Beaufort Herald

Beaufort Companye Newsletter March 2011 Volume 5, Issue 3

Now is the time to make sure you kit fits and is fixed Sir Richard Tunstall 2 hobby that I have seen. Well done to all of you that did appear, you were a Castle 3 –4 credit to the hobby and to the Beauforts. Also worth remembering they were Heworth Moor 5 filming all around our camp for the en- tire weekend so where will the rest of Angels of Mons 6 Still from Time Team Special the footage end up, suggestions anyone? JAYNE E .. 600 the revolt ...PT3 7 I take it that everyone has heard of or Fatal Colours 8 saw the Time Team Special on the Wars of the Roses, If you haven’t here is the Towton Guns 8 link to 4oD

http://www.channel4.com/programm Cooks corner 8 es/time-team-specials/4od#3173822

You can then play “spot the reenactors I know” and freeze frame who's that? In the next issue: The program manages to create the ♦ Beaufort babes right atmosphere and was a credit to all ♦ “Sumer is icumen “ the reenactors taking part as it is one of ♦ Archers at events the best pieces of publicity for our “That’s my snickers you bounder!”

♦ Battle of Piltown Yorvik festival Asked if we will come back next year for the Yor- Next Issue— April 2011 On Friday 24th Feb several of vik Festival and also to us ably assisted by some Sav- stage a medieval event in iles and KIBS staged a pres- York in August of 2012 entation on the military side of the Wars of the Roses. Which leads me to this, is there anywhere near you It was a great success, so that you want an event. good that they have already Then get in touch …. A

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Sir Richard Tunstall (1427-1492), Lord of Bentham, Beaufort Companye Newsletter Yorkshire and Thurland Castle

Richard Tunstall first appears in Sept 1452 when he was appointed as a Squire of the Body to Henry VI with an annuity of 40 marks and by Feb 1455 he had been knighted and made the King’s Carver. He appears to have received a pardon in November 1455 by the temporary pro-Yorkist government but his continued loyalty to the Lancastrian regime, following York’s dismissal, resulted in a series of appointments including Chamber- lain of Chester, Master and Warden of the King’s Mints, Chamberlain of the Receipt of the Exchequer and Steward of Kendal. He fought at Wake- field and St Albans and was issued with the Commission of Array for Knaresborough prior to Towton from where he escaped to Scotland with the Duke of Somerset. During the subsequent war in the north he led an army of Scots across the border and besieged Carlisle (1461), captured and then surrendered Naworth Castle (Sept 1462), captured Bamburgh (Oct 1462) and was present during the siege of Dunstanburgh from where he escaped in Dec 1462. He fought alongside Somerset at Hedgeley Moor and Hexham in 1464 but unlike the Duke he once again escaped.

He is recorded as being present with Henry IV when he was betrayed by Not recorded at being at Bosworth, Henry VII the Harrington’s in July 1465 but again avoided capture and fled to Har- granted him an annuity for life of £100 out of the lech which he held until August 1468 after which he was finally arrested customs of Kingston-upon-Hull in June 1486 but and thrown in the Tower. In 1469 Tunstall received a pardon from Ed- reversed this in 1487 when he made Tunstall a ward IV but quickly reverted back to Henry VI during his redemption of King’s Counsellor and Knight of the Body for an 1470/1471. Tunstall faired better than most after Tewkesbury receiving annuity of £117 3s 4d. Active during the rebellion of another pardon from Edward IV in July 1471 and the following year he 1487 he received money and instruction to defend saw his attainder reversed. York against the rebels. He died in 1492 having served all four King’s of the Wars of the Roses. In August 1474 he was retained for the war in France for one year with 10 spears men-at-arms and 100 archers for which he was paid 2s a day for himself, 12d per spear and 6d a day for each archer and in the summer of 1475 he was with the army in France during which time he was one of the signatories to the Treaty between Edward and the King of France. Ed- ward IV later appointed him to the commis- sions of the peace for Wiltshire, Dorset, Hamp- shire and Somerset and in 1477 was an ambas- sador to the French Court.

In June 1483 Tunstall was appointed as Deputy of the Castle of Guisnes, under Sir Humphrey Talbot and was made a Knight of the Garter by Richard III by the end of that year. Tunstall appears to have continued to support Richard III and in May 1484 he was appointed as Lieutenant of Calais Castle and tasked with the rebuilding of decayed fortifications at Guisnes. At this time he is also recorded as being an important ship-owner in the Pale.

