Newsletter June 2015

Minutes Richard III Society, Adelaide, South Australia Branch – 06 June 2015 Present : Kevin Jones, Lisa Cortez, Dianne Haynes, Ruth Overy, Valerie Walden, Margaret Collings, Judy Mann Apologies: Sue Walladge, Rilla McEvoy, Anne Cooper, John Forster, Amy & Kate Feldman, Lyn & Chris Gill Minutes of previous meeting read and accepted. Moved: Valerie Walden, Seconded: Ruth Overy Treasurer’s Report: Not available. Correspondence: Richard III Myth or Monster, Saint or Sinner – from Royal central! Victorian newsletter New Annette Carson book: 'Richard Duke of Gloucester as Lord Protector and High Constable of England' - The following members wish to order a copy of this book: Kevin, Lisa, Di, Judy and Ruth + one for our library. Sue to arrange order. General Business: Medieval Lunch at July meeting. No additional activities for this meeting however mantle raffle to go ahead with a British theme – could be red, white and blue, items associated to/made in Britain/UK etc Everyone to bring something to eat – doesn’t have to be a medieval recipe! Savoury Sweet Sue – chicken casserole and bread (either rolls or Continental Loaf) Di Judy – sausage rolls Ruth Kevin Margaret Lisa will bring some wine (mulled, maybe) Suggestions for future meetings: How did the SA Richard III society come into being? Ruth and others who joined later would like to know and Margaret was asked if she would be able to present something at the September meeting. Note: There are photo albums available of the ‘early days’ in our cupboard.

Ironclad is a local re-enactment group and although not perhaps interested in going to their events, it might be interesting to have someone from the group talk to us about the weapons of Richard’s era. Need to wait for Ironclad’s website which is supposedly on the way and may need to be reciprocal. Something to think about. Margaret mentioned that previously the RIII Adelaide Society had an archer come to a meeting and provided a demonstration. Perhaps we could do this again.

Lisa has suggested a trip interstate to another RIII Society branch meeting, perhaps Victoria as the closest for some time next year. Obviously would need to discuss with other society(s) and would be on a ‘user pays’ basis.

Also a trip to the Rare Book Library to view medieval manuscripts. Apparently this has been done before too but would be interesting to do again especially for those who have not been before and to check out any

The Richard III SocietyAdelaide South Australia Branch

new acquisitions. Lisa may be able to organise through a friend or did this last time. Sorry Lisa, will need to follow up with you to see if you are able to arrange this again. Kevin presented information and talked about Anthony Woodville which was interesting and raised some questions and answers and general discussion regarding the subject amongst those present.Apologies for the next meeting : Valerie Walden who will be swanning around Europe. Bon Voyage Valerie. Rilla McEvoy away interstate. *Waiting to hear from Annette Carson- website says only UK orders so contacted her directly via email regarding ordering books. Just had an email from Annette and by buying in bulk and depending on postage you are up for $20 ,plus they will be signed copies. Further email update the books have been posted and may be here by this meeting depending on how efficient British and Australia post are. Kevin, Lisa, Di, Judy and Ruth owe me $20 each.

Some websites from Lyn Gill

Next time someone asks you to go shopping chaps, just be grateful it's not like this....

http://www.medievalists.net/2013/05/16/the-queen-of-sicilys-paris-shopping-list-1277/

Subject: one more site FYI

http://www.medievalists.net/2015/05/10/10-great-tips-from-the-middle-ages/

Here is another site of interest to the group if they do not already know of it.http://www.richardiii.net/2_2_0_riii_family.php#cecily

Subject: around this period of time in cooking not quite my taste but interesting read http://www.godecookery.com/nboke/neweboke.htm

Some interesting emails which may lead to future research in the Portuguese/Spanish archives?

