sign in sign up
<<
Home , Battle of Tewkesbury, Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Woodville, Grafton Regis, Groby Old Hall, Jacquetta of Luxembourg

...... s Richard III Society, Inc. Volume XXIV No. 3 Fall, 2005

The Unseen REGISTER STAFF

EDITOR: Carole M. Rike 14819 Flowerwood Drive • Houston, TX 77062 281-488-3413 ° 504-952-4984 (cell) email: [email protected] ©2005 Richard III Society, Inc., American Branch. No part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means — mechanical, RICARDIAN READING EDITOR: Myrna Smith electrical or photocopying, recording or information storage retrieval — 2784 Avenue G • Ingleside, TX 78362 without written permission from the Society. Articles submitted by (361) 332-9363 • email: [email protected] members remain the property of the author. The Ricardian Register is published four times per year. Subscriptions are available at $20.00 annually. ARTIST: Susan Dexter 1510 Delaware Avenue • New Castle, PA 16105-2674 In the belief that many features of the traditional accounts of the character and career of Richard III are neither supported by sufficient CROSSWORD: Charlie Jordan evidence nor reasonably tenable, the Society aims to promote in every [email protected] possible way research into the life and times of Richard III, and to secure a re-assessment of the material relating to the period, and of the role in English history of this monarch

The Richard III Society is a nonprofit, educational corporation. In This Issue Dues, grants and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Elizabeth Woodville’s Families Dues are $35 annually for U.S. Addresses; $40 for international. Kathleen Spaltro ...... 4 Each additional family member is $5. Members of the American Sites for Elizabeth Woodville’s Families, Society are also members of the English Society. Members also receive the English publications. All Society publications and items Noeline Bridge ...... 7 for sale may be purchased either direct at the U.K. Member’s price, or Welcome to New Members ...... 8 via the American Branch when available. Papers may be borrowed Revisited, from the English Librarian, but books are not sent overseas. When a Dave Lutweiler ...... 9 U.S. Member visits the U.K., all meetings, expeditions and other Flights of Fancy ...... activities are open, including the AGM, where U.S. Members are Joan Szechtman ...... 14 welcome to cast a vote. 2006 Ricardian Tour ...... 15 Advertise in The Ricardian Register Ricardian Reading, Your ad in the Register will reach an audience of demonstrated mail Myrna Smith ...... 16 buyers and prime prospects for books on the late medieval era, as well Dem Bones, as for gift items and other merchandise relating to this period. They are also prospects for lodging, tours and other services related to travel Victoria Moorehead ...... 21 in or on the continent. Classified advertising rates for Right, Trusty & Well Beloved one-time insertions: Full Page: $150; Half Page: $75; Quarter Page: Callie Kendall ...... 22 $40. Ricardian Puzzle, Charlie Jordan ...... 26 Send copy with your remittance payable to Richard III Society, 4702 Dryades Street, New Orleans, LA 70115-5532. E-mail inquiries or Chapter Contacts...... 28 digital files to [email protected]. Membership Application ...... 28 Copy Deadlines: Spring March 15 Summer June 15 Fall September 15 Winter December 15

Society Internet address: http://www.r3.org [email protected]

Changes of address and dues payments to: Pamela J. Butler 11000 Anaheim Ave. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87122-3102 Address changes may be made on-line at http://www.r3.org/form/address.htm.

Fall, 2005 Page 2 Ricardian Register EXECUTIVE BOARD Editorial License CHAIRMAN: Bonnie Battaglia 5191 Hanks Exchange Road • Placerville, CA 95667 (530) 622-6470 • email: [email protected] Carole Rike VICE CHAIRMAN: Jacqueline Bloomquist 1829 Corleone Dr. • Sparks, NV 89434 (775) 355-1704 • email: [email protected] As many of you are aware, our homes and businesses were decimated by the levee break in New Orleans on SECRETARY: Laura V. Blanchard August 29th. We are currently camping out in Houston, 2041 Christian St. • Philadelphia, PA 19146 • (215) 985-1445 FAX (215) 985-1446 • email: [email protected] trying to get our lives back together and look forward to returning to New Orleans when possible. TREASURER: Maria Torres 3216 Fillmore Avenue • Brooklyn, NY 11234 Through many more years than I can now recall, I email: [email protected] have produced this newsletter, sometimes late — but MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN: Pamela J. Butler never this late. And never under such extraordinary 11000 Anaheim Ave. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87122-3102 pressure. Recent events have decimated our lives in a (505) 856-6186 (Leave Message) • email: [email protected] manner that we are still struggling to understand and IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN: Dr. Sharon D. Michalove accept. 309 Gregory Hall • 810 Wright St. • Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 333-4145 • email: [email protected] IfyousentmeanythingprevioustoHurricaneKa- trina, I no longer possess it and ask that you re-send COMMITTEES when possible. If I have not responded, I can honestly plead guilty-due-to-circumstances. I have those emails CHAPTERS ADVISOR: Eileen C. Prinsen kept on my office computer, but all files kept on my 16151 Longmeadow Drive • Dearborn MI 48120 home computer are now gone. (313) 271-1224 • email: [email protected] Many,manythankstoGeoffreyWheelerforre- LIBRARIAN: Audio/Visual: Yvonne Saddler sponding so quickly to my plea for cover artwork. 719 Apple Brook Lane • Poulsbo, WA 98370 (360) 697-1278 • email: [email protected]

LIBRARIAN: Fiction: Ananaia O’Leary 8029 Lieber Rd. • Indianapolis, IN 46260 ‘THE UNSEEN ELIZABEETH WOODVILLE email: [email protected] Cover Photos by Geoffrey Wheeler,

LIBRARIAN: Research & Non-Fiction: Jean M. Kvam Key to cover illustration of just some of the images of 805 Crain St. • Carson City NV 89703 the Queen that were not included in the recent biogra- (775) 885-7326 • email: [email protected] phies of her by David Baldwin (Sutton, 2002) and ON-LINE MEMBER SERVICES: Pamela J. Butler Arlene Okerlund (Tempus 2005): 11000 Anaheim Ave. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87122-3102 1`. Figure (based on 15th c. original glass, in the ‘Royal’ window, (505) 856-6186 (Leave Message) • email: [email protected] Canterbury Cathedral) by Thomas Willement (1786 – RESEARCH OFFICER: Dr. Sharon D. Michalove 1871) in the choir aisle opposite her tomb, St George’s 309 Gregory Hall • 810 Wright St. • Urbana, IL 61801 Chapel, Windsor. (217) 333-4145 • email: [email protected] 2. Engraving based on the standard portrait at Queens’ SALES OFFICER: College, Cambridge. www. r3. org / sales • email: sales @r3.org 3. As ‘Queen of Clubs’, from a pack of historical playing cards SCHALLEK MEMORIAL/GRAD: Laura V. Blanchard issued by Thomas de la Rue in 1964. 2041 Christian St. • Philadelphia, PA 19146 • (215) 985-1445 4. Playing card, designed by actor Donald Burton, based on FAX (215) 985-1446 • email: [email protected] characters in the 1963–4 Royal Shakespeare Company’s VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR: Peggy Allen ‘’ history plays. (He played Exeter, Susan 1421 Wisteria • Metairie, LA 70005 Engel was Elizabeth). (504) 837-0974 • email: [email protected] 5. Modern artist’s interpretation by Charles Raymond, to WEBMASTER: Laura V. Blanchard illustrate an article ‘The clever widow and the King of 2041 Christian St. • Philadelphia, PA 19146 • (215) 985-1445 England’ by Christopher Hibbert. ‘WM’ magazine 1966. FAX (215) 985-1446 • email: [email protected] 6. Stained glass figure by G. Kruger Gray (1936) in the Great Hall, Eltham , London.

Ricardian Register Page 3 Fall, 2005 Elizabeth Woodville’s Families (1437-1492; Queen Consort to Edward IV of England, 1464-1470, 1471-1483)

© by Kathleen Spaltro All Rights Reserved. dward IV secretly married in 1464 the English great-great-grandmother in both the paternal and Ewidow Elizabeth Woodville, who thereby be- maternal lines. came the first English-born Queen Consort since the Ironically for a family so closely associated with the 11th Century. By marrying this subject, rather than a Yorkist dynasty, the Woodvilles originally fought for the foreign princess, Edward IV precipitated much envy . After the deposition of Edward V and ill-will. His Queen and her Woodville relatives and the accession of Richard III, the Woodvilles would won the enmity of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, again ally themselves with Lancastrians. The father of whose consequent rebellion in 1469-71 caused Edward Elizabeth Woodville, Richard Woodville, a knight, to lose and then to regain his throne. After Edward’s married , the widow of John, restoration, the Woodville faction feuded with his , paternal uncle of Henry VI. brother George, . Following Clar- (Woodville’s own father had served both Bedford and ence’s execution in 1477 and Edward’s early death in Henry V, while Woodville had served Bedford as cham- 1483, the Woodvilles’ conflict with Richard, Duke of berlain.) Besides serving in France and suppressing do- (brother of Edward IV and Protector of mestic rebels, Richard Woodville fought for Henry VI England during the reign of Edward’s minor son, Ed- until after the Lancastrian defeat at Towton in 1461. ward V), escalated into the deposition of Edward V, the accession of Gloucester as Richard III, and civil war. Elizabeth Woodville’s son had briefly reigned as Edward V and then disappeared, along with his younger brother Richard, . Her daughter, in wedding Henry VII, became the matriarch of the new Tudor dynasty. Besides Edward V; Richard, Duke of York; ; and other children of Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville hadbornetwosonsbyherfirsthusband. Her eldest child, Thomas Grey, Marquis of , fathered a line that eventually in- cluded , Queen of England for nine days in the summer of 1553. Al- though despised as inconsequential by crit- icsofElizabethWoodvilleasQueen Consort, the Woodvilles clearly acquired and retained importance as a family that spawned a half-Woodville King and Duke of York, a half-Woodville Queen Consort, and a Queen Regnant twice-descended from Woodvilles. Lady Jane’s father, Henry Grey, a descendant of Thomas Grey, had married hissecondcousin,FrancesBrandon,ade- scendant of Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth Woodville thus was Lady Jane Grey‘s Elizabeth Woodville’s Grey Descendants

