’s fiendish

quiz.

Dinner was very good, smoked salmon, lamb shank, cheesecake, coffee and mints, and, if the

noise was anything to go by, greatly enjoyed by all. Afterwards, as has become traditional, I said

a few words. After saying something about the great sense of fellowship and camaraderie that

comes from taking part in Society visits, I gave our thanks to everyone who had helped in

making this trip possible, to our driver, to ‘absent friends’ and especially to Marian who had done

most of the work. I said it was a shame that, when she was booking things, she’d clicked the

wrong button for ‘weather’, but that she was forgiven as Wales is so beautiful whatever the

conditions.

When I finished, Marian gave out the answers to the quiz to the sound of much groaning and

disbelief and, by a process of elimination, two winners were chosen: Renée Jamieson and Sandra

Church. The two with the highest scores had been eliminated for being too clever – and for

having won before. Eventually, at about 10.30 pm, the party broke up and we went back to our

rooms, to pack, to sleep and to prepare for departure the next morning – and, guess what? It

wasn’t raining!

Phil Stone

Cardiff Castle: a real Bute Tuesday 14 July

Cardiff Castle –

‘Bute’-ified

(sorry!) by

Burges for the

third marquis of

Bute. Last time I

visited, one saw

the whole range

of rooms as part

of a guided tour,

culminating in

the entrance hall.

This time, one

only saw a selec-

tion of rooms on

the ‘ordinary’

entry, and the

rest on the ‘premium’ ticket, but started – logically – in the entrance hall, where it was only the

reflection in the show cases opposite that made me realise I was standing with my back to

Richard … The glass of Richard and Anne is the very last, in the entrance lobby, with a very

ferrety Henry VII and an elderly Elizabeth of York next door, as well as Jasper Tudor and

Katherine Woodville. Clarence and Isabel are in a staircase window, shorter, so necessarily

sitting down, with that dog of dubious taste resting his head on Clarence’s knee. Then came the

start of the tour proper, with the Arab room, a high spot: a bit like Disney’s pink elephants, in

that you wondered what Burges was on, when he designed it. One caught glimpses only of the

decorated staircases, but was consigned to the undecorated servants’ stair.

As I left, the fire alarm went off – hey, Ricardians, what have you been doing? It was the café

that seemed to have caused the problem, but all were shepherded out, and we stood under the

trees (it had come on to rain), until a fire engine appeared and turned the alarm off, and we were

allowed back in.

Cardiff Castle: a Bute-iful sight

53

I had ‘done’ the battlement walk, as far as one

could go, the keep (not right to the top), and, rather

inadvertently, the ‘wartime tunnels’ which are actually

above ground, being a level below the battlements.

One of the better new additions was the exhibition

area, which featured owners of the castle, and

mentioned Richard, along with the explanatory film on

the site’s history: sound, but no dialogue, but the best

feature was that at the end, the screen retracted into the

ceiling, leaving sloping glazing and a panorama of the

whole castle site.

We were dogged by graduates that weekend: at

Swansea University we were dispossessed of the

dining room in favour of setting it up for their graduate

lunch, and here in Cardiff it was graduation day, and

the place was full of them in gowns and mortar boards,

looking quite grown up (bless!). Of course the trouble

with undergraduates is that that they come not single

spies, but accompanied by doting parents, brothers,

lovers, sisters, and others. However, I negotiated the

photograph-taking hoards to the National Museum of Wales, eschewing the natural history for

the art collection on the top floor – not much early, medieval, stuff – some medieval artefacts, but

a nice range through from renaissance to high Victorian.

Then there was only time for a little light shopping, and saying farewell to a local member of

the party, before it was time to leave Cardiff, and call the weekend to a close.

Elizabeth M Nokes

Nineteenth-century stone lioness on the

wall of Cardiff castle

Where’s the skull?

A visit to Croyland Abbey and Peterborough Cathedral

The Croyland Chronicle was, for a long time, one of the most important primary sources for a

chronology and commentary on events in medieval England. The second continuation covers the

end of the reign of Edward IV and the beginning of that of Richard III. No one knows with

certainty who the chronicler was, but it is believed that much it was written by Richard’s

chancellor, John Russell, Bishop of Lincoln, and that it has additions from the prior of Croyland

Abbey in the fen country, hence the name.

Once a thriving community, the abbey fell on hard times at the Dissolution and one of my

predecessors as chairman of the Society, Jeremy Potter, made use of this in his novel about the

princes in the Tower, Trail of Blood. Nowadays, the abbey is no more, save for part of the north

aisle, which has become the local parish church, dedicated to St Guthlac, a local hermit who died

in 714 AD, in the small town of Crowland, just north of Peterborough.

