Ricardian Bulletin Produced by the Bulletin Editorial Committee, General Editor Elizabeth Nokes and Printed by St Edmundsbury Press

Ricardian

Bulletin Spring 2004 Contents 2 From the Chairman 3 Facts and Fiction 4 Society News & Notices 8 New Members 9 Media Retrospective 11 Classified Advertisement 12 News and Reviews 16 Barley Hall 17 Your Society Needs You 18 The Man Himself 24 The Debate: Whose Bones? 27 Stony Stratford: The Case for the Prosecution by Gordon Smith 32 War Horses at Bosworth by Lynda M. Telford 33 After Bosworth: A Fork in the Road by P. A. Hancock 34 The Middleham Window by John Saunders 37 Correspondence 41 Barton Library 45 Letter from America 46 Book Review 47 The Beauchamp Pageant 48 Report on Society Event 49 Future Society Events 52 Branches and Groups 56 Obituaries 57 Calendar

Contributions Contributions are welcomed from all members. Articles and correspondence regarding the Bulletin Debate should be sent to Peter Ham- mond and all other contributions to Elizabeth Nokes. Bulletin Press Dates 15 January for Spring issue; 15 April for Summer issue; 15 July for Autumn issue; 15 October for Winter issue. Articles should be sent well in advance. Bulletin & Ricardian Back Numbers Back issues of the The Ricardian and The Bulletin are available from Pat Ruffle. If you are interested in obtaining any back numbers, please contact Mrs Ruffle to establish whether she holds the issue(s) in which you are interested.

The Ricardian Bulletin produced by the Bulletin Editorial Committee, General Editor Elizabeth Nokes and printed by St Edmundsbury Press. © Richard III Society, 2003 1

From the Chairman

he fifteenth century has been much in the news of late. First, there was the splendid T ‘Gothic: Art for England 1400 – 1547’ exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which closed in January, having brought together many of the treasures of our period, including Margaret of York’s coronet from Aachen, Richard’s Book of Hours from Lambeth Palace Li- brary and the Middleham Jewel from the Yorkshire Museum. Our review captures some of the unique atmosphere of the exhibition. Naturally, we were disappointed with some of the negative references to Richard III in the accompanying literature and have written to the exhibition curator about these. At the beginning of the year, Channel 4 broadcast Tony Robinson’s ‘Fact or Fic- tion’ programme on Richard. The Society had been consulted at an early stage, so we were able to have some input into the programme, which overall gave a positive impression of Richard. This is to be welcomed and shows the importance of the Society being proactive in promoting the historic Richard III. There were some aspects we felt could have been handled more objectively and these points are expanded in the article that follows. The question of Edward IV’s legitimacy is a continuing source of controversy and we will have the issue as the subject for the Bulletin’s next Debate. Michael Jones and Joanna Laynesmith will be the debaters. Joanna has written extensively on Cicely Neville and is well placed to have views on the supposed extramarital affair. The same evening, there was a follow-on programme tracing the ‘legitimate’ Yorkist descent through Margaret Pole, daughter of the Duke of Clarence, down to the current Earl of Loudoun, who lives quite happily in a country town in New South Wales. Understandably, he does not intend to pursue his claim to the throne, but he could make a good recruit for our Branch in that state! In England over the past year there has been a debate about the relevance of medieval history in schools and universities. Professor Miri Rubin of the University of London recently stressed the importance of medieval studies, saying, ‘We cannot understand who we are or where we came from without an understanding of our provenance, which goes way beyond the last few decades or generations … We lose the Middle Ages at our peril; such a loss will leave us igno- rant, confused, and impoverished.’ Our Society makes a meaningful and valid contribution to fifteenth-century scholarship and our understanding of the Middle Ages. The 2004 issue of The Ricardian with its wide range of articles and reviews is surely ample evidence of this. We can also take pride in the recent completion of the Society’s Wills Indexing Project. Once published, this will be of great value to historians of our period. My congratulations to all who have been involved with the project over the years. In noting the contribution we make to fifteenth-century studies, we should not forget that we are able to do this because the Society is built on the strong foundations laid by our early members. Therefore, I am very pleased that in the article on the Middleham window we recall the work of The Fellowship of the White Boar. Seventy years on, the window remains one of the most poignant memorials to King Richard. Finally, let me say that I look forward to meeting and talking to many of you throughout what should be a busy and enjoyable year for Ricardians. Phil Stone

Facts and Fiction

This is an expanded version of the notice that was placed on the Society’s website immediately after the programmes were transmitted.

The Channel 4 Programmes

he Society welcomes the new insights into the life and times of Richard III highlighted in T the two Channel 4 programmes presented by Tony Robinson on 3 January 2004. The first of these re-examined the King’s character and motives, while the second attempted to trace the current ‘heir’ to the House of York based on the assumption that Edward IV was indeed illegitimate. The Society is particularly pleased that the programmes emphasised many of the positive qualities of Richard as King and Duke of Gloucester. Particular mention needs to be made of the contribution of The Ricardian editor, Dr Anne Sutton, who was one of the experts interviewed by Tony Robinson. Anne gave a composed and authoritative performance, which powerfully promoted Richard’s personal qualities and his administrative abilities. Other historians interviewed included Dr. Michael K. Jones, Professor Tony Pollard and Keith Dockray. The first programme could have handled the key period between April and July 1483 with more balance, recognising the realpolitik issues facing Richard and the fact that he was legally the Lord Protector. For this period there was an over-reliance on Shakespeare’s melodramatic interpretation. The crucial relationship with William Lord Hastings in particular was over- simplified and the programme made the assumption that the princes were indeed murdered whereas all we know for certain is that they disappeared from the Tower at some point during the second half of 1483. Also the programme did not explore the implications of the various ‘pretenders’ who surfaced during the reign of Henry VII. The fact that the most prominent of these, Perkin Warbeck, was accepted by many as Richard Duke of York does at least suggest that there was at the time uncertainty about the fate of the two princes. The debate over the illegitimacy of Edward IV and the implications that this has both for Richard’s motives and his claim to the throne is one to which the Society will contribute. The debate is in its early stages, but is an interesting new angle on the House of York and the behaviour of its members during the late fifteenth century. The programme concentrated on Edward’s supposed illegitimacy and rather side-stepped Richard’s stated rationale for assuming the throne: the pre-contract with Lady Eleanor Talbot (Lady Butler) and the consequent illegitimacy of Ed- ward’s children by Elizabeth Woodville. The involvement of John Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells, both in 1478 at the time of Clarence’s trial for treason and with the pre-contract revelation in 1483, was also not mentioned. The Society does however recognise that the circumstances in which Richard became king and the fate of the Princes in the Tower and their possible illegitimacy remain areas of controversy. The quest to establish the current Yorkist ‘heir’ through the line of Margaret Pole was a thor- ough and entertaining exercise. However, no account was taken of the attainder of her father, George, Duke of Clarence, which rendered his heirs ineligible for the throne. Additionally the fact that Henry Tudor’s claim was also based on the right of conquest (as was the claim of the illegitimate William the Conqueror) was not addressed. Australian members who may not yet have seen the programme will be interested to note that the traced ‘heir’ is Michael Hastings, 12th Earl of Loudoun, who has lived in New South Wales since the early 1960s. The Society congratulates the programme makers for their handling of a complicated subject and making it accessible to a wider audience. We look forward to building on the positive publicity generated by the programmes.

Society News and Notices

The Norwich Richard III Society Award

The idea came to me while idly thinking how good it would be to get an award for writing the best history essay. So the Norwich Richard III Society Award was born but not as I originally thought for schools but at university level. I hope this will go some way to keeping the Society better known to young people. I went to the University of East Anglia here in Norwich and spoke with the history department. The idea was received very favourably, all the tutors feeling that winning such an award would look very good on a c.v. The remit for the prize was quite wide – i.e. anything relevant or within the fifteenth century, the winner to be chosen by the tutors. The sum of £30 was agreed: not a fortune but enough to have some fun with. In April 2003 Professor Carole Rawcliffe contacted me with the winner, a dissertation on the Woodvilles which she had awarded a first. On a hot July day I went with the Norfolk Branch Vice Chairman Stephen Bailey and the branch photographer Margaret Dixon to present the first award to Andrew Kettle. After we had made contact the award was duly presented with An- drew’s parents watching. I hope Andrew’s work can be published in the Bulletin at some stage, and we wish him best wishes for the future and hope his Ricardian interests continue. This is the second connection with the university – the first being help for an MA, ably provided by Geoffrey Wheeler. So news of the Society is spreading. As one tutor said to me ‘It’s hard to be involved in the medieval period and not run across the Society’. The award will be an annual event, so hopefully the new intake of students is hard at work! Annmarie Hayek

Completion of the Wills Indexing Project

The project was launched in the Bulletin in 1994 and as a reminder its aim was to produce an index to testators of English medieval and early Tudor wills, either made or proved between 1399 and 1540, that have been published in serial publications, books and other printed matter between 1717 and 2000. The index will be an invaluable tool for genealogists and historians who will be able to access readily such wills which otherwise are only available in archives and record offices across England. The notice immediately attracted volunteers and as the project gained momentum more members joined. Some of the palaeographers working on the Logge Register took time out to do some of the indexing. Eventually the team was expanded by another seven members who undertook the computerisation of the index. Hundreds of sources were identified, some jam-packed with wills, others containing just one. The entries could be the complete wills or substantial or brief abstracts. The earliest work that provided abstracts from wills was published in 1717 and it was decided that the project would close with sources published in 2000. The index, with an introduction and full details of the sources, will also include a list of the Logge register testators who would have formed part of the index had the Society’s other major project been published by 2000. Technology has advanced and become more widely available since the project began and so the publication will initially be on CD-Rom while consideration is being given to a hard-copy format. The index will be advertised in the Bulletin as soon as it is available.

I would now like to recognise the contributions made by the volunteers. The first group has indexed over 1500 entries each:

Margaret Lewis • Wendy Moorhen • Robert Musgrove • Barbara Plumridge Sheila Pollock • Marion Treagus • Jane Trump

A significant contribution, in other words hundreds of entries, was made by the following:

John Ashdown Hill • Daphne Booth • Philomena Connolly Clea Cook • Bill Featherstone • Anne Greatorex • John Hill Philomena Jones • Marilyn Kilroy • Anabel Morris • Mary O’Regan Karen Spencer • Lesley Wynne-Davies

The following indexed only a small number of entries but from rather elusive sources that were difficult to locate:

Carol Evans • Vivian Fleet • Peter Hammond Lynda Pidgeon • Brian Waters

The computerisation of the index was completed by:

Alison Andre • Brian Bannister • Pam Benstead • Francis Irwin Marilyn Kilroy • Hazel Pierce • Jane Trump

In order to ensure consistency across the index a process was put in place and the whole index checked by:

Pam Benstead • Marilyn Kilroy

Apart from individual correspondence, communication was maintained through the Wills Project Newsletter, distributed to the volunteers of both the indexing and Logge transcription project, and I would like to thank my co-editors Peter Hammond and John Saunders as well as all those who contributed to the newsletter. I would also like to thank Peter and Carolyn Hammond for their support and encouragement throughout the project and Lesley Wynne-Davies for her help with the introduction. Sadly three of the indexers are no longer with us: Philomena Connolly, Philomena Jones and Marion Treagus. The index will be dedicated to their memory. Finally I would like to highlight the contributions of four individuals, and in doing so I hope nobody else on the project will be offended because everybody’s efforts are appreciated so much. Sheila Pollock indexed over 6,000 entries and was the last indexer working on the project. Brian Bannister and Francis Irwin were also working with me right to the end typing Sheila’s prolific output. Pam Benstead’s work on the checking project was prodigious. Over the past ten years, I have made many new friends on this project. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of the volunteers at Society events and enjoyed my correspondence with all of them. Oh, and the final count of entries – 28,349 (unless I stumble across another source before the CDs are made.) On behalf of the Chairman and Executive Committee a big thank you to all participants of the Wills Indexing Project.

The ‘Logge’ Wills Project

Readers will see above the triumphant report of the ending of the Society’s wills indexing project and the plans for its publication. Work on the other Society wills project, the complete transcription, translation and publication of the National Archives probate will register Logge, covering the years 1478-1486, is still progressing. We are also noting that the Logge register contains the wills of many people well known to Ricardians, e.g. Ralph Shaa, Doctor of Divinity, William, Lord Hastings and Thomas Betson, merchant of the Staple of Calais, known for his admonition in the Stonor letters to his betrothed to eat her meat so that she would grow up big and strong. Transcription and (where necessary) translation, was completed some time ago by a team of hard-working members of the Society. All wills were checked during the transcription period but following this the more time-consuming but essential checking of the Latin and harmonisation of the whole work began. We have a file of the complete transcript and now Lesley Wynne-Davies and Moira Habberjam are carrying out the time-consuming work of going through the Latin wills. Lesley reads through the Latin of a will to check that all is correct in grammar, translation and consistency. Everything has to be made consistent with decisions made after lengthy discussions, for example the word ‘relicta’ has been translated as ‘relict’, rather than as ‘widow’ and the very common word ‘item’ as ‘also’. When a Latin will breaks into English, to show that this happened, the phrases are left in medieval English rather than ‘translated’ into modern English. These and similar decisions were made as a result of much hard bargaining since all involved have strong views about these matters! Following this work by Lesley she passes corrected sheets to Moira who checks what has been done, marks any further queries and sends them back to Lesley who makes the final changes to the computer file. Lesley estimates that by the time this Bulletin is published she will have completed this work on 225 out of the 383 wills in the register The individual indexes compiled by transcribers are being put together into three computer files by myself. As well as the correction/harmonisation work Lesley is also compiling information from other sources about the Logge testators for use in brief foot notes and the Introduction. She is using all available sources, original sources such as the Calendars of Fine, Patent, and Close Rolls, City of London records (since many of the testators are London merchants), past issues of The Ricard- ian and so on. In the course of this work many interesting facts have come to light, e.g. that two of our testators, Thomas Breten, Alderman of London, and Thomas Ostrich, haberdasher of Lon- don, were two of the eleven commoners chosen to attend Richard’s coronation, and the Howard Household Books show that Robert Clerke of Nayland, Suffolk, served in the household of the Duke of Norfolk for more than twenty years. We are aiming to finish all of this work by the end of 2004 and to publish the complete text in 2005. We shall keep members informed of our progress in future Bulletins with notes on and excerpts from some wills of interest, to whet your appetites for the eventual volume. Peter Hammond

At last – something to spend your money on

It has been quite a long time since we produced a sales catalogue, and apologies for this hiatus. The cause partly relates to the aftermath of the Great Sale, partly to efforts to negotiate further reductions in stock by sales outside the Society, and finally to the need to make some policy decisions. In the past prices have included postage and packing, and whilst this makes for a simple and convenient system it has also meant that some of the heavier items were being sold at a loss. So the decision has been taken that all books will be priced at a figure exclusive of postage and

packing in future. Items such as postcards, and badges are not as weight-sensitive in terms of price so the figure in the sales catalogue does include postage and packing. So welcome to the new sales catalogue, and may I emphasise that it is the definitive guide to our sales items – please ignore old lists, advertisements in past issues of the Bulletin and The Ricardian (including the Festschrift), even the back of this edition of the Bulletin. Hopefully there is a pent-up buying spree that will be released by the catalogue but we have a few more bargain items to tempt you: look out for details of these in this Bulletin. Bill Featherstone

Society Visits

Having been active in the field of society visits for a number of years, I have recently taken over the co-ordination of visits from Lesley Wynne-Davies, who wishes to devote her time more ex- clusively to research. This seems an appropriate moment at which to review the position of society visits. I should like to begin, however, by paying tribute to Lesley for all the hard work she has done as Visits Co-ordinator during the past eight years. The society’s policy in respect of visits has been in the nature of an organic growth rather than something planned. What has emerged is a situation in which the Visits Committee currently organises two or three day trips and one weekend visit in this country every year, together with a roughly week-long ‘continental trip’. These visits have medieval historical (but not necessarily specifically Ricardian) themes. A few, though by no means all, have been based around new research. In addition the Visits Committee has a co-ordinating role in respect of the three annual society events (the Requiem Mass in March, the Bosworth Commemoration in August and the Fotheringhay Carol Service) as well as in relation to specific one-off commemorations such as the recent Waltham Abbey plaque unveiling. Traditionally most visits have been coach trips, and most visits have started from London. It used to be the case that visits were quickly fully booked, and even had waiting lists. This no longer seems to happen in the case of coach trips, which is something of a problem when it come to costing trips and deciding whether (and when) to confirm the booking of the coach. This year, for the first time, the ‘continental trip’ (planned for Ireland) has been abandoned because insuffi- cient bookings were received. On the other hand ‘own transport’ based visits, such as to the Soci- ety of Antiquaries and British Library, or the ‘London Walks’, have proved so popular that they have been repeated to accommodate the number of members wishing to come. In the light of these experiences the Visits Committee is reviewing the visits policy, and we need your help and your input. At the last AGM a visits questionnaire was circulated. From the replies received, we note that the respondents thought our visits were well-planned and well-organised, but that short trips (day trips) seem to be preferred over longer visits. Unfortunately (in one way) almost all those who filled in the questionnaire were fairly regular participants in society visits and events. We should very much like to hear also from members who do not currently take part in society visits. Could you let us know why this is, and whether there is anything we could do which would help you, sometimes, at least, to join us on a trip? Please contact me, anonymously, if you wish, with any views you may have on our visits policy. Meanwhile we have already begun to try a new experiment: linking up with a planned group or branch visit for a day trip which will not be London-based, and which may not involve coach hire. This experiment is at a very early stage, but the response in the case of the Colchester visit in January (which was oversubscribed and will have to be repeated) seems to indicate that this approach may be viable. We are now wondering what other changes should be made. Should we, for example, give up the long ‘Continental Visit’ (at least as an annual event) and have fewer coach trips and more 7

‘own transport’ based visits? Is it preferable for visits not to start from London? Do you have any views on these matters, on the cost or our visits, on whether they are sufficiently ‘Ricardian’, or on where we should be planning to go in the future? Any feedback will be most gratefully received, and will be seriously considered by the Visits Committee. John Ashdown-Hill

New Draft Constitution

There is a centrefold section in this issue of the Bulletin devoted to the new draft of the Society’s Constitution. A motion for its adoption as the Constitution of the Society will be put to the AGM later in the year. New Members

UK 1 Oct 2003—31 Dec 2003

Ms H Alton, London SW17 Mr J H Aronberg, Leeds Miss M Baker, Bury St Edmunds Mrs H Baker, Long Preston Ms K Billingham, N’hampton Mrs R Bolongaro, Grantham Mr A Braddon, Lancaster Miss I Brett, Herne Bay Miss P Coleman, Corby Mrs J M Cranston, Congleton Mrs M Dann, Royston Mr I Darby, London EC1 Mrs M Davies, Wallasey Mr H Davis, Barnsley Mrs C Feast, Broxbourne Mr S Field, Clifton Mrs D Grainger, Worthing Mr R PG Green, Rushden Mr D Greenfield, Stockport Ms H S Griffin, London E10 Mr & Mrs H&A Harris, Belford Mr D Harrison, Skipton Mrs A Harwood, Penrith Mrs A Hogg, Liverpool Miss A M Hollings, Keighley Mrs A Jackson, Burgess Hill Mr A Jamieson, Yeovil Mr W Johnson, Leamington Spa Ms C Kendall, Cambridge Mrs J Laybourn, So’ton Mr & Mrs G Leaney, Portslade Mrs R Lindall, London N14 Mr, Mrs & Ms Lloyd, Harrow Ms A MacMillan, Stowmarket Mrs PJ Phillips, Llanfairfechan Miss C Proudley, Reading Mr & Mrs C Pyne, Towcester Mr G Rinu, Epping Mrs P E Savage, Corby Mrs J Shanks, Lincoln Mrs D Taylor, Chalfont St P. Mrs A L Twigg, Sheffield Miss T Upex, Bourne Mr M Watling, Peterborough Miss L Whittaker, London W14