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Beaufort Companye Newsletter lands and titles but the city was strong and held out for longer than ex- THE SCARLET CLOSES pected. Although Harfleur fell to the English forces the cost was high and in A Brief History of in the end the king could only march his men back to the port of Calais. But a The Norman conquest of 1066 changed the lives of the Anglo-Saxon populous in mighty French army stood between Britain in every possible way. Their language was hijacked, their history subju- Henry’s men and home. At a little town called Agincourt between gated, they had new leaders and new government. Within a few short years of 30,000 and 50,000 French soldiers the invasion local lands were turned over to Lords and Barons who were support- blocked the path of just 6,000 weary ers of William the Conqueror the new King of England. and bedraggled English troops. We know the outcome, against all the According to Domesday Book of 1086, the manor of Codnor (which included odds the English were triumphant and amongst those victorious men was De areas like Heanor, Langley, Smitecote, Shirland, Toton and Wollaton) was the Grey and the brave archers and lanc- property of William Peveril (of at Castleton), given for service to ers of Derbyshire. the King and it was he who constructed the first fortification there. Like most Norman sites it is believed to have been the typical wooden motte and bailey design and was placed in a prominent position on the hillside overlooking the Erewash valley.

In around the year 1200 the manor of Codnor became the property of though his marriage to Isolda Bardolf, and it was Henry who started the construction of a new and much stronger stone castle that would be the seat of power for the De Greys of Codnor for the next 300 years. Henry De Grey was a wealthy and powerful Baron who had served King Richard I of England abroad on crusade and held land in Thurrock, and Derbyshire. Henry’s The wars in France dragged on for brother Walter De Grey was also very successful and influential. As the longest another 40 years after Agincourt and serving Archbishop of York (from 1215 to 1255) he was present at the signing the nobility of England became dissat- of Magna Charta with King John and all of the most powerful Barons in England isfied with our performance overseas, in 1215. battles and territories lost, weak or ineffectual kings and generals, it be- Over the next few hundred years the Barons De Grey took on a variety of roles came the perfect breading ground for supporting their king and country including Governor of the islands of Guernsey internal power struggles. and Jersey, Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports, Consta- ble of Kenilworth, Sheriff of Essex and Hertford, Constable of the Tower of Lon- The De Greys had their own problems don and even Sheriff of Nottingham. a little closer to home. In 1433 Henry De Grey (6 th Baron) became involved Over that same period The De Greys distinguished themselves in many battles. in a series of disputes with the owner John (3 rd Baron) was there at the battle of Crecy in 1346, although the English of Sir Richard Vernon. were heavily outnumbered they were victorious using their highly skilled archers, Amongst other thing Henry was ac- knights and men at arms on foot to devastating affect. In 1395 Richard De Grey cused of hindering an election in (4 th Baron) fought in Ireland in the service of King Richard II and was with a Derby and he even spent time in the young Henry, Prince of Wales during the Welsh Rebellions against Owain Glyn Tower of London for his part in the Dwr in 1403 . That support continued when the Prince came to the throne a few trouble but he was pardoned for his years later, when Henry V and the English army landed in France in 1415 Rich- crimes. ard De Grey was there with 162 archers and 68 mounted lancers recruited from the regions around Codnor. They laid siege at the port of Harfleur in an effort Cont’d page 4 to create a bridgehead and begin the royal quest to reclaim Henry’s rightful

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CODNOR CASTLE HISTORY (Cont’d) Beaufort Companye Newsletter

The enmity between the two families never really went away and it matched the growing divide within the country. In 1455 England began to tear itself apart as the supporters the houses of York and Lancaster plunged the country into a conflict (War of the Roses) that would last for over 30 years.