On Saturday, 5 September, when the sun shone brightly and traffic in London came to a

standstill, thirty-eight Ricardians and friends set off to visit Crowland. Thanks to road closures

and an overturned car, getting away from the Embankment took rather longer than usual but,

with a short comfort stop along the way, we were only a little late arriving at the church and

meeting up with some more members.

It is many years since last the Society had a visit to Crowland, as Croyland is known today,

but very little has changed. There are a few more houses, perhaps, but the abbey ruins still

glowed in the sun and roses bloomed in the churchyard. The church has withstood the effects of

time and looked particularly good while we were there, beautifully decorated with flowers as our

54

arrival has been fitted in between a christening and a wedding. We were shown some old

photographs of how things looked a hundred years ago. Things had changes since then, of course.

One notable change since I was last there is the absence of the relic – the skull of St Guthlac –

which was stolen a few years ago. It used to be in a glass case in the nave, ‘grinning’ at visitors

and worshippers alike.

From the church, we walked through the town, passing the famous Trinity Bridge, to the

Methodist Church hall, where the ladies of the WI had prepared us lunch. A ploughman’s fit for

the farmer himself, it was followed by a selection of fruit pies with cream or ice-cream. To crown

it all, the ladies had decorated the room and the tables with fresh white roses.

After I had given our thanks, we walked back to the coach, stopping to look at the bridge,

which used to span the river Welland and a tributary. Today, the huge stone structure spans a dry

space, the rivers having been diverted many years ago. Before boarding the coach, there was a

sale of the new tote bags (£2.50 to members). In a very few minutes, Sue and Dave Wells sold

about twenty of them, which became a visible reminder of the Society throughout the rest of the

day.

Sadly, by now, the sun

had hidden itself behind the

clouds, and there it stayed for

the rest of the day. We spent

the afternoon in

Peterborough, where the

principal sight, of course, is

the cathedral, with its three

soaring arches forming the

west front. As there was a

service in progress, some

took the opportunity of

getting tea or coffee in

establishments nearby, the

cathedral not supplying such

hospitality at the weekends.

Later, looking around the

choir, I was pleased to learn

that I was not the only one

for whom the memory plays tricks. I was quite convinced that when I was there before, the tomb

of Katherine of Aragon was a chest and not a slab, and it seems that I was not alone in this.

However, since the plaque nearby said that the chest had been replaced by a slab in 1895, we

must have been mistaken. None of us are that old!

Coming away from the cathedral, we ambled through the shopping centre to make our way

back to the coach. It was still overcast, but the rain held off and we had a good journey back to

London. Well, it was good until we reached the end of the M11. The A1 having been closed, we

had taken a diversion but had we known what was to come, I think our driver might have chosen

a third possible route. Whatever, he stuck with his sat-nav and we sat in traffic. Eventually we

made it back to the Embankment and thence to Bromley.

A most enjoyable day, re-acquainting ourselves with old memories for some and making new

ones for others. Our thanks to Ros Conaty for arranging the lunch and especially to Marian

Mitchell who devised and organised the trip. On behalf of everyone who took part, we thank you

all.

Phil Stone

Crowland Abbey, where the Croyland Chronicle was written

55

Future Society Events

Queen Anne Neville Commemoration Saturday 13 March 2010

Provisionally, the annual commemoration of Queen Anne Neville will be held on Saturday 13

March 2010. Evensong at Westminster Abbey will be at 3 p.m., followed by the short wreath-

laying ceremony at 4 p.m. Identify yourself as a Richard III Society member to the staff at the

west door of the abbey on arrival.

In the morning, for those who would like to make a longer visit to London, John Ashdown-

Hill will lead a visit to the medieval galleries of the British Museum. Meet under the main

portico at 10.30 a.m.

There is no booking form for these events, which are free. However, if you intend to come,

please notify John Ashdown-Hill, either by email (preferably) or by post, enclosing s.a.e., in

order that you can be notified of any changes of plan, since Westminster Abbey has not yet been

able to confirm the date.

Please note that in 2010 the annual Requiem Mass will take place in June, not in March.

John Ashdown-Hill

Calais – England’s last corner of a foreign field Thursday 15 July to Sunday 18 July 2010

Calais is the destination for our 2010 venture into France, leaving London on Thursday 15 July

and returning on Sunday 18 July.

Please note the change of dates from those shown in the September 2009 Bulletin (where

they were given as 8-11 July). The dates had to be changed owing to circumstances beyond our

control, but unfortunately it was too late to amend the September Bulletin. Many apologies for

any inconvenience caused.

