For a chance to win, simply leave a comment, and don't forget to leave your contact details!
The giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday 13/Monday 14 Jan 2019 (Pacific Standard time)
Monday, January 7, 2019
Giveaway: a Boy's War by David L Donaghy
A copy of A Boy's War by David L Donaghy is being offered worldwide.
Set in Liverpool, in 1940, this book tells the story of Freddie, a 12-year-old boy with a taste for adventure, who becomes caught up in exciting events after he is bombed out of his house. The Germans plan a commando raid to gather intelligence about troop movements and other vital information for the High Command to assist in their invasion of Great Britain. The raid involves a U-boat, the local Home Guard and even the battleship Prince of Wales. With courage and a disregard for his own safety, Freddie is found in the thick of the action and even brings his friend Grace into danger. Based on actual events, A Boy's War is an enthralling story which not only paints a grim picture of how ordinary people lived during the war, but also depicts the fortitude of individuals doing their bit for the war effort, sometimes paying the ultimate price. It will appeal to readers interested in the Home Front during WW2 and all those who like an exciting yarn.
For a chance to win, simply leave a comment, and don't forget to leave your contact details!
The giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday 13/Monday 14 Jan 2019 (Pacific Standard time)
For a chance to win, simply leave a comment, and don't forget to leave your contact details!
The giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday 13/Monday 14 Jan 2019 (Pacific Standard time)
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Editors Weekly Round-up, January 6, 2019
by the EHFA Editors
Never miss a post on English Historical Fiction Authors. Enjoy this week's round-up.
by Maria Grace
(an Editor's Choice from the Archives)
by Paula Lofting
Every week we bring you a bit of British history: people, places, social customs, and more. We hope you'll enjoy this look at the top 20 posts for 2018.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Life and Times in the Eleventh Century: Death Comes at Christmas and a New King is Crowned
by Paula Lofting
September of the year 1065: King Edward, reigning for twenty years, was now beset by a rebellion from the northern counties of his realm. Despite holding lands there, Edward had never been inclined to wander further than the Midlands. It might seem strange, but Edward was not a ruler who embraced the itinerant life. Nor was he the epitome of Anglo-Saxon warrior-kings who rode at the head of an army. Edward was the sort of king who preferred praying to fighting and hunting to swordplay, leaving most of the martial affairs of his kingdom to his capable number two, Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex.
Edward also seemed to prefer the company of men to that of women – well, if the way he treated his mother and his wife was anything to go by. One could say that Edward had a good reason not to be too fond of women, considering he was abandoned by his mother in an act of political survival.
Tostig’s appointment to the Earldom of Northumbria in 1055 had caused a lot of controversy at the time, and Tostig was often forced to deal with one conflict or another arising from among the stubborn, insubordinate northern thegns. By 1065, it seems they’d had enough of him increasing their taxes and executing those who challenged him. Tostig, however, had a different viewpoint - he'd only been trying to bring them into line with the laws of the southern earldoms. The men of Northumbria, backed by the Mercian lords, decided to oust him, preferring Morcar, the brother of Edwin, Earl of Mercia, to Tostig, threatening an internal war if the king did not agree. In November of that year, Tostig was forced into exile and not even his brother Harold was willing to see a civil war destroy the kingdom despite the blood tie. Whether or not the rebels were justified in their complaints, the downfall of Tostig had been set in motion and Harold was determined not to go down with him, and perhaps, who could blame him? He was, after all, at the pinnacle of his power.
Edward was devastated, shattered by his counsellors’ refusal to restore Tostig to his post using arms. The loss of Tostig seems to have broken him and he ‘became so ill, his mind was affected until his death’ - Vita Ædwardi Regis (The life of King Edward). It seems that on that fateful day when it was ruled that Tostig was to be outlawed, Edward was to suffer the first of a series of strokes that would lead to his death.
There must have been a strange tinge of unease during the Christmas preparations those following weeks that Edward took to his sick bed. Up until the Tostig episode, Edward, though a considerable age, had been quite robust and still able to go hunting in his favourite spot, the Forest of Dean. And Harold had intended to gift his king a hunting lodge, the land of Archenfield, that he had conquered back from Gruffudd a couple of years ago. Therefore, Edward, at that time, had been of stout heart and mind. But in an unfortunate incident in August 1065, Welsh raiders burned the lodge to the ground. The loss of Tostig must have hit the king harder than the loss of Harold’s gift. Tostig’s removal coincided with the start of Edward's illness which seemed to worsen as the weeks went by. As Christmas approached, it must have been clear that Edward was not going to recover from such a serious illness. He was on his way out and not coming back.
One would hardly imagine that a kingdom’s administration would have been totally unprepared for a change in regime. With possible war with various factions on the horizon, it would barely seem rational that plans for the aftermath of Edward’s passing had not been made. The speed with which Harold was to be crowned can be thought to have been a fait accompli. So, whilst Edward lay sick in his bed in those weeks after Tostig’s departure, the wise men of the kingdom, the witan, must have met to come up with a plan. The meeting would also have included the queen, who, according to Poitiers in his Gesta Guillelmi, was said to have loved her brother Tostig and hated Harold. Because of the nature of Tostig’s downfall and Harold’s refusal to back him to the northern rebels she held a grudge against him and may not have been happy that Harold was elected as heir to her husband’s throne. But her best chance of surviving as an influential player in this Anglo-Saxon Game of Thrones was to have gone with the flow and hedge all her bets on her brother, Harold. Ok, he was not flavour month where she was concerned, but she may have been reminded of what had happened to her predecessor, Emma of Normandy, whose power greatly diminished when her last husband died.
During this time, Harold would have been garnering support amongst the most significant members of the nobility. Earl Leofric, head of the Mercian anti-Godwin faction, was long dead, and so was his son Ælfgar. Now it was down to his sons who were in power in the north in both the midlands and the northern counties. Earls Morcar and Edwin were very young, only in their mid-to-late-teens, when the old king was dying, but they would have known of the conflicts involving their father and Harold. Despite the Godwinson name coming up in events surrounding Ælfgar’s problems, Harold seems to have been the chief negotiator when solving the disputes which always came out in the Mercian lord’s favour. It is therefore not unreasonable, to believe that there was no real animosity between the sons of Ælfgar and Harold. They would owe him a debt for the part he played in allowing them to succeed to the earldoms of Merica and Northumbria, especially in the case of the latter which meant that Harold had to turn his back on his own brother. Its quite likely they would have voted for Harold with the witan, and thrown in their sister, Aldith, as part of the deal. Of course, all the other earls were Godwins too – Leofwine and Gyrth – who were Harold’s younger brothers after Tostig. Amongst the other members of the witan would have been archbishops Stigand and Eadred, both Godwin supporters, not to mention leading bishops and abbots, and abbesses also, and other wealthy and powerful thegns up and down the country. With the witan's seal on the table, all Harold really needed now as a stamp of approval was for Edward to express his consent, bearing in mind that it was less than eighteen months since Harold had sworn on holy relics to William of Normandy that he would help the duke realise his ambition of becoming the next King of England.