Fall, 2005 Page 4 Ricardian Register Edward IV pardoned Richard Woodville and his son Elizabeth Woodville herself had sought Anthony(whoalsohadfoughtforHenryVIatTowton). while Gloucester rose to power as Richard III and her Elizabeth Woodville’s first husband, Sir John Grey, had sons Edward V and Richard, Duke of York disappeared. died in 1461 while fighting for Henry VI at the Second Gloucester also had ordered the execution of one of her Battle of St. Albans. sons by her first husband—her second child, Richard After Edward IV married Elizabeth Woodville in Grey, another Woodville charged by Edward IV to serve 1464, the King elevated her father to the posts of Trea- thePrinceofWales.HediedwithAnthonyat surer and Constable of England, as well as gave him the Pontefract.Elizabeth,widowofaYorkistKing,now title Earl Rivers. His son , in one of the plotted with Margaret Beaufort, mother of a many brilliant Woodville marriages that enraged Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Warwick, married Catherine Neville, Warwick’s own to support the ’s rebellion against kinswoman and a bride almost 50 years older than her Richard III. The Beaufort-Woodville conspiracy against groom. During Warwick’s rebellion in 1469, he captured Richard III included an agreement that Henry Tudor and executed both Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers, would marry Elizabeth of York. and his son John. Clarence apparently countenanced Buckingham’s rebellion failed in 1483, yet Henry Tu- these killings. Anthony then became 2nd Earl Rivers. dor eventually defeated Richard III and took his crown, Accusations of witchcraft also attacked Jacquetta, and the new Henry VII married Elizabeth of York in Duchess of Bedford, but they came to nothing in the 1486. Elizabeth Woodville had returned to life at court end. in 1485, but she apparently involved herself with the The most interesting Woodville, Anthony, fled into 1487 rising against Henry VII by , a Continental exile with his brother-in-law and friend, Yorkist pretender also supported by her sister-in-law Edward IV, in 1470. During the struggle to restore Ed- Margaret of Burgundy. That same year, she retired to ward IV, Anthony fought at Barnet and Tewkesbury and convent life in Abbey, a far cry from her re- defended London. After Edward’s 1471 restoration, he gal or even the residences of the Woodvilles and honored Anthony in many ways—most importantly by the Greys. After her death five years later, Elizabeth making him in 1473 Governor of Edward, Prince of Woodville was buried at on the 27th an- Wales (later Edward V) at . A man of parts, An- niversary of her coronation as Queen Consort. Sic transit thony translated Dictes and Sayenges of the gloria mundi! Phylosophers (the first dated book printed in English on English soil by ) and won renown as About the Author a jouster in tournaments. Following Edward IV’s death Kathleen Spaltro, co-author of Royals of England: A Guide in 1483, Gloucester arrested and executed Anthony at for Readers, Travelers, and Genealogists, also compiled Pontefract. Among many reasons to fear the Woodvilles, Genealogy and Indexing. An editor, writer, proofreader, and Gloucester knew of their powerful hold on Wales, the teacher of writing, she lives and works in Woodstock, Marches, and the border shires. They had shown enmity Illinois to his brother Clarence, controlled the adolescent Prince This excerpt was originally written for the forthcom- of Wales who would now be King, and in their position ing book Royals of England: A Guide for Readers, Travel- on the Royal Council strongly resisted Gloucester’s as- ers, and Genealogists [ISBN 0-595-37312-7], by suming full power as Protector of England. Edward IV’s Kathleen Spaltro and Noeline Bridge. Due to size limi- loyal supporter, William, Lord Hastings, with whom the tations, this article was omitted in the published book. Woodvilles had also feuded, warned Gloucester against The book is due out late in 2005 or early in 2006. them.

On July 29, 2005 our friend and Michigan Chapter member SANDY BARTKOWIAK passed away after bravely fighting cancer for several years. Sandy had served the Michigan Area Chapter as Library Display Coordinator and as Treasurer. She was a faithful meeting attendee and loved to participate in the AGM. Sandy was always upbeat and optimistic and will be missed by all who knew her.

Sandy loved to learn about Richard III and one can only hope she now knows all the answers.

Loyaulte me lie

Ricardian Register Page 5 Fall, 2005 Elizabeth Woodville Woodville Siblings & Spouses

Fall, 2005 Page 6 Ricardian Register Sites for Elizabeth Woodville’s Families

Noeline Bridge See notations refer to other chapters of Royals of England. at . The manor house, now known as lizabeth was born at the Woodville home at Old Hall, still stands in the village of Groby; see it at: EGrafton, . http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/heartofengland/churches.htm; http://members.lycos.co._Hlt113690312_Hlt113690313uBM_1_B (Regis was bestowed by Henry VIII during a visit) is a M_2_k/bradgate/groby.htm. village on the A508, northwest of . The The Grey family also lived at Astley manor, in Woodvilles had first settled there in the 13th century. Warwickshire. The fortified, moated manor house (some- Grafton was small, the church and manor house being times called a castle) was built c.1266 and demolished in the the two largest buildings. 16th century. It was replaced immediately, but this structure, The town’s website is: which had been a hotel, burned down in 1978. Since then, mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/heartofengland/churches.htm only the ruins remain. See the manor and the local collegiate It’s an attractive site which gives very little away: to church about one-quarter through this extensive document read Grafton’s history, you have to buy a two-CD set. at mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/heartofengland/churches.htm.An- Elizabeth’s grandfather is represented by a brass in the other view can be seen on a link from church, viewed online at http://members.lycos.co._Hlt113690312_Hlt113690313uBM_1_BM www.mbs-brasses.co.uk/pic_lib/Grafton_Regis_Brass.htm _2_k/bradgate/groby.htm. Astley is situated on the B4102 Elizabeth’s father Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, was about 5 miles south of Nuneaton, and to the northeast of taken prisoner at Chepstow. A town of 9000 population, . Chepstow stands on the west side of the , near the Severn Road Bridge. Its castle, founded soon af- Sir John Grey died in 1461 at the Second Battle of St. ter the Conquest, was, unusually for the time, built in Albans; see Henry VI. With the Grey estates forfeited to stone. Its impressive remains can be viewed at the crown, Elizabeth retreated to Grafton with her two http://www.grafton-regis.co.uk/, along with a history and de- young sons. There, legend has it, she contrived a meeting scription. He was executed at Kenilworth Castle (see with Edward IV under an oak tree in nearby , ). to plead her cause. The tree, later known as the Queen’s Her brother John was also taken prisoner at Chepstow Oak, suffered so badly from fire and drought during the with his father, and executed at Kenilworth. Her other 1990s that it eventually succumbed. The Queen’s Oak So- brother, Anthony, became Governor of the Prince of ciety has engaged on a hunt for a similar substitute. See Wales, the future Edward V, at Ludlow. For Ludlow, see http://www.potterspury.org.uk/vh/queens_oak.htm.Thisessayis Edward V. Anthony was executed at Pontefract. For part of the Potterspury village website at , see Richard II. http://www.potterspury.org.uk/vh/queens_oak.htm;atthetimeof Elizabeth married Sir John Grey, probably at Grafton. writing, its Gallery section was “coming soon.” They then lived at Groby manor house, just to the north- Elizabeth’ssonThomas,bySirJohnGrey,isburied west of Leicester. The Grey family inherited the manor in in the church at Astley (see above). Her other son, Rich- 1445 when William de Ferrers died and later expanded ard Grey, was executed at Pontefract Castle. See Richard their property by building the much larger country house II for information about this castle. Speculation as to where Elizabeth and Edward’s secret marriage took place is rife, although it’s usually assumed to be Grafton. She was crowned at Reading Abbey. For basic information about the abbey, see Henry I. Elizabeth became patron and “true foundress by right of succession” of Queens’ College, Cambridge University in 1465, at which stage the then-Queen’s University be- came Queens’ for herself and her predecessor, . For background information regarding Queens’ College, see Henry VI. Edward gave Sheen Palace to Elizabeth, and it became her principal home. For infor- mation about Sheen, see Edward III. After Edward IV had fled to France, in the Sanctuary , Bradgate Park

Ricardian Register Page 7 Fall, 2005 Elizabeth Woodville Sites at Elizabeth gave birth to their portraits. It’s located on the south bank of the Thames, fourth child, Edward, later to become Edward V, in 1470. opposite Westminster; and next to Lambeth Bridge. She was to go to the Sanctuary again, in 1483, after Ed- Among other attractions is the Museum of Garden His- ward IV died. The Sanctuary building stood at the end of tory in the very old church of St. Mary-at-Lambeth, St. Margaret’s churchyard; it was demolished in 1750. where many archbishops are buried. Pay a virtual visit at: , where Elizabeth died in 1492, no http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/palace longer exists. Founded in 1082 as a Cluniac monastery, it Also, by crossing Road to the river was demolished after Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the bank, you’re looking across the Thames to the incompara- Monasteries to make way for Bermondsey House. The ble view of the Houses of Parliament. church of St. Mary Magdalen survives as the oldest build- ing in Bermondsey: built for the lay folk of the abbey, it About the Author became the parish church after Dissolution. Bermondsey Noeline Bridge has been an armchair traveler since childhood lies on the south bank of the river Thames, between Lon- and an actual traveler as soon as she earned money, adding don Bridge and Rotherhithe. Part of it faces the Tower of virtual traveling as the World Wide Web came into being. As a London on the opposite bank. The abbey would have lain librarian and freelance indexer, she has written and made in the area of Abbey Street; Bermondsey Square would presentations on the indexing of names and places, while have been an inner courtyard of the abbey. continuing to travel and collect maps and guidebooks. See—and take—a walking tour of Bermondsey at http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/wkbermondsey.htm.Clickon Additional Information for more detail regarding each site. A plan of the abbey, based on a survey dating from 1679, may be viewed at: Father Constantine Belisarius http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=007 Jeri Ann Boyd Blumenthal 000000000016U00038000. Nance Crawford Sightings Kelly M. Ellis Richard Elizabeth and Edward are buried side-by-side in the Foster Paul Frisch north choir aisle of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, behind Susan Giannotta an ironwork grille probably made by John Tresilian. See Debra Guptill Edward IV. Dr. Victor E. Hill IV The Bridgeman Art Library contains an 18th century Kathleen A. Jones painting by Giovanni Battista Cipriani of Elizabeth fare- Ann Martelle Suzanne Mealer welling her son Richard, Duke of York. See this at Image Juanita V. Miller ID 25920. The original is in the Victoria & Albert Mu- Salena Moffat seum, London. At Image ID 122725, there’s a painting by Nona Robbins Fragonard of Elizabeth farewelling both her sons. To ac- Joanne P. Stratmoen \ cess these images, go to Betty W. Thrift http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=007000 Eva Veller 000000016U00038000,andentertheImageIDs. Honorary Member The famous and much-copied portrait of Elizabeth in Marianne Pittorino Queens’ College, Cambridge may be viewed at Fotheringhay Members, http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/Queens/Misc/Elizabeth.html. April 1-Sept. 15, 2005 In Lambeth Palace Library, there’s an image of An- Pamela Butler thony Woodville presenting his book to Edward IV. Dorothy Calkins Lambeth Palace Library, open to the public since 1610, Jeanne P. Carlson contains a number of treasures. Read about it at Matthew J. Catania http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/. The library forms part of Jacqueline C. Cox Lambeth Palace; London home of the Archbishop of Alan O. Dixler Canterbury since the 12th century, the Palace is a worth- Anna Ellis while destination in itself, although not often open to Emma Goodman the public: when it is, the chapel should be seen for its Roberta Jacobs-Meadway James F. Johnston Rhonda L. Tirone Sheri Vangen-Ratcliffe