The proposed programme is as follows:

Please note that the order and contents of the day visits above may be changed. The ferry times

are also subject to confirmation.

We have reserved 16 single rooms and 9 twin/double rooms for three nights at the Hotel

Mercure, Calais, available on a first-come, first-served basis. We may be able to book further

rooms at a similar hotel nearby but this is not guaranteed; therefore please do not delay in

booking.

Thursday 15 July Coach from London Victoria to Dover. Late morning ferry to Calais.

Dinner: own arrangements in Calais

Friday 16 July Visit to Crecy in the morning. Lunch and rest of the day in Amiens.

Dinner: own arrangements in Calais

Saturday 17 July Visit to St Omer, then Agincourt (lunch), Le Touquet (tea). Group

Dinner at hotel.

Sunday 18 July Visit to Boulogne in the morning. Early afternoon ferry to Dover.

Esimated time of arrival at London Victoria, approximately 18.30 p.m.

56

The Hotel Mercure is a fully refurbished hotel in the city centre, five minutes from the ferry

terminal. The air-conditioned rooms all have satellite TV, a mini-bar and a safe. The hotel has a

24-hour reception. It also has a bar and a restaurant. Please note that the hotel is totally non-

smoking.

The cost of the trip will be approximately £325 per person sharing twin/double room; or £395

per person in a single room – this takes into account a £70 supplement for single rooms.

Included in the costs are: return travel London Victoria to Dover and Calais by coach and

ferry; 3 nights’ accommodation at the Hotel Mercure Calais; 3 breakfasts and 1 dinner; your tour

notes and admin. charges. Not included are lunches throughout and dinners on Thursday and

Friday, nor entrance fees and sundries.

You will need a passport. Certain non-EU citizens may need a visa. You are also advised to

obtain a Euro Health Insurance Card. Everyone will be responsible for his or her own travel

insurance.

Please send a deposit of £100 per person to Rosemary Waxman, 37 Chewton Road,

Walthamstow, London E17 7DW, by the closing date of 30 January 2010. Cheques should be

made out to ‘The Richard III Society’ and marked ‘Calais’ on the back. Alternatively you can

pay by PayPal. (See Summer 2007 Bulletin for details.). If you do so please would you still send

in your booking form to Rosemary. Bookings will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis.

Please send one SAE for an immediate acknowledgement and a second for further information.

Deposits will not be refundable unless we cannot find accommodation for you.

We will ask you for details of your travel insurance in due course.

If you require any further information please contact Rosemary Waxman, Tel. 020 8521

4261, email: rwaxman@btinternet.com or Rosalind Conaty Tel. 01553 827367.

Lecture in London: Finding Bosworth Battlefield Saturday 24 April 2010

This will be held at 2.00 p.m. at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, London,

when Dr Glenn Foard, FSA, MIFA, of the Battlefields Trust and the University of Leeds, will

lecture on ‘Finding Bosworth battlefield: archaeology and the future of battlefield studies’. He

will discuss the outcomes of an extensive three-year archaeological survey into the site of the

battlefield.

This lecture is open to all Society members who are able to attend. Please contact London and

Home Counties Branch Secretary, Elizabeth M. Nokes, 4 Oakley Street, Chelsea, London SW3

5NN, tel. 01689 823569, email elizabeth_nokes@hotmail.com, for full details.

In view of the latest developments concerning the location of Bosworth Battlefield, this

is a great opportunity to hear all about it from Dr Foard himself.

Margaret Blythe, St Albans, joined 1993

The Rev. Alan Bond, Castle Cary, joined 2003

Mr. M.J. Sewell, Hornsea, joined 1997

John Hunt, Fairford, joined before 1985

Brendan Loughbridge, Sheffield, joined before 1985

Recently Deceased Members

57

Branch and Group Contacts

Branches

America David M. Luitweiler, 1268 Wellington Drive, Victor, New York,

14564 United States of America. Tel: 585-924-5022.

Email: rochdave@rochester.rr.com

Canada Mrs Tracy Bryce, 5238 Woodhaven Drive, Burlington, Ontario,

L7L 3T4, Canada. Email: richardiii@cogeco.ca

Web site: http://home.cogeco.ca/~richardiii

Devon & Cornwall Mrs Anne E Painter, Yoredale, Trewithick Road, Breage, Helston,

Cornwall, TR13 9PZ. Tel. 01326-562023. Email: aepainter@aol.com

Gloucester Angela Iliff, 18 Friezewood Road, Ashton, Bristol, BS3 2AB

Tel: 0117-378-9237. Email: ailiff@soilassociation.org

Greater Manchester Mrs Helen Ashburn, 36 Clumber Road, Gorton, Manchester, M18

7LZ. Tel: 0161-320-6157. Email: hhathorhm@aol.com

Hull & District Terence O’Brien, 2 Hutton Close, Hull, HU4 4LD. Tel: 01482

445312

Lincolnshire Mrs J T Townsend, Westborough Lodge Farm, Westborough,

Newark, Notts. NG23 5HP.Tel: 01400 281289.