From: Sergio José Rodríguez González <oxford.sergio25@gmail.com>To: chateaustegosaurus@att.net Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 11:41 AMSubject: Sergio Rodríguez from Spain (RICHARD III SOCIETY)

Dear American friends,How are you? I wanted to write you in order to send you the photo that we took together in the Belmont Hotel during the Richard Reinterment week in Leicester. I think you wrote down my e-mail in the Belmont Hotel when I returned to Spain, but I didn't write down your e-mail, so I asked to the American Branch Facebook if they could give me your e-mail.I am very happy for having the chance to meeting you and I hope we will meet again maybe in one of the Richard III Society events  or informally in other situations.Please, keep in touch with me and sorry about my English because maybe my "British spelling" sounds strange for you.All the best,Sergio Rodríguez (your young Spanish Ricardian friend). From: chateaustegosaurus@att.net Sent: 29/05/2015 03:44To: Sergio José Rodríguez GonzálezSubject: Re: Sergio Rodríguez from Spain (RICHARD III SOCIETY)

Hi, Sergio  -  I was very happy to meet you in Leicester; I'm sorry not to have responded earlier, but your email got a bit lost.I may have mentioned it to you, but there is something I have been thinking about.  Namely, what happened to Edward IV's sons, the Princes in the Tower?  I have a hunch, and this is just a guess, but I think there may be something in the Portuguese archives which could provide a clue.

Why do I think that?  Consider:  there was certainly a long-standing relationship between England and Portugal.  Portugal was England's oldest ally and at the time of Bosworth, the Portuguese king was the senior Lancastrian claimant.  After Anne's death, Richard III had started negotiations to marry a Portuguese princess (and have Elizabeth of York marry the Portuguese king's brother) which were successfully concluded by the time of Bosworth.

But there's also my favorite mysterious person, Sir Edward Brampton.  He was a Portuguese Jew who converted (at the establishment in London for that purpose established by Edward IV, which is probably why he chose the name Edward).  Very much a mystery man, doing confidential stuff for Edward IV and Richard III.  He was knighted by Richard III  -  why?  Very much mixed up in the "Perkin Warbeck" goings-on.  I'm attaching an article on him.

If you are looking for a needle in a haystack, it really helps to have the right haystack.  Not every haystack has a needle.  I feel there are indications that this may be one.

If you feel that time in the Portuguese archives might be worth your while, please let me know.  While I can't promise anything, I do have some connections which might be worth approaching.

If you feel more comfortable in Spanish, my wife is fluent in Spanish and could translate for me.  Please keep in touch; I will also.

Best Ricardian regards,

Jonathan Hayes Chairman, American Branch, Richard III Society Vice President, Richard III Society

(UK)

Philippa Langley info@philly.co.uk On 29/05/2015 10:31, Philippa Langley wrote: Thanks Jonathan. Fyi – I’ve been in regular touch with Sergio for a year or so now and good news is he’s going to be searching the Portuguese archives (he’s just finishing recent exams), focusing on the Princes / Sir Edward etc. It sounds like you could really help. It’s time to do all we can to find out what happened to the sons of Ed4! I know the Society has lots of research interests but if I could please ask that we allow Sergio to focus on this and not swamp him with any other requests. This happened recently to another researcher and ended up changing the focus of the research away from the Princes ... sigh. Hope this is OK All the best Philippa

email@annettecarson.plus.comHi there - I have also met with Sergio, have donated copies of my own books to him (including the new ‘Protector and Constable’), and have introduced him to Antonio Marques in Portugal, who is a great resource when it comes to Richard III and the location of archives.I have great hopes of this!Best wishesAnnette Peter Hammond < griffyn@uk2.net> wrote

Hello allResearching the Portuguese archives for information on Brampton and the Portuguese marriage is an exciting idea which might well produce something really interesting for us. However it would be much better if the Research Officer and the Research committee could please be informed about all these initiatives, and there seem to be several, to avoid duplication of effort and probable confusion.John, it would be good for those of us who do not speak Spanish if you could post in English as well please.Best wishes Peter

**The article referred to by Jonathon Hayes in his email is some 20 pages long so not included here. It’s from the Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of England, entitled Perkin Warbeck and his Jewish Master by Cecil Roth. It deals with Perkin Warbeck and Sir Edward Brampton. I’ve printed off a copy for our library.

The American branch’s Ricardian Chronicle has some interesting photos taken by their members, worth a look. .