Fall, 2005 Page 8 Ricardian Register Tewkesbury Revisited

Dave Luitweiler he Tewkesbury Medieval Festival is an event that, immediately made my way via the local bus service to Thopefully, every Ricardian may someday experi- the festival grounds entrance at Lincoln Green Lane. ence. This past summer (July 2005) was my third con- One of the first things you notice is the large number secutive visit and I left with a firm determination that of people who stroll the festival grounds in medieval next summer will be my fourth. Having previously garb. I wandered back to where the tents are set up for submitted an article on this event (Celebrating the those who camp out for the weekend. This includes Last Yorkist Victory, Fall 2004) I considered the pos- many of the battle re-enactors who set up medieval tents sibility of doing a second article that concentrated on and campfires. When you walk through this area you the people who make this festival happen. The re-en- have the feeling of being transported back to the era of actment of the is the largest theWarsoftheRoses.Therearethequaintsignsposted event of its kind in England. Every year large crowds on each walkway throughout the venue, names like travel to Tewkesbury for this event. One need only at- “Lancaster Lane”, “Edward’s Esplanade”, “Anjou Ave- tend the festival once to recognize that a lot of people nue” and “Margaret’s Mall.” give of their time and efforts to make this such a suc- The opening ceremony for the 2005 festival featured cess. two local mayors, Claire Wright, Mayor of Tewkesbury, Thefestivalhasmanyaspects.Thereisabattlere-en- and Terry Sutton, Mayor of Colchester, who brought a actment that recreates events surrounding the Yorkist proclamation of friendship from Colchester to Tewkes- victory which took place here in May of 1471, when the bury. A formal presentation was made to Mayor Wright troops of King Edward IV defeated the Lancastrian by Mayor Sutton, forces of Margaret of Anjou and secured Edward’s right Colchester’s Town Crier, to the throne. However, this is more than a battle recre- Robert Needham and the ation. Festival visitors have the opportunity to visit nu- Vice Chairman of the merous vendors, most of them skilled artisans in their Colchester Town Watch, own right, who display and sell medieval articles that John Morgan. All were range from armor to clothing. There are educational properly attired in their venues, including one maintained by the Worcestershire garb of office. Branch of the Richard III Society, where informational This year’s festival was material is available. Noted artist Grahmm Turner the twenty-second and maintains a site where his medieval paintings are on dis- full attention was paid to ensure a proper opening cere- play and available for sale. Visitors are entertained by a mony with festivities befitting a medieval event. A large variety of musical groups that perform each year as well pole was erected on the grounds with a glove attached to as various groups who perform, in period garb, various the top of the pole. My friend Steve Goodchild, a tasks and feats of military prowess. Tewkesbury resident and member of the Battlefield Soci- Vendorssupplyawidevarietyoffoodsthatwillplease ety,advisedmethatthisisanoldcustom.Itpertainsto any and all pallets, as well as a large tent where one’s the glove being a symbol of a charter fair being in “ses- thirst may be extinguished. sion.” Steve explained that there is a lot of history to fairs, Who are the people who do this? Why do they do it? “which had an These are not professional actors. The festival is perpet- importance uated by people with a desire to maintain a part of their both as a means culture and heritage. With that in mind, I decided to of settling ac- submit a follow-up article that recognizes these folks counts, as in the andprovidessomeinsightonwhotheyare,andwhythey great fairs of do this. Champagne, Onthefirstdayofthisyear’sfestival,July9th,Itook and a means of an early morning train from Oxford where I had been making a lot of staying while taking a summer course at Oxford Univer- money if you sity. After a change of trains at Worcester Shrub Hill I were the owner arrivedinTewkesburybyteno’clockthatmorning.I of the rights, as

Ricardian Register Page 9 Fall, 2005 Tewlesbury Revistesd in the great English fairs. The glove symbolizes the sus- Branch do a great job and all Ricardians owe them spe- pension of common law and the existence of the fair cial thanks for their annual efforts. Pam told me that laws, which was not necessarily a democratic move! The next year will mark the twentieth anniversary of the fair had its own court, of Pye Powder (corruption of the founding of the Worcestershire branch. They have French for dusty feet) which was empowered to enforce thirty-five active members. Although Ralph will be the fair’s law.” Pete Linnell, the festival’s entertainment stepping down as Chairman, he will continue to be an organizer, assisted Mayor Wright in erecting the glove active member of the group. That is good news indeed. and pole. A sign advised all present that the glove on the As fate would have it, I was not the only Ricardian vis- pole signified that the fair was open and the operators iting the Worcestershire chapter’s display table. I was de- had the power to take all measures to ensure everyone toed the line – so to speak.

Phil and Beth Stone lighted to run into the Chairman of the Richard III Society, Dr. Phil Stone, and his lovely wife Beth, a native Ralph Richardson of Chicago, IL. Between Ricardian conversations, Beth (After watching the opening ceremony, I journeyed andImanagedafewwordsaboutanothersubjectofcon- to the large tent where the Worcestershire Branch of the siderable interest to us in July — the fate of the Chicago Richard III Society maintains a table containing volu- Cubs. It was obvious that the Yorkists were having a minous material on the history of Richard III, the Rich- muchbettersummerthantheCubs. ard III Society, and, matters connected to the era of the Not far from the society display table, and in the same Wars of the Roses. This was time to renew old acquain- tent, was an interesting display maintained by the Lance tances with some of their members, including Pam and Longbow Society, a UK-based organization that pro- Benstead and June Tilt. I also had a chance to speak to motes a historical and war gaming interest in the medi- their Branch Chairman, Ralph Richardson, a retired eval era, including the Wars of the Roses. I spoke to headmaster and devoted Ricardian. Ralph is stepping David Lanchester, from Cheshunt, Herts., the Secretary down as chair of this branch after twelve years of dedi- of the society. I complimented him on the representation cated service. The Ricardians from the Worcestershire he had constructed showing the situation of Somerset’s flanking march and attack on the left flank of King Ed- ward’s army, commanded by his brother, Richard . Those Ricardians interested in this aspect of history may want to visit the society’s website at: www.lanceandlongbow.com. As usual, my main point of con- tact for my roaming in Tewkesbury con- tinues to be Steve Goodchild from the Tewkesbury Battle- field Society. I spot- ted Steve standing June Tilt (L) and Pamela Benstead (R) examining art near his group’s Steve Goodchild & Jane Balaan work of Grahmm Turner — he is in background

Fall, 2005 Page 10 Ricardian Register display in the tent, conferring with Jane Balaam, the bat- Another interesting tle coordinator. Jane is a local personnel manager. I Yorkist I interviewed headed over to see them with my usual request for assis- was the much maligned tance. Both of these folks put a lot of time and effort into George, Duke of Clar- the festival and undoubtedly never receive enough credit ence. The Tewkesbury foralloftheworktheydo.Forthisparticularsession, event is international in Steve was my point of contact for interviews with some of nature and the cause of the reenactors who portray historical figures who fought York attracts people George, Duke of Clarence at Tewkesbury. Steve and I, with Jane’s blessing, were from areas outside of soon headed over to the Yorkist campsite. the . I discovered that Clarence was One of the first Stefan Peeters from Belgium, a native of . He told figures I wanted me that as a child he became interested in medieval times to meet was, of and the chivalry of knights. He has been participating in course, our Rich- the Tewkesbury festival for many years. ard.Theroleof ThebattleofTewkesburyinvolvedfarmorethanthe theDukeof king and his brothers. Gloucester was For example, Paul portrayed by Rob- Johnson is a Tewkes- ert Bamberger, a bury resident who, merchant from when not participating Colchester, Essex. in medieval battle I asked him “why” Robert Bamberger, reenactments, is a car- he enjoyed por- Duke of Gloucester penter who specializes traying Richard in restoring antiques. and annually participating in the battle. He used terms like Paul plays the role of Pau.l Johnson, “excites the mind and body”….. “love of history”….etc. theDukeofSomerset Robert explained that he had a sense of well being and sat- in the battle. Ironically, isfaction from mastering the use of medieval weaponry, “it Paul also happens to be the proud owner of a medieval exe- makes you feel good about yourself.” This was Robert’s cution sword that on this day will await him later in the fes- sixth year of participation. tival when Somerset and his cohorts meet their fate. Paul Of course, if you interview the Duke of Gloucester you has been a member of the battle cast for twenty-two years. had better interview the king. Remember this is Tewkes- Another indi- bury and it is good policy not to have the king irritated. If vidual who has youangerEdwardtheAbbeywillnotprovideyouade- been involved with quate sanctuary. The role of Edward is performed by Si- the festival since its mon de Montfort, a police officer from the Ministry of inception is Brian Defense, who is from Suffolk. Once I discovered he was a de Heer, a local fel- police officer we “bonded” and all concerns about sanctu- low who is a ary evaporated. Simon told me his full name is Simon de full-time trader at Montfort B. F. Howard Plantagenet. He also claimed to historic fairs. Brian be a descendant of the king and stated that he relished holds the distinc- playingthisroleasit Brian de Heer tion of being the was part of his family first person to play the part of Richard when the festival history. Like many started in 1984. As Steve Goodchild informed me, Brian Ricardians he believes has a sharp mind and ready wit, a fact I can personally at- theYorkistcausenever test to after interviewing him for this article. Brian now received a fair review plays the Chief Clerk at the trial of Somerset and his as- from history. Simon has sociates after the battle. I guess we can say, based on the been playing the role of outcome, that he is a “no-nonsense judge.” either Edward or Rich- ard for fifteen years. He Bernard Willoughby, an Evesham resident who is an is an interesting man. Simon de Montfort armour maker by profession, has been participating in the as Edward IV battle reenactment since 1984. This year Bernard was