Overseas 1 Oct 2003—31 Dec 2003

Mrs C Brady, Australia Mr D Hewett, Malaysia Mr A Johnson, Pohang Mr R H Smiley, Alaska Dr J Styntjes, Netherlands

US Branch 1 Sep—30 Nov 2003

Caroline & Brendon Reay Bicks Richard Bosworth Carol Chesney Jean Dominico Lee A Forlenza Herlaine Gann Beth Greenfeld Cynthia Hoffman Bradley C Howard Sarah K Hunt Bryn Kildow Karen King Carol Lehr Charles C Miller Ruth Roberts Elizabeth J Roush Linda S Smith Steven D Smith Sean F Strahon Tao Strong-Stein Karen Joy Toney Judith Van Derveer Brad Verity Cara L Warren Gordon White Lori Wornom 8

Media Retrospective

From Geoffrey Wheeler and villain. History, then as now, could be pure Marilyn Garabet: entertainment.’ (15-21 November, 2003). Daily Mail, 18 October, 2003: ‘The origins of Humpty [Dumpty] are impos- From Marilyn Garabet: sible to verify. One theory is that the rhyme The Sunday Telegraph, 2 November, 2003: refers to Richard III, who named his horse Review of Who murdered Chaucer ? A medi- Wall. During the Battle of Bosworth Field in eval mystery by Terry Jones et al, review by 1485, the King was sitting on the horse direct- Jonathan Bate, Professor of Literature at the ing his armies when he was surrounded by University of Warwick: ‘Richard II (like enemy troops and butchered.’ Richard III) is one of those medieval kings who has suffered from the negative spin of From Geoffrey Wheeler and the Tudor chroniclers’. Margaret Jones Radio Times: The Times ‘Books Review’ 1 November, The spate of recent TV costume dramas 2003: prompted articles and comments in the letters Who murdered Chaucer?, Terry Jones, re- pages: following the screening of Ray Win- viewed by Peter Ackroyd: ‘Terry Jones and stone’s ‘Cockney’ ‘Henry VIII’, one writer his associates have been able effectively to suggested a follow-up ‘ ... maybe ‘Richard challenge the received wisdom of generations III’ renamed ‘Dicky the Bird’ and starring of historians, who simply copied the testa- Barbara Windsor, wearing a mask on the back ments of the old chronicles to the effect that of her head and playing Shakespeare’s hunch- Richard II was an unpopular and unjust king. back king. Some may argue that Dicky was a As is the case with his name-sake Richard III, man, but I think that Babs will add a touch of the judgements of malign contemporaries and gritty realism missing in the Olivier version, partisan apologists have been allowed to pass which is, after all, fifty years old. I can pic- as “true” by historians who had little or no ture it now; Babs larfing with Clarence and interest in investigating the facts of the peri- havin’ ‘im drowned in a barrel of brown od’ ale’ (1-7 November, 2003). Then the BBC’s ‘Charles II’ prompted From the Editor: Rupert Smith to write: ‘Historians are an ar- The Sunday Telegraph, 7 December, 2003: gumentative lot, unable to agree about any- ‘Mandrake’ by Tim Walker: ‘Queen Noe- thing beyond irrefutable facts. Dramatists, lene? ‘... In a programme called The Real meanwhile, will always bend the truth to fit Monarch to be broadcast in January, Tony the plot. This means that historical drama is Robinson reheats the old story that Edward one of the biggest cans of worms on the shelf IV was illegitimate. “If true, that means that – and anyone who thinks otherwise need only all the subsequent kings and queens, from reach for a copy of “Richard III”.’ And in an Henry VII to Elizabeth II, shouldn’t have in- accompanying column headed ‘Truth Mat- herited the crown” a spokesman for the televi- ters’ Michael Wood concluded his views on sion station claims. ... The programme takes historical accuracy: ‘But does it matter? the story a step further by naming the coun- Shakespeare after all, wasn’t true to the facts try’s “rightful” sovereign as the Earl of of the Wars of the Roses: his Richard III is a Loudoun, ... descendant of Edward IV’s cartoon villain more in tune with the Sopra- brother, George, Duke of Clarence. ... nos than the Plantagenets. But no one com- Charles Kidd, co-editor of Debrett’s Peerage plained then: just like us, they loved a good has been roped in .. to give some credibility to

the claim, but he himself doubts that it is true. an invention exploited dramatically by Shake- “They believe that an English bowman crept speare. We lacked sufficient space to develop into the bedroom of Cicely Neville, the wife the story sensibly. The dilemma was to con- of Richard, Duke of York, but I can’t see it” jure up a popular image of Richard III which he says. “She was known as Proud Cis, after did not require too much text. It is quite clear all”.’ to me that I failed that challenge. I regret very much the phrasing of the text which does not The Sunday Telegraph, 7 December, 2003: manage to separate fact from fiction and I ‘In sickness and in health’ Dr James Le Fanu: will investigate the possibility of correcting ‘… the use of the word “trouble” by William the error for the subsequent venues of the ex- Colyngbourne at his execution in 1484 for hibition (Cardiff, Manchester, Norwich and high treason against Richard III must, ob- Newcastle). serves David Atkins from West Sussex, “rank as the greatest understatement of all time. From Jan Ogilvy, Canada: First he was hanged, then cut down ... He I am sending on the New York Times cross- lived until the executioners ripped his bowels word puzzle which appeared in our local out of his body and cast them onto the fire, newspaper The Yukon News on 28 November, insomuch that at that instant he said Oh Lord 2003. One of the clues was ‘Fittin’ nickname Jesus, yet more trouble and so died”.’ for Richard III ?’ The answer was ‘The lyin king’. Hardly appropriate, but I thought it The Editor comments that it is satisfactory to might make an interesting small item in the see the unfortunate but guilty Colyngbourne’s Media Retrospective feature of the Bulletin. treason properly attributed as such, and not just as writing a rhyme. From Dr Audrey Gellatly: I thought you might be interested in this quo- From Patsy Conway: tation from the letter page of the Richmond From the British Museum’s ‘Buried Treasure’ and Twickenham Times. It was in a comment exhibition: the Chiddingly boar displayed on how shabbily monarchs had treated their with a portrait of Richard III. The infor- wives: ‘Richard III may have poisoned his mation panel began: ‘Richard III, Shake- wife, it was never proved but I wouldn’t put it speare’s “Crookback” king, is commonly per- past him”. The author obviously had Tudor ceived as one of the greatest villains in British sympathies! history ...’. Or as the website had it: ‘... a piece of history from the time of one of Eng- From Maureen Nunn: land’s most infamous Kings, Richard III. To- ‘Message from David Suchet’ ‘Playing Wol- day most people think Richard was a bad sey was so interesting. ... I love researching king, a murderer with a crooked back – for the various characters I play, and although Shakespeare’s play portrays him in this man- I knew a little about the Cardinal a whole ner. Others think he’s had a rather bad press’. world of knowledge opened up to me, not only about “himself”, but also about that partic- Editor: This was protested and James Robin- ular time in our nation’s history. Rather like son, Curator of Medieval Collections Depart- Richard III’s reputation which is nearly al- ment of Prehistory and Europe, The British ways influenced by Shakespeare ... ’. Museum, replied: Thank you for your message expressing your disappointment about From John Ashdown-Hill: the way in which Richard III is represented in I recently discovered Heather Hacking’s His- our temporary exhibition ‘Buried Treasure: torical Cats (Great Cats who have shaped Finding our Past’. I take full responsibility History), (Hodder & Stoughton, October, for the text which attempted, very clumsily, to 2003, ISBN 0340862211) which I was de- imply that the 'crookback' villain was merely lighted to see includes a sympathetic account

of the reign of Richard the Furred. Ms Hack- Burn. The issue for December 2003 included ing notes that ‘it was put around for centuries Michael Hicks’s article ‘Sins of the fathers’ that he had murdered the young Pilchards in on Edward V as a ‘victim of circumstances’ the Tower, however this now seems unlikely based on his latest biography of the king, … nor was Richard a deformed hunchback – whilst in January 2004, Barry Coward he just wasn’t very good at putting on his (Professor of History, Birkbeck College, Lon- tights’. Richard is in exalted company. Other don) examined the perennial appeal of the feline monarchs featured in the book include conspiracy theory throughout history in ‘Why European celebrities such as Bluey the Four- the plot thickens’, with some classics of the teenth! genre, Rudolf Hess, the 1960s assassination of the Kennedys, Malcolm X, Martin Luther Editor: not to mention ‘Henry Chewed- King, and more recently the death of Diana, Ear’ [say it !] Princess of Wales (which still reverberates). Heading the list, however, was Richard III From Geoffrey Wheeler: and ‘The Princes in the Tower’, without The ubiquitous Tony Robinson contributed doubt a prime target, long overdue for consid- the foreword to Bloody Britain (AA Publica- eration in this context. Four decades ago A L tions, 2002), where the Central England sec- Rowse believed the campaign to rehabilitate tion was written and researched by Ria Wil- the king’s reputation ‘second only to the Ba- liams. Through a simple mis-reading and conian heresy’ (as he called the Shakespeare omission of one word (‘the’) from her authorship question, which also, regrettably, sources, she concluded her account of Bloody seems to attract many Society members). Bosworth Field (pp.120-121) with the re- Surely the most extreme example proving this markable statement: ‘Richard’s body was put point published to date centred on the Holbein on display for two days in Newark before be- Thomas More family group painting and its ing buried’! hidden messages. This issue also saw Fergus Collins on ‘England’s Greatest Warrior BBC History Magazine continued to maintain Kings?’ which numbered Edward IV amongst a high number of fifteenth-century related ar- them. The current (March 2004) issue fea- ticles amongst its output, ahead of rival publi- tures an article by Joanna Laynesmith on cations. May last year saw a useful eight Anne Neville – England’s Lost Queen, mark- page summary on ‘The Wars of the Roses’ in ing the anniversary of her death. their ‘Essential History’ series, by Alastair

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News and Reviews

This section of the Bulletin covers news and reviews of non - society but Ricardian-related events

The Berkeley Castle Muniments: Summary of a talk given by David Smith FSA to the Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries, November 2003

The archive contains some 20,000 documents, the earliest dating back to 1153, and Mr. Smith chose just five to discuss that evening including Select Book 33 which is of interest to us. The book was a hitherto unrecognised royal household book for the year 1474/5 mistakenly catalogued in the Berkeley muniments as ‘Old daily accounts, temp Henry VIII’. The book compris- es three sections. The first contains daily accounts of expenses of feeding and providing for Ed- ward IV’s court and household for the six months from Saturday 1 October 1474 to Wednesday 22 March 1475. There is a similar journal in the Public Record Office (E101/412/5) written by the same clerk, which ends on the day before the Berkeley volume starts. The next section deals with costs by department of the household: pantry, buttery, wardrobe, kitchen, poultry, scullery, saucery, hall and stable. The third section lists daily wages paid to the 355 men employed on the Household payroll, starting with the highest paid – Robert Wynkefield, Controller of the House- hold, and John Elrington, newly promoted to be Treasurer of the Household – and ending with people paid 4d a day. This gives an enormous amount of information about how the court actually worked, as distinct from how it was supposed to work. Just before this volume was written the king became concerned about excessive costs and in 1471-2 drew up orders to reduce expense and curb waste and embezzlement, as well as commissioning the ‘Black Book’, a textbook on the management of the household. In reality, the king continued to mount lavish displays of his power and magnif- icence – for example, the lavishness of royal banquets can be judged from the accounts of the poultry department, which supplied for the king’s table not just chickens but also plovers, herons, cranes, woodcock, peacocks and pheasants. Mr Smith closed with the remark that the Berkeley account book, a major find in the Berkeley muniments discovered only last year [2002], has the potential to throw interesting light on the domestic workings of the royal household at that period. During the ensuing discussion a question was asked about access arrangements to the Berke- ley material and David Smith responded that there was a project, in conjunction with the Histori- cal Manuscripts Commission (HMC), to microfilm the archive and this could be accessed at the Gloucester Record Office. Anyone who wanted to see the original documents could do so if they had a reason. This exciting find is likely to become the focus for students with an interest in medieval royal households and in due course will be transcribed and fully analysed. Peter Hammond and Wendy Moorhen

Medieval Seals On-Line

This is a joint project between the National Archives (Public Record Office), British Library, Na- tional Archives of Scotland, National Library of Wales and the University of Durham to make available 20,000 medieval seals on the web. The many thousands of wax seals attached to documents in the Middle Ages are not widely accessible. Yet they are not only important for researching the lives of those who used them; they also provide a fascinating and revealing conspectus of

medieval Britain: images of kings and bishops, castles and ab- beys, towns and craftsmen, and a host of other images, religious, comic, amorous or moral. The organisers are looking for support to make the project a reality and simply would like to know the level of interest. They are not asking for money or any other commitment but they need to demonstrate that this is a viable project in order to secure Heritage Lottery funding.

Further details are available on the Society’s website (www.richardiii.net). If you do not have access to the internet but you would like to know more and register your interest please write to me (contact details on front inside cover of the The Seal of Richard III Bulletin) sending an s.a.e. Wendy Moorhen

Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547, at the V&A; and Illuminating the Re- naissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe, at the Royal Academy

Two exhibitions with a lot of similarities – three rooms apiece, the extended late medieval period, comprehensive catalogues ... however also differences: the latter was more narrowly focused, perhaps less ambitious, but more enjoyable. ‘Gothic’ has generally had an unfavourable press and it is easy to see why: the arbitrary division into categories: ‘royalty’, ‘war and chivalry’, ‘patrons’, etc. must have seemed like a logical idea, but failed to illuminate the exhibits, and the awkward division of the exhibition space into three separated rooms made it difficult to compare items of like period and type. On a more practical note, when visiting exhibitions, I like to pay a repeat visit to items of particular interest (in this case, for instance, items with a particular connection with Richard) and the layout made this difficult. Extending ‘Gothic’ well into the Tudor period did not really work. It applies most in architecture, where the continuity in sacred and secular architecture is perfectly viable – there is a con- tinuum from Eton College and King’s College chapel, through St George’s, Windsor, to the Hen- ry VII chapel, and from the great halls of Eltham Palace and Crosby Hall to Hampton Court. But, unfortunately, architecture was least illustrated of all the decorative arts in the exhibition, being confined to some detached portions of buildings, large out-of-focus photographs, and a small slide show of buildings, towards the end of the exhibition. [It had a better showing in the accompanying television programme.] In other decorative arts, too often one’s reaction was ‘too late’, when confronted with Tudor caps and rounded toes . The way the items were displayed left a good deal to be desired – rows of flat fronted show cases with captions at navel level, and the low levels of lighting necessary to conserve the exhibits, made reading captions difficult, and the crowded nature of the exhibition meant that the opportunity to move freely in front of a show case, to compare items, was lost. It was nice to see Margaret of York’s coronet in the round (it was nice to see Margaret of York’s coronet ... having pursued it to Aachen, in 2002, only to find it had escaped us to reside temporarily at the Tower), but it would have been nice to see both sides of the Middleham Jewel, as is the case in its permanent home in the Yorkshire Museum. At the V&A the lighting was so poor that although one could stand in front of the showcase and by judicious positioning ‘wear’ the Middleham Jewel as a ferronière, one could not see its reverse. Insensitive display lost much of the point of other

exhibits – Richard Beauchamp and his ‘hearse’ plonked down on a plinth in the V&A and looking up with praying hands to – the ceiling of the V&A, lost all the context of his tomb in St Mary’s Warwick, with hands raised in prayer to the Virgin in the ceiling above him. Many of the objects were wonderful in themselves – what child would not learn its cross-row presented with a porringer such as the Studley cup, and it was of course pleasing to see so many items with Ricardian connections – the Middleham Jewel, his Book of Hours, the Rous Roll, the Chester sword, etc., but many did not earn their display space: why for example display a man and horse armour of Henry VIII, when a properly Gothic man and horse armour could be seen just down the road at the Wallace Collection? It was also unfortunate that some of the text was traditional: ‘Edward V was killed in the Tower ...’ – I was kept busy assuring members of the London & Home Counties Branch party, with whom I visited the exhibition, that I was protesting against these comments. So – wonderful objects, but not a coherent exhibition as a whole. My favourite object (naturally excluding the Ricardian items) was the enameled brooch in the shape of a flower, with a tourmaline centre, which looked as fresh and modern as if had been left behind by the previous – Art Deco – exhibition. I had suggested that the Branch visit might take in the Royal Academy exhibition in the afternoon, but no one wanted to do this – very wisely as it turned out, as it would surely have led to visual indigestion, and even visiting the RA exhibition alone almost did so. Its better layout, however, in three interlinked rooms, did give the opportunity to revisit favourites – except that any and all of the manuscripts could have been so designated. The manuscripts ranged in size from no bigger than the thumb to Eton choirbook size, and almost all were absolute stunners, particularly when one realised that each MS had many illumi- nations, of which only one page was being displayed, albeit perhaps the plum. Some of the illustrations were familiar and it was lovely to see them in the flesh so to speak, so much more three- dimensional than reproductions, with gorgeous, glittering gold leaf, and softer, burnished gold. Some were revelations - including some Spanish family trees that in fact belong to the British Library. While the shields had not been completed, giving an unfinished look, the figures and faces clearly had been completed, and although probably not intended as portraits were nevertheless sharply individual. There were of course Ricardian connections – Margaret of York and Mary of Burgundy, and Lord Hastings. Lord Hasting’s ‘London’ Hours, familiar to Ricardians, and Lord Hasting’s other ‘Hours’. It really brought it home to you, how much this was ‘conspicuous consumption’, immensely expensive to commission and acquire, at the time, and truly staggering, if you fell to computing the current value of what was assembled there! Once again it is possible, at least to the slightly jaundiced, Ricardian eye, to detect a falling off in quality towards the end of the period covered, before illumination ceases and printing takes over. Elizabeth Nokes

Medieval Lives on BBC2

By the time this Bulletin reaches UK readers we will be well into Terry Jones’s new series on life in the Middle Ages (BBC 2 Monday evenings). The series covers eight aspects of medieval life with the aim of portraying ‘a vibrant society teeming with individuality, intrigue and innovation’. Early indications are that his treatment of Richard III will be favourable so look out for the episode devoted to ‘Kings’ that will be transmitted on 29 March. It's a series not to miss. There will be a full review in the summer issue of The Bulletin. 14

Richard III, a new play by Bobby Fishkin performed at the UCL Theatre, Blooms- bury, London, 12 – 14 February 2004

At the time of writing, and at our deadline for going to press for the Bulletin, I have just watched the final dress rehearsal of this play. It would be inappropriate to provide a full review at this stage but perhaps entirely appropriate to share briefly the experience with you.

Bobby Fishkin’s Richard III is the antithesis of the

Shakespearean character although the plays have similarities. The telescoping of events, is if anything, greater than the Bard’s version. This is very much a

21st century production with more technology than you can shake a stick at. There are giant screens either side of the stage to ensure that the less well informed members of the audience are kept up to speed about events in the life and times of Richard III.