They say that when people are at the end of their lives, they somehow find the strength to stay for that special arrival, or occasion. This could be said of Edward, who managed to find the strength to attend the Christmas Day celebrations and was probably hoping that he would make the consecration of his church. He certainly must have struggled throughout the day's proceedings for evidently he was unable to partake of much of his food, and after this night, he took to his bed and never arose again, even missing his newly built Romanesque-style church consecration ceremony on the 28th December.
Imagine the scenario, Edward, with the greatest of his nobles gathered around him, his dutiful loyal wife, Edith warming his feet as she was wont to do, and a lot of people scuffling here and there to prepare for the funeral and coronation. As already mentioned, it was already decided who the next king was going to be, but for added excitement, the Vita creates an atmosphere of suspense as the court waited for Edward to make his nomination. The king spends days in and out of consciousness, but is unable to name his successor until he has, in a lucid moment, relayed a strange prophetical dream that produces some very cryptic foreshadowing - probably added to the Vita after the events of 1066 have played out.
Grumbling, Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury, turns to Harold and says that the king is raving like a madman, but then the king seems to be restored to sanity and speaks his last words: “Do not mourn for me, but pray for my soul and give me leave to go to God. He who allowed himself to die, will not allow me not to.” Queen Edith was weeping and he spoke words of comfort to her and he said, “May God reward my wife for her devoted loving service. For she has been a devoted servant to me, always by my side like a beloved daughter.”
Following on from this poignant, tragic scene, Edward finds the strength at last to speak the words they've all been waiting for, raising his hand to Harold: “I commend this woman and all the kingdom to your protection… and do not deprive her… of any honour she has received from me. I also commend to you all those men who have left their native land for love of me and served me faithfully. Take an oath of fealty from them, if they wish… or send them with safe conduct across the Channel to their own homes with all they have acquired in their service from me.” Edward - or perhaps Edith, who has commissioned the Vita Edwardi, seems to have been worried about her welfare after his death, and also that of the men whose names did not need mentioning but would have been known. Did Edith have reservations about Harold's intentions after he was crowned?
As we know, Edward pops his clogs and is gone from this world after giving instructions for his funeral. Did he ask them to send an invitation to William for the funeral? Not that there would have been time, but if, as the Normans liked to put it about, he had wanted William to be his heir, and had named him as such, surely arrangements would have been made to let the duke know that his cousin was soon to be extinguished from this life and that he should make preparations as soon as possible to attend his new court. But no, William was not sent for. Harold had already been chosen, had tried on the crown for size and made sure it fitted. William knew nothing about Edward's death and Harold's take-over. When he heard, it was said that he went into such a rage, he was almost catatonic, barely speaking.
And what of Edgar, the aetheling? Should he not have been considered? He was, after all throne-worthy due to his blood lineage. He was the only one known to use the title of aetheling. At this time, Edgar could not have been much more than thirteen or fourteen. He would not likely, given what could be coming, been able to handle such a situation without any experience. He did not appear to have followers or much in the way of land. His parents had arrived in England with riches, but he'd not been old enough to take charge of that yet, I suspect. He'd most likely had some grooming and education that any princeling might have expected to set him up for nomination, but Edward was not expected to leave the world just yet and he was, it seems, unprepared for kingship. And given the threat that would come from Normandy and from Tostig, whose intentions were probably easy to predict, would an untried mere boy of thirteen or fourteen be the best man for the job compared to Harold?
If it had been me on that counsel in 1065, Harold, tried and tested as a diplomat and military general, I would have opted for the man and not the boy. How about you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find Paula on her Blog
on her Amazon Author Page
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Traditional New Year's Celebrations
by Maria Grace
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| Illustration to Robert Burns' poem, Auld Lang Syne By John Masey Wright (1777-1866, artist) Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Although we often concentrate on Christmastime traditions, for some, New Years’ traditions can be as involved and every bit as significant. Many of the traditions focus around prediction the year’s fortune, repelling bad luck and inviting good.
New Year’s Eve
For some, New Year’s Eve meant thoroughly cleaning the house to start the new year clean. Old superstitions required the removal of ashes, rags, scraps and anything perishable from the house so that nothing was carried over from one year to the next. In this way, they would preserve their good luck was preserved and bad luck banished
Some celebrated with the family or a party gathering in a circle before midnight. At the stroke of the midnight hour, the head of the family would open the front and back doors to usher out the old year out the back and welcome the new year in the front.
In Yorkshire one traditionally says “black rabbits, black rabbits, black rabbits” as the clock is about to chime midnight then, as the clock strikes twelve, say “white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits” as the first utterance of the new year. This will bring good luck.
For some, New Year’s Eve meant thoroughly cleaning the house to start the new year clean. Old superstitions required the removal of ashes, rags, scraps and anything perishable from the house so that nothing was carried over from one year to the next. In this way, they would preserve their good luck was preserved and bad luck banished
Some celebrated with the family or a party gathering in a circle before midnight. At the stroke of the midnight hour, the head of the family would open the front and back doors to usher out the old year out the back and welcome the new year in the front.
In Yorkshire one traditionally says “black rabbits, black rabbits, black rabbits” as the clock is about to chime midnight then, as the clock strikes twelve, say “white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits” as the first utterance of the new year. This will bring good luck.
First Footing
Some Scots and residents of northern England believed in ‘first footing’—the first visitor to set foot across the threshold after midnight on New Year’s Eve affected the family's fortunes. A tall, dark, and handsome male stranger without physical handicap was the best omen, especially if his feet were the right shape.
High-insteps implied that "water would run under"—that is bad luck would flow past. A flat foot meant bad luck, as did women in most cases. These omens were not fully agreed upon though. For some, blonde or red-headed, bare-foot girls were bringers of good luck, but not in Yorkshire where the first footer had to be male.