Ricardian Register Page 11 Fall, 2005 Tewlesbury Revistesd acting as Lord Wenlock. I asked him what motivated him rubber-tipped arrows. to do this every year. His I guess that certainly reply, “Madness, I sup- makes sense! When pose.” Actually, Bernie asked why he partici- credited an intense inter- pates in these events est in history for his he had a ready answer: involvement. “It is good fun.” Anyone who has ever For those who pre- attended the Tewkesbury fer to make their own Andreas Doebereiner festival is aware that the medieval costume, a event is far more than a visit to the tent of Herts Fabrics of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, battle reenactment. The is a pleasant experience. Customers can examine a wide as- Bernard Willoughby festival is also one of the sortment of fabrics appropriate for medieval garb. The as Lord Wenlock largest trade shows for company displays its medieval crafts held in the UK. Every year scores of arti- product line at approxi- sans and skilled craft experts converge on Tewkesbury to mately thirty shows/ display, sell and trade their wares. Others come to acquire events a year. I spoke to medieval clothing, shoes, armour, medieval furniture, Anwar Ali Vas, the weapons, and other implements and accessories con- owner of the business. nected to medieval times. Business continued to be brisk Anwar has been attend- in 2005. As in the past, I set aside some time to visit with ing the festival for many some of the vendors and find out a little about them and years. Anwar Ali Vas whytheycometoTewkesbury. He really enjoys the Ana Diessler is a event and he took time from a steady stream of visitors native of Germany to his display to speak to me. Anyone interested in their who resides in line of textiles can check out their website: Treochy, Mid Glam- www.hertsfabircs.co.uk. organ, Wales. Ana’s Of course, if you are not a do-it-yourself person, there specialty, and her pas- are plenty of vendors who sell custom made medieval sion, is medieval costumes.YoumightwanttostopatthetentofSusan shoes. She operates Fever from the Isle of Wight who makes medieval garb her own business and her partner Les Nash, who makes and repairs medi- ANA – Period Shoes Ana Diessler eval weapons.. They have been coming to Tewkesbury (www.AnaPeriodSho for fifteen years. They average about ten shows a year. es.co.uk). You only When not participating in medieval festivals Susan is a need talk to Ana for five minutes to know that this is school cook and Les is a metal worker. more than a business, it is a labor of love. Ana fascinated Theaforesaidthreevendorsareonlyasmallsampling me with the quick history she provided on the develop- of the skilled artisans and vendors that display at ment of footwear in the medieval times through the Tewkesbury each year. If you want to have your hair Elizabethan period. She has been attending these fairs styled in medieval fashion, add to your medieval ward- for eight years and her tent was a popular venue with robe, or purchase some medieval furniture, the festival is those in attendance. In her spare time Ana presents lec- the place to be. tures on the history of footwear to interested groups and Another highlight is the entertainment provided free museum workshops. of charge to festival attendees. Did I mention that there Another vendor and native of Germany now residing is no charge to attend the festival? This has to be the best in the UK, is Andreas Doebereiner, from entertainment value in the UK, if not anywhere in the Northumberland. Andreas’s specialty is the long bow. world. Periodically, during the two days of the festival, This was his second time at Tewkesbury. Andreas told there are demonstrations of medieval battle skills, fash- me he displays his wares at approximately eight events a ions musicians , and skilled artisans plying their trade. year. He advised me that in medieval times arrows used As in the past, two musical groups were a big hit with with the long bow were steel-tipped and could pierce those at the festival. The Morris dance group, chain mail. However, for the festival, the reenactors use MYTHAGO, based in Suffolk, continues to delight with

Fall, 2005 Page 12 Ricardian Register South Wales, Lancaster adherents. Jamie, a medieval tour guide in South Wales, advised that he attends approxi- mately fifteen events of this type every year. He comple- mented the “great bunch of people” who participate in the festival. I also chatted with Jo Frankel, a primary school teacher in Stirling and native of Toronto, Ontario, and her friend Cathy Holroyd from Crawley, who has been at- tending this event for five years. Both ladies were resplen- dent in their medieval garb — even though they were there in support of the House of Lancaster! They both enjoy the fun of participating in the festival and the expe- SCHEMISH rience of camping at the site. their fantastic dance performances. When MYTHAGO If you have the opportunity to attend the Tewkesbury is not performing, spectators are treated to the festival make certain to give yourself enough time to stroll foot-stomping and lively music provided by a medieval through the camping area. It is like stepping back into band from Germany, known as SCHEMISH. I spent time as you wander through the respective camps of York some time chatting with them while sharing a beverage and Lancaster. The tents are colorful and the fragrance near the pub tent before one of their sets. I asked their from the campfires and cooking pots can easily cause one leader to describe their style of music and he jokingly re- to never want to leave. As the time for the battle ap- plied that they were “punk rock without electrical instru- proaches, the campsites are a scene of hurried prepara- ments — played on medieval instruments.” However you tions involving dressing for battle and falling into want to describe their music it is loud, lively, and quite marching ranks with banners unfurled. It is quite a site popular with festival goers at Tewkesbury. and one you will not soon forget. There are some other folks strolling the grounds at However, as with most good things in life, there never Tewkesbury who I also try and make it a point to chat is enough time to see everything. This year I had to catch with whenever I visit. These are the folks in medieval an early evening train to return to Oxford. I left wishing I costume who come solely to be a part of the festivities. could stay for more. On the trip back to Oxford, as the Typical of those who make Tewkesbury a family English countryside rolled by my window, I thought event was the Willoughby family from Hastings, East about the diverse and wonderful group of people who Sussex. I chatted with Ian Willoughby who was strolling come together every year to make Tewkesbury such a suc- thegroundswithhiswifeBeckieandyoungdaughter cess. Some are re-enactors, some vendors, some are mov- Ellie. All three were in medieval garb. Ian, who is in- ers and shakers behind the scene, and some are just plain volved in the computer industry, told me his family en- folk who dress up in medieval garb and come to support joys events such as the Tewkesbury festival because it either Lancaster or York. Others are folks like me, people allows the family to participate in events that are a “com- who come to Tewkesbury every year because it is fun and plete contrast to things like computer games and play a great way to relive part of a history that has meaning for stations.” Ian and his family were part of a larger group us—evenifitisonlyforafewhours. at this year’s festival. He told me, “I would like to add that participating in the events we are made to feel like About the Author valued members in a huge David M. Luitweiler is a Ricardian and a retired law family. Our household, enforcement official residing in Victor, New York. He previously the Bonnivants within the served 32 years in the New York State Police, including tenure Medieval Siege Society, as head of the criminal divison (BCI) before leaving in 1994 to numbers around forty accept a position as Executive Assistant to the Administrator of members from babies to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in senior citizens and every- Washington, DC. He served in that position until retiring in one helps and looks out for December of 1999. He remains a member of the International each other.” Association of Chiefs of Police. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate Strolling back in the of the University of Rochester and a member of the Richard III camp area I ran into Jamie Society since 2002. and Andrea Walton from Willoughby Family

Ricardian Register Page 13 Fall, 2005 Flights of Fancy: Medieval Explorations Into Manned Flight

Joan Szechtman In my research, I wondered whether Richard III invention from tales brought back by pilgrims to the would have known of any of Leonardo Da Vinci’s writ- Holy Land. Late in the eleventh century, William of ings, coda, or inventions. Da Vinci was born the same Malmesbury recorded this flight in his book, Gesta year as Richard (1452), and there was known communi- Regum Anglorum (The History of the English Kings). cation between England and Italy. However, I haven’t It wasn’t until 1783 when Joseph and Jacques been able to determine whether Richard knew anything Montgolfier flew the first hot air balloon, and 1799 about Da Vinci, including his art (although, one would when George Cayley successfully sailed the first gliders. think Richard III might have known something about So that little burst of engineering creativity in the mid- the artist, as Da Vinci was well known in the western dle ages was quite astounding when one realizes it took world). almost another 300 years after Da Vinci and nearly a Back to flight: Da Vinci’s first codex for flight was millennium after Armen Firman for man to finally get developed in the 1480’s, where he designed an off the ground and stay aloft. ornithopter. This design wasn’t new to western civiliza- tion, as the Greek legend of Deadalus and Icarus bears witness. Additionally, the Chinese were experimenting References: with kites and other gliders about 400 BC. Wikipedia: In terms of known flight, it wasn’t until 852 AD that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Vinci Armen Firman, a Moor based in Cordoba, Spain, took Inventions: his first and last flight when he leapt from a tower wear- http://www.museoscienza.org/english/leonardo/invenzioni.html ing his invention, a wing-like cloak. He had no control, The flying monk: and didn’t fly, but floated to the ground. It acted more http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/bodhidharma/monk.html like a parachute, and he only suffered minor injuries Other flyers before Da Vinci: from this little adventure. http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/flyers.html This idea, that man could fly, gained a foothold in Cordoba, as twenty-three years later, in 875, Ibn-Firnas Early history of flight: built a glider of his own design. He celebrated success- http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blearlyflight.htm fully completing its fabrication by inviting the town’s people to witness his maiden flight. Quite a few climbed a nearby mountain and watched as Ibn-Firnas jumped from a tower and successfully glide in the air. However, the contraption had no tail or rudder, and the landing was rather harsh. Although he survived, Ibn-Firnas suf- fered sever back injuries, and died thirteen years later, possibly related to his injuries, from which he never completely recovered. Errata In 1010 AD, Monk Eilmer of Malmesbury brought fame to England when he strapped wings to his arms and feet and launched himself off a tower, flapping his The correct masthead on the cover of the Summer way for about 200 yards of manned flight. Unfortunately 2005 of the Ricardian Register should be Vol. XVIV, No. 2 for Eilmer, hereafter known as the flying monk, he was- n’t able to control his flight, and crashed rather uncere- Apologies to those librarians among you, for whom moniously, breaking both legs. He recovered and this made a considerable problem. developed a new design that included a tail rudder (per- haps from observing how birds flew) He wanted to test his new design, but his superior would not allow it. Eilmer probably learned of the Ibn-Firnas’s

Fall, 2005 Page 14 Ricardian Register Ricardian Register Page 15 Fall, 2005 Ricardian Reading Myrna Smith Most books reviewed here can be purchased at www.r3.org/sales.