The play begins with an overture, described as a movement piece, which is intended to show the dis- Publicity poster for the play junctions in the succession to the crowns of England and France and to set the scene for the events leading to Richard’s coronation. Act one begins with the news of Edward IV’s death and Richard ‘having no time to grieve’ quickly re-assesses his position as Protector once Edward V is crowned and realises that ‘as she (Elizabeth Woodville) ascends ... we descend’. Richard’s immediate concern is for his family ‘I have a son …. Will he have time to grow into a man?’ and his soliloquy closes with his fears for the future in a Woodville dominated world. Buckingham confirms his fears but Stillington’s revelation about Edward’s pre-contract allows Richard to take the initiative and he becomes king. In Act II Buckingham is seduced by Morton’s words. The prelate works on the duke’s vanity ‘You are a kingmaker …. he was a chunk of clay’ and Buck- ingham is entranced by a vision of his future glory. The ensuing rebellion is encapsulated in one dramatic scene that includes the brief appearance –and disappearance of Henry Tudor – his time is not yet come. Meanwhile Richard has the opportunity to rule and the achievements of his parliament are proudly proclaimed but his personal losses bring the king to despair, compounded by the threat of invasion ‘I have no say in my own destiny.’ Richard’s Bosworth peroration is long but the climax echoes Shakespeare’s Henry V: Some time from now, men may say of us who fought this field today … But tell them friends, that you were here and you cared not what was to come … We will fight this day, this field, on our terms’ Richard’s death is both poignant and stylised. Surrounded by soldiers with spears, his body is arched in its death agony and the scene, silhouetted in red, is a vast tableau against the back wall of the stage. But this is not the end of the play! We have just witnessed history, but now we are going to witness what passes for history. A large portrait of a handsome young man is brought on stage, but when it is reversed, a travesty of the picture is displayed as Morton and Shake- speare’s Richard present their version of events. This play is an ambitious production and tomorrow night the audience and critics will decide its merits. My applause, however, goes to a twenty-two year-old Texan who has spent three years writing a play about a king that Ricardians will recognise, and to a young student-actor called Zoltan, who brings that king to life. Wendy Moorhen

Barley Hall

arley Hall is a reconstructed medieval town house in York, well known to many members. B It has been restored to how it looked in the late fifteenth century and is one place where anyone can be sure of finding that Richard III is regarded as an undoubtedly Good Thing. The So- ciety has generously supported the Hall since it became an independent Trust, and three of the Trustees are members of the Society. The Hall is making steady progress towards completing furnishing all rooms as they would have been in Richard’s time. Three, including the great hall, have been done so far. Such events as the recent St Nicholas Fair when a total of nearly 2500 people visited the Hall in the four days that the Fair lasted (there were sometimes queues in the courtyard waiting to get in) and the fact that in the four months from August to December last year visitor figures were up by over 13% show that good progress is being made. However Bar- ley Hall does still need help and this is the point of the picture here. The picture is a preliminary sketch for a possible painting by Graham Turner, well known for his excellent paintings of medieval scenes. What is depicted here is a scene in Barley Hall in the year 1468. William Snawsell has recently been elected Lord Mayor of the city of York and in the great hall at Barley Hall, his fine house in Stonegate, he holds a sumptuous banquet in honour of some very important guests. They would certainly be impressed as a magnificent peacock - the highlight of the meal - is paraded to the top table, accompanied by a musician.

When Graham first visited Barley Hall he was amazed at how this jewel of a building had been so successfully resurrected. Just sitting quietly in the great hall it is easy to conjure up images of this historic building’s medieval past, and Graham was immediately inspired to paint something to bring Barley Hall’s heyday back to life. This preliminary sketch gives some idea of the composition he has arrived at for a painting full of evocative atmosphere yet providing scope for plenty of interesting details. It is proposed that the finished painting could then be reproduced in an edition of prints to help raise much-needed funds for the continued preservation of Barley Hall. However, before he devotes the considerable amount of time (and money) this project will require, Graham would like to have some indication of the amount of potential interest there is for this exciting project. If you think you might possibly be interested in a print of this subject, please send a letter or e-mail to help us persuade him that this will, indeed, be a worthwhile undertaking. You will be under no obligation at all and we will publish further information in the Bulletin when it is available. We will hope that we can unveil Graham’s painting at Barley Hall in the not too distant future because a print would make a lovely souvenir for members who have been to any event at Barley Hall, particularly one of the Society banquets. Graham’s address is Studio 88 Ltd., PO Box 568, Aylesbury, Bucks HP17 8ZX or e-mail him at [email protected] Peter Hammond

YOUR SOCIETY NEEDS YOU Opportunities for members

Skills to offer? Time to spare? Do you want to contribute something to the work of the So- ciety? Then we want to hear from you. The Society is run primarily by voluntary officers, with outsourcing to third parties kept to a minimum to keep costs down. However with the many new initiatives taking place workloads are increasing so we are calling for more volunteers to help us with our work. What are we after? At this stage we do not want to be too prescriptive: just let us know what you have to offer and we can match to the tasks which need to be done. Some of these will require no more than a little time whilst others may require access to a computer and the internet. If you think you have something to offer then please contact the Chairman Phil Stone (his details are on the inside of the front cover). Phil is getting married on the 20 March, so please be patient if he does not respond immediately during the first couple of weeks after the wedding.

The Man Himself

This article continues our series focusing on Richard III as both duke and king and is a brief examination of his military career and reputation in the light of twentieth-century criticism. It is by no means exhaustive and is based on the work of a number of historians including Paul Murray Kendall, Peter Hammond, Norman Macdougall, Charles Ross, Cora Scofield, Anne Sutton and Livia Visser-Fuchs and as such the article is an example of what can be achieved by the perusal of readily available printed sources, both primary and secondary.

‘Such was his renown in warfare’ teenth century coupled with the invasions of England’s old enemies, France and Scotland.

n January 1483 the Rolls of Parliament First Steps I recorded that the King, Lords and Com- Much has been written about the main cam- mons ‘understand and consider that the Duke paigns that Richard was involved in, the bat- [of Gloucester], being Warden of the West tles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, the invasion Marches, by his diligent labours … has sub- of Scotland and of course, Bosworth and I do dued a great part of the west borders of Scot- not propose to cover these in any detail as land, adjoining England, by the space of thirty members will probably be familiar with these miles and more … and has [secured] divers landmark events. What I am going to do is to parts thereof to be under the obedience of [the describe briefly Richard’s wide experience in King] to the great surety and ease of the north warfare outside these major campaigns. parts of England’. This statement demon- Richard’s training in the art of warfare be- strates the regard in which Richard was held gan at an early age under the tutelage of the at the close of the reign of his brother King earl of Warwick and would have been the Edward IV. Nevertheless, Richard’s military same as that experienced by all young noble- reputation, despite contemporary enthusiasm, men. He would have read the conventional has been challenged by historians beginning texts about warfare and in due course he pos- with the Crowland Chronicler and in recent sessed a copy of the hands-on military text- years by Desmond Seward who pointed out book – Vegetius’ De re militari. Richard’s the obvious – that Richard only commanded first experience of campaigning was during an army at one pitched battle – and Michael the period when the relationship between Hicks who wrote that his ‘military reputation King Edward and Warwick began to founder was unearned’ and ‘inflated’. The reality was and the latter tempted Clarence, the king’s very different. Warfare has many facets, of middle brother, to join his cause. In 1469, which, it could be argued, the pinnacle is to there was a series of disturbances in the north lead an army into full battle. Before reaching led by the ‘Robins of Redesdale and Holder- such heights, however, much has to be ness’ and the uprising in Lancashire was suf- achieved in practical terms – diplomacy ex- ficiently serious to bring the king north to plored, castles and towns fortified, musters deal with it. Edward took his youngest broth- raised, artillery sourced, victuals provided, er along and the royal party made a leisurely intelligence organised as well as participation progress via East Anglia. A letter written by in smaller scale events such as raids and skir- John Paston recounts how the duke of mishes. Throughout his adult life Richard Gloucester recruited four men to take arms was involved in such matters, hardly surpris- under his banner. When the royal party ing in view of the internecine strife that reached Newark, the situation became quite blighted England in the second half of the fif- ugly, as ‘Robin of Redesdale’ with a force 18

larger than that of the king, was moving rap- during this period and it can be supposed he idly south. The king and Richard fled to the was still on active service in Wales. The only safety of Nottingham Castle. ‘Redesdale’ clue to Richard’s activities during March is in continued his march and defeated the loyalist a proclamation made in York by Edward. Welsh forces, under the command of the earl Reference was made to a ‘matter of variance’ of Pembroke, near Banbury, leaving the way between Richard and Lord Stanley. Kendall clear for Warwick to move against King Ed- has suggested that Richard decided to leave ward who by 2 August was his captive in Wales to assist Edward but had a run-in with Coventry. Warwick’s success was short-lived some supporters of Stanley and warned the and by October Edward was in London ac- king of Stanley’s disloyalty. Stanley, the con- companied by Richard. Kendall conjectured summate trimmer, assessed the situation and that it was due to Richard’s active support abandoned Warwick. The day after the York during the previous few weeks and his en- proclamation, 26 March, Richard was com- deavours in raising loyal troops that Edward missioned to array the men of Gloucester and now rewarded and promoted his brother who Hereford and, on 17 April, the men of Devon had just turned seventeen. Richard received and Cornwall. The last appointment was per- grants for estates and lands, he was appointed haps too late as the same month Warwick and Constable of England, received commissions Clarence escaped to France from the west to array men in Shropshire, Gloucestershire country. and Worcestershire and was appointed Chief King Edward was aware that the return of Justice of North Wales. There was trouble Warwick was imminent and the summer was stirring in Wales and King Edward decided spent in preparing for an invasion. In June that Richard was the person to sort it out. A Richard headed commissions of array for grant dated 16 December gave Richard his Gloucester, Somerset and Hereford, he was ‘first independent military com- sent to Lincoln in July on a commission of mand’ (Kendall, p. 79) when he was given oyer and terminer and the following month full power and authority to ‘reduce and sub- joined Edward on a march to Yorkshire to as- due’ the castles of Carmarthen and Cardigan sist the earl of Northumberland to put down a in south Wales and to deal with the local re- rebellion. Warwick landed in England in Sep- bels. After a brief return to England, he was tember. Edward and Richard marched south again sent to Wales leading a commission of but when they reached Doncaster the hitherto oyer and terminer [a commission to hold and loyal brother of Warwick, John, Marquess of pass judgment in specified cases] and the fol- Montagu, threw in his hand with the traitors. lowing month was appointed Chief Justice The king, his brother and followers were and Chamberlain of South Wales, making forced to flee and on 2 October set sail for him the ‘virtual Viceroy of the principali- Burgundy. Their exile lasted for a little under ty’ (Kendall, p.79). six months and the royal brothers returned to Meanwhile King Edward faced new diffi- England in March 1471. Details of Richard’s culties with a rising in Lincolnshire led by Sir involvement in King Edward’s campaign to Robert Welles, who was the agent of War- regain his throne are found in Peter Ham- wick and Clarence. The king successfully mond’s authoritative The Battles of Barnet defeated the rebels at Empingham in the ac- and Tewkesbury but may be briefly summa- tion known as the battle of ‘Lose-coat’ Field rised by describing how on 14 April, Easter and a few days later Warwick and Clarence Sunday, Richard was entrusted with right were proclaimed traitors. Edward pursued the wing of the royal host at the Battle of Barnet, rebels but had to give up the chase due to the where he was slightly wounded, and within lack of provisions for his soldiers. Warwick three weeks he again led the vanguard at the and Clarence fled to Chesterfield and intend- Battle of Tewkesbury. In both engagements, ed to move westwards to join Warwick’s Richard acquitted himself well. King Edward brother-in-law, Lord Stanley, in Manchester. re-established his authority although there Richard does not appear to be with the king was still some scattered unrest, Warwick,

Montagu and Edward of Wales were dead and when he joined his brother and almost the en- for the next twelve years, there was a respite tire nobility of England for King Edward’s from the civil conflict. ‘Great Expedition’ – the invasion of France. Richard’s contribution of men was the great- Warden of the West Marches est from any peer. He was indented to pro- King Edward now began his ‘second reign’. vide 120 men at arms and 1,000 archers but in The events of the past two years had seen the event brought an additional 300 men, losses within the mighty baronial families and much to his brother’s delight. Richard no some ‘territorial re-ordering’ was required doubt regarded the war as justifiable and only (Ross, p. 334). One such territory was the reluctantly accepted the negotiated settlement north of England where Warwick had been made by his brother with Louis XI. pre-eminent and where Richard was now es- Richard returned to his northern domain tablished by the king. He had been created where the breaches of the truce with Scotland Warden of the West Marches towards Scot- were becoming more frequent. By 1479 the land in August 1470 and he now relinquished region was in crisis, and war became inevita- his great office as Chief Justice and Chamber- ble. Border raids by the Scots began on a lain of South Wales to concentrate on his new large scale in the spring of 1480 and on 12 role in the north that included the policing of May King Edward responded by appointing the borders and the care and repair of fortifi- Richard Lieutenant-General of the North, cations. Kendall writes that Richard immedi- charged to lead an army against the Scots. He ately ‘set forth on a campaign against the led commissions of array for the three York- Scots’ (p. 107) but does not cite any evidence shire ridings, Cumberland, Westmorland and for this and it is unlikely that England would Northumberland. The Scots made a pre- take an aggressive role at this stage following emptive strike in the summer led by the earl the recent upheavals in England. In all likeli- of Angus who penetrated into England as far hood just the opposite was the case as on 7 as Bamborough which he fired. Richard, sup- August a warrant was issued for the safe con- ported by a contingent of men from York, duct of Scottish ambassadors to ‘treat with the swiftly retaliated and it appears he was suc- English’ and authority was granted to the cessful enough to keep the Scots on their side English commissioners on the 26th ‘to redress of the border for the time being. The duke March offences’. Despite meetings between then visited Sheriff Hutton and proceeded to England and Scotland (September 1471 in make repairs to the defences of the major for- Alnwick, May 1472 in Newcastle and a tress on the western march - Carlisle. schedule for ‘March meetings by the Wardens to redress complaints’) there were frequent Scottish Campaigns raids by both sides on land and at sea as the In 1481 there was an escalation in prepara- existing truce crumbled. In April 1474, a tions for an invasion to be led by the king in Scottish proclamation was made summoning the summer and to prepare the way. John, the lieges to muster at Lauder under the duke Lord Howard, sailed into the Firth of Forth in of Albany to resist a raid to be led by Richard late spring destroying and capturing Scottish who also harried the Scots at sea and his ship ships and burning Blackness. Richard had in the Mayflower captured James III’s Yellow the meantime recruited men to the border gar- Carvel. King Edward had to make reparation risons and worked closely with the earl of to the Scots in February 1475 for this incident Northumberland to establish how many men following a truce negotiated late in 1474. Life could be called upon for the invasion. Rich- on the marches, therefore, appeared to be ard, along with the Scottish renegade earl of lively with forays and skirmishes and with the Douglas, was also given the task of suborning Wardens being generally in a state of high key Scottish lords to weaken King James’s alert. support but this covert activity met with little Involvement in a more substantial military success. In March Richard had visited Lon- campaign brought Richard south in 1475 don to discuss the invasion plans but was no

doubt dismayed later in the year to learn that ceived a commission to obtain the necessary the king had decided not to undertake the victuals for his army and with leave to find campaign himself because of ‘adverse tur- them anywhere in England, Wales and Ire- moil’ and left Richard and Northumberland land. The harvest had been poor, hence the ‘to wage a vigorous war against the permission to find grain and crops wherever Scots’ (Scofield II, p. 321). King Edward did they were available. On 22 May Richard led travel as far as Nottingham where he arrived an attack into southwest Scotland and reached on 1 October and stayed until the 20th. Rich- Dumfries which he burned amongst other ard met with the king where it was no doubt towns. Events now took an unexpected turn agreed that it was too late in the season for when the brother of King James III, the duke the full invasion to of Albany, arrived take place that in England from year. In Richard’s France where he absence from the had been living immediate vicinity since fleeing Scot- of the war North- land in 1479. King umberland may Edward welcomed have appealed to the Scottish traitor the citizens of and during a stay York for men in a at Fotheringhay, letter dated 13 Oc- where they were tober when he re- joined by Richard, ported the Scots a treaty was were already in his agreed on 11 June eponymous coun- when the English ty. The year of the king recognized letter is uncertain Albany’s claim to (Kendall attributed the throne of Scot- it to 1480) but the land. The follow- incident may well ing day Richard be the one record- was confirmed as ed by the Scottish Lieutenant- historian John General of the Lesley (p. 45) that North and with the ‘borderers in- Albany set out on vaded the marches the invasion of of England and Scotland. He had took away many authority to raise preys of goods and an army of around destroyed many Model of Richard III by Peter Dale 20,000 men and towns and led at the Bosworth Battlefield Centre. sufficient funds to Photograph courtesy of Geoffrey Wheeler. many persons in pay them for four Scotland’. Following the fresh news of Scot- weeks. The muster was complete by mid- tish incursions into England Richard returned July and the army crossed the border. The to the front, laid siege to the town and citadel English host was large enough to terrify Ber- of Berwick, which he failed to take, and was wick and the town fell to Richard without fur- no doubt involved in the ‘intermittent warfare ther delay, although the citadel held out. [that] continued all along the border during Lord Stanley was left to continue the siege the winter’ (Ross, p. 282). whilst Richard moved north, devastating Rox- The new year brought a new campaign- burghshire and Berwickshire, all the while ing season and on 21 February Richard re- expecting to meet the Scottish army. He was

to be disappointed. On 22 July King James’s sonally becoming involved in even a skir- dissatisfied subjects had taken their king pris- mish. oner at Lauder, executed his favourites and returned with their royal prisoner to Edin- Bosworth burgh. As Richard moved towards the capital Finally, we come to Bosworth, where at last the rebels moved to Haddington, situated fif- Richard commanded his own army and a bat- teen miles to the east, and awaited develop- tle was joined but with disastrous results for ments. Richard found himself entering an un- king. Battles are always uncertain events and defended Scottish capital. He controlled his the outcome can never be foretold with any army and the city was not molested. The certainty. This was the battle, however, that king’s captors were prepared to negotiate should have been won by the king but the vi- with Richard. Albany immediately aban- cissitudes of men’s loyalties snatched victory doned his hope of becoming king and settled from a man who throughout his short life was for the restoration of his lands and position. intimate with all things martial. Was there to The Scots asked for a peace treaty and that be another king of England who was so hands the proposed marriage between the Scottish -on? Certainly no Tudor. Possibly a Stuart or heir and princess Cecily take place. Richard two? Richard as duke and king never shirked demanded the return of Berwick Castle and his duty to pursue war, be it in preparation or the dowry paid for the princess. The settle- actuality, skirmish or battle. He may have ment was that the marriage would go ahead if had little interest in the courtly posturing of it were Edward’s wish, otherwise the dowry the joust, so beloved of his brother Edward would be repaid. Richard left Edinburgh, dis- and his great nephew, Henry VIII, but Rich- banded most of his army at Berwick on 11 ard embraced the art of warfare as a true chiv- August, and continued with the siege. The alric prince who, if he had successfully sur- castle fell on 24 August. The Crowland vived Bosworth, might have gone on to fight Chronicler was dismissive of the campaign – a holy war against the Turks. Those who that it cost too much for too little gain and challenge his prowess and generalship need that King Edward was grieved at the perhaps to look more deeply into his military ‘frivolous expenditure’. It is, however, diffi- career, and though the sources are scant, the cult to see what other outcome there could effort is worthwhile. Richard, Duke of have been. Richard, on the ground, would Gloucester was highly rated by his contempo- have appreciated the mood of the Scots and raries and it is difficult to see how this reputa- that it would not be possible to establish Al- tion, in hindsight, can be easily dismissed bany on the throne, although the situation even allowing for some degree of propaganda might have been different if the Scottish army by the Yorkist government about his exploits had been vanquished. In any event, this was in Scotland. not one of the original aims of the war. Rich- What was written five hundred years ago ard himself was also keenly aware of the cost cannot be unwritten and I will close with a of the army and that he could not afford to few of those observations. The first of these prolong the negotiations or his stay in Scot- is a political song written to commemorate land. In modern parlance, he had achieved the Battle of Tewkesbury: his objective and completed the project on The duke of Glocetter, that nobill schedule and within budget. prynce, Richard’s penultimate military campaign Yonge of age and victorius in batayle, was the preparation to meet the threat of the To the honoure of Ectour [Hector of Troy] Buckingham rebellion in the autumn of 1483. that he myghte comens, He was ably supported by Norfolk, who was Grace hym folowith, fortune, and good close to one of the front lines, and the entire spede incident clearly demonstrated Richard’s mili- (re-printed in both Richard III: The Road to tary acumen as he swiftly and easily sup- Bosworth and Richard III’s Books. The edi- pressed the disparate uprisings without per- tors of the latter commented that ‘Although