The first-footer entered through the front door. Tradition held that no one spoke until the ‘first-footer’ wished the occupants a happy new year. Ideally, the first-footer would come bearing traditional gifts: coin, a lump of coal, a piece of bread or shortbread, whiskey, salt and black bun—representing financial prosperity, warmth, food, good cheer, and flavor in the new year.
Once inside, the first-footer would be led through the clean home to place the coal on the fire and offer a toast to the house and all who lived there. Then the first-footer might be permitted to kiss every woman in the house. The first-footer would leave through the back door and take all the old year's troubles and sorrows.
Dark haired young men often made the rounds of the neighborhood houses, bringing good luck to the homes and to themselves when they were invited in for a holiday toast. Although in many places for the first-footer could be a resident of the house, it was imperative that they not be in the house at the stroke of midnight or they could not be considered a true first-footer. In Worcestershire, householders would take luck into their own hands, ensuring good luck by stopping the first carol singer who appeared and leading him through the house.
New Year’s Day
A variety of traditions for New Year’s Day suggested how one might discern or influence their fortunes for the coming year.
One custom was to hook a pancake on one of a cow’s horns, then sing and dance around the unsuspecting bovine. If the cake fell off in front of the cow, it foretold good luck, if behind, bad. (Of course I have to imagine not getting gored by a ticked-off cow would signal good luck, but that’s just me.)
In Radnorshire (Wales), Herefordshire and Hertfordshire farmers might participate in the Burning Bush custom. At sunrise on New Year's Day, a hawthorn bush would be burned in the straw on the wheat fields to ensure good luck and bountiful crops. The bushes sometimes hung in the kitchen until the next year.
Creaming the Well
In some regions (particularly Scotland), young women raced to draw the first water from the well in a practice known as ‘creaming the well.’ Possession of this water meant marriage with in the coming year if she could get the man she desired to marry to drink the water before the end of the day.
Others believed the water had curative properties and even washed the udders of cows with it to insure productivity.
In another attempt to predict their marriage partners, young women would drop egg whites into water on New Year’s Day. They believed that the first letter of the name of man they would marry would appear in the swirling goo. (I can’t quite imagine how you would see a letter in that, but that’s neither here nor there, right?)
News Years’ Gifts
Until the 18th century, gifts were exchanged on New Year's Day instead of Christmas or Twelfth Night (Epiphany). Food, money, and clothing were traditional gifts, with gloves being particularly popular.
In some places (especially Wales), on New Year’s day, children would sing door to door at the neighbor’s houses. In return (or perhaps simply to make them go away) they would be given coins, mince pies, apples and other treats. The singing must accomplished by noon or the singers will be called fools.
A Welsh New Years’ gifting tradition is known as Calennig. Gifts are exchanged particularly between family members. Food, money and other gifts might be given. Window sills and mantelpieces were often decorated with a calennig made from an apple stuck with three twigs to form a tripod, coated in spices, dried fruit and nuts and topped with a sprig of evergreen. These were seen as bringers of good fortune for the coming year.
Scottish Hogmanay
Hogmanay—a Scottish new year celebration dates back to Norse celebrations of the winter solstice. The custom of first-footing is strongly associated with Hogmanay. In fishing communities, first footers carried decorated herring. (Of course, now I’m wondering how does one decorate a herring—but I digress.)
A variety of parades and ceremonies involving fire were (and still are) popular. In northeast Scotland, fireball swinging remains popular. Balls of wire stuffed with flammables would be attached to wire, chain or nonflammable rope and swung around the carriers’ heads in a memorable display ending with the balls being cast into a large body of water. Other similar parades involved carrying torches or burning half-barrels on the bearer’s heads.
In the Highlands Hogmanay would be celebrated with the blessing of the household and livestock. Early on New Year's morning, water obtained from a river ford routinely crossed by both the living and the dead is first drunk by the householders, then sprinkled in every room of the house, the beds, and the inhabitants. Afterwards, the house is sealed and juniper branches lit on fire and carried through the house, the juniper smoke fumigating the home until everyone is coughing and sneezing. At this point, all the doors and windows are opened to allow in the fresh new year’s air. After a restorative from the whisky bottle, the household could sit down to its New Year breakfast.
Traditional New Year’s foods include: shortbread, venison pie, haggis, black bun (fruitcake wrapped in pastry) and rumbledethumps, similar to bubble and squeak or colcannon.
This seasonal favorite is an Editor's Choice and was originally published on January 2, 2018.
~~~~~~~~~~
Some Scots and residents of northern England believed in ‘first footing’—the first visitor to set foot across the threshold after midnight on New Year’s Eve affected the family's fortunes. A tall, dark, and handsome male stranger without physical handicap was the best omen, especially if his feet were the right shape.
High-insteps implied that "water would run under"—that is bad luck would flow past. A flat foot meant bad luck, as did women in most cases. These omens were not fully agreed upon though. For some, blonde or red-headed, bare-foot girls were bringers of good luck, but not in Yorkshire where the first footer had to be male.
The first-footer entered through the front door. Tradition held that no one spoke until the ‘first-footer’ wished the occupants a happy new year. Ideally, the first-footer would come bearing traditional gifts: coin, a lump of coal, a piece of bread or shortbread, whiskey, salt and black bun—representing financial prosperity, warmth, food, good cheer, and flavor in the new year.
Once inside, the first-footer would be led through the clean home to place the coal on the fire and offer a toast to the house and all who lived there. Then the first-footer might be permitted to kiss every woman in the house. The first-footer would leave through the back door and take all the old year's troubles and sorrows.
Dark haired young men often made the rounds of the neighborhood houses, bringing good luck to the homes and to themselves when they were invited in for a holiday toast. Although in many places for the first-footer could be a resident of the house, it was imperative that they not be in the house at the stroke of midnight or they could not be considered a true first-footer. In Worcestershire, householders would take luck into their own hands, ensuring good luck by stopping the first carol singer who appeared and leading him through the house.
New Year’s Day
A variety of traditions for New Year’s Day suggested how one might discern or influence their fortunes for the coming year.
One custom was to hook a pancake on one of a cow’s horns, then sing and dance around the unsuspecting bovine. If the cake fell off in front of the cow, it foretold good luck, if behind, bad. (Of course I have to imagine not getting gored by a ticked-off cow would signal good luck, but that’s just me.)
In Radnorshire (Wales), Herefordshire and Hertfordshire farmers might participate in the Burning Bush custom. At sunrise on New Year's Day, a hawthorn bush would be burned in the straw on the wheat fields to ensure good luck and bountiful crops. The bushes sometimes hung in the kitchen until the next year.