The 7 th Baron (also called Henry) supported the King and the Lancastrian cause whilst Vernon’s loyalty, like so many others in the area leaned towards the House of York. In 1467 Henry De Grey’s men murdered Henry Vernon’s uncle Roger who was the squire of Belper. That event lit a fuse on a “powder keg” that could only result in mass bloodshed. Within a few days Henry Vernon and his retinue marched on Codnor Castle. The two “armies” met just a mile or so to the West of the castle, it is said the battle was indecisive but many men lost their lives that day; it is said the grass turned red with blood and the area be- came known as the Scarlet Closes. Both De Grey and Vernon survived but were ordered to “leave each other in peace” and pay £1000 each in fines, for the time this was a phenomenal amount but shows the seriousness of the event. The Trust has ambitious plans which, if Records show that Henry De Grey continued to “support the King” throughout realised, would see the old farm the Wars of the Roses period and was present at many of the great battles of buildings at Castle Farm turned into a this war including, Towton (in 1461), Barnet (in 1471), Tewkesbury (in 1471), visitor centre and museum and would Bosworth (in 1485) and finally at Stoke Field in 1487. But, like many knights also become a focal point for living and noblemen during that time, as the reigning monarchs changed, so he found history events and experimental ar- himself changing sides and fought for both the Lancastrian and Yorkist causes. chaeology. Within the next 10-20 Henry De Grey died in 1496 and left no direct heir. However, he had made years, Codnor could become a site of arrangements with his uncle, John Zouch, to purchase Codnor Castle upon his regional if not national heritage im- death. The Zouch family lived at Codnor Castle for almost 140 years (1496 to portance. 1634) and they made many modifications to the castle. The last member of the If you want to find out more about Zouch family to live at Codnor castle was Sir George Zouch. When he became Codnor Castle, please visit bankrupt he emigrated to America and the lands were sold to Dr. Neille, www.codnorcastle.com Archbishop of York. The final occupants were the Masters family. Sir Streny- sham Masters purchased the property in 1692 and it remained in their hands Can you help? Well, the an- until Messrs Jessop and Co (better known as the Butterley Company) bought the land at the beginning of the 19th Century. When they purchased the castle swer is most definitely yes. site, it was in a state of major disrepair but they had really bought the site to If you are free on Sunday 3 rd July allow them to mine the minerals under the park. Codnor Castle is currently come and join us in the “Living His- owned by UK Coal. tory” camp at the Codnor Village In 2006, a group of enthusiasts banded together to save what had become a Fete as we attempt to re-enact the sad ruin from oblivion, eventually forming what is now The Codnor Castle Heri- Battle of the Scarlet Closes, the skir- tage Trust. Over the past 5 years the Trust has been busy raising money in an mish between the Vernon family and effort to buy this unique piece of English history and to allow everyone to enjoy the house of De Grey in 1467. this hidden gem of medieval heritage. It was partly through the dedication of Full details of the Condor Village Fete members of the Trust that UK Coal finally carried out a major conservation pro- will be made available as soon as ject to stabilise what was left of the castle above ground. In 2007, the Channel possible. 4 Time Team program revealed what archaeological riches were to be found beneath the castle. Jon Ward 4 Beaufort Companye Newsletter Only a tiny propor- tion were Percy The Battle of Heworth Moor retainers, no doubt these were impor- During the period 1452-55 there was tension in the North of England be- tant in providing lead- tween the Neville’s and the Percies as the former steadily increased their ership and organiza- influence in the North West, traditionally a region of Percy dominance. tion. (This aspect of a The two families had been rivals a long time. retainer's job in pro- viding men, and During 1453-4 the hostilities exploded into a private war and threw much arms, would be writ- of the North, especially Yorkshire, into turmoil. Of the skirmishes in which ten into his inden- many men of both parties were"beten, slayne and hurte" there were vio- tures). Following He- lent incidents at Topcliffe, Gargrave, Aughton and Catton in 1453 and in worth bands of partisans of both families rode 1454 the Percies terrorised the Mayor and Recorder in York plus a around the country attacking their enemies’ “battle”. Heworth Moor is described as the first overt battle in "a greate tenants and property. discorde betwixt” Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland and Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury. (This was one of the major causes for the start *Stamford Bridge (another engagement) of the Wars of the Roses) took place in 1454. Lord Egremont, brother of the Earl of Northumberland, clashed with Sir In 1454 members of the Neville family were returning to Sheriff Hutton Thomas and Sir John Neville. Hundreds were castle following a family wedding. The group included Sir Thomas killed and many wounded and the flight of Pe- Neville, the groom, Maud Stanhope his wife of a week, and Sir John ter Lound, bailiff of the nearby Percy manor of Neville the groom's younger brother. Maud was the niece and heiress of Pockington with 200 of Egremont's retinue cost Ralph, Lord Cromwell. him the day. Egremont and his brother Richard Percy were captured. In a civil action the Lord Cromwell had confiscated several Percy strongholds, including Neville’s successfully sued him for damages of Wressle in Yorkshire and Bunwell in Lincolnshire, following Hotspur's £11,200 and as his income was only £100 per death at Shrewsbury in 1403. The mere thought of these properties be- year were able to have him locked up out of coming part of the Neville domain caused Lord Egremont, 2nd son of harms way in Newgate debtors’ prison. They Henry Percy Earl of Northumber- spent the next two years imprisoned for debt land to throw his own party for the until they were able to escape on 13/11/1456 newly weds! Together with a band after a warder was bribed and weapons smug- of around 1000 retainers and gled into the prison. thugs from York he arranged an ambush at Heworth Moor. [Footnote] The original documents are in the form of prosecutions of Percy tenants and York The Neville’s gave good account Citizens for a riotous assembly on Heworth of themselves and repelled the Moor and the road to Huntington. They were attackers. The skirmish, described invariably clad in "jakkies loricis and salettes by contemporaries as a battle is Warkworth, 2010 tour of the North and arrayed for war" (padded jacks, breast- often regarded as the first military plate/armour? and helmets). The 710 prosecu- action of the War of the Roses and drove the Neville’s to seek the protec- tions included at least 24 York freemen. There tion of the House of York. Of the names and occupations of 710 who were no mentions of any deaths in the indict- were indicted for their share in this incident, 94% of them were from ments although one man sues for injuries done Yorkshire. They included 6 knights, 32 esquires, 26 gentlemen and 24 him... The Chamberlain's Account Rolls of this clerks (amongst them several chaplains and belligerent priests. The city time includes details of some citizens including of York provided a sizeable contingent of around 100 artisans and scholars being fined for taking the Percy livery, tradesmen, but the largest single group was the 330 yeomen. a larger number than usual had their goods confiscated as outlaws.