Ye cannot serve God and Mammon under Cosimo’s leadership. Unfortunately his favorite - Matthew VI . 24 son, Giovanni, although trained to take over from Wine maketh merry; but money answereth all Cosimo, lacked his father’s talent and enthusiasm; he things - Ecclesiastes X. 19 also predeceased his father. When Cosimo died, Piero, the son trained for politics and government, had to take & Medici Money: banking, metaphysics and art in fif- responsibility for the bank. Poor health and political cri- teenth-centuryFlorence – Tim Parks, W.W. Norton & ses contributed to bad decisions, which accelerated the Co. NY, 2005 bank’s decline. When Richard III was king, there was no Medici bank in Piero’s son Lorenzo was as uninterested in banking England. Losses on loans to Edward IV and some of the as his uncle Giovanni had been. Preoccupied by human- lords who died at Barnet and Tewkesbury forced the istic studies and political maneuvers, he seemed almost Medicis to close their London branch in 1472. Gherardo proud of knowing “nothing” about his family’s power Canigiani, the bank manager responsible for the bad loans, source. Although people called him “The Magnificent,” became an English citizen, married, acquired a coat of arms, his indifference had far from magnificent consequences and settled on land Edward IV gave him in for the Medici bank. Ignoring the cautious lending rules Buckinghamshire. Tomasso Portinari, manager of the that contributed to the bank’s success under Giovanni branch, added the London branch’s losses to the and Cosimo, Lorenzo’s branch managers lent reckless losses accumulating from bad loans to . amounts of money to kings, dukes, mercenaries, cardi- Despite the conflict of interest, Portinari served as financial nals, and popes. Tomasso Portinari made loans to Ed- advisor to Charles at the same time he was managing the ward IV and Charles the Bold which were never repaid. Medici bank. Portinari made loans and shipping deals Lorenzo guesstimated that Portinari had lost the bank which helped Charles the Bold, but lost money for the 70,000 florins; a more accurate audit showed losses of bank, disobeying direct orders from Piero, head of the 100,000 florins. Lorenzo’s political successes couldn’t Medici family. Portinari’s risky deals eventually forced the compensate for his financial failings. Under his control, Bruges branch to close. Yet his personal income allowed six of the Medici branch banks closed between 1478 and him to commission costly paintings, where he and his 1489. family appear prominently as donors, seemingly unsullied by contact with money. Attitude wasn’t the only factor that brought down Author Tim Parks suggests that changing attitudes the Medici bank. Banking was a risky profession in 15th towards money contributed to the decline of the Medici century Florence. Between the mid-1420s and 1470, 39 bank. Its founder Giovanni di Bicci and his son Cosimo out of 72 other Florentine banks failed. Military con- were involved and interested in the everyday details of flicts and trade wars contributed to these failures. banking. Cosimo said he would be a banker “even if As early as the mid-, Cosimo felt it necessary money could be made by waving a wand.” Giovanni and to lend money to Francesco Sforza, the mercenary who Cosimo were cautious lenders. While they ran the eventually took control of Milan. Over a 30-year period, Medici bank these rules applied: Sforza “borrowed” 190,000 florins from the Ancona • Don’t lend more than 300 florins to cardinals. branch of the Medici bank, an amount impossible to re- • Don’t lend more than 200 florins to courtiers. pay. Cosimo broke his own rules in order to buy protec- • Don’t lend to any Roman merchant – unreliable. tion for the city of Florence. Sforza never attacked • Don’t lend to any feudal baron. Florence, but the Ancona branch’s apparent success in • Don’t lend to Germans, because German courts won’t buying political influence may have set a bad example to respect your claim if the borrower defaults. the lenders in Bruges and London. • Don’t trade in wine; it’s not worth it. Financial arrangements with popes were complicated The Medici bank enjoyed its greatest prosperity by the Church’s ban on usury. Complex evasions allowed

Fall, 2005 Page 16 Ricardian Register popes to deposit money for safe-keeping and receiver The royal court is an assembly of noble and “gifts,” which were actually interest payments. Until the distinguished beggars. – Talleyrand mid-, loans to popes were profitable, but profits & disappeared after that. Also harmful to the Medici bank The Lives Of The Kings And Queens Of England – Antonia Fraser, University of California Press, was Paul II’s attempt to create a monopoly on alum, a Berkley, 1998 substance necessary for drying cloth and processing leather. Pope Paul II gave the Medici bank sole rights to & A Royal And Scotland – sell alum, threatening any Christian who bought alum Plantagenet Somerset Fry, Dorling Kindersley, Lon- from competitors with excommunication. But the mo- don, 1998 nopoly attempt failed because Burgundians refused to & Kings And Queens Of England – David Williamson, pay monopoly prices. In spite of his permissive lending, Konecky & Konecky, NY, 1998 Tomasso Portinari couldn’t persuade Charles the Bold to I recently received the above titles from friends. Somerset order his subjects to stop buying from lower priced com- Fry and Williamson started with the Saxon kings and petitors. Eventually the Medici bank found itself with Fraser starts her royal history with the Conquest. For the three year’ worth of alum in its warehouses. Instead of purposes of this review, I will compare their approaches to making big profits, they suffered big losses. Richard III and Edward V. Other losses resulted from England’s effort to become The Fraser edition’s chapter on Richard III is written a cloth producer as well as a supplier of raw wool. During by Anthony Cheetham, who has written a biography of Henry VI’s reign, the English began to weave cloth to Richard. Cheetham gives the most information, going sell overseas instead of shipping their raw wool to crafts- back to Richard’s excellent reputation as Duke of Glou- men in Burgundy and Florence. But north-south trade cester. He quotes Dominic Mancini about the esteem was already unbalanced, and English cloth in place of Richard garnered for his private live, public activities, raw wool made the imbalance worse. No one in Florence discretion and military prowess. Cheetham thinks that wanted English cloth. Medici bank managers didn’t Richard plotted to get the throne but that his survival want to accept English cloth in repayment for loans. depended on his ruling England. Elizabeth Woodville Florentine weavers didn’t want competition from Eng- fired the first salvo when she pushed the council to an- lish weavers; they wanted English wool to supply Flor- nul the protectorship outlined in Edward’s will in favor entine looms. Florentine consumers didn’t want to buy of a regency council. Though there is no proof that English cloth, which they considered inferior to locally Richard was responsible for the deaths of his nephews, woven cloth. Cheetham thinks that, again, he had no choice. To sur- vive he had to rule alone, without rebellions in favor of Early in Edward IV’s reign, a trade war between Eng- the boys. land and Burgundy added to the Medici bank’s prob- Accompanying Cheetham’s text is the ugliest picture lems. ’s marriage to Charles the Bold of Richard I have ever seen. With thin, frightened face confirmedtheendofthewar,butitresultedinmore and delicate hands, he bears to resemblance to the cou- risky loans to Edward IV. By 1472, the London branch rageous warrior that even his enemies acknowledged had failed. him to be. It is so ugly that no one claimed it. It is not listed in the picture credits. This review has highlighted the Medici bank’s rela- Plantagenet Fry (how could such a name not be hy- tions with England and Burgundy. Readers will also find phenated?) has a section on Edward V which is accom- local and international politics, military conflicts, reli- panied by the Millais painting of Victorian times. You gious conflicts, arts and humanities, historical sources, know the one — the two pretty boys with blonde curly physiological conflicts, and conflicts between appear- hair, dressed in black velvet, clinging together with ap- ances and reality woven into this history of the Medici prehension in their faces. Fry says that we will never bank. Some readers may want to compare this author’s know “who, if anyone, killed them, “ points out that af- interpretations with other historians’. They will find a ter Richard’s death, Henry Tudor went to great lengths Bibliographic Sources section, which complements the to blacken Richard’s name, but did not immediately ac- author’s comments in the test. Even those who find rea- cuse him of the murder. Henry could have murdered son to disagree with Parks’ interpretation of events them in secret. should get a good return on their investment in this book. Fry has little text, but the best pictures. In each sec- tion he includes a list of events in which he includes — Marion Davis some of Richard’s accomplishments. He is the only one

Ricardian Register Page 17 Fall, 2005 Ricardian Reading of the three to credit his achievements. Somerset Fry text, and contain themes that run – sometimes gallop – ends his brief text with the statement “…once he (Rich- through the pages. The section on Richard III, for ex- ard) was dead, historians, clerics and even playwrights ample, is illustrated by an academic type sitting at his fell all over themselves to blacken his name,” all designed computer and flipping a coin! to further the Tudor dynasty. All the Important Dates and other necessary but dull Williamson covers Edward V with the offending bits, such as treaties, etc, appears in the form of marginal Millais portrait and gives the official Tudor version, but notes. The author notes: “I am not a historian. In fact, I he goes on to say that there is some evidence that the wrote this poem in order to teach myself some history. I boys were removed to Middleham and were still alive at thoughtthatsortingfactsintoverseformwouldcon- Richard’s death. It would follow then that their deaths centrate my mind wonderfully. Which it did!” It may do were ordered by Henry VII. He then mentions The thesameforyou. Daughter of Time and the Richard III Society. William- His coverage stops in 1966, when he left home and son says no evidence exists to implicate Richard in the set out into the world. After that, it’s current events, and deaths of Edward, the Lancastrian Prince of Wales, or somebody else’s history, or perhaps a Part II to this one. George, Duke of Clarence. Fortunesmadeinnotimearelikeshirtsmadeinno All three of these books are beautiful volumes. All time; it’s ten to one if they hang together. have portraits of their subjects. Fraser’s has the best text. — Douglas Jerrold Somerset Fry has the most varied and attractive picture. & The Traitor’s Wife : A novel of the Reign of Edward II He alone mentions Richard’s achievements. All three – Susan Higginbotham, iUniverse Books, Lincoln, concentrate on Richard’s guilt in the disappearance and NE all three conclude that the facts will never be known, but There’s nothing like starting off a story with a bang. Susan Richard’s guilt is by no means certain. No one mentions Higginbotham opens with the then-Prince Edward in bed Buckingham as the culprit, but all three say Henry Tu- with his lover, Piers Gaveston. (It should be said, up front, dor must be considered as the murderer. that while there are no overly explicit bedroom scenes – this All these books were last published in 1998. We’ve is not a bodice-ripper – they are not elided. Neither are the come a long way, Baby! scenes of violence, e.g. the executions. ) The author takes a — Dale Summers, TX universal point of view, but most of the scenes are seen Somewhat along the same lines as the above, but in an through the eyes of the title character, Eleanor le altogether different style, and with a different type of il- Despenser, called Nelly to distinguish her from the lustrations, is ARhymingHistoryofBritain:55B.C.– numerous other Eleanors at court. It starts with her A.D. 1966 by James Muirden (Simon & Schuster, NY, marriage in 1306 and ends with her death in 1337. Nelly is 2003. As the cover blurb puts it: Hugh le Despenser’s wife, Edward I’s granddaughter, the niece of Edward II, and an ancestress of . The This cheerful poem has been written wife is, as always, the last one to find out, and when Nelly To tell the history of Britain: finally learns of the liason between her husband and the From Celts to Churchill, it relates King, she is understandably angry, and determines to give (With all the most Important Dates) him a dose of his own medicine. The shock is with whom The country’s convoluted course… she chooses to retaliate. Why Richard hollered for a horse; Ms Higginbotham has an eye for detail, not always Why Eleanor was such a catch; entirely accurate, as in the following: “…the ceiling was Why no one liked the Spanish Match; painted a brilliant blue that the English sky only occa- The pros and cons of Laissez-faire sionally attained. Down, the floor was covered in carpet Smart Georgian belles’ underwear; ….. so thick and soft that walking on it took a bit more effort And he can keep this sort of Bellocose (that is, in- than usual. Around, there were the goldfinches — spired by Hillarie Belloc) verse going for over 200 pages. forty-seven of them… — singing a greeting to the la- Putting 2000 years of history into rhyming couplets dies…” I’m not an expert on this particular period, but I must have been quite a task, but anyone willing to tackle doubt that such luxurious carpets were in use at that the entire universe — Muirden has written several books time. The painted ceiling does, however; ring true: on this subject, and makes telescopes on the side — has medievals were very fond of bright colors. And the gold- nerve enough for it, and his upbringing in a rather elite finches were no doubt considered a pleasant touch by and intellectual boarding house gave him the back- those who didn’t have to clean the floor covering, ground. David Eccles drawings breezily complement the whatever it was.