Creaming the Well
In some regions (particularly Scotland), young women raced to draw the first water from the well in a practice known as ‘creaming the well.’ Possession of this water meant marriage with in the coming year if she could get the man she desired to marry to drink the water before the end of the day.
Others believed the water had curative properties and even washed the udders of cows with it to insure productivity.
In another attempt to predict their marriage partners, young women would drop egg whites into water on New Year’s Day. They believed that the first letter of the name of man they would marry would appear in the swirling goo. (I can’t quite imagine how you would see a letter in that, but that’s neither here nor there, right?)
News Years’ Gifts
Until the 18th century, gifts were exchanged on New Year's Day instead of Christmas or Twelfth Night (Epiphany). Food, money, and clothing were traditional gifts, with gloves being particularly popular.
In some places (especially Wales), on New Year’s day, children would sing door to door at the neighbor’s houses. In return (or perhaps simply to make them go away) they would be given coins, mince pies, apples and other treats. The singing must accomplished by noon or the singers will be called fools.
A Welsh New Years’ gifting tradition is known as Calennig. Gifts are exchanged particularly between family members. Food, money and other gifts might be given. Window sills and mantelpieces were often decorated with a calennig made from an apple stuck with three twigs to form a tripod, coated in spices, dried fruit and nuts and topped with a sprig of evergreen. These were seen as bringers of good fortune for the coming year.
Scottish Hogmanay
Hogmanay—a Scottish new year celebration dates back to Norse celebrations of the winter solstice. The custom of first-footing is strongly associated with Hogmanay. In fishing communities, first footers carried decorated herring. (Of course, now I’m wondering how does one decorate a herring—but I digress.)
A variety of parades and ceremonies involving fire were (and still are) popular. In northeast Scotland, fireball swinging remains popular. Balls of wire stuffed with flammables would be attached to wire, chain or nonflammable rope and swung around the carriers’ heads in a memorable display ending with the balls being cast into a large body of water. Other similar parades involved carrying torches or burning half-barrels on the bearer’s heads.
In the Highlands Hogmanay would be celebrated with the blessing of the household and livestock. Early on New Year's morning, water obtained from a river ford routinely crossed by both the living and the dead is first drunk by the householders, then sprinkled in every room of the house, the beds, and the inhabitants. Afterwards, the house is sealed and juniper branches lit on fire and carried through the house, the juniper smoke fumigating the home until everyone is coughing and sneezing. At this point, all the doors and windows are opened to allow in the fresh new year’s air. After a restorative from the whisky bottle, the household could sit down to its New Year breakfast.
Traditional New Year’s foods include: shortbread, venison pie, haggis, black bun (fruitcake wrapped in pastry) and rumbledethumps, similar to bubble and squeak or colcannon.
This seasonal favorite is an Editor's Choice and was originally published on January 2, 2018.
~~~~~~~~~~
Though Maria Grace has been writing fiction since she was ten years old, those early efforts happily reside in a file drawer and are unlikely to see the light of day again, for which many are grateful.
After penning five file-drawer novels in high school, she took a break from writing to pursue college and earn her doctorate. After 16 years of university teaching, she returned to her first love, fiction writing.
Click here to find her books on Amazon. For more on her writing and other Random Bits of Fascination, visit her website. You can also like her on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
Click here to find her books on Amazon. For more on her writing and other Random Bits of Fascination, visit her website. You can also like her on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
Monday, December 31, 2018
#EHFA Top 20 Articles for 2018
The editors of English Historical Fiction Authors want to thank all the authors who contributed articles to the blog in 2018, and a sincere thank-you to all our readers.
Every week we bring you a bit of British history: people, places, social customs, and more. We hope you'll enjoy this look at the top 20 posts for 2018.
by Danielle Marchant
by Arthur Russell
by Kim Rendfeld
by Matt Lewis
by Maria Grace
by Mark Patton
by Arthur Russell
by Maria Grace
by Paula Lofting
by Anna Belfrage
by Annie Whitehead
by Paula Lofting
by Derek Birks
by Paula Lofting
by Anna Belfrage
by Danielle Marchan
by Derek Birks
by Paula Lofting
by Derek Birks
And, our most read post for 2018, with over 8600 views:
by Matthew Harffy
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Editor's Weekly Round-up, December 30, 2018
by the EHFA Editors
Never miss a post on English Historical Fiction Authors.
Lauren Gilbert takes the spotlight in this week's round-up. Enjoy!
Never miss a post on English Historical Fiction Authors.
Lauren Gilbert takes the spotlight in this week's round-up. Enjoy!
by Lauren Gilbert
Friday, December 28, 2018
Royal Worcester Porcelain
Mankind has created pottery vessels for millennia, using whatever clay (earthen material that could be kneaded and shaped when damp) and heat source available to dry it. Porcelain has its roots in China going back as far at the 7th century during the Tang dynasty. The Yuan dynasty (13th-14th century) developed the hard paste porcelain as known today, combining white China clay (kaolin) with the dust of a finely ground rock called petuntse, which was then fired at extremely high heat (2650 degrees F). The Portuguese first visited Macao, a small peninsula on the southern coast of China in 1513 and visited regularly thereafter. After paying tribute to the Chinese, they established a trading post and began bringing goods from China and Japan, including Chinese porcelain, back to Europe.
Noting the superiority of porcelain over the pottery then used in European countries, Europeans then decided to recreate it in their own lands. The earliest recorded attempt was in Florence in 1575. France, Germany and England also made their efforts. In the 17th century, tea drinking became popular which resulted in increased importation of tea from China as well as the porcelain wares required for maximum enjoyment. The 18th century saw tremendous advances in Germany, France and England in the development of pottery forms similar to Chinese porcelain ware. Early in the 18th century, kaolin was discovered in Germany and delicate white porcelain was developed in Meissen, Germany. Throughout France and the other European countries, as well as England, efforts were being made to produce porcelain that was comparable to that produced by China. English factories could not easily access kaolin, so continued perfecting their soft paste porcelain, using materials they had at hand. English china became distinguished by the addition of ground ox bones to the formula, resulting in the well-known “bone china.”
John Wall was born in Powick, near Worcester, October 12, 1708. He studied at Worcester King’s School, won a scholarship to Worcester College Oxford, became a fellow at Merton College, Oxford in 1735, and qualified with a Batchelor of Physic at St. Thomas Hospital, London in 1736. He was qualified as a Doctor of Medicine (Medicinae Doctor or MD) in 1739. He returned to Worcester in 1740, married Catherine Sandys, and developed a vast practice.