the likening to Hector was standard panegyr- From Dominic Mancini (not known as an ic, it was no mean compliment and Richard is admirer of Richard) in his Usurpation of the only character compared to a named he- Richard III ‘Such was his renown in warfare ro.’) that, whenever a difficult and dangerous poli- Next we have a letter of June 1482 ap- cy had to be undertaken, it would be entrusted pointing Richard as Commander of the army to his discretion and his generalship’ (p. 65). against the Scots: ‘King Edward to all to And finally, perhaps the most surprising whom these matters appertain. We therefore of all, in letters written in 1513 and 1522, by meaning to oppose his [James III’s] malice Lord Dacre, Warden of the Western Marches. and such great injury, trusting with full pow- The letters, referred to in Paul Murray Ken- ers our illustrious brother, Richard Duke of dall’s endnotes, were summarised in the Let- Gloucester, in whom not only for his nearness ters and Papers of Henry VIII. Dacre seemed and fidelity of relationship, but for his proved to feel intimidated by the reputations of Rich- skill in military matters and his other vir- ard and Northumberland resulting from a raid tues ...’ followed by a letter from Edward to they had made into Tevydale and which he Pope Sixtus, dated 25 August 1482. ‘Thank was expected to repeat. Nine years later, he is God, the giver of all good gifts, for the sup- still concerned at their exploits in a letter to port received from our most loving brother, Wolsey who responds ‘as they took effectual whose success is so proven that he alone measures to punish and repress offenders, would suffice to chastise the whole kingdom hopes Dacre will obey his wholesome and of Scotland.’ (Both quotations are from Rich- friendly admonition and acquire, as good a ard III: The Road to Bosworth Field pp. 83 character as they did’. and 86.) Wendy Moorhen

Printed primary sources: Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland 1357-1509, ed. J. Bain, London 1888 Calendar of Patent Rolls: Edward IV 1468-76, London 1899 Calendar of Patent Rolls: Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III (1476-85), London 1901 Hall’s Chronicle, reprinted London 1809 Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII, eds. J.S. Brewer, James Gairdner and R.H. Brodie, 21 vols, London 1862-1932. Vol. 1 Part 2 and Vol. 4 Part 1. The Crowland Chronicle Continuations 1459-1486 edited by Nicholas Pronay and John Cox, London 1986 The Usurpation of Richard III by Dominic Mancini, Gloucester 1984 York House Books 1461-1490 edited by Lorraine Attreed, 2 vols, Stroud 1991 Further reading: Edward IV: by Charles Ross, London 1974 James III: A Political Study by Norman Macdougall, Edinburgh 1982 Richard the Third: by Paul Murray Kendall, London 1955 Richard III: by Charles Ross, London 1981 Richard III: England’s Black Legend by Desmond Seward, London 1983 Richard III: The Road to Bosworth Field by P W Hammond and Anne F Sutton, London 1985 Richard III: The Man behind the Myth by Michael Hicks, London 1991 and republished as Richard III, Stroud 2000 Richard III: A Source Book by Keith Dockray, Gloucester 1997 Richard III’s Books by Anne F Sutton and Livia Visser-Fuchs, Stroud 1997 Scotland: The Later Middle Ages by Ranald Nicholson, Edinburgh 1974 The Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury by P W Hammond, Gloucester 1990 The Life and Reign of Edward the Fourth by Cora L Schofield, 2 vols, London 1924, reprinted 1967

The Debate: WHOSE BONES?

The response to the debate on the bones of the Princes in the December Bulletin was rather low key, perhaps because members agreed with one or the other of our debaters and did not wish to comment. Nevertheless there were three excellent responses, all of them taking issue with Anon to a greater or less extent. Further letters on this topic would of course be welcome.

r Gordon Smith comments generally The Ricardian 11 (1997-99), pp. 340-44, who M but is chiefly critical of Anon. He also says, however, that we do not know whether points out that Anon did not address the point Talbot’s teeth were missing congenitally or that the bones were not found where More lost). said they were finally buried, a point taken up Anon cites Molleson’s improved figures by Professor Hanham, our second contributor. for the age of the skeletons (older 12.7 – 14.5, Anon is to be congratulated in the debate younger 11.5 – 12.5 years), and notes that with Bill White over the Westminster Abbey these are the ‘right ages to support Wright’s skeletons (Bulletin, Winter 2003, pp. 19-24) conclusion that these were Edward V and for making the best of a doubtful case. Theya Richard Duke of York. The observation that Molleson's researches may be more recent the average difference in their ages is 2.7 than those of Peter Hammond and Bill White, years is particularly convincing, given that but it is a pity that the objections raised by the Edward was two years and eight months older latter, e.g. on Wormian bones, should be left than Richard ... Edward was 12.5 years old unanswered. Anon uses Molleson to support and Richard nearly ten years old in 1483!’ the conclusion of the investigation in 1933 by But these last figures are below Molleson’s. Tanner and Wright that the skeletons were Perhaps this is why Anon asks, ‘Does all this those of Edward V and his younger brother help us to arrive at a date for the death of the Richard, Duke of York. Anon claims that Princes?’ As I see it, the date should lie be- Molleson shows both skeletons were male, tween Molleson’s lowest figure for the but White says that the older one is more like- younger (11.5) and the highest figure of the ly to have been female. The admitted fact older (14.5). Assuming that the skeletons are that the 1933 examination did not consider those of the princes, I calculate that Richard, the sex of the bones is astonishing. Duke of York, who was born in August 1473, Anon further claims that the two skeletons should have died in or after February 1485. were closely related because of congenitally Edward V was born in November 1470, and missing teeth, found also in the princes’ rela- so should have died in or before May 1485. tive Anne Mowbray and in Mary of Burgun- The date of death February - May 1485 is dy. Molleson shows that the occurrence of a few months before Richard III’s death in this anomaly is high in close relatives, and all August 1485, and therefore hardly ‘still com- four are descended from Edward III. Presum- fortably within the reign of Richard III’. ably this king or some of his descendants who Anon admits that Molleson suggested that the were ascendants of the four would have this princes died during 1484, and that Wright anomaly, but the only reported evidence ap- suggested August 1483. But August 1483 pears to be negative. Anne Mowbray’s agrees with Sir Thomas More, and if the date grandfather John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, of death is about 18 months out, one cannot had missing teeth, but he was not a descend- confidently assert, as Anon does, that More’s ant of Edward III (John Ashdown-Hill, ‘The traditional story is correct in its main outlines. Missing Molars: a Genealogical Conundrum’, As a parting shot Anon resurrects the old

canard that the skeletons were found exactly gaged in. And I suspect it is needed because where More said they were buried. If this the investigators of 1933, like the workmen of were so, it is difficult to understand why they 1674, wanted to believe that the traditional were not found there by Henry VII, who story was true and, perhaps unconsciously, could thus have destroyed rumours that the fitted the facts to the story. princes had survived. In view of the contra- I am not questioning the integrity of the dictory accounts of the discovery of the bones investigators. In another popular examination in 1674 and of the strange objects originally from not many years earlier, highly respected with the skeletons in the funerary urn in scientists wanted to believe that Dawn Man Westminster Abbey, I can imagine the re- lived in England because of remains found in mains were found on a spoil-heap. Once it the ancient gravels at Piltdown in Sussex. In was realised that the bones were roughly the view of the Piltdown hoax, we should dis- age of the princes in 1483, the excavators re- pense as far as we can with romantic baggage, membered that in More the princes were bur- and judge the facts negatively until we have ied at the foot of a staircase, and decided that good reason to do otherwise. I see no reason the skeletons must have come from a staircase for believing that the Westminster Abbey which had been removed. Alas, the canard is bones are those of the princes. wrong. What the discoverers, A.L. Rowse, and Anon apparently failed to do was to rofessor Alison Hanham concentrates on check More, who says that the bodies of the P the strange omission by Anon of the fact princes were later exhumed and re-interred in that More actually said that the bones of the an unknown place. Also it strikes me that Princes were moved from under the stairs Molleson's evidence for the male sex of the where he said they were first buried bones is disputed, for consanguinity it still The anonymous contribution to the debate has to be proved, and for on ‘the bones’ (Winter the age and date of death 2003, pp. 21-24) was most it is against the findings interesting scientifically, of 1933. There is no con- but the author was unwise vincing evidence for the to conclude it by quoting traditional story. A. L. Rowse’s statement If you believe that the that ‘the two skeletons bones are those of the were found exactly where princes, there is an alter- Thomas More said they native story. If months were buried’ and by en- can be taken off dorsing the belief of Tan- Molleson’s figures for the ner and Wright that ‘the age of the skeletons so traditional story, told by that the princes died Thomas More, was correct ‘comfortably within the in its main outlines’. reign of Richard III’, why I note than Anon’s reading cannot a few months be list did not include R. S. added so that the boys Sylvester, ed., The Com- were conveniently exter- plete Works of Sir Thomas minated by Henry VII More, vol. 2, New Haven after Bosworth? The urn containing the bones. and London 1963. Which Anon ends by saying Photograph courtesy of Geoffrey Wheeler. part of More's story was that the 1933 examination meant? Presumably that concluded that the traditional story was main- after smothering the princes the murderers ly correct, and that this conclusion needed no buried the bodies ‘at the stayre foote, metely revision. But revision is precisely what Bill depe in the grounde under a great heape of White, Theya Molleson and others are en- stones’. Curiously, that echoes part of quite a

different story in John Rastell’s Pastyme of estimates produced by very advanced scien- People (1529). That one had the princes per- tific techniques, can give us anything more suaded to hide in a chest, which the murderers than food for speculation. then locked and buried in a previously- Secondly, given the fact that they were not prepared ‘great pytte under a steyre’ ... ‘and discovered in a controlled and proper- anone caste erthe thereon, and so buryed them ly-recorded excavation, we are really totally quycke [i.e. alive]’ before chest and contents dependent on what evidence the bones them- were removed and thrown into the sea some- selves can provide. Three things would al- where between England and Flanders ready be possible, if ever an investigation (Sylvester, ed. op. cit., pp. 265-6). In Ras- were to be permitted. tell’s alternative story one of the boys was Carbon 14 analysis might establish the smothered and the other stabbed in the throat calendar age of death as occurring in an earli- with a dagger before, again, the bodies were er - or later - century, if the problem of con- disposed of at sea. Rastell explained that tamination could be sorted out. ‘Dyvers men conjectured [this story about the An analysis of the mitochondrial DNA method of disposal] to be trewe, because that present would establish whether the children the bones of the sayd chylderne coude never were siblings, even if no comparative material be found buryed, nother in the Towre nor in from other hypothetically related skeletons no nother place’. More, on the other hand, were available. claimed to have heard (but much more proba- An oxygen-isotope analysis of the teeth bly invented himself) a tale that in the inter- would show where the children had been ests of family honour Richard had ordered his brought up. This technique was used to show nephews’ remains to be taken up from their that the ‘Amesbury Archer’, a recent- original hiding-place and secretly re-interred ly-discovered skeleton dating from about in a never-revealed location. 2400-2200 calibrated B.C. from Wiltshire, It seems in fact that in the early sixteenth was brought up in Central Europe. Water century nobody knew for sure how the princ- contains different proportions of the three iso- es were supposed to have died, or what had topes of oxygen according to such factors as happened to their remains – ‘cast God wote distance from the coast, altitude, temperature, where’, said More. On one thing, however, etc., and these leave their individual traces in they were agreed: the princes’ bodies had not our teeth as they develop in childhood. The been left buried within the confines of the map of the oxygen-isotope values for Europe Tower. shows three different zones in southern Eng- land. (See Current Archaeology, no. 184, of esley Wynne-Davies makes the follow- February 2003.) The values for the Ludlow L ing pertinent comments on coming to area, where Edward V was brought up, would conclusions before we have any real evi- be different from London values, where the dence. I cannot see that the evidence we have younger Richard was brought up. is good enough yet to permit any real conclu- If only these two tests could be carried out sions to be drawn on the identity of the bones, their combined results would provide a prima and would make two points. facie case either for or against the proposition First, no techniques exist or (as far as I that these are the bones of the princes. How- know) are being worked on for pinpointing ever, as we all know only too well, at present the calendar date of death with any real de- the establishment of scientific facts must wait gree of accuracy. Carbon 14 dating is not on official sentiment. Bones are not now sen- nearly accurate enough, and, in any case, the tient beings, though once they were, and The samples are surely now very contaminated. Powers That Be are still blocking scientific Yet until it can be shown that the two children investigation. Unfortunately, infuriatingly, in question died at one and the same time no there is nothing that we can do about this. It estimate of their relative ages at death, even is not for want of trying.

Stony Stratford: The Case for the Prosecution

GORDON SMITH

f all the alleged crimes of Richard, act. With such evidence against them, one O Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III, might ask if the failure of the three to declare only one has attracted little or no de- their innocence was that they were plainly fence - the apparently judicial murder of An- guilty. thony Woodville, Earl Rivers, Lord Richard Although Gloucester had laid his accusa- Grey and Sir Thomas Vaughan at Fothering- tions before the royal council after his arrival hay Castle on 25 June 1483, the day before in London on 4 May, he presumably did not Gloucester assumed the throne. Gloucester prosecute while he tried to negotiate with the accused them of trying to assassinate him on queen Elizabeth Woodville, who had fled into 30 April, but this seems contradicted by his sanctuary. It was only after her conspiracy successful capture then of the three with Ed- against him with her opponent, William, Lord ward V at Stony Stratford. The capture rather Hastings, was uncovered on 13 June that than any assassination attempt is attested by Gloucester ordered the trial of Rivers, Grey extant sources – Mancini, the Crowland and Vaughan. Chronicle, Rous, the London chronicles, Ver- Mancini says that Gloucester failed to se- gil, More – followed by the revisionist Paul cure the condemnation of the three by the Murray Kendall. royal council because there was neither trea- No records of a trial have survived, and son nor evidence. The councillors took the some sources say the three suffered death, view that, although he had been appointed without being heard, under Sir Richard Protector by Edward IV’s will, Gloucester Ratcliff, Gloucester's follower. Rous lets slip, had not been formally proclaimed in that of- however, that their chief judge was Henry fice by them before he arrived in London. As Percy, Earl of Northumberland. Rivers had the alleged offences were committed before been brought from Sheriff Hutton and Grey then, the Statute of Treason failed on a techni- from Middleham to join Vaughan at Ponte- cality. Nevertheless, the council, while not fract. If there was no trial at Pontefract, Riv- allowing the treason charge, probably thought ers and Grey could have been executed where that there was at least a case to answer on a they were held. capital charge, and agreed to the detention of It looks as though the three were accorded the accused. some form of hearing. Rous says that Rivers, Mancini’s statement that there was ‘no Grey and Vaughan ‘were condemned to death certain case’ is not supported by what had alas though they had in fact plotted the death of ready happened when Edward V, Gloucester Richard, duke of Gloucester, ... a thing they and Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, had never contemplated’, though some entered London on 4 May. At the head of the sources (Crowland, Rous, More) claim that procession trundled four wagons loaded with the accused were not allowed a chance to de- barrels of harness including Woodville ar- clare their innocence. mour, which criers proclaimed had been for The charge, then, looks like conspiracy to use against Gloucester. Mancini’s assertion murder and perhaps attempted murder. that the arms were stored around London for Gloucester could claim he had witnesses, use against the Scots suggests that the Italian arms, and the accused had been caught in the thought the capital was much closer to the

border. More maintains the armour had to be be a meeting point with Rivers and the king packed at Ludlow or thrown away – which who journeyed east from Ludlow. There can seems untrue – and that wise men thought be little doubt that Gloucester enquired about that, to kill Gloucester, it should be on peo- joining the royal cavalcade on its way to Lon- ple’s backs. Mancini said, however, that the don, and that Rivers suggested a rendezvous armour bore ‘the devices of the queen’s at Northampton (Mancini). Yet all sources brothers and sons’, which could mean not all agree that. while Richard duly arrived at of it came from Ludlow, but was acquired en Northampton, Edward V reached Stony Strat- route. Perhaps it was acquired as a result of ford. an attempted ambush. It was therefore important that Rivers Mancini also notes that Gloucester’s entry should be seen to be keeping the rendezvous. into London was accompanied by no more In More, he arrived at Northampton and than five hundred soldiers drawn partly from stayed there, while Edward V continued on to his own and partly from the duke of Bucking- Stony Stratford. In Mancini and Crowland, ham’s estates. If half of the Protector's men Rivers and the king arrived at Stony Stratford, took Rivers, Grey and Vaughan into captivity and then Rivers turned north to greet the in the north, this figure of 500 is close to dukes. (P.M. Kendall conflated both stories, More’s figures of 600 for Gloucester and 300 having Edward V and Rivers passing through horse for Buckingham. The dukes were pit- Northampton, and then Rivers turning back.) ted against a royal escort of 2,000 men and, There was no reason why Edward V despite being told of the size of the escort by (More) or both he and Rivers should push on Hastings (Crowland), they had failed to in- from Northampton instead of keeping the ren- crease their forces to match it. This suggests dezvous with Gloucester. The problem of in- Gloucester and Buckingham were not plan- sufficient accommodation suggested by Ken- ning to seize the young king and his compan- dall could easily have been foreseen earlier, ions. and in any case the royal cavalcade could Others beside the three accused were ar- have divided, with Rivers and the king stay- rested – for example, Sir Richard Haute, who ing behind. If it had been decided already to some sources insist was also executed at aim for Stony Stratford, the route through Fotheringhay – but soon released (Great Northampton is an unnecessary detour. Chronicle, More, London chronicles). The In the second story, Mancini and Crow- briefer early narratives of Rous, the London land imply that Rivers went to consult chronicles (who all confuse Rivers with Dor- Gloucester, but this is an inadequate motive set) and Vergil assume the arrests occurred at and inconsistent with events in London, Stony Stratford. The longer ones except where the royal council under the Woodville's Mancini (Crowland and More) agree on the had circumvented Gloucester’s protectorship. capture of Sir Thomas Vaughan, coming from Some inkling of these events, and the fact that Ludlow, in Stony Stratford itself. Rivers was Edward V was not at the promised rendez- originally at Ludlow and arrived at North- vous, would give Gloucester good reason for ampton, and then was either arrested there seizing Rivers - which Rivers could have eas- (Mancini, More) or near Stony Stratford ily anticipated. (Crowland). Grey had come either from Lud- The notion that Rivers went to consult the low (More) or, more likely, from London dukes therefore looks unlikely. The North- (Mancini), and then either reached Northamp- ampton stories seem invented to conceal his ton and was arrested near Stony Stratford deception in not meeting Gloucester and (Crowland only) or was captured in the latter Buckingham as promised. Mancini mentions (Mancini, More). that Lord Richard Grey ‘had come from Lon- All the longer sources have Rivers greet- don to the king’. Before he left the capital, ing Gloucester and Buckingham at Northamp- Grey knew that the Woodville meeting-point ton. The town was on Gloucester’s route was Stony Stratford, not Northampton, which south from Yorkshire to London, and could implies the deception was planned.