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Angels of Mons: Beaufort Companye Newsletter Arthur Ma chen's Reading between Machen’s lines, the key theme is Accidental Hoax really religion, which was still a very strong aspect of British life in 1914 and Britons wanted, expected even, miracles. According to the general public distanced from the fighting, the British were good and the Germans were evil, so there would be

miracles to save the most righteous ones.

After the foreword, The Bowmen tale, which is very Of all the memorable tales to emerge from World War I, the most re- short, is recounted and then followed by more of markable one is untrue. The Angels of Mons is a legend that evolved Machen’s war-themed short stories. The author from one writer’s skilful ability to weave ghostly stories. This particu- paints a very dark picture of the Germans and con- larly tale gripped a nation badly in need of hope. For some, fiction be- tinues to play on the belief that spirits are appear- ing on battlefields. His final story sees the Greek came reality. heroes from Troy visit the trenches of Gallipoli. Ralph Aarken In September 1914, two months after the outbreak of the Great War, Welsh journalist and author Arthur Machen published a short story Big Blue called The Bowmen in the London Evening News. It describes how in Action phantom archers from the Battle of Agincourt had come to the rescue of British soldiers fighting against the Germans in the Battle of Mons a month earlier. The story was not labelled as fiction and the author soon became to receive enquiries from readers asking for verification of these ghostly archers, who had apparently been summoned by Saint George, the patron saint of England.

It appears Machen had no desire to create a hoax, but that the British public, just starting to grasp the full horrors of World War One’s mechanised warfare and its heavy death toll, was ready to believe that a ghostly miracle had occurred in France. Rumours were followed by more rumours and fiction started to become fact in the minds of some Britons. Machen’s story took on a life of its own. Spiritualist magazine Fantastic wrote about the ghostly bowmen while some people took the story of shot of the angel archers as a sign that God was on Britain’s side. the bom- In 1914, Machen published a book in order to put the record straight. bard be- In the preface of The Bowmen , he states that the story is fiction. The ing fired book became a bestseller, but the public belief in the story became stronger and more reports of angels on the battlefields started to ap- pear.

The foreword of The Bowmen is a lengthy examination of why certain people believed the story was true. Machen’s exasperation is obvious and he attempts to explain how rumours begin.