Although a medical doctor of renown and fortune, Dr. Wall was interested in many things. In 1750, he and William Davis, an apothecary in Worcester, performed experiments in making porcelain with soapstone (a form of granite, also known as steatize granite).
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| Dr. John Wall, 18th Century |
During the first decade of its existence, the most popular Worcester Porcelain was painted in blue then glazed. An engraver named Robert Hancock arrived at the factory about 1756 and, with his expertise with engraving prints, Worcester Porcelain factory developed the use of transfers to print designs on porcelain and produced porcelain so decorated on a large scale, which provided employment to a significant number of people. Around 1770, Worcester Porcelain produced a dinner service for the Duke of Gloucester. In 1774, Dr. Wall retired. The partners continued the production of porcelain. The factory was purchased by Thomas Flight, who had acted as the factory’s London agent, and became established as one of the most prominent porcelain manufacturers in Europe. George III granted the factory a Royal Warrant in 1789, at which time the word “Royal” was added to the name. The factory became known at the Worcester Royal Porcelain Manufactory, also known as Royal Worcester.
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| Cup 1755-1790, Auckland Museum |
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| Royal Worcester Tea Caddy 1770 |
Worcester Royal Porcelain remained popular throughout the Victorian era, producing services for the royal family and others. The company name was changed to Worcester Royal Porcelain Company Ltd. in 1862. Throughout its history, the company changed ownership and design direction several times without loss of quality. At its height, the factory provided employment to over 700 people. The company’s products were highly regarded and maintained popularity well into the 20th century. In 1976, Worcester Royal merged with W. T. Copeland to become Royal Worcester Spode. While its porcelain maintained its popularity with high end customers, it began to struggle and, in the late 20th-early 21st century, began attempting a more mass market appeal by producing comedy mugs and other departures. By 2006, work in England was being performed in Stoke-on-Trent instead of Worcester, and production was outsourced abroad.
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| Royal Worcester Factory Museum before 1900 |
In November of 2008, the economic downturn combined with the company’s failure to find a buyer led to the company being placed under a court-appointed administrator whose job was to leverage the company’s assets to repay creditors and avoid insolvency. On April 23, 2009, Worcester Royal Porcelain was acquired by an English firm, Portmeirion Pottery, which is now known as Portmeirion Group. In Worcester, visitors can spend time at the Museum of Royal Worcester to learn about the history of the factory and see the products and films of work in process from the 1930’s until the end. The archives there hold a range of information, including pattern books and order records.
Sources include:
BBC. “HEREFORD & WORCESTER A History of Royal Worcester Porcelain.” HERE
Collector’s Weekly. “Royal Worcester China.” HERE
Britannica.com “Porcelain” by the Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. HERE ; “Macau” by the editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. HERE
GourmetSleuth. “Royal Worcester History.” HERE
Hektoen International. “Dr. John Wall and Royal Worcester Porcelain” by JMS Pearce, Summer 2018. HERE
History World. “HISTORY OF POTTERY AND PORCELAIN The European Quest for Porcelain: 16th-18th Century.”HERE
Museum of Royal Worcester. “Dr. John Wall.” HERE
The Telegraph. “A History of Royal Worcester and Spode” published November 6, 2008.HERE ; “Royal Worcester collapses after 257 years making China” by Nick Britten, published November 6, 2008. HERE
Wikisource. 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 5. “Ceramics.” HERE
All illustrations from Wikimedia Commons:
Dr. John Wall HERE (Public Domain)
Coffee Cup c 1755-1790, by Auckland Museum [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)] HERE
Royal Worcester Tea Caddy c1770 HERE (Public Domain-Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren Gilbert holds a BA in English with a minor in Art History, and is a long-time member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. She published HEYERWOOD: A Novel in 2011, and is in the process of completing a second novel while doing research for a nonfiction work. She is a member of the Florida Writers Association and the Society of Authors. Lauren lives in Florida with her husband Ed. You may visit her website here for more information.Sunday, December 23, 2018
Editors Weekly Round-up, December 23, 2018
Join us every week on English Historical Fiction Authors. We have saints and sinners, politics and war. Read about kings, queens, the common man and woman, and legends from ancient to post-WWII.
by David William Wilkin
by Charlene Newcomb
Saturday, December 22, 2018
It’s your Natal Day, Regency Style
by David William Wilkin
And then there is the practice of giving flowers on a birthday:
Plutarch writes how Cleopatra threw an immense birthday celebration for Mark Antony. (They deserved some happiness before their tragic end.) A few Cleopatras before, though her husband Ptolemy gave her for a birthday present the dismembered body of their son. (Cleo II)
Why not, our ancient Greek ancestors thought, put Cake and Birthday together. Philochorus writes that Artemis’ birthday was celebrated on the sixth day of each month with a large honey cake. That would be twelve birthday celebrations a year. The cake was even topped with lighted candles.
It was the Gods who were fortunate to have their birthdays celebrated monthly. Mere mortal women and children, no birthday party at all (chauvinism goes back a long way.) For the man of the house, though, the annual celebration there was nothing that was too lavish, even after death.
The reemergence was first called the Kinderfeste. It began at dawn. The birthday child was greeted with a cake with the candles already lit. And these candles were changed to stay lit the entire day. A full day of partying.
Mr. Wilkin writes Regency Historicals and Romances, Ruritanian (A great sub-genre that is fun to explore) and Edwardian Romances, Science Fiction and Fantasy works. He is the author of the very successful Pride & Prejudice continuation; Colonel Fitzwilliam’s Correspondence. He has several other novels set in Regency England including The End of the World and The Shattered Mirror. His most recent work is the humorous spoof; Jane Austen and Ghosts, a story of what would happen were we to make any of these Monsters and Austen stories into a movie.
And Two Peas in a Pod, a madcap tale of identical twin brothers in Regency London who find they must impersonate each other to pursue their loves.
The links for all locations selling Mr. Wilkin's work can be found at the webpage and will point you to your favorite internet bookstore: David’s Books, and at various Internet and realworld bookstores including the iBookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords.
“It is the old girl's birthday, and that is the greatest holiday and reddest-letter day in Mr. Bagnet's calendar.” Charles Dickens, Bleak House Chapter 49, 1853.