Rivers had already acquired a patent from messenger to deliver Edward’s letter, and also Edward IV allowing him to raise troops in the to carry his own verbal call to arms to his Welsh marches, and on 8 March 1483, shortly men there. Perhaps other Woodville strong- before the king’s death, he asked his lawyer holds were contacted likewise. Andrew Dymmock to send him a copy of it. Gloucester’s enquiry to Rivers about the In Ludlow on 14 April he received news from rendezvous had inadvertently allowed the lat- his sister, Elizabeth Woodville, of the king’s ter to predict his movements, a prerequisite death. On 16 April his nephew, the new king for ambush. Rivers’ choice of Northampton Edward V, wrote from Ludlow to the burgh- was on Gloucester's route south, but over six- ers of [King’s] Lynn that he was coming to ty miles from London. Its central position London to be crowned. Rivers had a manor made it a good mustering point. To make the close to Lynn, and might well have supplied a rendezvous, Gloucester slowed his march

FOILING THE AMBUSH south. The royal cavalcade did not leave by Grey and the other Woodville forces. Ludlow until 24 April (Rous). Both these de- So Rivers had opened up between himself lays would give the Woodville forces time to and the dukes the distance between North- gather near Northampton and Stony Stratford. ampton and Stony Stratford. He left Edward The royal cavalcade moved towards the V at Stony Stratford, then took the road north rendezvous, with Buckingham from Brecon towards Northampton to ambush the dukes behind it to the west, and Gloucester in front (hence the journey given by Mancini and from the north. With ambush in mind, Rivers Crowland). Some way along this road was could then have slipped from between the two Elizabeth Woodville’s manor of Grafton dukes by not turning off for Northampton, but Regis. The Woodvilles were landowners in continuing south down Watling Street to Northamptonshire and their soldiers were on Stony Stratford. There perhaps he was joined friendly territory. The county was far more 30 heavily wooded in the past. (On both sides of road from Northampton to Towcester, and the road, names of farms and places still con- thence to Stony Stratford? Perhaps they even tain ‘tree’, ‘wood’, and kinds of trees.) rode through Towcester down to Bucking- Mancini and More maintain that Rivers was ham, where the Buckinghams had a manor, arrested at Northampton, and the dukes’ and then turned to approach Stony Stratford troops on the road prevented the news reach- from the southwest, while those waiting in the ing Edward V; the different scenario in Crow- latter town were expecting moves from the land does not need this. But in fact the troops north. on the road could have been those of the In any event, when Rivers failed to arrive, Woodvilles, and they had cover for an am- the royal entourage (as in More) prepared to bush. depart. During these preparations, the intend- When Gloucester reached Northampton ed victims suddenly appeared (compare on 29 April, he waited in vain for Edward V. Crowland). In the ensuing altercation The arrival instead of Buckingham, who had Gloucester told Edward V, according to been following the royal escort, showed the Mancini, that the men who had brought about dukes that Rivers had given them the slip, and his father Edward IV’s death, as companions was now further south towards London. In and servants of his vices, were planning to do pursuit next morning on the road south to the same thing to his son, and therefore had Stony Stratford, they should have been am- prepared ambushes to kill Gloucester himself, bushed by Woodville forces. as protector; the ambushes ‘had been revealed Gloucester and Buckingham were ex- to him by accomplices’. Edward V had been pected to ride into the ambush and be killed clearly left in the dark, and the dukes treated quickly. Rivers could then rejoin the king at him with deference. Stony Stratford. But somehow the dukes Sir Thomas Vaughan and others were ar- managed to avoid any ambushes. Perhaps rested, and the royal escort was dismissed. they received advance warning or suspected a Rivers and the ambushing forces would have trap. been mopped up in a move back to North- If they were prepared for ambushes, they ampton. From there, Rivers, Grey and could have ridden through them. The Wood- Vaughan were sent north in captivity and, on ville troops would then be out of position and 3 May, Edward V, Richard and Buckingham unable to defend Edward V. With Rivers to reached St Albans, and London the day after. the north, there had been no need for Thus Gloucester's capture of the king and the look-outs around Stony Stratford, and without three could have happened because a Wood- them the royal entourage may have been una- ville ambush failed, a possibility mention by ware of the dukes’ approach. The approach Hammond and Sutton in The Road to Bos- could have been rapid, but More says that Ed- worth Field. Early sources were misled ulti- ward V was ready to leave, which could sug- mately by those involved in the failure, who gest that he had waited some time already. needed to explain it away by trying to fit their Perhaps, to avoid ambush, Gloucester and inventions about the capture into circumstanc- Buckingham had devised a more devious ma- es surrounding the ambush without revealing noeuvre on foot. the ambush. Interestingly enough, besides There would also have been a delay if the being the scene of the capture of Edward V, dukes rode round the ambushes. Did they according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase simply by-pass Grafton Regis by taking the and Fable Stony Stratford lays claim to being

Reading List Dominic Mancini, The Usurpation of Richard III, 2nd ed. by C.A.J. Armstrong, Gloucester 1989, especially pp. 74 - 9, 82 - 5, 92 - 3. Nicholas Pronay and John Cox, eds., The Crowland Chronicle Continuations: 1459 - 1486, Lon- don 1986, especially pp. 154 - 7, 160 - 1. 31

Alison Hanham, Richard III and his Early Historians 1483 - 1525, Oxford 1975, especially pp. 118 - 24 (including Excursus: John Rous’s Account of the Reign of Richard III). Robert Fabyan, The New Chronicles of England and France, ed. by Henry Ellis, London 1811, especially p. 668. A.H. Thomas and I.D. Thornley, eds., The Great Chronicle of London, London 1938, especially pp. 230 - 2. C.L. Kingsford, ed., Chronicles of London, Oxford 1905, especially p. 190. Polydore Vergil, Three Books of Polydore Vergil's English History, ed. by Sir Henry Ellis (Camden Soc. pub. 29), London, 1844, especially pp. 174 - 6, 182. Sir Thomas More, The History of King Richard III, ed. by Richard S. Sylvester (Yale edition of the works of Sir Thomas More, vol. 2), New Haven 1963, especially pp. 17 - 20, 24 - 5, 57 - 8, 88 - 9. P.M. Kendall, Richard the Third, London 1955, especially pp. 173 - 8, 182, 211 - 3, 463 - 4. Anne F. Sutton and P.W. Hammond, eds., The Coronation of Richard III: the Extant Documents, Gloucester 1983, especially pp. 23, 283. E.W. Ives, ‘Andrew Dymmock and the Papers of Anthony, Earl Rivers, 1482 - 3’, Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, vol. 41 (1968), especially pp. 226 - 29. Historical Manuscripts Commission 11th Report (1887) App. III, the Manuscripts of the Corpo- rations of Southampton and King's Lynn, p. 170. Michael Bennett, The Battle of Bosworth, Gloucester 1985, especially pp. 38 - 9, 181. Louise Gill, Richard III and the Buckingham Rebellion, Stroud 1999, especially pp. 52 - 5. P.W. Hammond and Anne F. Sutton, Richard III: the Road to Bosworth Field, London 1985.

War Horses at Bosworth

LYNDA M. TELFORD

urther to the debate regarding the correct an, no. 136, 1997). However, the warhorse, F site of the Battle of Bosworth, I would though certainly able to carry considerable like to put forward a point which, after thirty weight, was also required to be capable of years’ experience with horses, leads me to bursts of speed. Not, of course, as fast as the believe that, whether Dadlington or Ather- riding horses; indeed, it was sometimes said stone is the site, it cannot have been at Ambi- that they only had two speeds – amble or full on Hill. This is due to the cramped area gallop. Contemporary drawings of such hors- thought to be the battlefield, which is quite es show a far lighter horse than the Shire, unsuitable for large numbers of horses. As is with much less feathering, which is a distinct well known several types of horses were in disadvantage in muddy or snowy conditions. use at the time. Apart from sumpter horses, a The selective breeding then carried out (of knight would use two kinds in this situation. which there is a great deal of evidence here in The light, swift riding horse, occasionally the Yorkshire Dales, with a proliferation of with a valuable strain of Arabian blood for medieval horse-stud sites) produced a more improved looks and speed, would be kept in refined weight carrier. It is quite likely that the rearward lines and used as the medieval the present day Cleveland Bay (the old York- ‘getaway car’. Then there was the warhorse. shire Carriage Horse) is a descendant of the These are often confused with the present warhorse type. They are extremely strong, day Shires (as mentioned in the article quoted intelligent and teachable, with a good temper- by S. Derry in a book review in The Ricardi- ament and clean legs. The police often use 32

this type, or its crosses, for similar reasons in letter by a French mercenary on the Tudor their crowd control work. However, the great side, dated 23 August 1485). No commander heights presently reached by today’s Cleve- of Richard’s calibre would expect many hun- lands, or indeed Shires, would not be known, dreds of mounted knights to work in so con- or necessary, in medieval times. fined an area as Ambion Hill, where, by the We are told that Richard was an excellent time the riders in the van reached their objec- commander and that the concentrated cavalry tive, the ones at the rear would have barely attack he used was an accepted tactic, not an set off and would be quite unable to be used act of desperation on his part. No sensible effectively. Either of the other suggested commander would waste his knights’ lives sites would allow far more room for manoeu- unnecessarily, so he must have believed that vre, though Atherstone seems more likely as his charge of several hundred knights was it is quite close to a marshy area at Fenny likely to be successful, as it very nearly was. Drayton which would have proved a serious Therefore, he would have deployed his caval- obstacle to weight-carrying horses trying to ry where they could be used to full advantage. move at speed. We understand this indeed An eyewitness account refers to an entire caused a problem. I hope these points are of division being used for that charge (cited by interest and would welcome comments. Alfred Spont in 1897 and referred to by Mi- chael Jones in ‘Bosworth 1485’, taken from a

After Bosworth: A Fork in the Road

P. A. HANCOCK

he ex-baseball player Yogi Berra is Henry Tudor now make for Leicester and not T reputed to have once announced that: ‘if for London? London is surely the prize and you come to a fork in the road – take it.’ My as the seat of power must be claimed at the concern here is somewhat in the same vein. earliest opportunity, especially given Tudor’s Michael Jones’s provocative re-appraisal of highly doubtful claim to the throne and his the site of conflict between Richard III and still tenuous position in what for him must Henry Tudor on the morning of 22 August have been a strange land. Even if the battle 1485 leaves any number of questionable con- finished around Jones’s ‘burial mound’ on cerns but here, for the present, I wish to for- the branching Roman Road of ‘Fenn ward only one. Jones, in his text, asks us to Lanes’ (and this is giving him the best of his consider the psychological motivations of the interpretation), Watling Street, one of the combatants, using primarily the tenets of log- major Roman thoroughfares in the whole ic and their individual preferred self-interest. country still beckons to the south Given these imperatives, his account of the (Codrington, 1903). Indeed, according to action of Henry Tudor following the battle is Jones, Henry Tudor had, prior to the battle, less than convincing as even a brief perusal marched some miles south along Watling of the topographical context shows. Interest- Street already that day. Jones would have us ed readers may wish to consult a map of this believe that Henry Tudor progressed sixteen local area to have at their side, which will miles in a north-east direction, away from his help elucidate these geographical objections line of march upon the capital – why? If he more clearly. Jones locates the cessation of needed respite after the battle, there is Hinck- hostilities around the Fenny Drayton area ley, four miles away from the Atherstone site. (see Jones, 2002). This being so, why does If he needed a place for the burial of the hon-

ored dead, Nuneaton is less than four miles sence of more persuasive evidence, this ac- away and closer to Jones’s purported battle tion seems very much counter to Tudor’s best site than Dadlington where we know some of interest at that moment in time. If we accept the combatants were interred (see Jones, Foss’s currently most persuasive interpreta- 2002). If Tudor needed a city for the night, tion (see Foss, 1998), or even the more tradi- Coventry is ten miles directly south and no tional location, then the burial at Dadlington great diversion from his road of progress to- and the progress to Leicester (now the closest ward the capital. city) makes greater sense, although Tudor’s The fact is, Michael Jones must have imperative to claim the capital must still be Henry Tudor walk away from his best inter- considered and important motivation. In est precisely because of what little infor- short, unless Jones can find more persuasive mation we do have of the aftermath of the evidence for Henry Tudor’s known actions battle. For Jones’s reinterpretation to work, after the conflict, the more traditional version Tudor has to march along the Fenn Lane, of events and indeed the more traditional burying the dead at Dadlington, passing Wil- location of the battle must, on this ground, liam, Lord Hastings’ sombrely incomplete continue to be preferred until further signifi- Castle of Kirby Muxloe and on into Leicester cant evidence is found from which we can to accord with the historical record. However, again re-appraise this most frustrating of his- Jones’s whole thesis is based upon a reap- torical conflicts. praisal of probable response and in the ab-

Reading List 1. Jones, M.K. (2002). Bosworth 1485: Psychology of a Battle.(pages 198, 154) Stroud. 2. Codrington, T. (1903). Roman roads in Britain, London. 3. Foss, P. (1998). The Field of Redemore: The Battle of Bosworth, 1485. Newton Linford. 4. Hancock, P.A. (2002). Solem a tergo reliquit: The troublesome Battle of Bosworth. Ricardian Register, volume 27, part 2.

The Middleham Window

JOHN SAUNDERS

n the Bulletin Autumn 2003 we were re- sad state of affairs which a modern memorial I minded by Bill White of the events of would help put right. By the early 1930s seri- 1933 involving those bones in Westminster ous thought was being given to its form and Abbey. It was not a good year for Ricardians, location. The setbacks of 1933 did not deter who in those days called themselves ‘The the Fellowship and by the following year a Fellowship of the White Boar’. The Fellow- memorial was in place. In the seventieth an- ship had been founded in 1924 by the Liver- niversary year of this memorial’s dedication it pool surgeon Saxon Barton and early mem- is appropriate that we should recall again the bers included the writers Philip Lindsay and events and personalities that gave us what we Marjorie Bowen, the historians Philip Nelson know today as the Middleham Window. In and Aylmer Vallance, and the actor Tom Hes- 1475 Middleham’s church of St Mary and St lewood. Alkelda had been elevated to the status of a One of the aims of the Fellowship was to College by Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The sponsor a memorial to Richard III, the only church’s close associations with Richard and English monarch without an extant tomb, a its proximity to his favourite residence make

it an inevitable focal point for Ricardians. To gloriam et in piam memoriam Ricardi tercii the Fellowship it was the obvious place for a Regis Anglie qui hanc Collegiam fieri fecit memorial. After much discussion and debate Anno domini MCCCLXXVIII. All the repre- a stained glass window was agreed to be the sentations in the window are faithful to fif- most appropriate form it should take. Bar- teenth-century glass designs of the School of ton was the driving force behind the idea – as York. he reflected in later life ‘I can honestly say The execution of the window was carried that but for my efforts there out by a firm based in Liver- would have been no window at pool at a cost of £400, then a Middleham. I was called crazy considerable amount of mon- when I first proposed it.’ ey. The bulk of the funds Negotiations were carried were to be raised through out with the Vicar of Middle- public subscription and by the ham, the Rev. Mr. Thomas time of the window’s dedica- Young, who became both an tion nearly £375 had been enthusiastic supporter of the collected. The date for this project and a member of the was set for the 20 April 1934, Fellowship. His help was to close to the 450th anniversary be crucial in clearing all the of the death of Edward of ecclesiastical hurdles and se- Middleham. Barton dealt with curing the necessary faculty, the invitations, despatched which were by no means easy with an explanatory leaflet tasks. Once the faculty had and photograph of the win- been obtained the first deci- dow. The leaflet noted that sion to be made was where to Marjorie Bowen — 1930s publicity ‘by means of a plate at the place the window. The Rev. photograph door an opportunity will be Mr. Young arranged for a lo- afforded for contributions to cal photographer, Charles Illife from nearby the cost of the window for which £25 is still Leyburn, to take photographs of two potential required.’ The plate delivered the balance. locations and send the negatives to Barton. Barton had also been active on the public- This he did and in an accompanying letter ity front. The Archbishop of Liverpool was provided the following information: ‘For the asked to arrange a commemorative service for plain window, i.e. the one near the church’s Edward of Middleham in Liverpool Cathedral main door, 19 and 19 ½ inches for left and on the day of the dedication. His secretary right lights respectively. And for the second, replied ‘He [the Archbishop] is very interest- which has some bits of design and is, I believe ed to hear what the Fellowship of the White called “The St Alkelda Window”, 20 ¾ inches Boar is doing to perpetuate the memory of for both lights.’ After some deliberations the King Richard III and to see the photograph of plain window was chosen. the beautiful Middleham Window … he re- Philip Nelson, an expert on medieval grets very much that it is now not possible to stained glass, was given the task of designing organise any commemoration of his memory a window appropriate to a fifteenth-century on Friday.’ Anthony Wagner, Portcullis Pur- monarch. He took up the challenge with rel- suivant and later Garter King of Arms, wrote ish. His final design has St Richard of Chich- to Barton on receipt of his invitation ‘May I, ester, with his emblem of an ox, in the left as a member of the College which King Rich- hand upper light and in the right hand appears ard III founded four hundred and fifty years St Anne teaching the Virgin to read. Beneath, ago, express to you my deep interest in the in small panels of blue, are figures of King erection of a window in Middleham Church to Richard kneeling at a prie-dieu with his son his memory.’ In response Barton wrote ‘we Edward behind him. Facing them is Queen would solicit your help to abolish the office of Anne Neville. The legend below reads Ad Dei Rouge Dragon of the Welsh usurper and re-

store to the college the Great Founder’s own rescue of a name from the dark waters into pursuivant Blanc Sanglier.’ A request the which, through misinterpretations, it had College was of course unable to comply with, been flung.’ The final hymn, ‘Now thank we but it was worth a try. all our God’ was followed by the prayer of St A few days before the dedication the Rev. Francis of Chichester. The Rev. Mr. Young Mr Young sent a telegram to George V. It then read out a telegram from Buckingham read ‘On the occasion of the dedication of the Palace ‘Please convey to the Churchwardens memorial window to Richard III in Middle- and members of the Fellowship of the White ham Church, the Rec- Boar the King’s sincere tor, Churchwardens thanks for the loyal and membership of the assurances contained Fellowship of the in your message on the White Boar beg to occasion of the dedica- convey the expression tion of the memorial to of their unswerving King Richard III in loyalty to Your Majes- Middleham Church.’ ty.’ King George may The service concluded well have expressed with the Blessing and some surprise to learn the National Anthem. of his royal ancestor’s The surpliced clergy, posthumous following. choir, members of the The day itself saw a Fellowship and the rest large congregation fill of the congregation the church, including then moved in proces- many members of the sion from the church to Fellowship. Barton, Middleham Castle. At together with his wife the Drum Tower, where Dorothy and Philip Edward of Middleham Nelson were dressed in may have died, the bu- academic gowns com- glers of the East York- plete with mortar- shire Regiment sound- boards. The photo- ed Reveille and the Last graph of the Fellow- The Middleham Window. Post and the Fellow- Photograph courtesy of Geoffrey Wheeler. ship outside the church ship laid wreaths in captures the atmosphere of what must have memory of the prince. The ceremony closed been a memorable day for them. with the singing of one verse from the hymn The Rev. Mr. Young conducted the ser- ‘O God our help in ages past’. vice which began with a processional hymn, The day ended with afternoon tea organ- followed by a reading from 1 Kings Chapter 8 ised by the Rev. Mr. Young for members of verses 22 - 31. A further hymn was sung and the Fellowship and their guests. It was doubt- then the window was unveiled by Marjorie less a happy occasion and is the first recorded Bowen. She praised its beauty, emphasised example of Ricardians enjoying a good tea the good character of King Richard and his after an event or visit, a tradition now enthusi- family and how history had dealt so unfairly astically maintained by members throughout with them. The window was then blessed by the world. the Rev. Canon Sullivan of Richmond, who in There was some press coverage. The his address spoke of the ‘thankfulness felt by Times noted the date of the dedication but did the life-boatman following some heroic res- not provide a report. The Yorkshire Post gave cue attempt which had been a success. Simi- more prominence and included a full report lar gratification and thankfulness should be on 21 April. The Daily Mail noted that ‘men felt at this service following the successful and women who after five centuries still tena-

ciously believe in the innocence of Richard III been erected to this great monarch at the time have come forward with private subscriptions of his death.’ The Middleham Window was … in paying this tribute the supporters of the the first memorial to King Richard that sought belief that Richard III was a much-maligned to perpetuate his memory for positive reasons, monarch show that they are not shaken by the rather than to preserve it for negative ones. revelations last year [about] the bones of the The dedication day was a high point for the two princes…’. Indeed they were not. Fellowship and one of the rare occasions we Barton commented at the time of the dedi- can glimpse its public face. cation ‘…it is such a window as might have