Another historic event is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. Mike and I were in Canberra ( minus 6 one night!) just before their Magna Carta exhibit was opened in Parliament House but I did buy the book-“ Australia’s Magna Carta”. It tells the story of the copy of the 1297 Inspeximus issue of Magna Carta, found in a Somerset school in 1936 and the machinations leading to its purchase by the Australian Government in 1952. The book has 5 sections covering the background, Magna Carta & law, governance, cultural perspectives and as artefact. Interesting read. I’m sorry we missed the exhibit.

As you all know ( right?)The Magna Carta was authorised on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede. The document was agreed by King John to appease rebel barons in the heart of battle.

It is considered one of the first steps towards parliamentary democracy and includes the principle that no one was above the law, including the king,

The four surviving 1215 Magna Cartas at the British Library for about a week

A combination of pictures taken in London on February 2, 2015, shows the four surviving original Magna Carta copies. AFP Photo

Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral dates from 1215, one of four of the first documents that are still around.

Picture of Australia's Magna Carta A 1297 copy of the Magna Carta on display in the Members' Hall of Parliament House, Canberra, Australia. It was purchased by the Government of Australia for £12,500 from the King's School, Bruton, in Somerset, England, UK. The new exhibition case below.

Also it’s 200 years, June 18 1815, since the Battle of Waterloo so there been some interesting programs on the History channel regarding the Battle, the men involved and also Sean Bean (sigh) looking and trying out at the weapons used during the Battle.( Bean played Sharpe in the TV series set, based on Bernard Cornwell’s books. The books chart Sharpe’s progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic wars. A great series to read and TV series was good too and yes I do have a copy of the series!!!)

Commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo concluded with a re-enactment of the moment news of the allied victory reached London. Events have been staged in Belgium and the UK to remember the battle.

In June 1815 - following the victory of the Duke of Wellington's allied forces over Napoleon's French army - Major Harry Percy left Belgium carrying a letter written by the Duke relaying news from the battlefield to an expectant nation. But the ship carrying the dispatch began to drift in the English Channel, resulting in the men having to row the 20 miles to shore, landing at Broadstairs, in Kent.

From there, the dispatch was taken by carriage to the Prince Regent, who was at a dinner party in London .Once there, the Prince Regent initially thought Major Percy - who was still covered in blood from the fighting - was bearing bad news. But once told of Wellington's victory, guests then rushed into the street to celebrate.

Actors dressed as Major Percy and Commander James White - who also helped to carry the original victory message - have retraced the original three-day journey from Waterloo.They travelled across London in horse-drawn carriage, along with replicas of two captured Imperial Eagles and Standards of the French army.

Replicas of two captured Imperial Eagles and Standards of the French army were taken across

London.

The news was announced outside the Old Royal Naval College, in Greenwich, before the dispatch left for London. Actors Michael Bradley (left), dressed as Commander James White, and Julian Farrance, dressed as Major Henry Percy

An actor playing Major Percy delivered the message at the East India Club in St James's Square - where the message of victory was originally received by the Prince Regent - in front of Princess Anne. He told the Princess Royal: "I've come to you directly from the Duke of Wellington's headquarters in the village of Waterloo."His grace, along with our Dutch and Belgian allies, and the Prussian forces as well, have met the Corsican Empire in the field and have dealt him the most shattering defeat."The eagles were then presented to the Princess Royal.

The carriage then joined the Waterloo Parade along The Mall, accompanied by military bands. Julian Farrance, who played Major Percy during the commemoration, said the whole experience had been "simply astonishing"."It has been an astonishing privilege for us to be able to do this - to be able to ride the post chaise through the middle of town, but also to have started out at Waterloo and followed this journey through."

The 200th anniversary of the battle has seen a series of events re-enacting important moments.

Frenchman Frank Samson played Napoleon during the re-enactment of the battle itself

On Saturday a huge re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo took place in the same Belgian fields where Napoleon's army was defeated.

Alan Larsen as The Duke of Wellington, leads his cavalry (AFP/Getty Images)

Around 6,000 volunteers dressed as infantry and cavalry officers to recreate the battle and commemorate those who died. The volunteers dressed as soldiers, with 300 horses and 100 cannon, carefully re-enacted the battle for a crowd of 60,000 spectators.