This is not the only Dickensian reference we have to celebration of a birthday.
From Dickens the Pickwick Papers 1836-1837, we have this:
“ "Never mind that," said the old gentleman; "you're much too fond of punch, Tom."
Tom Smart was just on the point of protesting that he hadn't tasted a drop since his last birthday, “
 |
| Regency Tea Party |
And then there is the practice of giving flowers on a birthday:
“For instance, the recurrence of a birthday affords a suitable occasion for paying a compliment of a more marked character than mere words express. Birthday bouquets intended as offerings to young people, are most appropriate when composed of spring flowers-wild if possible.” Cassells Household Guide, New and Revised Edition (4 Vol.) c.1880.
 |
| Happy Birthday William Powell Frith |
Though Dickens writes just at the beginning of the Victorian era, we can extrapolate that things he observed when young (Charles lived from 1812 to 1870) were customs that were also in place when he was older. Especially as some customs relating to birthdays were practiced for several centuries by the time of the Regency.
As mentioned in previous posts, the time of the English Regency, when George the III was mad and his son George (who would be King George IV) oversaw the government for his father was from 1811 to 1820. The culture of the period though, fashion, art, extends from an earlier time, and does not change until Victoria has been on the throne for a little while. For simplicity, if we look at this from 1788 when George was first mad, to 1837, when his son William died, we have a fifty year period that Charles Dickens knew well.
One in which birthdays, as the character Tom Smart above found a way to celebrate with some punch, were honored.
Birthdays have been celebrated for a long time. First in ancient Egypt, 3000 BC (still celebrated in modern Egypt as well, I am willing to wager, despite the country going through regime change.) First in Egypt and then in Babylonia the birth of male royalty was what was celebrated. The practice began after Menes united the Upper and Lower Kingdoms. These were elaborate feasts in which slaves, servants, and freedmen all took part. Even prisoners could be released from the jails.
 |
| Walter Frederick Osborne The Birthday Party |
Plutarch writes how Cleopatra threw an immense birthday celebration for Mark Antony. (They deserved some happiness before their tragic end.) A few Cleopatras before, though her husband Ptolemy gave her for a birthday present the dismembered body of their son. (Cleo II)
After the invitation of the celebration of Birthdays by the Egyptians, we move on to ancient Greece. Often we think that the Romans took all that was Greek, but here we have the Greeks taking that which is Egyptian and Persian, it would seem. Persians made cakes. (In the Regency Era, Marie Antoinette would tell you that the French did as well.)
It was the Gods who were fortunate to have their birthdays celebrated monthly. Mere mortal women and children, no birthday party at all (chauvinism goes back a long way.) For the man of the house, though, the annual celebration there was nothing that was too lavish, even after death.
The Romans (remember, they steal everything) put a twist harkening back to the Egyptians. Important statesmen would find their Natal Day festivities national holidays. IN 44 BC Caesar rated an annual parade, circus performance, gladiators, a banquet and a play.
Then came Christianity. And birthday observances stopped.
Then came Christianity. And birthday observances stopped.
It was equating entering the world with Original Sin, and since that was the day of your birth, why mark it as special. (One day they might even come up with Temperance...)
What was celebrated instead was the death days (not the birthdays) of the saints. These became their feast days. A saint is born when he/she passes into heaven.
Before the fourth century, it was heresy to try and figure out when JC was born. But after, the church decided they wanted to know, and thus with much serious discussion, we have Christmas.
 |
| The Age of Augustus, the Birth of Christ Jean-Léon Gérôme |
By the 12th century, parish churches were recording the birth dates of women and children. Now families were celebrating with annual parties and the birthday cake, along with candles reemerged. (I won’t argue that this was now the end of the Dark Ages as light was reintroduced.)
 |
| John Lorimar Grandmother's Birthday |
The reemergence was first called the Kinderfeste. It began at dawn. The birthday child was greeted with a cake with the candles already lit. And these candles were changed to stay lit the entire day. A full day of partying.
Making a wish and blowing out the candles also comes from the Kinderfeste tradition. There was an old tradition, now gone of the Birthday Man. An elf who brought extra gifts to the birthday child.
Now bringing it to the Regency. Jane, for all our Janeites, does not mention Birthday celebrations I went through 17 sources on daily life in Georgian times, and again no mention of the activity. Writers up to now may not have cared. But we do have some examples as noted above in Dickens. Whether it is Tom Smart taking a nip at every birthday to acknowledge the occasion, or the old girl who made of it a great celebration each year.
That suggests to me (though as you have read, we don't have much that is definitive) that should you have the chance to celebrate, and the means to do so, why would you not want to have a lavish affair like Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Certainly the Ton of the Regency was always looking for entertainments and here was a reason for it.
Research (partial)
Charles Panati Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Thing, 1987
Sally Mitchell Daily Life in Victorian England, 1996
Maggie Lane Jane Austen’s World, 1996
Daniel Pool, What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, 1993
* * *
Editor's Choice: This post was originally posted on this blog, August 31, 2012.
Editor's Choice: This post was originally posted on this blog, August 31, 2012.
Mr. Wilkin writes Regency Historicals and Romances, Ruritanian (A great sub-genre that is fun to explore) and Edwardian Romances, Science Fiction and Fantasy works. He is the author of the very successful Pride & Prejudice continuation; Colonel Fitzwilliam’s Correspondence. He has several other novels set in Regency England including The End of the World and The Shattered Mirror. His most recent work is the humorous spoof; Jane Austen and Ghosts, a story of what would happen were we to make any of these Monsters and Austen stories into a movie.
And Two Peas in a Pod, a madcap tale of identical twin brothers in Regency London who find they must impersonate each other to pursue their loves.
The links for all locations selling Mr. Wilkin's work can be found at the webpage and will point you to your favorite internet bookstore: David’s Books, and at various Internet and realworld bookstores including the iBookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords.
And he maintains his own blog called The Things That Catch My Eye where the entire Regency Lexicon has been hosted these last months as well as the current work in progress of the full Regency Timeline is being presented.
You also may follow Mr. Wilkin on Twitter at @DWWilkin
Mr. Wilkin maintains a Pinterest page with pictures and links to all the Regency Research he uncovers at Pinterest Regency-Era
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Richard the Lionheart's Ordeal, October - December 1192
by Charlene Newcomb
A few days before Christmas 1192, Richard the Lionheart, King of England 1189-1199, surrendered to Duke Leopold of Austria in a Vienna suburb. Perhaps best known for his role in the Third Crusade, Richard had set sail from the Holy Land in October 1192 after an unsuccessful campaign to free Jerusalem from the hands of Saladin. Richard's journey home sounds more like fiction than fact. Let me share this incredible story, looking back at events in the Fall of 1192 and other historical background leading up to Richard's capture.