From a copy of the Yorkshire Herald's original report of the unveiling, hence the uneven quality

Correspondence

Dear Editor, course Edward IV’s sons (I refuse to call Going ‘Undercover’ them ‘the princes in the tower’ as this sug- I thought my fellow Ricardians might be in- gests they spent their entire life locked in terested in a little playful ‘subterfuge’ I am there). undertaking at my local Adult Education Cen- Having started at the beginning of the tre. Having completed and enjoyed many Wars of the Roses, things were now getting creative writing courses over the past few more interesting as we learnt about Edward years, I decided to branch out and do a little IV’s reign in detail. Having been unusually history course. When I saw advertised non-vocal I had not declared for the Yorkists ‘Yorkists and Tudors, History for Pleasure’ I and was quietly pleased to hear of Richard’s could not resist. While there was no pretence unwavering loyalty to Edward and his prow- of high academic value to this, I was most ess on the battlefield. In particular our tutor intrigued as to how the tutor ‘would play it’ made much of Richard the youngest brother when it came inevitably to Richard III and of commanding his own flank of troops at both

Barnet and Tewkesbury whilst the older Clar- looked baffled and looked at me. ‘I have read ence had to stay, on both occasions, with Ed- a lot of books’, I said weakly. So I await next ward, due to the fact that the king could not week’s lesson with anticipation of one who is trust his brother not to change sides (again). surely going to be found out. Yes, we are on So far, so good ... There have even been a to that old serial killer himself, my dear Rich- couple of references to Shakespeare’s charac- ard. Next someone will be telling me he poi- ter of Richard: To quote my teacher soned his wife because he wanted to marry ‘Shakespeare wrote a load of nonsense about his niece. hunchbacks and so on’. Now we are really I would be most interested to hear of any- getting somewhere, or so I thought. one else who has taken a history course in Alas, it was of course, all too good to be recent years that deal with the later Plantage- true (and that is what we desire from history, nets, and how it was taught. Revisionist or is it not?) Dealing with Edward’s second Traditionalist? Unfortunately too many histo- accession to the throne, the class was in- ry teachers read Shakespeare. formed that Henry VI was then murdered in Sarah Aylward the Tower by Richard duke of Gloucester. PS I will provide an update post-Richard if Sigh! We were then given a basic family tree anyone is interested and if I haven’t been from Edward III to Henry VIII to show the thrown off the course for unruly behaviour. lines of succession. As is the case with such documents, dates of birth, marriage and death were shown, and also the cause of death. I Dear Editor, could point out many inaccuracies but the one I was glad to see, in the Winter Bulletin, that that struck me most was that George duke of useful material from past Ricardians is being Clarence was said to be murdered in 1478. recycled in the Bulletin, where it may reach a That he died cannot be denied. Surely a man new audience. I do, however, feel that since who fights openly against the king has com- such previously published material is poten- mitted treason – for which the penalty is tially somewhat out of date, it might be advis- death. When that man is the king’s brother, able to add notes updating it where appropri- who has already been pardoned more than ate. once, execution is entirely normal within the Carolyn Hammond’s article published on ‘fifteenth-century rules’. Now, who do you pp. 17 and 18 of the Winter Bulletin under the think carried out this dreadful deed? Right title of ‘The Man Himself’ is still excellent, first time, it was, we are told, Richard, Duke but it predates a recent revision of tree-ring of Gloucester. By this time I am having great dating calibration, from which it now seems trouble keeping my mouth closed and have that the Society of Antiquaries portrait of emitted so many little squeaks that the lady Richard III is very nearly contemporary, and next to me appears concerned. Without real- it might have been useful to add a note to this ising the effect she then, having perused the effect. The Clare Priory poem on the house of family tree, says ‘well, the Lancastrians had a York, which has been taken to imply that much better claim to the throne didn’t they?’ Richard might have been a sickly child, has That was enough for me: I confessed: fifteen been frequently mentioned in talks to Ricardi- years a member of the Richard III Society. an Groups and Branches, and to outside audi- Her face was a picture: I made her promise ences, both by myself and by other speakers not to tell. The tutor is still unaware of my including Anne Sutton, and I think it ought to allegiance. He is however, becoming suspi- be clear by now that no imputation of sickli- cious. Talking briefly about the content of ness was intended. The fact that Richard was our next lecture, he paused when trying to alive at the time of writing was simply being recall the name of the lady that ‘Richard al- contrasted with the fact that his two immedi- leged’ was pre-contracted to marry Edward. I ate siblings were dead. heard a voice say ‘Eleanor Butler’ and then As for Catherine Fitzgerald, Countess of realised it was mine. The rest of the class Desmond and her reported comments on

Richard’s appearance, I deal with these more tlefield as it was understood in the late eight- fully in a forthcoming Ricardian article eenth century ‘but in what particular part of (planned for 2005), but since I have already the Field cannot now be properly ascer- talked to some Society Groups on this sub- tained’. Nichols was so doubtful about this ject, it might be worth repeating now what I information (unusually for Nichols who tend- have already said in those talks: all the evi- ed to put in everything without comment) dence suggests that while the countess herself that he provided a note to the effect that since is unlikely ever to have set eyes on Richard, the cross came into the Fortescue family her very much older husband certainly could ‘immediately upon its discovery in 1778, he have met him. Thus, while the countess’s was of the opinion that it was found at their report is unlikely to be first hand, it could home of Husbands Bosworth, twenty or so very well be second hand, received by her miles away in a different division of the from her husband the 11th earl of Desmond, county. who was born in 1454. If you have lived in Leicestershire as long If I may also comment briefly on ‘Whose as I have you are well aware of the confu- Bones’ (pp. 19-24) I think it is a great pity sions still existing between the two villages. that Theya Molleson or some other competent They were both of similar size, each has a expert has not attempted a comparative dental ‘Bosworth Hall’, and each has a canal pass- study between the skull of Lady Anne Mow- ing to the west of it (indeed at times it is hard bray and the possible skull of her aunt, Lady to convince canal travellers that they are not Eleanor Talbot (Lady Butler). I would wel- cruising through Market Bosworth on their come such a study, which I lack the expertise way north along the Grand Union!) There is to undertake myself but the potential im- no doubt in my mind that this cross has noth- portance of which I attempted to outline in ing to do with Market Bosworth or the battle. ‘The Missing Molars: A Genealogical Conun- The Fortescues were a recusant family who drum’ (Ricardian no. 142 [1999], pp. 340- would have held on to Catholic liturgical 344). In my view it is at least as likely that the items through the Reformation and beyond; Norwich Castle Museum remains are those of one simply cannot see how such a thing Lady Eleanor as that the Westminster Abbey would have been just ‘lost’ at a battle. As urn remains are those of the ‘Princes’, and if with so many issues involving Bosworth, it it could be shown that Anne Mowbray’s hy- would be wonderful to think this was so, but podontia may have been inherited via her the facts say otherwise. mother from the Talbot family, its relevance Peter Foss in attempting to identify the Westminster Ab- Dear Editor, bey bones would become very questionable. Much as I like and respect the Editor, may I John Ashdown-Hill please point out that Aquitaine did not contain Dear Editor, a ‘c’ (as distinct from acquisition, which it The Bosworth Cross was) and that anyone spelling Bonnie Prince May I reply briefly to the letter from John Charlie’s name with a ‘y’ would be ostracised Ashdown-Hill concerning the so-called Bos- north of the Border? worth cross? (Ricardian Bulletin Winter, That apart, with regard to the footnote to 2003, pp. 33-34). There he refers to the prov- my last article: I bought Dr Wroe’s book on enance of this processional cross described in Perkin at once, because I liked her earlier one Nichols’s Leicestershire Volume IV, Part II on Pilate. However both are wordy and (1811) as being ‘dug up at the Bosworth bat- though it does no harm in the first instance, tlefield site’. There is only one Nichols so I when imagination can to a certain extent be think we are reading the same text, but what allowed free play, it obscures evidence in the Nichols actually reports is a hearsay account second. Page 265, which I am recommended of one of his antiquary correspondents in to study, speaks of mother-love without prov- Coventry, assuming that the cross was dug up ing that this existed. I used to know the Ac- in what he assumed to be the area of the bat- counts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland

Vol. 1 off by heart when preparing my own less no two persons’ perceptions of different first book in the mid 1950s, and although the performances are likely to agree in detail, at hospitable James IV paid for a spousing- least, in this case, we have photographic evi- gown for ‘Perkin’ there are no subsequent dence, as The Independent newspaper ran a payments for a christening or a wet nurse. series in their ‘Photographic Gallery’ on Certainly this is negative evidence, but so are ‘Rehearsing Richard’, so it is possible to see the quoted comments of the Venetians to what hats, crowns and costumes were tried Maximilian – the second of them has im- out before the opening night. Then the critics proved matters to include more than one were in general agreement that it was child. Page 511 is a mere reference to the ‘Edwardian’ in style, with an innovative mu- above letter to Maximilian and proves noth- sic-hall staging of the opening soliloquy, de- ing further. livered by Richard in cream silk top hat and It is feasible that Maximilian, who had tail suit, prompting one observer to dub it met the true or false Richard at his own fa- ‘Crookback – the Musical’! Unfortunately ther’s funeral, would want to be informed the rest of the production failed to live up to even indirectly of any such birth, as his broth- this promising start. Goodman had already er the Archduke Sigismund was married to outlined some of the background research in one of James I of Scotland’s barren daugh- studying for the role (see Autumn Bulletin, ters. Charles VII of France had given up pp. 12-13) but one daring innovation, seem- hope of the rest of them. Lady Katherine ingly showing his sympathy for the historical herself had no children by any of her subse- Richard, was apparently dropped soon after quent marriages although the second and third the première, when a number of reviewers were contracted within her childbearing peri- recorded him descending into the audience od in a time when, as the late Earl of Onslow and seizing a programme, which he tore to has remarked, women seemed to bear chil- pieces with a derisive sneer of ‘Huh, Shake- dren to a later age than now. Certainly Sir speare!’ Matthew Cradock would have wanted an heir. A further interesting departure from the One of the few mistakes made by the late text was perhaps only appreciated by those in Diana Kleyn in her crystal-clear, unpreten- the audience with a keen ear (something lost tious and thoroughly researched Richard of in modern theatregoers often concentrating on England was the statement that Lady Kathe- the visual aspects of the play, but of para- rine was the ancestress of the latter-day Pem- mount importance to the Elizabethans, as, brokes. It is unlikely that she was the ances- after all, Hamlet declares ‘We’ll hear a tress of anybody. Had there been such a play’). Before Bosworth Richard issued the child, Henry VII would have shown it no command to ‘Saddle White Syrie’ (Act 5, more mercy than was shown to the last Pole Scene 3) instead of ‘Surrey’, thereby reveal- grandchild, who simply disappeared in the ing that the actor had studied the New Oxford Tower in the next reign. edition of the text (ed. John Jowett, Oxford Pamela Hill University Press, 2000), with its footnote (p. 336) supplying this alternative reading, as Dear Editor, Syria was apparently famous for its breeding The three articles on the latest RSC ‘Richard stock, and also citing as evidence Richard’s III’ in the Winter issue (pp. 14-15, 34-35), ‘Household Register’ (BL.Harleian MSS 433) with their conflicting accounts of Henry where the name is said to be given in a list of Goodman’s appearance in the title role, only Richard’s horses. However, numerous re- served to underline the unreliability of such searchers over the years have failed to locate ‘eye-witness’ accounts (which can also be this reference, though interestingly Ken applied to medieval chronicles of battles, Wright in his recent ‘Field of Bosworth’, il- etc.), as well as the fallibility of human lustrates the folio in an appendix and makes memory. Although given that theatrical pro- an attempt to decipher the entry. ductions are constantly evolving and doubt- Geoff Wheeler

The Barton Library

New Fiction Librarian - Anne Painter

I am delighted to have taken over the running of the Barton Fiction Library from Anne Smith. Over the next twelve months I hope to hold a book auction. I have been interested in Richard III for most of my life. On a visit to Bosworth Field in 1978 I made a note of the Society’s address from the plaque on the gate at Dickon’s Well and I conse- quently joined the Society later that year. In 1980 I joined the newly formed Devon and Corn- wall Branch (then the South West Group) and became a member of the Branch Committee in 1990. In 1993 I took over as Branch Secretary. I moved to Cornwall from Nottinghamshire in 1972 to marry my husband David and joined him at Corisande Manor Hotel Newquay. In 1986 I became a committee member of the Devon & Cornwall Branch of the Hotel, Catering & International Management Association and was elected as Branch Secretary in 1990, a post I held until 1995. We sold the Hotel and took early retirement in 1996. Since that time I have been able to take a more active part in the Society.

Notice of temporary closure of the Fiction Library

The Fiction Library will be closed between Saturday 13 March and Saturday 22 May, inclusive. No books will be issued or may be returned between these dates. Please contact Anne direct for advice about book loans and returns around this period. Apologies to members for this unavoid- able inconvenience.

Latest additions to the non-fiction books and newly catalogued articles in the papers library

Listed below are a selection of books and articles that have been added to the Non-fiction Books and Non-fiction Papers Libraries. All the books are hardback unless otherwise described.

Books COSS Peter & KEEN Maurice (editors) Heraldry, Pageantry and Social Display in Medieval England (Boydell Press 2002, paperback) A collection of essays on social and cultural display in England in the Middle Ages, incorporating family lineage, social distinction and aspiration, ceremony and social bonding and the expression of power and authority. Objects considered include are monumental effigies, brasses, stained glass, rolls of arms, manuscripts, jewels, plate, seals and coins. EVANS Michael The Death of Kings: Royal Deaths in Medieval England (Hambledon Lon- don 2003) In this book Michael Evans gives an account of what is known about the deaths of all medieval English kings – natural, violent or accidental. He describes how contemporaries and later writers drew morals from such deaths and about the characters of individual kings, giving their deaths an imagery and symbolism lasting until the present day. Much fascinating detail is included plus personal information about the characters and attitudes of English kings and queens, giving an insight into the core of medieval society. HIETT Constance, HOSINGTON Brenda & BUTLER Sharon Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cook- ery for Modern Cooks (University of Toronto Press, 1996 Second Edition, paperback) A fun book translating medieval recipes into modern terminology for the twenty-first century cook to 41

follow. PIDGEON Lynda Antony Wydevile, Lord Scales and Earl Rivers: Family, Friends and Affini- ty (BA Thesis for the University of Reading, March 2003) An exploration of Antony Wydeville as man and lord. How did Antony relate to the others of his family? Was he a ‘Good Lord’? Was he the ‘… kind, serious and just man…’ that Mancini believed him to be or was there a certain coldness to his character? A detailed piece of research, including genealogical tables, and information on Anthony Wydeville's estates and offices. SINCLAIR Alexandra (ed) The Beauchamp Pageant (Paul Watkins for the Richard III & Yorkist History Trust - large book) The Beauchamp Pageant is a late fifteenth century illustrated life of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick (1382 - 1439), probably commissioned by Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick. Dr Sinclair provides an introduction, describing the origins, purpose and history of the manuscript, as well as a detailed biography of Richard Beauchamp, along with an interesting description to accompany each of the illustrations. See Peter Ham- mond’s advertorial on page 47.

Papers Robert Hardy on Longbows by Robert Hardy (from Living History, Issue No. 5, August 2003) The longbow is the archetypal medieval English weapon. It enabled a succession of monarchs from Edward I to Henry V to record notable victories over French and Scottish forces. So, what was it about the great war-bow that made it such a mighty force for England, and such a scourge for England’s enemies? Northern Fortress by James Marchington (from Heritage, No. 109, February/March 2003) A beautifully illustrated article on Raby Castle. Sources of Contention: The Search for Originality – The Wars of the Roses by Roni Wil- kinson (from Battlefields Review, Issue No. 24, 2003) An article about the location of the Battle of Wakefield. In Defence of the King by David Allsop (from Heritage Today, September 2002) As Duke of Gloucester, ruling from his estate at Middleham castle, Richard brought peace and good government to the north of England. The Search for John Tresilian: Master Smith to Edward IV by Jane Geddes (from History To- day, Vol. 52, (4), April 2002) John Tresilian was one of the greatest smiths, whose work sur- vives from the Middle Ages, revealing a complex cultural background, and highly evolved tech- nical skills. Marrying for Love: The Experience of Edward IV and Henry VIII by Eric Ives (from History Today, Vol. 50, (12), December 2000) This articles looks at the cases of two monarchs who broke with convention by marrying for love. Richard III: Days of Blood and Roses by Peter Crookston; Illustrations by Janet Wooley (from Heritage Today, Issue No. 39, September 1997) Just what makes Richard fascinating: a short article. Crafts, Guilds and the Negotiation of Work in the Medieval Town by Gervase Rosser (from Past & Present, No. 154, February 1997) An article which focuses on medieval society. How Urban was Medieval England? By Christopher Dyer (from History Today, Vol. 47, (1), January 1997) Christopher Dyer argues for an upgrading of the town’s importance in the Middle Ages. Girls growing up in Later Medieval England by Jeremy Goldberg (from History Today, Vol. 4, No. 45 (6), June 1995) An article about teenage pregnancy and street gossip but also lessons in housekeeping and good husbandry. The Lovelace Dispute: Concepts of Property and Inheritance in Fifteenth-Century Kent by P W Fleming (from Southern History, 12, 1990) This article relates to disputes which were common in the later half of the fifteenth century.