Email: ian.townsend@talktalk.net

London & Home Counties Miss E M Nokes, 4 Oakley Street, Chelsea, London SW3 5NN.

Tel: 01689 823569. Email: elizabeth_nokes@hotmail.com

Midlands-East Mrs Sally Henshaw, 28 Lyncroft Leys, Scraptoft, Leicester, LE7

9UW. Tel: 0116-2433785. Email: sallyoftarahill@homecall.co.uk

New South Wales Julia Redlich, 53 Cammeray Towers, 55 Carter Street, New South

Wales, 2062, Australia. Email: info@richardiii-nsw.org.au

Website: www.richardiii-nsw.org.au

New Zealand Robert Smith, ‘Wattle Downs’, 61 Udy Street, Greytown, New

Zealand.Email: rob.helen.smith@xtra.co.nz

or secretary@richard3nz.org Web site: www.richard3nz.org

Norfolk Mrs Annmarie Hayek, 20 Rowington Road, Norwich, NR1 3RR.

Tel: 01603 664021. Email: annmarie@talktalk.net

Queensland as New South Wales

Scotland Juliet Middleton, 49 Ochiltree, Dunblane, Perthshire, FK15 0DF

Tel: 01786 825665. Email: keith.mddltn@tiscali.co.uk

South Australia Mrs Sue Walladge, 5 Spencer Street, Cowandilla, South Australia

5033, Australia. Email: walladge@internode.on.net

Thames Valley Sally Empson, 42 Pewsey Vale, Forest Park, Bracknell, Berkshire

RG12 9YA. Email: sally.bracknell@virgin.net

Victoria Hazel Hajdu, 4 Byron Street, Wattle Park, Victoria, 3128, Australia.

Email: hhajdu@pg.com.au

Western Australia Helen Hardegen, 16 Paramatta Road, Doubleview, Western Australia

6018, Australia. Email: helenhardegen@iinet.net.au

Web site: http://members.iinet.net.au/~hhardegen/

Worcestershire Mrs Pam Benstead, 15 St Marys Close, Kempsey WR5 3JX

Email: pb@richardiiiworcs.co.uk. Website: www.richardiiiworcs.co.uk

Yorkshire Mrs P.H. Pogmore, 169, Albert Road, Sheffield, S8 9QX

Tel: 0114 258 6097. Email: yorkistrose2@hotmail.com

58

Groups

Airedale Mrs Christine Symonds, 2 Whitaker Avenue, Bradford, BD2 3HL.

Tel: 01274-774680. Email: christinesymonds@msn.com

Bedfordshire/ Mrs Rose Skuse. 12 Brookfield Rd, Newton Longville, Bucks,

Buckinghamshire MK17 0BP Tel: 01908 373524 Email: mskuse@aol.com

Bristol Keith Stenner, 96 Allerton Crescent, Whitchurch, Bristol,

Tel: 01275-541512 (in affiliation with Gloucestershire Branch)

Email: Keith.stenner@airbus.com

Croydon Miss Denise Price, 190 Roundwood Rd, London NW10

Tel: 020 8451 7689

Cumbria John & Marjorie Smith, 26 Clifford Road, Penrith, Cumbria,

CA11 8PP

Dorset Mrs Judy Ford, 15 Sandon House, 643 Blandford Rd, Upton, Poole,

BH16 5ED. Tel: 01202 624938 Email: judith_ford@hotmail.com

Mid Anglia John Ashdown-Hill, Genistae, 115 Long Road, Lawford, CO11

2HR. Tel/fax to be confirmed. Email: louis-john@live.co.uk

Web site: www.freewebs.com/r3midanglia/

North East Mrs J McLaren, 11 Sefton Avenue, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne,

NE6 5QR Tel: 0191 265 3665. Email: jumikmac@yahoo.co.uk

Nottinghamshire Mrs Anne Ayres, 7 Boots Yard, Huthwaite, Sutton-in-Ashfield

& Derbyshire Notts, NG17 2QW. Email: anneayres@bootsyard.fsnet.co.uk

Sussex Miss Josie Williams, 6 Goldstone Court, Windsor Close,

Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6WS. Email: josiewiliams_99@yahoo.com