Back to things Ricardian- An interesting(?) article from the Economic Times. -)

Burial of Richard III, the Car Park King Sudeshna Sen is Foreign Editor of The Economic Times, working out of London for the past seven year. March 26, 2015, 6:46 am IST Letters from London | World | ET

So this week we had a funeral. Most of the rest of the world never heard of it, and therefore it was so English. It involved a skeleton dug up from under a car park in the dim, dark industrial town of Leicester—Richard III, the last Yorkist king killed in 1485, was buried at Leicester Cathedral, amidst a huge row that sort of proves the Wars of the Roses isn’t quite over.

That’s why I love the British, much as I hate ’em. They’re all so, umm, mythifical. Like Merlin and all that. I should really be into Grexit and Russian nuclear threats and stuff, but honestly—between boring 21st century leaders like Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin, and an honest to-god Shakespeare hero (or villain As You Like It) a king who’s been dead for 500 years, and who died of getting his skull bashed in a battle, is just way more fun than the European parliament. Especially when he’s Richard the III.

Currently, the war is raging among the pro-Ricardists, and anti-Ricardists. The pros believe he should be interred as a king, and in York, where he belonged, and not in Leicester, closest location to the Battle of Bosworth Field, when the House of Tudor finally took over. And Richard died in 1495. The antis believe he isn’t important enough, and hey, the council gave permission (after years) to the seriously historical society to dig up a seriously municipal car park—that’s evil, innit—provided they buried him in Leicester, along with all the tourists and their dollars.

This is such a British Row, in all caps, I can’t take sides, it’s so funny. And not something that Richard the III would have approved of. I’m somewhat biased on the Ricardist’s side, because he instituted laws that would benefit the populace; he understood economics, even if it made life difficult for him.

England, economically at least, was better run under Richard than under his successors and predecessors. For those of you who haven’t seen the Tudors or read Philippa Gregory (ignore Shakespeare for now) here’s a quick preview on who and what this king was.

He was the last of the Plantagenets, the line started by Henry II in 1100 something, and a Yorkist. But red rose or white doesn’t matter—it was York versus Lancaster. Given that the two cities are like Mumbai and Pune, and there’s zilch to choose between the nice white stone that they use to build “ooop north,” you might be excused for wondering what the big deal was. Well, family. Before I get really flippant, and point out that the Richard’s conqueror, Henry, the white rose Lancastrian king,was actually Welsh and had nothing to do with Lancaster, except through his great grandfather, but then, oh never mind.

Anyway, the bottom line is that in 2012, some academics got the permission to dig up a car park from the council—and trust me, in England that’s like winning the wars of the roses. They found a skeleton under a car park. With a skull bashed in and a spinal defect that may have led to the hunchback in Shakespeare (still ignore him please). They did some intense DNA and whatever tests, and proved that was the body of Richard III.

And then it became all fun. Richard’s biggest crimes, widely popularised by 15th century Bollywood producers like Shakespeare, who was dependent on the patronage of Elizabeth, granddaughter of the Welshman who claimed the kingship as a house of Tudor, was to have killed his two children nephews; the Princes in the Tower mystery.

Okay, I did some attention in my Kings of England class, Richard’s elder brother, Edward IV, was a womaniser and in historical hindsight, an obvious nitwit. He was stripped for bigamy, then died, then his wife did her best to outdo Channel 4 doing the other Boleyn girl routine.

His kid bro Ric took over, and then after Ric got his skull smashed in, Eddie’s two young sons just disappeared. The Tudorian version (history as written by the winners) and Shakespeare blame Richard for it.

However, their older sister Lizzie married the new Tudor—he needed her to be legit, given he was actually Welsh—and without any inconvenient brothers who could prove their case, she could produce Henry VII.

Richard was Duke of York, which is what the second son to the Queen of England always is; currently, that’s Prince Andrew. If you think this is all just an English storm in an Earl Grey teacup, think again. There are more than enough people, and historians, rewriting Tudor history.

Elizabeth—II—not the first, might just be more than happy to revert to her house being the German sounding house of Saxe–Coburg, instead of being the House of Windsor, a made up designation during the war.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

And did you pick the errors in this article?