My Uncle by Edward The Lord Bastard by Jan Dines. A short story of ‘an interview given by Edward, son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, in safe seclusion in Burgundy, 1487’. The Charity of Thomas Barton: Blue Plaque Walk of Historical Stoke Golding An A5 booklet about Stoke Golding, where Henry VII was crowned after the Battle of Bosworth. Thomas Rotherham – Archbishop of York and Chancellor of England by Canon Gerald Hol- lis, M.A. A short biography of Thomas Rotherham. The Wallace Collection: A Guide to the Armouries A well illustrated booklet. Richard III and Historical Tradition by A R Myers. This article investigates the attitudes of historians to the traditions which grew up about Richard III. The Making of the Age of Chivalry by Jonathan Alexander. An article which outlines the context and objectives of an exhibition devoted to English Gothic Art.

Audio Visual Library Report

The undoubted highlight of recent video acquisitions, through the generosity of Linda Miller (USA), is the first significant Shakespeare film production in the States: ‘The Life and Death of King Richard III’ (1912), long thought to be lost and only known through written accounts and stills, but the only surviving copy was discovered by a collector in 1996 and after restoration by the American Film Institute is now available to a wider audience. Starring the tragedian Freder- ick Warde (1851-1935) who appeared in Irving’s company before leaving for the USA, where he acted with Edwin Booth (two other notable stage Richards), short extracts were screened in the NFT special programme on Richard in film and TV with Sir Ian McKellen narrating (1997), and ‘The Missing Princes of England’ History Channel TV programme (1999). A contemporary advertisement details the film in typical current hyperbole: ‘A Genuine Novelty and Triumphant Success. Five Reels – 5000 feet. A Feature Costing $30,000 to produce, 1,500 People, 200 Horses, 5 Distinct Battle Scenes, a Three-Masted Warship Crowded with Sol- diers on Real Water, Architecture, Costumes, Armor, all Historically Correct in Every Detail’. Unlike the shorter British version filmed by Sir Frank Benson in 1911 (see Bulletin, September, 1999) the introductory episode of Tewkesbury sees the first of numerous exterior locations, followed by the death of Henry VI in the Tower. After the wooing of Lady Anne, scenes proceed with great pace, through the arrest and murder of Clarence to the arrival of the Princes (sic) on horseback in London, where the understated score by Ennio Morricone provides a memorable accompaniment which reaches its crescendo with Richard’s acceptance of the crown. Here perhaps Warde is at his best, in suggesting Richard’s hypocrisy, and the acting compares favourably with more recent interpretations. Amongst the many scenes that depart from the Shakespeare text the princes are violently removed from their mother and their subsequent death and burial illustrated. Queen Elizabeth summons Richmond from France to protect her daughter from Rich- ard’s advances (as with Benson, Elizabeth of York is introduced into the narrative), and Richard urges Lady Anne to commit suicide (!) but she is later poisoned on his instructions. Richmond (played by the director, James Keane, no doubt eager to build up his part) visits his betrothed Elizabeth and is twice ambushed before Bosworth, where in an incredible variation a wounded Richard appears and collapses before being led off for the climactic duel with Richmond! Some striking lapses in continuity are evident, as when Richard’s costume changes after visiting Clar- ence in the Tower and more noticeably, following the dream sequence, in his tent before Bos- worth, but in all the film offers a rare glimpse of a legendary pre-war Shakespearean actor and ‘reminds us ultimately that the traditions of our theatrical past are very much alive in the dramatic endeavour of the present’. Despite being promoted as a ‘new series’, Channel 4’s ‘Fact or Fiction’ has had a troubled start, with odd programmes being transmitted at random. After ‘Robin Hood’ last year, ‘Richard III’ finally reached our screens on January 3, and although published some months ago, the ac-

companying book In Search of British Heroes, trailed at the conclusion, does not include him. Rather more publicity was, in any case, generated by the follow-up programme ‘Britain’s Real Monarch’, both of which are reviewed and discussed elsewhere in this issue. Visually ‘Richard III’ included more than its share of the usual tired cinematic clichés, so practically every reference to ‘the princes’ was accompanied by the over-familiar Millais painting, often lit by a gutter- ing candle, ravens hovered in the Tower shots, and even that most persistent metaphor for the ‘Wars of the Roses’, the chess set, put in an appearance! At least costumed extras were kept to a minimum and the battlefield re-enactments were suitably ‘out of focus’. Author Michael Jones’s theories on Edward IV’s illegitimacy were presented at the conclusion and followed up in depth in the second programme, the results of which inevitably came as something of an anti-climax, having been prominently featured in the tabloid press the previous week. Unfortunately, too, the main objective of his book, the alternative location for Bosworth, was ignored and Tony Robin- son had been filmed gesticulating with his usual enthusiasm on Ambion Hill and the ‘traditional’ battle site. Indeed, for all the money spent on location filming in Australia, a rather more interesting programme might have been made on the Bosworth controversy. Channel 4’s earlier historical venture came when a small selection of documents to be auc- tioned at Christies in December 2002 was previewed on the day-time TV show ‘Richard & Judy’. Examples signed by Richard I, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Henry VII were displayed, the latter dating from 1498, giving instructions for the decoration of his bedchamber at the new Palace of Richmond. Whilst pointing out that he is usually seen as a somewhat ‘ascetic’ character, historian Andrew Roberts commented that ‘this was almost a “camp” letter, that he writes’! Despite being singled out in the sale catalogue (courtesy Denise Price) that ‘documents signed by Richard III are of the greatest rarity’, his contribution was noticeably absent from the programme and newspaper reports of the sale, which concentrated on those of the Tudors and Lord Nelson’s love letters. However, the document should be familiar to longstanding members, as it had previously featured in the Bulletin for June 1981, when originally offered for sale, along with a transcription by Anne Sutton, and later was extensively studied by Lorraine Attreed, who published her research as ‘An Indenture between Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Scrope family of Masham and Upsall’ in Speculum 58.4 (1983). Concluding her introduction to the catalogue of her late husband’s collection, Brigitte Spiro, the vendor, expressed her feelings with these prescient comments: ‘Technological advances of the last quarter century have changed the romanticism of history. Society today suffers from information overload. Most libraries today no longer save newspapers and magazines, these are now copied on microfiche, tapes, discs and even digitally. The original is then discarded. Furthermore communication is by email and telephone. The art of letter writing is disappearing. Letter writing has even acquired the derogatory term of “snail mail”. For generations to come, in particular personal letters of future historical figures will be virtually non existent. Thus the price of technology has been the steady elimination of handwrit- ten material. Our tactile link to history is being lost’. Geoffrey Wheeler

The Life and Reign of Edward IV by Cora Scofield

For a few years my husband has been looking for a copy of this two-volume set. I would be glad to hear from anyone who might have a copy available.

Carolyn Naylor, 18 Hague Avenue, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S62 7PJ

Letter from America

he American Branch will hold its fourth Bennett of the University of Tasmania at Ho- T triennial conference on the fifteenth bart. The conference will have a number of century from 2 to 5 May 2004 on the campus themed sessions around which lectures and of the University of Illinois at Urbana- discussions will be based. The themes will Champaign (UIUC). The first conference include: Literature and Politics, Political Fig- was held at UIUC in 1995 and the proceed- ures and their Impacts, Lay Women and Spir- ings were subsequently published by Sutton ituality, Burgundy and the Hundred Year Publishing under the title Estrangement, En- War, and Art and Spirituality. Amongst the terprise and Education in Fifteenth Century wide range of lectures to be delivered will England. The papers from the third confer- be: Richard, Duke of York, and how the ence, Reputation and Representation in the Scots saw him in the 1450s; Processing Pow- Fifteenth Century, should be published by er: Public Spectacle, Politics and Topography Brill Academic Publishers this spring. The in Fifteenth-Century Bristol; Margery Kempe papers cover a number of political, military, and Sacred Space: the Community in Her social, architectural, and literary aspects of Soul; ‘Two Shires Against All England: Re- fifteenth-century England. For further details gional Honor and the Deposition of Richard of the book visit the pub- III in the Stanley Family lisher's web site Romances’; ‘The Many www.brill.nl Lives of the Wars of the Founded in 1867 UI- Roses: Ricardian to Vic-

UC is a large Midwestern torian Historiography’, research university of or, ‘How the Rat, the Cat around 36,000 students and the Hog Have Fared located in Champaign- over the Centuries!’

Urbana twin cities which Two of the ses- are home to approx sions at the conference 120,000 residents. The will be in memory of University Library houses The University Library, University of Illinois William and Maryloo the largest public univer- at Urbana-Champaign. Schallek, who have made sity collection in the possible scholarships for world, with 22 million items in the main li- North American doctoral scholars to help brary and in the more than forty departmental them with research and travel expenses in- libraries and units. Champaign-Urbana is volved with completion of their disserta- located in Central Illinois, a large farming tions. The papers in these sessions will be area approximately 2½ - 3 hours south of given by former Schallek Scholarship recipi- Chicago, Illinois and the same distance north ents Daniel Thierry, Helen Maurer, Robert of Saint Louis, Missouri. Barrett, and Sharon Michalove. We expect While the conference is an academic one, about fifty people to attend including the members of the Society are encouraged to speakers. If anyone is planning a trip to the attend. The atmosphere is very congenial and US and would be interested in attending the the participants in the past have enjoyed the conference, please contact me at camaraderie that a small conference can of- [email protected]. fer. The keynote speaker is Jean-Philippe Sharon D. Michalove Genet of the University of Paris and there will be plenary addresses by DeLloyd Guth of the Sharon D. Michalove is a past Chair of the University of Manitoba, Ralph Griffiths of the American Branch and is currently their Con- University of Wales at Swansea, and Michael ference Coordinator and Research Officer

Book Review

This is another new section of the Bulletin to provide reviews of new novels about Richard or which are set in the more general medieval period. This will complement the non-fiction book review part of the Ricardian. We intend to appoint a fiction reviews editor for these book reviews and will make a further announcement in the June issue of the Bulletin - watch this space.

The Clerkenwell Tales by Peter Ackroyd, suspicion and fear amongst the populace. Five London 2003. Hardback £15.99. Paperback acts are to take place, which represent the five £6.99 (April 2004). wounds of Christ. First an oratory is destroyed by Greek fire and then a murder is his innovative novel is set in 1399 dur- committed in St Paul’s. Slowly the tension T ing the last months of the reign of Rich- mounts in the city. Fascinating though the ard II. The action is centred in Clerkenwell story is, the strength of the book is the recrea- but also takes the reader into the City of Lon- tion of medieval life and folk. This is a warts don and surrounding neighbourhoods such as and all view of the period. Particularly memo- Smithfield, Bermondsey, St Pancras and rable is the Cook’s Tale and Roger de Ware’s Kentish Town. Ackroyd ‘coquina’ in Nuncheon recreates the memorable Street for those who cast of Chaucer’s pilgrims, ‘lunched’. Here the young that band of immortal char- cook is chided as he fails acters that have charmed to create successfully a readers through the ages dish of chopped pig’s liver, and driven school children milk, hard-boiled eggs and to distraction trying to un- ginger. Ackroyd vividly derstand the archaic lan- brings to life each charac- guage. The familiar sum- ter and the reader’s sympa- moner, pardoner and wife thy goes out to the lonely of Bath are all there but and doomed illuminator thrown together with new Hamo Fulberd and then personalities, including applauds the courage of the Clarice, the mad nun, and physician, Thomas Gunter, Miles Vavasour, the sinister who stumbles across the sergeant-at-law. Each of conspiracy and confronts the first 22 chapters in- one of the perpetrators volves a ‘tale’, which like with dire consequences. Chaucer’s original tales is a The superstition of the complete story in itself, but in Ackroyd’s ver- people is convincingly portrayed, such as the sion they also form a complete narrative. The importance of astrology and the use of herbs first tale is that of the Prioress, Dame Alice and animal waste to cure their ills. Perhaps Mordaunt, who is at her wit’s end as the most disturbing is the abject loneliness of eighteen-year-old Clarice disrupts St Mary’s those stricken with poverty. Convent with her visions. As Clarice’s fame The final chapter, the Author’s Tale, pro- spreads across London, a conspiracy, led by vides a final twist to the story that will appeal the clandestine movement called Dominus, to historians. The Clerkenwell Tales may well unfolds as they manipulate a disparate group become a classic and for those of you who of heretics, known as the ‘predestined men’, wish to spend a few hours in late medieval to commit a series of crimes aimed at creating London this book is well recommended. Wendy Moorhen 46

The Beauchamp Pageant

he Beauchamp Pageant is a unique T depiction of the events in the life of the fifteenth-century nobleman Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, grandfather of Anne Neville. The Pageant consists of 55 line drawings accompanied by a few lines of text depicting royal occasions, battle scenes and tournaments as well as more ordinary scenes. Amongst the famous events illustrated is the marriage of King Henry V with Katherine de Valois. All of the scenes contain wonderfully detailed drawings of such things as clothing, shoes, armour and weapons and some have been used many times in historical works as illustrations because of their accuracy. Although Richard Beauchamp died in 1439 the drawings were made about 1485 and depict life as it was at that Plate 55. Anne Neville flanked by her husbands, Edward, Prince of Wales , and King Richard III time, bringing to life the late fifteenth century, the life led by the nobles of the Yorkist court. As part of the work there are two genealogical depictions of Rich- ard Beauchamp and his immediate family, which include one of only two representa- tions of Anne Neville and Edward of Middleham (not illustrated). The Beau- champ Pageant is available from the Soci- ety’s Sales Office, price £43 plus £7.50 postage and packing. Peter Hammond

Plate 38. Rouen. The town was besieged by Plate 43. The marriage of Henry V and Katherine de Valois Earl Richard in 1418 Plate 30. Earl Richard at the Joust

Report on Society Event

Unveiling of the Fotheringhay Plaque, Christmas Lunch and Carol Service, Sunday 14 December 2003

e had a slightly earlier start from Lon- so again thanked Simon and Lady Victoria W don this year because the visit includ- Leatham, Michael Wilson who put up the ed an unveiling of a special plaque in the vil- plaque, Geoffrey Wheeler for its design and lage. On arrival we met up with other Ricard- John Ashdown-Hill who organised the event. ians and Phil After the Stone As recorded in the 15th Century Annals, attributed to unveiling we thanked every- had our tradi- William Worcester. body for at- tional Christ- tending, add- KING RICHARD III b.1452 and his brothers and sisters mas lunch at ing that in the WILLIAM of YORK, b.1447 the Village year of the ANNE DUCHESS of EXETER, b.1439 and Hall, which was quincen- MARGARET DUCHESS of BURGUNDY 1446-1503 excellent as tenary of her usual, and then death, we are we made our honouring way to the Margaret of York with a plaque to commemo- church for the Christmas Carol Service. On rate the possibility that she was born in Foth- entering the church I noticed the winter sun eringhay, together with several of her sib- shining through the windows making it look lings. Phil also very warm and thanked Si- welcoming. mon and Lady The service

Victoria followed the

Leatham for traditional con- allowing the tent, except for

Richard III the carol

Society to ‘While shep- place the herds watched plaque at the their flocks by end of their night’ which house. He was sung to the then called tune of ‘Ilkley upon Juliet Moor baht’at’,

Wilson, the which was dif-

Society’s rep- ferent but still resentative in enjoyable. the village, to Personally eve- unveil the From left to right: Dr Phil Stone, Juliet Wilson and John Ashdown-Hill ry year I look plaque. Fol- forward to vis- lowing the unveiling, Juliet thanked the Soci- iting Fotheringhay, to meet up with old ety and said that she was pleased to see, at friends and make new ones and this year was last, some recognition in the village of Rich- no exception and I would like to thank Phil ard III’s presence. Stone for organising it. Phil responded by thanking Juliet, and al- Elaine Robinson

Future Society Events

New Announcements and Forthcoming Events

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Norfolk Branch

This year is the Silver Jubilee of the Norfolk Branch. As part of the celebrations, Saturday 31 July 2004 will be a very special day in Norwich. There will be a service at Norwich Cathedral to mark the Silver Jubilee. Also a plaque will be unveiled at the Blackfriars in Norwich to commemorate the Royal visits of the house of York to the city in the summer of 1469. In June 1469 Edward IV was in Norwich, together with his brother, the duke of Gloucester (Richard III), and they were followed in July by Queen Elizabeth Woodville, who was entertained with pageants at the Blackfriars. The Norfolk Branch invites all members of the Society to come to Norwich for this special day of celebration on 31 July. It is hoped to run a coach to Norwich for those who would like transport from London. There will be free time to look around Norwich and have lunch, followed by the Cathedral service, the plaque unveiling and tea. Please come if you can, either in the coach or using your own transport. Full details, together with a booking form, will be in the Summer Bulletin, but in the meanwhile, please make a note of the date in your diary. John Ashdown-Hill

Death of Kings

The Norfolk Branch will hold its annual study day on 13 November 2004 at the Elizabeth Fry Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich. The day begins at 9.30 a.m. with coffee, and the programme includes talks by Professor Carol Rawcliffe The Deathbed of Medieval Kings, Alison Weir Edward II, Dr Michel K Jones Death of Richard Duke of York, Dr Ann Wroe Perkin War- beck and Dr Phil Stone First Catch your Asp. Full timings and booking form in the Summer Bulletin. Norfolk Branch

Bookable Events

Society visit to Westminster Abbey Museum and guided tour of Lambeth Palace on Thursday 22 April 2004

A visit to Westminster Abbey Museum and a guided tour of Lambeth Palace have been arranged on Thursday 22 April 2004, limited to 25 participants. Westminster Abbey Museum housed in the vaulted undercroft beneath the former monks’ dor- mitory is one of the oldest areas of the Abbey, dating back to the foundation of the Norman Church by King Edward the Confessor in 1065. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the Abbey’s collection of royal and other funeral effigies including effigies of Edward III, Henry VII, Eliza- beth I and Charles. During recent conservation of Elizabeth I’s effigy a unique corset dating from 1603 was found on the figure and is now displayed separately. Other items on display include the funeral saddle, helm and shield of Henry V, panels of medieval glass, twelfth century

49 sculpture fragments, Mary II’s coronation chair and replicas of the Coronation regalia. Lambeth Palace Guided Tour. The London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the oldest surviving part of the Place is the chapel, whose construction was almost certainly commissioned by Stephen Langton. Little is known about life in Lambeth during the Middle Ages, partly because Archbishop Kilwardby took almost all the old records with him when he went to be a Car- dinal in Rome in 1278. The first great hall (now vanished) was built before 1234, when its roof was repaired. The building of the guard room was probably a response to the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381. One tower was built by Henry Morton, who was Archbishop to Henry VII (1486-51), and a small room in it was used as a prison. The Library, which became permanent in 1610, was Eng- land’s first public library and remains freely open for research, serving today as the principal library for the history of the Church of England. It contains over 4,000 manuscripts of which more than 600 are medieval, some 200,000 printed books, including a Gutenberg Bible printed in 1455 and about 30,000 other works dating from the invention of printing to 1700. The archives of the archbishops range from the long series of registers dating from 1279 to modern correspondence. The Gardens. In the Middle Ages the nineteen acres of grounds had been used mainly for growing food, breeding rabbits, etc. When a mill grinding flour was no longer needed to sup- ply the bakery, streams and a large pond remained, and there was also a ‘pleasure garden’ where Thomas Cranmer built a summerhouse. Much of this area was landscaped in the 1780s.