Fall, 2005 Page 18 Ricardian Register But there are few anachronisms, most very minor. www.iuniverse.com ). Since the protagonists would have spoken French, or Ms. Higginbotham’s own website has links to the Middle English, unintelligible to modern ears, the au- Richard III Society, as well as giving some of her back- thor has chosen the option of translating their words ground as a lawyer and legal writer. into present-day speech. Don’t marry for money; you can borrow it One of the author’s strengths is her depiction of char- cheaper – Scots proverb acter, especially of those who might be considered the less important characters. Ralph de Monithermer, & The Seventh Son – Reay Tannahill, Headline Book Nelly’s stepfather, for example, is an admirable charac- Publishing, London, 2001 ter, without being a prig or a saint, and a beau ideal for This also starts off with a bang: stepfathers everywhere. (He also ends up being her “Sapphires for my bride-to-be and a severed head for the brother-in-law once removed. Medieval genealogy can king my brother,’ said Duke Richard cheerfully. “As St. becomplicated.!)Andthisishowtheladiesofthecourt Paul pointed out, gifts may vary but the spirit is the are described: same. In the present instance, a spirit of goodwill.” Berwick Castle was full of noblewomen…Given an This is Richard as he will be depicted throughout: emergency, all could have undergone any manner of cynical (though not completely so), sardonic, brave but inconvenience…But no emergency being present, all practical. He is not romanticized: he is not perfect and expected their accustomed comfort and had brought not always gentil, though his lapses from the latter are retainers with them, as well as greyhounds (the queen), rendered understandable. He makes no bones about lapdogs (most of the countesses), birds (the Lady marrying Anne for her property, but comes to love her Despenser) and even a cat (Lady Vesey). The animals deeply — although he first admits it in an offhand, un- did not all get along, and neither did all the conscious way. Tannahill admits, in her afterword, that noblewomen. The acerbic Lady Vesey, being somewhat she has made certain assumptions about Richard: “that older than the rest and not at all in awe of a superior he was tough, charming, self-seeking, and very much a title, felt free to give her opinion on any subject, no man of his time.” She adds: “I have left Richard inno- matter how irritating to the rest. The Countess of cent of murdering the , since there Cornwall was quick to take offense regarding her late is no proof whatsoever that he was responsible and their husband, Gaveston, even when none was intended. The deaths would have been of no particular benefit to him.” Countess of was quick to take offense regarding “… since it is academically unrespectable,” she writes, her very alive husband … even when none was “as well as irritating to the reader, to use such phrases as intended. The Lady Despenser was …. married to ‘he may well have thought,’ ‘perhaps he assumed,’ or ‘no almost a nobody and tended, the countesses thought, to doubt it occurred to him;’ the odds are stacked against get above her place. The Countess of Pembroke, who had any attempt to give the subject the psychological plausi- yet to produce a child…disliked hearing about all bility that turns a lay figure into a believable human matters maternal, which was one of the great unifying being.” subjects among the women. The Countess of Hereford could not be around a lapdog without sneezing, and Reay Tannahill has beaten these odds to a remarkable none of the lapdogs were inclined to stay away from the degree.Thisbookisseveralyearsold,butwillrewarda Countess of Hereford. reading if you haven’t already become acquainted with it. Try the public library or interlibrary loans. On the other hand …. there were certain advantages Some small change… to having a castle full of women; no one had too much Charlie Jordan sends a note about a book he acquired while wine and called her neighbor a misbegotten whoreson; visiting the : The Tower Of London no one who lost at dice challenged the winner to a fight; Prisoner Book, by Brian A. Harrison (published by the and no one spent the evening at a brothel and then in- Royal Armouries in 2004). It’s a listing of all prisoners in sisted on being admitted to the castle in the dead of the the Tower from 1100-1941. He emails a sample listing: night. I am assuming this is Susan Higgenbotham’s first YEAR; 1247. PRISONER’S NAME: Abraham the novel, not having been informed to the contrary, and a Jew. REASON FOR IMPRISONMENT: Accused of worthy example of the genre it is. It is available in a vari- sacrilege upon a Christian statue he had placed in his ety of print and electronic media. Contact the publisher, privy and then murdering his wife when she objected iUnivrese, at 2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, and tried to clean the statue. OUTCOME: Secured a NE 68512. (Phone is 1-800-Authors, and web page is pardon by paying the king 700 marks.

Ricardian Register Page 19 Fall, 2005 Ricardian Reading There are many appendices, floor plans, lists of exe- No word as to what or whom it is about. If anyone out cutioners,etc.Notcheap—itcost50poundsatthe there has any input, I would be pleased to learn about it. Tower — and not light. Charlie says his “… 15 year old niece bleated incessantly about having to schlep it I have one or two items in escrow for a future column, around while I drank coffee and smokes. Pitiful child .. including one about the multicultural (sort of) history of doesn’t make a good porter.” Come on, Charlie, have Spain in the . some empathy. Not only was she getting round-shoul- To wind things up, here’s a quotation from a dered from lugging this 6-pound tome around, she was not-at-all Ricardian or Medieval book, Great Hoaxes Of being subjected to second-hand smoke, as well! But I TheWorldAndTheHoaxersBehindThem,(by Nick Yapp suspect we would agree with Mr. Jordan that it is a “Nice — is that name a hoax or at least a pseudonym?) — book,” and maybe he will write a full report for a future Robson Books Ltd, London, 1992) Mostly it deals with issue. modern hoaxes, such as the Great Spaghetti Harvest, and such things as political hoaxes, but on the very last Also on Things to Come, Sandra Worth informs us that page of the text, the author says: the next two books in her Ricardian series will be out in Thanks to Shakespeare, we believe in the villainy of January and June of 2006. We will be looking forward to Richard III. Thanks to Hollywood, we believe in the them. heroism of General Custer. And Sarah Foulkrod has come across this reference from ...whichleadsonetobelievethathe(Yapp)hasthe Booklist, in its entirety: Maxwell, Robin – To the Tower Born Right Stuff, along with all the Gentle Readers who have – Sept. 2005. 320p, Morrow, $24.95 (0-06-058051-9) contributed and will contribute to this column.

Fall, 2005 Page 20 Ricardian Register Dem Bones

Victoria Moorshead This article originally appeared in the September/October 2005 issue of Family Chronicle Magazine and is reprinted with permission.

hen researching their roots, most genealogists Wand family historians begin with themselves and their parents and then move backwards to their grandparents, and hopefully far beyond, back to the beginning of reliable records. John Ashdown-Hill instead began his research with 15th-century information and ended up in the present day. John Ashdown-Hill Ashdown-Hill is a genealogist and a member of the Richard III Society. In 2003, he attended a conference in , Belgium on Margaret of York, one of when a girl married.” In addition to the records left by Richard III’s sisters, who married Charles the Bold, Anne’s descendants, Ashdown-Hill also used published . At the conference, Dr. Paul de Win genealogies, such as the Marquis of Ruvigny’s presented a paper on the multiple possible remains of Plantagenet Roll Of The Blood Royal, which purport- Margaret which had been found around her tomb site in edly traces all the descendants of Edward III down to Mechelen, and the apparent impossibility of resolving the 19th century. According to Ashdown-Hill, “The the puzzle. Ashdown-Hill decided that mitochondrial Anne of Exeter volume of the Plantagenet Roll was a DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited only from the great help. The Complete Peerage was also useful, mother and provides an unaltered link to past genera- though irritating too, because it tends only to follow up tions, might solve the mystery and set about to try to male lines!” find a living descendant who carried the correct Some of the interesting discoveries that mtDNA. Ashdown-Hill made along the way were that Anne, Ashdown-Hill says “I began following all possible fe- Margaret and Richard had identical mtDNA to the male lines of descent from Richard’s aunts and children of the 14th-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer great-great-aunts as he had no female line great-aunts, whose wife, Philippa de Roet was the sister of Richard’s and it is impossible to go any further back as his female great-grandmother, Catherine. One descendant of line ancestry isn’t documented beyond Catherine de Anne of Exeter with identical mtDNA was Barbara Roet (Swynford), Duchess of Lancaster. However, I also Spooner, wife of the British Member of Parliament and worked on Richard’s sisters, Anne and Elizabeth. Eliza- slave-trade abolitionist William Wilberforce and there- beth’s descendants peter out after two generations, but fore all Wilberforce’s descendants are also descendants Anne, Duchess of Exeter has lots of descendants. I had of the . Unfortunately this female-line no possible way of knowing which female line of descent descent ended with his granddaughter, Barbara Wilber- would actually result in still-living descendants, so I had force James. According to Ashdown-Hill, in the 19th to try to trace them all.” century Anne of Exeter had lots of female-line descen- As the family of Anne, Margaret and Richard was dants who died unmarried or childless. “At one point”, part of the royal family and then part of the nobility, it he says, “I seriously began to wonder whether there were wasrelativelyeasytotraceforseveralgenerations.As any living female line descendants left!” time passed, the family moved further away from royalty The research took a year and Ashdown-Hill finally and the records of births and marriages became more located a living female-line descent of Anne of Exeter: relevant and, thanks to the growth of recording keeping, Joy Ibsen who lives in Ontario, Canada. Ibsen gave an easier to trace. Ashdown-Hill used documents such as mtDNA sample just before Christmas of 2004. baptismal records, marriage records and wills. “Wills, Now that Ashdown-Hill has located an mtDNA do- however,” he says, “were especially important, because nor, the next step is find out if any of the mystery bones they often reveal the name change which took place are indeed Margaret of York’s in Belgium.