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Despite the protests of the Prince Bishop,

600 - The fall of Liege Part 3 Charles had recruited 400 pioneers from The following day the 29 th October, a bombard and two serpentine shots Limburg, a region which had suffered at marked the signal for the general assault, by over 26,000 Burgundians the hands of the Liegois in 1465. Super- and 1,200 French. The defenders of the city being reduced to just 2,600 vised by the Steward of the Duchy, Frie- foot and 800 horse. drich Witten they systematically destroyed the city, progressively firing district by dis- Initially their was fierce fighting at the gates of St Walburga, Saint Leo- trict (the flames could be seen at Aix- la nard and Vivegenis where the remaining liegois cannon caused heavy Chapelle 15 miles away) and then demol- casualties, whilst the citizens fought desperately the defenses were pro- ished the ruins sparing no buildings save gressively overwhelmed, as the Burgundian overann the remnants of the the churches - leaving literally no stone walls on either side, and directed their cannon at the barricades. The de- standing. Those found still hiding in the fenders were forced back to the old town, on an Island in the centre of houses were dragged out and killed. the city making a desperate stand around the churches. Charles then led a punitive chevauchee As to the leaders of the 600, William de Bures was killed in fierce fighting devastating the town of Franchimont and by the Church of St Paul “ like a wild boar surrounded by dogs “de Bures the surrounding area in punishment for “faced countless enemies many of whom fell at his hands”, Gossuin de their part in the raid. Expeditions were also Streel and a small band of supporters succeeded in cutting their way despatched to hunt down those fugitives through to the bridge over the Meuse to the far side of the city. They who had fled the city to take refuge in the might have made good their escape but for a Liegois noblemen, Louis marshes. Of those who had escaped the Roche.de la Marck, who decided to turn his coat and ingratiate himself fall of the city many would die of exposure with Charles the Bold, by intercepting the fugitives. De Streel was subse- and starvation over the winter. Charles’s quently tortured and executed. with his followers. revenge was total. Mark Hinsley The Burgundian troops then proceeded to sack the city, committing nu- merous atrocities and depravities, which are sickening to relate and shocked even the chroniclers of the day, who likened Charles’s action to those of the Ottoman Turks. Captured male defenders were bound, gagged and thrown into the River Meuse to drown. Women. and children were raped, mutilated and hung from the rafters of their own houses, even the hospitals and churches were looted and those who had sought sanctuary inside including the clergy, the old and infirm were butchered. The streets are literally said to have run with blood.

After 3 days of slaughter, rape & pillaging, in which over 20,000 perished. The soldiery were finally sated. Charles then asked Louis XI what he should do with the city, Louis callously replied;

“Fair Cousin, near my father’s bedroom was a high tree whose branches had nested crows. As these birds wearied by the their cawing, he did twice destroy their nests. This did not prevent them returning the follow- ing year to nest in the tall tree. Then my father pulled down the tree, and since that time could sleep in peace”

Never was the saying “put not your trust in Princes” more justified. How- ever, his casual betrayal of his allies bought Louis his freedom and he departed with his contingent of 1,200 the following day.

7 Fatal Colours— Towton 1461 Beaufort Companye Newsletter

Excellent book with some old and new insights into the Wars of the Roses and the background to the conflict, and on the battle. The book is well written and re- searched, and I would recommend to all

To add to this also acknowledges the Fed and Beauforts plus our website! Allan

TOWTON GUNS Parts of handheld guns have been found at a North Yorkshire battlefield which saw one of the bloodiest conflicts of the War of the Roses. Cookery Corner, Part 29 http:// Frutowr for Lentyn www.bbc.co.uk/go/ em/fr/-/news/uk- PERIOD: England, 15th century | SOURCE: MS Harley 5401 england-york-north- DESCRIPTION: A fruit and almond milk cake yorkshire-11810487 Frutowr for Lentyn. Recipe flour & almondes mylk, & temper þam togy- der; þan take fyges & rasyns of corance & fry þam with þe batour with “ oyle & tyrne þis & serof. Fritter for Lent. Recipe: flour & almond milk, & Caption Competition Does my nose look temper them together; then take figs & raisins of Corinth & fry them with big in this helmet?” the batter with oil & turn this & serve.

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup Almond Milk 3/4 cup flour 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 cup sliced figs & currants

Mix the almond milk quickly with the flour into a pancake-like batter; do not overbeat. Adjust the batter as needed: if too thick, dilute with a little almond milk; if too thin, thicken with a little flour.

Heat the oil in a skillet; when hot, pour in 1/2 of the batter. Sprinkle the fruit over top, then cover with the remaining batter. Cook until brown underneath, then turn over to brown the opposite side. Serve whole or Replies to: captioncomp @ jayandal.plus.com sliced. OPTIONAL: garnish with honey or sugar. 8