West Surrey Rollo Crookshank, Old Willows, 41a Badshot Park, Farnham,

Surrey, GU9 9JU. Email: crookshank@starkmann.co.uk

Edward IV’s ‘Memoir on Paper’ to Charles, Duke of

Burgundy: the so-called ‘Short Version of the Arrival’

Livia Visser-Fuchs

An off-print from Nottingham Medieval Studies, volume 37, 1992,

pages 1-53. The article discusses the career of the signet letter which

described Edward IV’s successful campaign to recover his throne in

1471; who wrote the text and why, and how it was used, copied, trans-

lated and expanded, illuminated and maligned. Illustrated with

contemporary miniatures of the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury and

the killing of Edward of Lancaster, which have not been published

before (black and white).

Price £3.50, including p&p, for UK members, from the Sales Officer, or direct from Dr.

A.F. Sutton, 44 Guildhall St, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1QF. Overseas members please

consult the Sales Officer. Cheques to be in sterling only and made payable to the

Richard III Society.

59

Greater Manchester Branch Report Our first 2009 meeting, on 3 January, was a very enjoyable social evening. In February we

watched a DVD on Medieval Life. There were a few historical inaccuracies but all in all it was

very entertaining.

Also in February our Chairman, Carol Carr, gave a fascinating talk on the Cathars. Carol and

I visited the Languedoc area of France last year and we had gathered a fund of information on

this mysterious religious sect. Between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries the Cathar religion

flourished in the Languedoc region but was declared heretical by the established church. A

crusade against the heretics began in the thirteenth century and many thousands of people died

for their faith.

At our April meeting a number of members gave ten-minute talks on ‘Your Favourite

Medieval Person’. Needless to say, many of the people chosen were from the Wars of the Roses

period, including Cecily Neville, Richard, Duke of York and Elizabeth Woodville. The ensuing

discussions after each talk meant that we could not fit in all the talks available so they will be

used at a later meeting.

In May Mark Olly, television presenter of ‘Lost Treasures’, gave us an exceptional talk

entitled ‘Lost Treasures: Half a Million Years of History in One Hour’. With such a large subject

to cover the talk lasted slightly longer than an hour, but we could have easily sat there all evening

listening to the changing history of Lancashire and Chesire. At the end of the talk Mark brought

out a number of artefacts dating from the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods for us to handle.

Following up on the talk in February, I gave an illustrated talk on the Languedoc in June. The

area is rich in medieval history with spectacular castles perched high up on rocky crags. The

medieval city of Carcassonne is superb, with narrow winding streets and a stunning cathedral.

However, one of the highlights was a visit to Mirepoix, a small but impressive medieval town

full of half-timbered buildings and the Cathedral of St Maurice, which has the largest cathedral

nave in France. The whole town was a delight and we would have loved to have spent longer

there.

In July we had a very un-Ricardian evening when we went on a guided tour of the Stockport

Air Raid Shelters. We all had to carry a torch as we entered the dark underground caverns and we

wondered how people had managed to survive in such cramped and basic conditions. Our tour

guide had a wealth of knowledge and a good sense of humour. By the end of the visit we got into

the spirit of the evening and were all humming World War II songs.

In September a small group of Branch members enjoyed a lovely meal in an Italian restaurant

in Bolton. We went there for our Christmas meal last year and are looking forward to a return

visit in December.

Our October meeting was a visit to the newly restored Gorton Monastery in Manchester

which is a short drive from my home. The monastery was built in the mid nineteenth century by

Franciscan monks from a design by Edward Pugin. The last monks left the monastery in 1989

and the building sadly deteriorated. It has taken 12 years and much fund raising for it to be

restored to its former glory and is well worth a visit. As it happens, the monastery was

celebrating the anniversary of St Francis of Assisi so there were a number of special events on

that day which added to our enjoyment of a splendid building.

We are now looking forward to 2010 and many more varied and interesting meetings.

Helen Ashburn

Branches and Groups

60

Thames Valley Branch Report We have had a very enjoyable and interesting year so far after a slow start. The weather defeated

us in February and we were unable to meet for our AGM and meal at the Yorkshire Rose, but we

were able to reschedule that for the following month. April also brought a cancellation of the

proposed visit to Mapledurham House and Watermill, to be remedied at some stage in the future.

In May we swelled the ranks of the walk arranged by the Battlefields Trust, and learned many

interesting facts about the first battle of St Albans which took place in 1455. We set out in the

pouring rain but fortunately the weather improved and was even sunny by the time we went

inside for lunch in Chequer Street.