Enemies – Old Rivalries, Hatred, and Politics
To the west, the quickest route to Richard’s realms was via Sicily and Marseille – the route he had sailed in 1190/1191 to the Holy Land. But word reached Richard that he would not find safe harbor in Marseille. Raymond, Count of Toulouse, an old enemy he’d engaged with in border disputes in Aquitaine, planned to seize him there.
There were ports west of Marseille, but Toulouse had conspired with the king of Aragon and Catalonia, cutting Richard’s access to Provence and northern Spain. There were also rumors that Genoese ships had been hired to watch for and intercept Richard. Skirting the north African coast to sail west and through the Straits of Gilbralter into the Atlantic would be far too dangerous. Seafaring men of the 12th century knew the hazards of winter sailing, and the best among them rarely ventured into the Mediterranean after the 1st of November.
Richard weighed his options as he approached Sicily. With the sea routes to the west cut off, his buss, a large galley called the Franche Nef, turned back and sailed into the Adriatic Sea.
Pirates, Privateers, and Shipwreck
The Lionheart abandoned his buss in Corfu and, dependent on which history you read, either: 1) had a run-in with pirates (with whom he ended up bargaining); or 2) hired two privateer galleys for 200 marks. With a small group of trusted companions and the 2 galleys, Richard sailed north from Corfu battered by one storm after another. In early December, the galleys were driven ashore by storms somewhere between Aquileia and Venice.
Overland Routes
Richard now had to consider overland routes, which presented as many hazards as the sea routes. Travel west meant traversing the Kingdom of Italy (ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI), treacherous passages through the Alps, and the lands of King Philip of France. The northeast route would take the returning crusaders through lands subject to Henry VI, and Leopold, Duke of Austria. In every direction, Richard was faced with enemies or inhospitable terrain.
King Philip was no doubt delighted by Toulouse’s actions. Philip – supposedly Richard’s ally in the Holy Land – had returned to France after Acre surrendered to the Crusaders in July 1191. He had invaded Richard’s lands in Normandy and stirred rebellion amongst Richard’s barons while Richard marched towards Jerusalem. Richard had also jilted Philip’s sister Alys to marry Berengaria of Navarre in 1191.
Henry VI had no love for Richard. His wife Constance had a strong claim to the throne of Sicily following the death of Richard’s brother-in-law William II. But Richard had supported Tancred’s accession there. Henry had also fought against another of Richard’s brothers-in-law, Henry of Saxony. And he was an ally of Duke Leopold of Austria, whom Richard had insulted after the siege of Acre. Highly offended when Richard ordered the removal of his banners, which had been raised above the city walls, Leopold returned to Austria.
Three hundred miles of enemy territory. Could Richard and his 20 companions make for Bohemia, a country whose ruler was no friend of Henry VI? From there, Richard could go to Saxony where his brother-in-law Henry the Lion ruled. Safe passage to an English port on the North Sea would be assured.
Recognizing the higher western range of Alps presented a formidable barrier in the winter, Richard and his companions traveled northeast through the territory of Meinhard II of Gorza, an ally of Henry VI and nephew of Conrad of Montferrat. Montferrat, also cousin to Leopold of Austria, had been a claimant to the throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem whom Richard did not support. Richard had been accused of arranging his murder in the Holy Land.
Traveling Incognito
Richard had disguised himself as a merchant, but acting the part did not come naturally. His large retinue spent lavishly and attracted the attention of the locals. And Richard’s reputation and looks – 6'5" with reddish-gold hair – set him apart from most men. To keep Henry VI and Leopold off his scent, Richard agreed that the majority of his party would stay behind in the town of Friesach. Eight of his knights were captured, but Richard and two companions, William de l’Etang and a German-speaking boy he had hired, escaped. At one point, they raced almost 150 miles in 3 days. Fifty miles from the safety of the Moravian border, Richard stopped in the Vienna suburb of Erdburg. Ill with fever and exhausted by his ordeals, he was unable to go any further until he rested.
Captured
Unfortunately, the German boy raised suspicions when he went out for food on three successive days. His manner and his dress, which included a fine pair of Richard’s gloves, were reported to Henry VI’s secret police. The boy was questioned. Whether he led soldiers to Richard or told them his location under torture is not clear. And the circumstances of Richard’s seizure are also disputed. Most historians agree he was abed with fever, but gossip that he was caught basting a chicken in the kitchen of Erdburg inn also flourished. A chef wearing a large signet ring would have been highly unusual, but it certainly makes for great fiction!
The contemporary chronicles report that Richard refused to surrender to the soldiers who came for him, and insisted he would give himself up only to Duke Leopold. Leopold imprisoned Richard at Durnstein Castle. Though the Pope had declared safe passage for men who had taken the Cross, that did not deter Richard’s enemies. Philip of France, Henry VI, and Leopold of Austria – their hatred for the King of England must have been intense for them to risk excommunication. Leopold turned Richard over to Henry VI, and reports of machinations between Philip and Henry VI continued over the course of about 13 months. In a letter written shortly after Richard was in Henry VI's hands, Henry writes Philip:
==========
Sources
De Hoveden, R. (1853). The annals of Roger de Hoveden, comprising the history of England and of other countries of Europe from A. D. 732 to A. D. 1201. (Henry T. Riley, Trans.). London: H. G. Bohn.
Gillingham, J. (1978). Richard the Lionheart. New York: Times Books.
McLynn, F. (2006). Lionheart and Lackland: King Richard, King John and the wars of conquest. London: Jonathan Cape.
Nicholson, H., & Stubbs, W., trans. (1997). Chronicle of the third crusade : A translation of the itinerarium peregrinorum et gesta regis ricardi. Aldershot, Hants, England ; Brookfield, Vt.: Ashgate.
Painting of Richard the Lionheart by Merry-Joseph Blondel in Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.
Map of the Holy Roman Empire is c2014 Dennis Lukowski, commissioned by the author and used with the artist's permission.