Ricardian Register Page 21 Fall, 2005 Right Trusty and Well Beloved

Callie Kendall The keynote speaker for the 2005 AGM in Chicago was Callie accounts. He traveled to Middleham Castle and to Kendall. We reprint here Callie’s address in its entirety. Callie Fotheringhay(orwhatisleftofthem),andtoLudlow is the daughter of Paul Murray Kendall, author of the definitive and Bosworth Field and the church in Sutton Cheney biography of Richard III, which celebrates its 50th anniversary whereRichardmayhaveprayedthenightbeforehisfi- this year. nal battle. He crossed the length and breadth of Eng- land; he braved the choppy English Channel to see n the spirit of the Wars of the Roses, it is pure nep- Calais and the other lands of what is now France, where Iotism that has put me on center stage today. Un- Richard’s journeys took him, absorbing into his psyche fortunately, the 200 archers and 40 mounted and his soul the land where Richard was born, had lived, horsemen in full armour with swords drawn and wear- ruled, fought and died. ing the badge of the White Boar have been detained at He grew to know not just Richard III, King of Eng- the airport. However, like those long-ago Yorkists, I land, but Richard Plantagenet, the man. Across 500 remain undaunted, and I come with family support in years, he breathed life and breath into Richard. Paul the person of my sister, Gillian Murray Kendall. knew Richard so well, he seemed to read his mind and Gillian is not only the most intelligent, witty, funny, his heart. He knew how and what Richard felt and and generous sister one could wish for, she is also, to the thought, not in the context of the 20th century, but rest of the world, a professor of Shakespeare and Renais- within the dimensions and constraints of the world sance studies at Smith College in Massachusetts. It is within which Richard lived. she who wrote the introduction to the new edition of Paul somehow was able to enter the 15th century, us- Richard III published in 2002. Our family motto could ing his tremendous enthusiasm and his boundless imagi- certainly be Loyalty Binds Us – to Richard and to each nation, coupled with the facts, always the facts. For the other. missing parts of the intricate, lacey pattern which is the We keep people alive by remembering them. We past, he carried intelligent and researched conjecture to make events matter by discussing them, by studying its most reasonable and likely conclusion. them, and researching them, by creating oral traditions, In his later book, The Art of Biography, Paul tells us and by writing them down, and in some way making something about his experience with facts. He states: them a part of our lives. Between keeping people alive and making events matter, we create history. For if we ‘There are times when the biographer must query don’twriteaboutandtalkaboutandbelieveinthethings apparent facts, “scientific” evidence, in order to be true to that we know have happened and the people that we feel biographical science; must build with rainbow instead of have in some way touched us, we have nothing. stone. Facts which mock his vision of character may turn History isn’t about what happened, it is about what out not to be facts or to be facts which do not say what we selectively pass down across the years from one gen- they seem to say. eration to the next, using the written word, using oral At best, fact is harsh, recalcitrant matter, as tangible as tradition, using imagination and zest to instill a fresh- the hunk of rusty iron one trips over and yet as shapeless ness and excitement in what we strongly believe hap- as a paper hat in the rain. Fact is cold stone, an pened. We must use every way possible to pass on the inarticulate thing, dumb until something happens to it; knowledge that is important to us. and there is no use the biographer waiting for I am immensely proud, and at times overwhelmed, spontaneous combustion or miraculous alchemy. Fact that Paul Murray Kendall, my father, is still considered, must be rubbed up in the mind, placed in magnetic after 50 years, to be one of the foremost champions of juxtaposition with other facts, until it begins to glow, to Richard III. In his biography of Richard, first published give off that radiance we call meaning. Fact is a 50 years ago this year, he wove together the painstak- biographer’s only friend, and worst enemy. ingly researched information that he had uncovered —- in archives and libraries, in manuscripts, in court papers, Paulwasnottheonlyoneinthefamilypreoccupied and in letters that have somehow survived for half a with the importance and limitations of facts. My millennium. mother, a well known children’s writer, credits her char- He examined the facts. He studied contemporary acter Walter the Earl with the following words in her

Fall, 2005 Page 22 Ricardian Register book The Whisper of Glocken: create order and hold the country together. It was ex- hausting and never-ending, the price to pay to build a History is based on facts. peaceable kingdom. It was one thing after another — Niggling small facts like trying to hold an armful of balloons beneath the wa- Pothering medium facts ter. You just about get the country under control, and Whopping large facts. then, as you’re kicking off your riding boots, up pops an- And the greatest of all these other miscreant intent on usurping your power. No Is the fact of magic. wonder Edward IV died in his early 40s. It wasn’t the — Walter the Earl drink and the women, it was the constant pounding Glorious True Facts in the History of the Minnipins across England on a horse and hewing his way through from the Beginning to the Year Gammage 880 all that armour. Paul’s Richard III,inallitsdetailandcomplexity, We,too,areconcernedwithfact.Andthatiswhywe makes clear how different from our world is that of areheretoday.Weareacollectivebodyofhistoriansin- Richard. He and his relatives grappled with feudal in- tent on passing on the knowledge so that those to come trigues and lived by — or flouted —- unwritten laws will know and remember the real Richard, Duke of (that is, the accepted standards of the day, which were Gloucester, the real Richard III. We are here to set the known, though not written). They were guided by a record straight for those who still believe in Shake- code of ethics that bears little resemblance to the rules of speare’s portrayal of the last Plantagenet king. play in the world of Queen Elizabeth II: he who has the Skeptics and the unwary can overlook the impor- power has the right — or, as Paul believes Richard saw tance of considering Richard’s life and actions in the it, he who has the merit has the right. context of his time. Without the ability to immerse our- Life was nasty, brutish, and short. Tremendous en- selves in the atmosphere and the realities of the 15th ergy was expended just to maintain the status quo. The century, we cannot hope to understand the man. English monarch and other males of royal blood were in From the very start, Paul’s biography of Richard great and ever-present danger. As John Thorn says in A thrustsusintothemidstofthetumultuousaffairsof History of England, ‘To be born of the blood royal in medieval Europe with descriptions so vivid, so enthrall- late-medieval England was to invite an early death.’ ing, we are caught up in that long ago world. We revel in In short, particularly in the arenas of power, medieval the brave and exceedingly daring plan drawn up by English rulers and those supporting them had unimag- rushlight in an inn at . Our hearts fill with inably different dilemmas from the ones we face today pride and excitement when, as Paul writes, ‘in the first — and viewed them from an unimaginably different light, Richard and Buckingham rode hard for Stony perspective. We gaze soppily at heart-rending paintings Stratford.’ We are thrilled, for we know they are riding by Delaroche and Millais of the two little Princes in the hard for England, and England will be saved. We live Tower. Whether or not Richard had anything at all to the 15th century. do with the deaths of the Princes, few in power in the The century began badly. Right in year one, three 15th century would have shared our sentimentality. To generations before Richard’s birth, Henry Bolingbroke many a fearful mind in the England of 1483, a had stolen the crown from Richard II, who was mur- child-king was a disaster in ermine-trimmed blue velvet. dered shortly thereafter. Near the end of this turbulent, Repeatedly, Paul reminds us of the old saying, ‘Woe to treacherous span, in a time close to our hearts, another that land whose ruler is a child.’ Writing of the Henry, the so-called Earl of Richmond, an upstart op- impending coronation of Edward V, Paul says, portunist, commits high treason, and for his own gain The men of power, however, did not view the and glory kills the King of England, destroying the coronation in the same sentimental light as did most of Yorkist peace. These were stressful times. the commons. In the councilors’ view, far from At the beginning of Paul’s book, we are kept breath- stabilizing affairs, it would offer a terrible challenge to less with little rebellions, skirmishes, uprisings, border order. troubles, plays for power from all directions, There was no ‘made law,’ i.e. no written precedent to half-hatched plots, and little suspected treasons tum- refer to, and Paul goes on to say, blingoffthepage.TheDukeofYorkandhissons,their then-ally the Earl of Warwick, and the troops that ac- Like men of former times, he [that is, Richard] solved companied them, were riding back and forth and back this problem of government for which the past offered no and forth and up and down the kingdom, trying to solution by consulting the Law of God and Law of

Ricardian Register Page 23 Fall, 2005 Right Trusty & Well Beloved Nature. These, the 15th century knew, were written performed his magic with facts and words and art and plain in the divine order of the world. soul. He was never away from his desk for long. He left his labors on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and on Ruling 15th-century England was physical, and it part of his birthday, but otherwise he worked every day was personal. Richard knew that by the Law of Nature, of the year. Little surprise then, that when my mother his own power, as Paul puts it, ‘could only be secured realized she had not seen Paul for quite some time at a upon the good will of the realm.’ In this, Richard was a party they were giving, she would head for his study and man apart. find him standing over the desk, jotting notes or lost in For those of us who know about the life of Richard thought … he had gone to retrieve a book from the III, he is an obvious subject for a biography. He was the study, and on passing his desk on the return journey had last English king to die in battle; his life and reign were just paused for a moment on his way back to the party. fraught with difficulty and politics; and his kingship is The pause was usually about half an hour before my wrapped up in traditional stories of intrigue, murder, mother was aware of his truancy. and the lust for power. Nevertheless, one wonders how an author narrows down a vast field of candidates and Andsohefollowedthe‘papertrail’ashecalledit, chooses a particular person to investigate — researching amassing facts and information and generating vast piles letters, reading between the lines, and generally rum- of 5” x 8” file cards filled with his almost illegible hand- maging around in the artifacts of a life. So what was it writing. He broke a code written in 15th-century Italian that brought together an English king, dead for almost that arrived on what was to me an indecipherable photo- half a millennium, and Paul Murray Kendall, a young stat from the archives in Milan. First he had to teach English professor at Ohio University teaching himself 15th-century Italian. Then he had to break the Shakespeare and Elizabethan Drama? code. Breaking the Enigma cipher seemed to me to pale in comparison. The family consensus is that there was no single spark that ignited Paul’s imagination, but rather there Occasionally our mother would breach the fortress of was more than one reason why he decided to write that papers, books, rolls of photocopied 15th-century docu- particular book. ments from Milanese archives, and assorted scraps with In preparation for teaching Shakespeare’s play Rich- notations on them that were variously heaped, placed, or ard III, Paul read about the real King Richard. He was cascading across Paul’s desk. She would take a firm line, immediately attracted to the character of the man. As and from the assortment of paper goods on display, re- my mother describes it, ‘He saw more to the story than move a matchbook cover or two and consign them to the the casual reader; Richard the man as well as Richard wastebasket. Out they would go. Sometimes, unfortu- the king caught his imagination.’ What I say is: an inde- nately, a note would be written on the inside of an empty finable glimmer from across the centuries had at last matchbook cover pressed into use at a crucial moment been picked up. when there was not a convenient piece of paper to hand. A biography of Richard III would be new territory — Consternation would ensue. Such is the life of a scholar there was not much available on Richard at the time, when the real world interferes. and there was already a lot of published scholarly work As a child, I was sure of two things when my father on Shakespeare. The idea of writing an historical work was researching the biography — Richard didn’t murder rather than an insight into some aspect of Shakespeare’s thePrincesintheTower,andtheDukeofClarencewas plays became more and more intriguing. A friend sug- drowned in a vat of malmsey. A six-year-old can spend a gested applying for a grant and the time to gather mate- lot of time thinking about a barrel of wine big enough to rials for the book. The Ford Foundation generously put somebody inside. The image is with me still. A year offered enough money that he could spend 15 months or two later, I added to my repertoire the fact that the — with his family — researching the biography in Brit- Butler,a.k.a.theDukeofBuckingham,killedthe ain and France, seeing for himself the places that were a Princes. And that was that. Anything else was extra. part of Richard’s life and death. And so it was that our PaulhadalwaysincludedmeinhisresearchonRich- relationship with Richard Plantagenet began. I like to ard, and had unwittingly prepared the way when I was think that Paul Kendall the biographer may be four years old by reading to me Sir Walter Scott’s descended from John Kendall the secretary. Quentin Durward, a lengthy historical novel about Back in Ohio, our house was built high on the side of 15th-century France. You won’t be surprised to hear that a hill. The living room, and Paul’s study on the floor be- my favorite bedtime story was Beowulf, told as only Paul low, were afforded a beautiful view over the Hocking could tell such a story. River Valley. It was in this setting that my father I was lucky, and I didn’t even know it.