A group of us met at The Six Bells in Burghfield, near Reading for a delicious Sunday lunch

in June before we started our church visits. The first church we saw was St Mary’s in Burghfield.

In the porch there are some effigies, by tradition those of Richard Neville, earl of Salisbury and

his wife Alice. The tradition is that the effigies were rescued from being destroyed at the

Dissolution and were originally from Bisham Abbey. We then travelled to another St Mary’s

church, this time at Stratfield Mortimer, where we were in for another treat. A past member of

the Richard III Society met us and showed us some wonderful medieval stained glass, tucked

away behind the organ, which is thought to commemorate the marriage of Richard, earl of

Cambridge and Anne Mortimer in the early fifteenth century. Our third and final visit was to St

James’s Church in Bramley. Here we saw more Yorkist stained glass with sunbursts, perhaps

installed after the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. We hadn’t previously realised there were such

rich Yorkist gems almost on our doorsteps.

Our summer meeting took us to Woking where we started off with a meal, then repaired to

Jane Trump’s house where Peter Lee gave us a very interesting talk on the history of Sandwich,

preparatory to the weekend he and Diana had arranged for September. We learned how over the

years the important port became silted up and Sandwich lost its previous importance with the loss

of the port.

September arrived and with it excellent weather for our trip to Sandwich. On the first day we

enjoyed a river trip to Richborough castle, a Roman fort built in AD 483, exactly a thousand

years before Richard III’s accession. On the Saturday we enjoyed a tour of the Guildhall, guided

by the Town Sergeant, who showed us many items of interest including the centuries-old Moot

Horn which was used to call citizens to the Guildhall for meetings. After lunch we were given a

tour of the town, tailored to give an idea of what Richard III would have seen had he visited

Sandwich. An enjoyable trip to Deal castle brought the weekend to a close, with thanks to Peter

and Diana for organising the occasion.

As I write, we have two more meetings to look forward to. We will be visiting Arundel castle,

the home of the dukes of Norfolk, in October. Of especial interest to us is the fourteenth-century

Fitzalan Chapel, the burial place of Thomas Fitzalan, 10th earl of Arundel, and possibly the

burial place of his wife Margaret Woodville. Jane Trump is giving her talk on Jane Shore for our

November meeting, and a group of us will be travelling to Fotheringhay in December for the

lunch and carol service, always very enjoyable.

Thanks to Pauline Stevenson and our secretary Sally Empson for organising the day trips.

Judith Ridley

Worcester Branch Report Our August outings are always in the evening and this year was no exception. We visited the

delightful village of Knowle in Warwickshire where Val Sibley took us on a very interesting and

pleasant stroll through the village. It was part of Hampton in Arden until 1276 when it became a

separate manor, having developed from a hilltop settlement in the Forest of Arden, encircled by

the River Blythe. The village developed rapidly during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

and most of the timber-framed buildings date from this period. Some of the timbers were from

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old ships returned to the village by the carts delivering timber to the ship builders. We met at the

Red Lion pub, where Val pointed out the wattle and daub behind the screen on wall of the

building. Most of the cottages near the pub date from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

The façades are still the same but most are modernised inside.

During the walk we saw Chester House (now the local library), the oldest building on High

St. The north wing dating from around 1400 and the south wing from around 1500 were joined

together around 1600. It was restored in 1975 and even included a knot garden at the back. Just a

short walk brought us to Grimshaw Hall, a yeoman farmhouse from about 1560, and the Wilson

Arms, a very old coaching inn containing sixteenth-century local virgin oak.

We moved on to the church, built in white sandstone in perpendicular style. It was

consecrated in 1402 and built because of the treacherous ford across the River Blythe at Eastcote

that lay between Knowle and the parish Church at Hampton in Arden. It was founded by Walter

Cook, a rich and influential cleric of his day who came from Knowle. Inside there are two dug-

out chests and the original font, both dating back over 800 years, and a fine rood screen from

about 1480.

The Guild House was the headquarters of the Guild of St Anne, a charitable and religious

guild established in 1412 by Walter Cook. In 1416 the College of Knowle was founded. This was

a religious establishment providing communal life for resident priests. At its height it had over

3000 members including senior churchmen and local gentry like the Lucy family of Charlecote

Ferrers and the Fetherstones of Packwood and the Throckmortons of Coughton. We returned to

the Red Lion through the oldest part of the village, where there are signs of ridge and furrow,

past the Manor House where the seals of the de Arden family can be seen in the windows. The

Manor was held by the de Arden family until 1285, when it passed to Edward 1 and Queen

Eleanor and, subsequently, to Westminster Abbey on the death of Eleanor in 1290. A delightful

walk on a lovely evening.