Programme: 10.15 Meet outside Westminster Abbey Bookshop 10.30 Visit to Westminster Abbey Museum. If time after, or at end of day, visit the Jewel Tower. It is a fourteenth-century tower built to house the treasure of Edward III 12.00 Lunch – own arrangements 13.00 sharp regroup outside Westminster Abbey Book Shop and then walk as a group to Lambeth Palace 13.30 Visit to Lambeth Palace: Gardens, weather permitting, then video and guided tour of Lambeth Palace, which we hope will include Richard’s Book of Hours. 16.30 End of visit

Travel: For Westminster Abbey to St James’s Park or Westminster underground on the District and Circle Lines. Buses travel from Victoria Street, near Victoria Station, to Parliament Square.

Costs: For Lambeth Palace tour, Westminster Abbey Museum and admin. - £8.50. The Jewel Tower is English Heritage: members - free, entry £2.00, concessions £1.50. (Open 10.00 –16.00 in April): please pay your own entrance fees on the day.

Please send a cheque payable to the Richard III Society for £8.50 to Rosemary Waxman, 37 Chewton Road Walthamstow, E17 7DW, marked on the back ‘Lambeth Palace’. Tel 0208 521 4261. Please enclose an SAE with your booking form. You will be sent a confirmatory letter with information about the availability of the Library visit, notes for visitors to Lambeth Palace, a map and details of places to eat in the area. Please note that it is unlikely that this visit will be repeated as it has taken over four months to book the guided tour of Lambeth Palace! If you need to cancel, please let me know as soon as possible. A list of reserves will be kept and you may be notified at very short notice, if a vacancy occurs. Closing Date 31 March 2004. If you wish to join in this visit, please complete the booking form in the centre pages. Rosemary Waxman (Visit Organiser)

Visit to Ely

On Saturday 19 June 2004 the Mid Anglia Group is visiting the unique and beautiful Ely Cathe- dral, and fellow Ricardians (of other groups or of none) are cordially invited to join us on that occasion. Ely, with its unique octagonal lantern tower, built by Alan of Walsingham in the four- 50

teenth century, is one of England’s finest cathedrals. The cathedral houses a special museum dedicated to the rescue and display of stained glass. It is also a building with clear Ricardian associations. The future Cardinal Bourchier, cousin of the Yorkist kings (and who, as archbishop of Canterbury, crowned both Edward IV and Richard III) was, earlier in his career, bishop of Ely. So was Richard III’s great enemy, the future Cardinal Morton! The London palace of these prel- ates was in Ely Place, Holborn, and St. Etheldreda’s church, where the annual Society Requiem Mass is normally celebrated, was once their private chapel. Ely cathedral also houses the splendid tomb of John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester, a loyal supporter of Edward IV, and known as his ‘Butcher of England’. It was Tiptoft who, at the insti- gation, it is said, of Elizabeth Woodville, put to death the earl of Desmond in 1468. Ely is accessible by train from London, Cambridge and Peterborough, so Ricardians from many areas might like to join in this visit. Entry to the cathedral normally costs £4.40, inclusive of guided tour, but there are group and other concessions which will apply if enough members wish to come. If you wish to join in this visit, please complete the booking form in the centre pages. John Ashdown-Hill

Reminder and Late Bookings

Study Weekend, Friday 16 – 18 April 2004

There are still a few places available for the study weekend and for the Saturday night banquet at Barley Hall. Please see page 16 for a representation of the great hall. Full details and booking form were in the Winter 2003 Bulletin. Jacqui Emerson, Research Events Administrator

Reproduced from The Yorkshire Jester by kind permission of the Yorkshire Branch 51

Branches and Groups

Devon and Cornwall Branch Branch Meetings : Saturday 13 March Perkin Warbeck, a talk by Dr Ann Wroe, with reference to his land- ing and activities in Devon & Cornwall Saturday 8 May Social Meeting Saturday 12 June View the Barton Fiction Library at the Branch Secretary’s home (all members welcome) Saturday 3 July Branch 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at the Plymouth Moat Hotel. We will be joined by Society members who are staying in Plymouth for the Society’s Annual Summer Visit Saturday 10 July The Military Prowess of Richard III, a talk by Michael K. Jones Saturday 3 - Tuesday Branch Weekend trip to York 6 September Saturday 11 September The Third Robert Hamblin Memorial Lecture, this year given by Mary O’Regan on ‘Richard III and York’ Saturday 13 November Branch Annual General Meeting Saturday 11 December Christmas – the venue to be chosen at a later date

All meetings, apart from the June meeting, are held in the fifteenth-century Prysten House, Royal Parade, Plymouth. Meetings commence at noon. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided. All members are welcome to come along to a meeting and see one of the oldest surviving buildings in Plymouth. Anne E Painter, Branch Secretary

Edinburgh and Lothian Group - Report for 2002-2003 Our group in Scotland prior to 2002 became a little moribund after the resignation of our hard- working founder and secretary Philippa Stirling-Langley. We are still in a somewhat ‘post- Philippa’ situation, all ‘mucking in’: we have only produced one journal (2001), edited by Dave Fiddimore, but our present secretary is working on the next edition for 2003/2004, which will include report of a September visit to Dean Castle in Ayrshire. We finally achieved our visit to Lennoxlove (post foot-and-mouth plus a couple of mishap- penings). For a guided tour, the original is a great ‘L’ plan tower of the early fifteenth century with Maitland/Mary Queen of Scots connections. What particularly took our interest was the portrait of ‘Henry VII’ which looked for all the world like a copy of Henry VI. Correspondence on the issue was followed up with the director of the estate, but the outcome was, predictably, that we agreed to differ. That day had started with a guided tour of the town and reconstructed church of Haddington, believed to be on the line of march of Richard’s 1482 invasion army. In the summer of 2002 we met up at Middleham Castle for an annual extravaganza called ‘The Court of Richard III’ which takes place within the castle walls. We made contact with society member Johanna from the Netherlands, and Alison Weir the historical author. Alison came partly to attempt to put the case against King Richard, but the re-enactors of ‘The Court’ gave as good as they got: we were not needed. Pre Christmas 2002 the group combined with our guest Dr Michael K Jones for a tour of Dal- housie Castle (not claimed to be involved in the ’82 invasion) followed by being ‘piped’ in to dinner there. Dr Jones, on the following day, spoke to us on the 1482 invasion of Scotland, skil- fully weaving this in with the main themes of his book Bosworth 1485: the psychology of a battle. The venue for his inspiring and lucid talk was James Thin, Scotland’s best known bookshop. 52

We were a small but enthusiastic audience with members of the local Historical Association present, and society member Johanna again came all the way from the Netherlands to attend. In 2003 we again ‘kicked off’ with our AGM, then combined this with lunch and an afternoon chat with author Alison Weir. This proved to be a really enjoyable meeting which demonstrated clearly that we can agree to differ in the nicest possible way. In August 2003 we combined again with Ricardians from the north of England at ‘The Court of Richard III’ at Middleham. It was enjoyable to say the least: a great feeling of ‘togetherness’. Stuart and Johanna even put together their own scenario, presenting a dish of strawberries to Richard and Anne. When the Scottish branch of the Battlefields Trust is permanently established, we hope to co- operate with them in finding out more about the battle of Lochmaben, when the duke of Albany with an English army was defeated in 1484, plus the battle on the river Sark in 1448. We have scheduled for 2004 a meeting to research with maps the route of Duke Richard’s 1482 invasion of Scotland. At the moment we are on the trail of an unpublished thesis, plus the author (courtesy of Rollo Crookshank), and have also made contact with a North-East historian who plans to include the subject in his next book. Douglas Weeks

Gloucestershire Branch During the first quarter of the year we have staged two lectures: Mickie O’Neill presented ‘Auld Enemie, Auld Alleyance’ a history of the reigns of James I to James IV of Scotland and their im- pact on Scottish and English history, and, in March, Keith Stenner spoke about the Battle of Bos- worth, the main protagonists and how their motives may have impacted on the outcome of the conflict. The Bristol Group has held two events. An evening of ‘short papers’ focused on ‘Favourite Medieval Locations’. Attendees were able to outline their best-loved sites and explain why the locations were so important to them. The now annual quiz evening was also the usual success since, once again, we were able to laugh at our collective ignorance. The spring and summer programme should prove quite busy and some events are outlined below. Please keep in touch at Branch and Group level for possible additions to the schedule, venues and detailed visit schedules.

Saturday 3 April To be announced (Branch ) Saturday 1 May Perkin Warbeck : Talk by Ann Wroe (Branch ) Saturday 29 May Field Visit : Corfe Castle and local churches (Bristol Group ) Saturday 5 June Field Visit : Partishow Church, Tretower Court and Llanthony Abbey (Branch) Saturday 19 June Field Visit : The Churches of North Herefordshire (Bristol Group ) Keith Stenner

Greater Manchester Branch Study Day at Norton Priory: ‘Heraldry, Hau- berks and Henins – colour, campaign and clothing in Medieval England’ Saturday 18 October 2003 was a glorious day, blue skies, sunshine, very warm, and I set off for the very first Greater Manchester Study Day at Norton Priory with a mixture of excitement, trepi- dation and hope that everything would go well. I need not have worried. Thirty-eight Society members and friends met up in the Study Room at Norton Priory, our speakers were all there with lots of things for us to touch and try on, Bob Dobson had brought his excellent selection of secondhand books carefully reflecting our tastes, and after a welcome cup of coffee we were off.

First on was Mark Olly, a great favourite at branch meetings. He has a fund of knowledge about the history and archaeology of the Warrington area, was involved with the original excava- tions at Norton Priory and is the author of several books about the area. His talk was about the Knights Templar, exploring the religious and pagan aspects of the group, their history and the geographical spread of the Knights. He even managed to connect them to Norton by way of Templar Crosses. As with all Mark’s talks we just wanted him to continue, but we had another gem waiting, in the beautifully-clad Sarah Thursfield. Sarah designs and makes medieval clothes, for re-enactors or just people who are interested. She was wearing one of her own dresses, and had brought with her a selection of clothes such as might have been worn by your typical fourteenth and fifteenth-century person, rich and poor. We tried them on, buckling under the weight of some of the velvet dresses and cloaks, and Philip our chairman was close to abscond- ing with the beautiful tabard embroidered with the coats of arms of John de la Pole that she had on display. It was gorgeous, as was the matching battle pennant she had made. Mark Olly looked particularly medieval with his long hair and beard, wearing a magnificent velvet robe. It was noticeable that no-one modelled the hose or the undergarments Sarah brought with her. This brought us to lunch, a sumptuous buffet served in the coffee bar, after which we were free to explore Norton Priory. As a venue for a medieval study day it is second to none, having the remains of the twelfth-century priory, an excellent museum and shop, a world famous giant- sized statue of St. Christopher, wonderful woodland walks and a walled garden. To walk off lunch, and as the weather was so warm and sunny, some of us took the opportunity to walk to the walled garden to have a look at the roses Philip our chairman had planted in remembrance of Richard III and Francis Lovell. Admittedly they looked a bit stick-like, but it was October. Hopefully by summer they will be lovely. Then back to the speakers, starting with our chairman, Philip Jackson, talking about Richard and the College of Heralds, illustrated with slides explaining the basics of heraldry, showing lots of examples of the arms of local families and ending up with Richard’s connection with the Col- lege and more modern examples of coats of arms including the Society’s own. Our final speaker was Michael Jones, who did not discuss the Battle of Bosworth except briefly in passing, but concentrated on the conduct of battle, and how behaviour in battle was a very ritualistic business with very specific ways to behave. He related these rituals, from the way you prepared for battle by making a will and saying masses, to donning your armour and therefore not turning back, to Richard and battles in general, including Bosworth. His talk neatly drew together many of the threads from our previous speakers’ talks, and all done without benefit of notes. So we need not have worried about our first study day: it was great. Our speakers enjoyed it as much as the listeners did, and they all want to come back again next year. In fact they have already started planning next year’s talks. We will do it again: we can guarantee the quality of the speakers and the lunch, but I am not so sure about the weather. It would be nice to see more local members there, as it was a truly splendid day. So we tender many thanks to Philip who came up with the original idea, to Helen our secretary who organised it all so competently, to everyone from the Branch who helped to make it so successful, to our four excellent speakers, to the people who attended and to Norton Priory for their facilities and wonderful setting. Personally I can’t wait for next October and the next Greater Manchester Study Day. Come and join us. You will enjoy it. Carol Carr

Lincolnshire Branch - Medieval Banquet

Saturday, 3 April, in the great hall of the Bishops’ Palace at Southwell Minster. Time: 19.30 for 20.00. Cost: £23.00 – includes four-course meal, music and entertainment. Bed and breakfast available in the area. Contact: Jean Townsend – Tel 01636-626374. Yorkshire Branch Most of the guests at our medieval banquet last October will have noticed Mr Don Flear taking formal (or not so formal) photographs of the occasion. The Branch is pleased to announce that copies of a CD-Rom of his pictures are now available from our Treasurer, Mrs C Symonds, 2 Whitaker Avenue, Bradford BD3 2HL, at a bargain £2.00 each. As a colourful souvenir of a great evening, or simply a collection of costume designs for all sorts and conditions of citizens, this is unmissable Order your copy now! On 30 December the Branch commemorated the Battle of Wakefield by laying a wreath at the monument, which features a small statue of Richard, Duke of York, in Manygates, Sandal, just down the hill from the castle. One of the very first activities of the group of Ricardians who later formed the Yorkshire Branch was a meeting here back in December 1960, at the time of the quin- centenary of the battle, and following a suggestion from Wakefield member Barabara Sykes it was decided to revive the custom after many years’ abeyance. More than twenty members and friends were present, and a wreath of white roses and lilies made up by Sheffield member Pauline Pogmore was placed at the foot of the monument after a few words by our Chairman John Auds- ley. Afterwards the party enjoyed some time at the castle on a fine, crisp afternoon, and Branch members provided refreshments in the new visitor centre. This was a successful event which the Branch has every hope of making a regular date in our calendar. We can confirm that Dr Michael Jones will be the speaker at our Spring Lecture on Saturday 3 April 2004. The venue, as usual, is the lecture theatre at Leeds City Art Gallery, and the lecture begins at 2.00 p.m., although the hall is open from 1.00 p.m. for socialising. Admission is free. Dr Jones will speak on Richard of Gloucester as a military commander, especially in the North of England. Those of you who have heard this speaker before will surely look forward to hearing him again, and if you have never heard him you have missed a great experience, so come along this time! The lecture always takes place at ‘Towton Weekend’ and on Sunday 4 April there will be the customary commemoration of the battle at the Dacre Cross by the battlefield near Saxton, Tad- caster. This event is organised by the Towton Battlefield Society, and further details may be obtained from John Audsley on 0113-294-2656. Angela Moreton

Worcestershire Branch We have had a number of successful meetings. The Christmas lunch was up to its usual high standards and in a new venue after we were let down by our usual hall. The new place turned out to be as large and comfortable as the Oaks. In November Kevin Down spoke to us about Richard III and his churchmen, which was an interesting discussion followed by a lively question and answer session. In January we held our first ever library open day, where the librarian bought all the books, magazines, and periodicals that are in our library and displayed them for us to browse. Along- side this we showed the displays we created for our stalls at the re-enactments of the battle of Tewkesbury and at Leominster for the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross. Also shown was Geoffrey Wheeler’s display about Richard III. Our future programme: Saturday 13 March In a change to the programme it will now be an illustrated talk ‘The Castles of Herefordshire’ by David Whitehead at Lyttleton Rooms, Malvern Saturday 17 April AGM and visit to Caldwell Tower, Kidderminster

Obituaries

Nancy Baldwin The Gloucestershire Branch is very sad to record the death of Nancy, who died suddenly in December 2003. She will be remembered for her long membership of the Branch, constant attendance and lively contributions at meetings. Her staunch allegiance to Richard and his reputation was legendary – any visiting speaker careless enough to cast some ill considered slight on Richard, would receive an immediate, mid-sentence, riposte from Nancy! A thanksgiving service for her life was held at Christchurch, Abbeydale, Gloucester on Friday 19 December. The church was packed with Nancy’s friends from the many groups and societies she frequented – these included her interests in classical music, art, reading, local history and, of course, the Richard III Society. Our sincere condolences go to Chris, Nancy’s husband, and her sons, Alex and Francis. Nan- cy will be much missed at Branch meetings. Gloucestershire Branch

Dr Philomena Connolly I never met Phil Connolly but I corresponded with her between 1994 and 1998 on the Society’s wills indexing project. She introduced herself as an archivist working in the National Archives and a part-time teacher in the Medieval History Department in Trinity College, Dublin. I later learned she was a graduate of Trinity College, and she originally regis- tered for an M.Litt studying Lionel of Clarence and Ireland, 1361-66, but extended her research in order to submit it for a Ph.D. which was conferred in 1978. During her career Phil was given day-to-day charge of the State Paper Office in Dublin Castle and later was based in the Public Record Office of the Four Courts where she had responsibility for medieval records. Amongst her major publications were the Statute Rolls of the Irish Parliament, Richard III - Henry VII. For the wills project Phil indexed several volumes found in the library of Trinity College and as with many other indexers she couldn’t resist including snippets from the wills in her letters. Her last letter to me mentioned the death of her namesake on the project, Philomena Jones, at an early age. Sadly Phil herself was only in her mid-fifties when she passed away in June last year. A true daughter of the 60s, she appreciated the music of Bob Dylan. I always loved her description of working on the project – ‘I’m enjoying this’. Wendy Moorhen

With regret we announce the loss of our former member Sylvia Streich, one of our four Hanove- rian members. With only around fifty years of age a serious disease let her leave too early. She was one of the founding members of the Continentals when they started in 1986. We well re- member her important support as a staunch Ricardian. She wrote very interesting articles for our little magazine and helped to organise our meetings. She will be sadly missed. Rita Diefenhardt-Schmitt, Continental Group

Calendar

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 Team, Branches/Groups, or by others, please let the Editor have full details, in sufficient time for entry. The calendar will also be run on the website, and, with full details, for members, on the intranet.

Date(s) Events Originator 13 Mar Requiem Mass and rose planting at Clare Priory Visits Committee 3 Apr Lincolnshire Branch Medieval Banquet, Southwell Lincolnshire Branch, page 54 3 Apr Yorkshire Branch Spring Lecture: Michael K Jones Yorkshire Branch, ‘Richard III as a military commander’ page 55 16-18 Apr Study Weekend in York on Medieval Women Research Officer, page 51 22 Apr Weekday day visit to Lambeth Palace and Westminster Visits Committee, page 49 19-25 May Visit to Ireland – Dublin, and Cork - CANCELLED Visits Committee 5 Jun Branches, Groups and Committee Representatives Secretary Meeting 19 Jun Visit to Ely Mid Anglia Group, page 50 2-5 Jul Visit to Devon and Cornwall – Plymouth, St Michael’s Visits Committee Mount, Tiverton, Exeter, etc. 31 Jul Norfolk Branch Blackfriars Plaque Unveiling Norfolk Branch, page 49 22 Aug Bosworth Secretary 11 Sep Day visit to Surrey – Society Library, Farnham Castle, Visits Committee Guildford Castle 2 Oct AGM Secretary 13 Nov Norfolk Branch Study Day ‘Death of Kings’ Norfolk Branch 12 Dec Fotheringhay Service of Nine Lessons and Carols and Fotheringhay Lunch Co-Ordinator

Subscription Rates Full member £15; Family membership (all living at same address) £20; Senior citizen member (over the age of 65) £11, Senior citizen family membership £15; Junior member (joining before 18th birthday) £11; Student member (over 18 in full-time education) £11; Overseas mailing charge (£2). Subscriptions are due on 2 October 2003 and should be sent to the Membership Dept, cheques and postal orders payable to Richard III Society