Fall, 2005 Page 24 Ricardian Register And so, finally, when all the pieces were slotted into Bosworth and shielded the sun from your eyes as you place, and the gaps bridged with a little history and a lit- looked up at Richard’s standard, stretched full out, the tle ingenuity, and a great deal of wit, Paul had created a White Boar snapping and rippling in the stiff breeze life out of nothing but a pile of index cards as high as the high above the gently rolling fields of Leicestershire. sky. He had somehow transposed a body of accumulated You may almost hear the faint jingle of harness against a facts and lists and dates and records into a living, breath- horse’s neck, a memory borne on the wind across the ing body with a mind and a will and a soul, and an es- centuries from that August long ago. With Richard’s sence. And that is the magic. death on the battlefield at Sandford, near Ambion Hill, There remains the question: what did Paul himself came a new era. really think about Richard and the Princes in the Tower? It is up to us to follow in Paul Murray Kendall’s foot- Did he order them to be killed to assure the safety of the steps, and ensure that Richard III is carried forward into Crown, or was he innocent of his nephews’ blood? After the future, not as a villain, not as a hero, but as a just man years of living in the saddle with the Duke of Glouces- of his time, unswervingly loyal to his brother the King, a ter, Paul must have developed a sixth sense. The answer brave and canny general, and a king himself, who strove is that Paul had a gut feeling about it, but, as my mother to keep the peace in his rightful domain. recently explained to me, ‘You can’t put a gut feeling into In my mind’s eye, I can see them. Somewhere in the a properly researched biography.’ And so, to my knowl- vault of Heaven sit those two, the scholar and the king, edge, very few people know that Paul, in his heart of planning battles that never were, vigilant against those hearts, believed Richard to be innocent. who would disturb the peace of ‘this blessed plot, this Well,youallknowsowelltheendofthistragictale. earth, this realm, this England.’ Perhaps you have journeyed to Ambion Hill at

Generous Ricardians April 1-Sept. 15, 2005 Rebecca Aderman Bonnie Battaglia & family Dorothy Calkins Jeanne P. Carlson Matthew J. Catania Marta Christjansen Mary Devlin Nancy Donovan Anna Marie Ellis Richard Foster Sally Foulkrod Susan Giannotta Emma Goodman Karen Hiatt Diane Hoffman Tom Lockwood Margaret M. Mayce Lawrence McCarthy Nita S. Musgrave Member Reminder John C. O'Farrell Marianne Pittorino Elizabeth A. Rose Members who shop at Amazon.com can help the Cheryl Rothwell Society: Always start your Amazon.com shopping by Marcia Stone going to www.r3.org/sales and clicking on the Amazon Rhonda L. Tirone logo. The Society receives a small percentage of any Gwen Toma purchases made this way.

Ricardian Register Page 25 Fall, 2005

The Ricardian Puzzlers are Charlie Jordan, Lorraine Pickering, Marion Davis and Nancy Northcott. The Ricardian crossword puzzles are intended as a fun method of learning about Richard and his life and times. Each puzzle will have a theme and clues are drawn from widely-available sources. Suggestions for themes and feedback about the puzzles are welcomed; please send comments to Charlie at [email protected]

Solution on page 25

Fall, 2005 Page 26 Ricardian Register Heraldry

Across 1475. 2. “As It Plese God” was the motto of Thomas Bourchier, 34. Edward IV used a white _____ as a badge; commonly used as a Archbishop of ______. badge by the Mortimer Earls of March. 5. Arms were orginally a method by which combatants could _____ 35. In Richard, Duke of Gloucester’s, copy of the French prose each other on the battlefield. “Tristan,” ______wrote the motto: 7. Ralph Fitzherbert’s alabaster effigy shows the Yorkist “Without Changing” above her signature. of suns and ______. 37. George, Duke of Clarence’s animal emblem was a 9. Edmund of Langley used a falcon within a ______as a badge. ______Also, “Within the ______” a novel by Ricardian Brian 38. In the 15th century, a herald’s ceremonial garment, bearing his Wainwright. master’s arms, was called a ______. 10. The components of arms (as shown by two mermaids found 39. Edward IV used this as one of his mottos - “Comfort et liesse” gripping the shield in figure 1) are called ______. which translates to “Comfort and _____.” 12. Another term for the shield in an achievement of arms. 17. In a “coat of arms,” a ______is a three-dimensional object at the Down top of a helm. 1. In 1484, Richard established the _____ College or, as it’s known 19. When they weren’t wearing ceremonial tabards, heralds today, the College of Arms. identified themselves with a ______of office, which was 3. In heraldry, this mythical beast represented “Extreme courage.” supposed to give them immunity when working in enemy Used as one supporter in the current royal arms. territory. 4. The name of the traditional heraldic color associated with red is 20. The name of the traditional heraldic color associated with gold is ______. ______. 23. Together all the components of one’s arms are called a full _____ 6. “Honi soit qui mal y pense” is the motto of the Order of the of arms. ______. 24. The use of puns of names or titles symbolized in heraldic art. 8. Which powerful northern family (known for switching sides) used 25. A junior, or probationary, herald was called a ______an Eagle and Child as its badge? 28. The name of the traditional heraldic color associated with blue is 9. One of Richard, Duke of York’s animal emblems was a ______. ____. 11. Coats of arms are not granted to families; arms are granted to 29. “Loyaulte me lie” was Richard’s ______. ______. 30. The name of the traditional heraldic color associated with silver is 13. Any design or shape placed on the shield in an achievement of _____> arms. 31. In his youth, Richard III wrote this motto in his copy of 14. After becoming Margaret Beaufort’s daughter-in-law, Elizabeth “Ipomedon.” of York used this motto:______32. Richard’s badge was a white ______. 15. Widely admired as a knight and a scholar, this Yorkist used the 33. This French king wasn’t “accompanied by heralds and trumpeters motto: “Nulle La Vault.” He was as are most princes.” He tricked Edward IV by sending a valet ______. disguised as a herald to negotiate during the English invasion of

New England Chapter Report On June 17, 2005, the newly formed New England have applied for a bank account, and will petition the Chapter of the Richard III Society held its first meeting Board of the Richard III Society, Inc. for recognition of in Concord, Massachusetts. Efforts to reactivate the the revival of the New England Chapter. New England Chapter began in October 2004 when The Chapter's second meeting, held on September Kirsten Moorhead of Portland, Maine responded to 17th, brought together Ricardians from Connecticut, Eileen Prinsen's advertisement for a Chapter Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. In addition Moderator. to discussing outreach, fundraising, and rules of the pro- After several months and countless emails, Eileen posed chapter, members explored topics such as the and Kirsten were proud to announce that the New Eng- credibility of modern forensic evidence and how the de- land Chapter was ready to reactivate. To the delight of cline of Latin has effected Medieval Studies. both women, thirty-four members, from four of the six The New England Chapter's next meeting will be states New England states, responded to their "call to held in early December, 2005, in Concord, Massachu- arms." setts. The first meeting of 2006 will take place in Exeter, New Hampshire. Since its initial meeting in June, the New England Kirsten Moorhen, Moderator; Chapter has elected Kirsten as Moderator, Brandy Brandy Barton, Secretary Barton,Secretary,andRhondaTirone,Treasurer They Rhonda Tirone, Treasurer

Ricardian Register Page 27 Fall, 2005 Chapter Contacts

ARIZONA Tel: 207-88-8890 Mrs. Joan Marshall 10727 West Kelso Drive • Sun City, AZ 85351 NEW YORK-METRO AREA (623) 815-6822 Maria Elena Torres 3216 Fillmore Avenue • Brooklyn, NY 11234 CALIFORNIA email: [email protected] Anyone looking to reactivate the California Chapter, please contact Judy Pimental at [email protected] NORTHWEST Jonathan A. Hayes EASTERN MISSOURI 3806 West Armour Street • Seattle, WA 98199-3115 Bill Heuer (206) 285-7967 email:[email protected] 111 Minturn • Oakland, MO 63122 (314) 966-4254 • email: [email protected] ROCKY MOUNTAIN Chapter moderator wanted ILLINOIS Please contact: Editor, Eileen Prinsen Janice Weiner 16151 Longmeadow St - Dearborn MI. 48120 6540 N. Richmond Street • Chicago, IL 60645-4209 313-271-1224. E-mail: [email protected] MICHIGAN AREA SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA Eileen Prinsen Joseph Wawrzyniak 16151 Longmeadow St - Dearborn MI. 48120 3429 Chalfont Drive • Philadelphia, PA 19154 313-271-1224. E-mail: [email protected] (215) 637-8538 MINNESOTA email: [email protected] Margaret Anderson SOUTHWEST 3912 Minnehaha Avenue S. #29, Minneapolis, MN 55406. Roxane C. Murph (612) 729-4503. E-mail : [email protected] 3501 Medina Avenue • Ft. Worth, TX 76133 NEW ENGLAND (817) 923-5056 • email: [email protected] Kirsten Moorhead 14 Bramblewood Drive • Portland, Maine, 04103-3789 If you are interested in forming a chapter, contact Eileen Prinsen, E-mail:[email protected] Chapter Co-ordinator (see page 3 of this issue)

Membership Application/Renewal r Mr. r Mrs. r Miss

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Country: Phone: Fax:

E-Mail:

q Individual Membership $35.00 Contributions: q Individual Membership Non-US $40.00 q Schallek Fellowship Awards: $______q General Fund (publicity, mailings, etc) q Family Membership $35 + $5/member $______$_____ Total Enclosed: $______Contributing & Sponsoring Memberships: q Honorary Fotheringhay Member $ 75.00 Family Membership $35for yourself, plus $5 for each q Honorary Middleham Member $180.00 additional family member residing at same address. q Honorary Bosworth Member $300.00 Make all checks payable to Richard III Society, Inc. q Plantagenet Angel $500.00 Mail to Pamela J. Butler q Plantagenet Family Member $500+ $_____ 11000 Anaheim Ave. NE • Albuquerque, NM 87122-3102