Herefordshire was the area for our September outing, a full day exploring Castle Froome,

Eaton Bishop and Grosmont. At Castle Froome’s Norman church the principal point of interest

was the magnificent font. It is dated around 1170 and is the work of the Hereford School of

carvers. It is shaped like a chalice resting on four human figures being crushed by its weight. The

bowl is covered with fine intricate interlaced work around the top and below an entwined serpent.

Between these the Baptism is depicted in superb detail, with John the Baptist standing alongside

and the emblems of the four evangelists, a winged bull, a lion, a winged man holding a book and

an eagle. We took a short look around the rest of the church, admiring the well-preserved

seventeenth-century tomb of William Unett and his wife Margery.

By this time we were all ready for a lovely lunch Ralph had arranged in a fourteenth-century

pub called the Red Lion at Madely. Following this we ventured on, almost into foreign parts

(Wales), to Eaton Bishop church, another fine church built on the site of a previous building

predating the Conquest. In the walls and the tower we saw some very small, narrow windows

suggesting a Saxon style, and the roof of the tower, added for security, is triangular in design. In

the chancel we saw some of the finest medieval windows in Britain. The east window was

created between 1320-40 and is breathtaking in its design and vibrancy, the five vertical lights

depicting the Saints and Madonna and Child. Below these are five panels believed to depict the

donors of each light. There is also a thirteenth-century font, a wineglass-shaped pulpit that has

some beautiful carved wooden panels and, in the chancel, a sedila with three bays.

Back to our cars and off we went again to a tiny village called Grosmont; we almost filled it

by the time we had all parked. A small sign pointed up a steep path ‘To the Castle’ so up we

went. There at the top was one of the smallest castles we have seen. It was originally a timber

motte, the red sandstone structure being built later. It reminded us of Goodrich Castle in design

and structure but much smaller. Its early history is not very clear. Believed to belong to the earls

of Hereford, it was built more as a residence than a fortress with many features of comfort, like

large fireplaces and good sized windows. It is thought that Henry Burgh converted it to a fortress

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in the eleventh century. In 1267 Henry III granted it to his second son Edmund and it again

became a residence. Further building was done in the fourteenth century, with the north block

and west tower being added.

We all gathered at the entrance of the castle for the usual photographs and made our way back

to the village for tea and cakes at Gentle Jane’s Tea Shop, that Ralph tried to convince us was

named after Jane Shore. The end of a superb day out.

Details of our future programme can be found on our branch web site www.richardiiiworcs.co.uk

or contact our Chairman Judith Sealey 01386 791407 for further information. We are always

pleased to welcome friends and prospective members at any of our meetings.

Pat Parminter

Yorkshire Branch Report Branch members – including some new ones, always a particular pleasure to greet – visited

Middleham in August as usual to commemorate the battle of Bosworth and the death of King

Richard and his followers. For the first time since we began this sequence of annual

remembrances, Margaret Moorhouse was, sadly, unable to provide the flowers which we leave

below King Richard’s window in St Alkelda’s church, but our Chairman (the present writer)

obtained a beautiful arrangement which included the customary white roses. In a brief address

she tried to indicate how important Middleham and its church were to Richard, and how

appropriate it was to remember him in a place so strongly associated with his life and good

lordship in the north of England.

The beginning of September saw our Branch AGM in York. I must apologise straight away

for the non-appearance of the ‘special event’ trailed in our last report. This was to have been a

presentation by our President Peter Hammond of her Vice-President’s badge to our former

Secretary Moira Habberjam, who resigned in January. Both Moira and her husband Gerald have

had ongoing health problems this year, and as Gerald has recently been in hospital Moira did not

want to leave him on his own so did not attend our meeting. She was, however, talked about, in

glowingly appreciative terms, as much as she would have been talked to had she been there.

Following the sudden resignation of our Treasurer, Christine Symonds, in July, after sixteen

years’ capable and efficient service to the Branch in this post, the Committee for 2009-10

consists of (in strictly alphabetical order until our first Committee meeting) Cris (Reay) Connor,

Dawn Gray, Peter Hammond, Marjorie Hodgkinson, Angela Moreton and Pauline Harrison

Pogmore. We are pleased to welcome Dawn, a South Yorkshire member with particular links to

re-enactment groups; and very honoured that Peter agreed to be nominated to join us. Pauline

continues as our Secretary, so any communications should still be addressed to her, please. You

can email her at secretary@richardiiiyorkshire.org.

Three Committee members attended the Society AGM in October, where they spent a very

happy and sociable day with old and new friends and also managed to interest quite a lot of

people in Branch merchandise and publications. Our thanks to the new subscribers to our

magazine Blanc Sanglier – you do not have to live in Yorkshire to be on our subs list – and to

those who renewed their subs for next year (subtle reminder to others).

By the time you read this, the Branch’s Medieval Banquet will have taken place on 24

October (report in the March Bulletin), and we shall have a presence at Sandal castle, to

commemorate the battle of Wakefield, on Saturday 2 January 2010. Details of the Airedale &

Leeds group programme of meetings for the year are available from Christine Symonds at

christinesymonds@msn.com. These meetings are usually held on the first Monday of each month

at 7.30 pm.

Angela Moreton

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New Members

UK 1 July to 30 September 2009

Beverley Aspinall, Hoylake

Shirley Blyth, Loughborough

Edward Brockwell, Nottingham

Andrea Brown, Gillingham, Dorset

John Budgen, Hornsea, E. Yorks

Louisianax Caliban, Malmesbury

T. Clark, Kenilworth

Elizabeth Collins, Basingstoke

Peter Comley, Northampton

Barbara Davis, Southend-on-Sea

Norah Gibson, Leeds

Anthony Goodrum, Nottingham

Roger Goodyear, Portsay, Banff

Olwyn Grainger, Wombourne, Staffs

Dawn Gray, Sheffield

Jill Greenwood, Bedmond, Herts

Peter Griffiths, near Appleby

Maggie Heggs, Shepshed

Sharon Hinton, Southend-on-Sea

Hayley James, Willenhall

Mary Kelly, Tavistock

David Kennett, Shipston-on-Stour

Keiran Lancaster, Harrogate

Linda Lea, Telford

Jane Lovell, Eye

Paul Luckhurst, Faversham

Cindy Mannering, Grays

Sue McMullen, Poundon, Oxon

Patricia Payne, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Emmie Price-Goodfellow, Baydon, Wilts

William Rivers, Swindon

Carol Sandy, Tiverton

Abigail Simpson, Overseal, Derbs

Terence Sloan, Exmouth

Averil Sumners, Lydney

Ann Tetlow, Reading

Enid Thresher, Somerton

Jane West-Price, Sheffield

Robin White, Nuneaton

John Whitehouse, Dudley

Jonathan Whitworth, Bishops Stortford

Andrea Willers, Cumbernauld

Overseas 1 July to 30 September 2009

Craig Bosworth, Victoria, Australia

Kay Castonguay, Washington, USA

Sandra Pidgeon, Cadiz, Spain

Ann Sharp, California, USA

Susanne Wingenfeld, Voorschoten, The

Netherlands

US Branch 1 July to 30 September 2009

Kat Russell, Wyoming

Florence Dove, Connecticut

Margarita Panchal, Texas

Grace Ladrach, Illinois

Ellen Wentworth Miller, Maine

Obituary

Ken Wright Although not a member, Ken Wright will have been known in the Society as the first person to re

-align the royal army’s battle-line on Ambion Hill to face the Redemore, by his book, talks and

battlefield walks.

His privately-published work of meticulous devotion, a product of many years (I believe we

first met at the unveiling of Richard’s statue in Leicester, and he was talking about it then) was

printed some few years ago, with a copy deposited in the Barton Library, although I cannot

remember it ever being reviewed.

Ken had been a volunteer guide at the battlefield centre and so knew literally every inch of

the area. Interviews with locals were a feature of his book, as of his subsequent one on Desford

Aerodrome. Of an unassuming nature, Ken was an old-fashioned English gentleman, by accident

of birth and inclination with conviction. The world, particularly the Ricardian world, is a much

poorer place now we are only left with our memories.

Doug Weeks

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We run a calendar of all forthcoming events. If you are aware of any events of Ricardian interest,

whether organised by the Society (Committee, Visits Committee, Research Committee,

Branches/Groups) or by others, please let Lesley Boatwright have full details in sufficient time

for entry. The calendar will also be run on the website.

Date Events Originator

2009

12 December Christmas at Fotheringhay Phil Stone

2010

13 March Wreath-laying at Anne Neville’s tomb, John Ashdown-Hill (see p.

Westminster Abbey 55)

9-11 April Study Weekend at York Research Officer (see p. 20 )

24 April Lecture ‘Finding Bosworth Battlefield’ London Branch (see p. 56)

by Dr Glenn Foard

15 May Day trip from London (details to be announced) Visits Committee

26 June Annual Requiem Mass for King Richard III John Ashdown-Hill

and Queen Anne Neville, shrine of Our Lady

of Ipswich

15-18 July Continental trip based in Calais Visits Committee (see p. 55)

Please note the new dates

Calendar