A version of this post first appeared on Charlene Newcomb's blog on 20 December 2014. This version is from the EHFA Archives, published December 23, 2015.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit Charlene's website: http://charlenenewcomb.com. Find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Book links: Amazon
Enemies – Old Rivalries, Hatred, and Politics
To the west, the quickest route to Richard’s realms was via Sicily and Marseille – the route he had sailed in 1190/1191 to the Holy Land. But word reached Richard that he would not find safe harbor in Marseille. Raymond, Count of Toulouse, an old enemy he’d engaged with in border disputes in Aquitaine, planned to seize him there.
There were ports west of Marseille, but Toulouse had conspired with the king of Aragon and Catalonia, cutting Richard’s access to Provence and northern Spain. There were also rumors that Genoese ships had been hired to watch for and intercept Richard. Skirting the north African coast to sail west and through the Straits of Gilbralter into the Atlantic would be far too dangerous. Seafaring men of the 12th century knew the hazards of winter sailing, and the best among them rarely ventured into the Mediterranean after the 1st of November.
Richard weighed his options as he approached Sicily. With the sea routes to the west cut off, his buss, a large galley called the Franche Nef, turned back and sailed into the Adriatic Sea.
Pirates, Privateers, and Shipwreck
The Lionheart abandoned his buss in Corfu and, dependent on which history you read, either: 1) had a run-in with pirates (with whom he ended up bargaining); or 2) hired two privateer galleys for 200 marks. With a small group of trusted companions and the 2 galleys, Richard sailed north from Corfu battered by one storm after another. In early December, the galleys were driven ashore by storms somewhere between Aquileia and Venice.
Overland Routes
Richard now had to consider overland routes, which presented as many hazards as the sea routes. Travel west meant traversing the Kingdom of Italy (ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI), treacherous passages through the Alps, and the lands of King Philip of France. The northeast route would take the returning crusaders through lands subject to Henry VI, and Leopold, Duke of Austria. In every direction, Richard was faced with enemies or inhospitable terrain.
King Philip was no doubt delighted by Toulouse’s actions. Philip – supposedly Richard’s ally in the Holy Land – had returned to France after Acre surrendered to the Crusaders in July 1191. He had invaded Richard’s lands in Normandy and stirred rebellion amongst Richard’s barons while Richard marched towards Jerusalem. Richard had also jilted Philip’s sister Alys to marry Berengaria of Navarre in 1191.
Henry VI had no love for Richard. His wife Constance had a strong claim to the throne of Sicily following the death of Richard’s brother-in-law William II. But Richard had supported Tancred’s accession there. Henry had also fought against another of Richard’s brothers-in-law, Henry of Saxony. And he was an ally of Duke Leopold of Austria, whom Richard had insulted after the siege of Acre. Highly offended when Richard ordered the removal of his banners, which had been raised above the city walls, Leopold returned to Austria.
Three hundred miles of enemy territory. Could Richard and his 20 companions make for Bohemia, a country whose ruler was no friend of Henry VI? From there, Richard could go to Saxony where his brother-in-law Henry the Lion ruled. Safe passage to an English port on the North Sea would be assured.
Recognizing the higher western range of Alps presented a formidable barrier in the winter, Richard and his companions traveled northeast through the territory of Meinhard II of Gorza, an ally of Henry VI and nephew of Conrad of Montferrat. Montferrat, also cousin to Leopold of Austria, had been a claimant to the throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem whom Richard did not support. Richard had been accused of arranging his murder in the Holy Land.
Traveling Incognito
Richard had disguised himself as a merchant, but acting the part did not come naturally. His large retinue spent lavishly and attracted the attention of the locals. And Richard’s reputation and looks – 6'5" with reddish-gold hair – set him apart from most men. To keep Henry VI and Leopold off his scent, Richard agreed that the majority of his party would stay behind in the town of Friesach. Eight of his knights were captured, but Richard and two companions, William de l’Etang and a German-speaking boy he had hired, escaped. At one point, they raced almost 150 miles in 3 days. Fifty miles from the safety of the Moravian border, Richard stopped in the Vienna suburb of Erdburg. Ill with fever and exhausted by his ordeals, he was unable to go any further until he rested.
Captured
Unfortunately, the German boy raised suspicions when he went out for food on three successive days. His manner and his dress, which included a fine pair of Richard’s gloves, were reported to Henry VI’s secret police. The boy was questioned. Whether he led soldiers to Richard or told them his location under torture is not clear. And the circumstances of Richard’s seizure are also disputed. Most historians agree he was abed with fever, but gossip that he was caught basting a chicken in the kitchen of Erdburg inn also flourished. A chef wearing a large signet ring would have been highly unusual, but it certainly makes for great fiction!
The contemporary chronicles report that Richard refused to surrender to the soldiers who came for him, and insisted he would give himself up only to Duke Leopold. Leopold imprisoned Richard at Durnstein Castle. Though the Pope had declared safe passage for men who had taken the Cross, that did not deter Richard’s enemies. Philip of France, Henry VI, and Leopold of Austria – their hatred for the King of England must have been intense for them to risk excommunication. Leopold turned Richard over to Henry VI, and reports of machinations between Philip and Henry VI continued over the course of about 13 months. In a letter written shortly after Richard was in Henry VI's hands, Henry writes Philip:
The roads, however, being watched, and guards set on every side, our dearly-beloved cousin Leopold, duke of Austria, captured the king so often mentioned, in an humble house in the vicinity of Vienna. Inasmuch as he [i.e., Richard] is now in our power, and has always done his utmost for your annoyance and disturbance, what we now have above stated we have thought proper to notify to your nobleness, knowing that the same is well pleasing to your kindly affection for us, and will afford most abundant joy to your own feelings.King Philip also conspired with Richard’s brother John, Count of Mortain and Lord of Ireland, offering Henry VI more silver to keep Richard imprisoned while John secured his hold on England. Eventually, in February 1194, Richard was released for the ransom of 150,000 marks.
==========
Sources
De Hoveden, R. (1853). The annals of Roger de Hoveden, comprising the history of England and of other countries of Europe from A. D. 732 to A. D. 1201. (Henry T. Riley, Trans.). London: H. G. Bohn.
Gillingham, J. (1978). Richard the Lionheart. New York: Times Books.
McLynn, F. (2006). Lionheart and Lackland: King Richard, King John and the wars of conquest. London: Jonathan Cape.
Nicholson, H., & Stubbs, W., trans. (1997). Chronicle of the third crusade : A translation of the itinerarium peregrinorum et gesta regis ricardi. Aldershot, Hants, England ; Brookfield, Vt.: Ashgate.
Painting of Richard the Lionheart by Merry-Joseph Blondel in Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.
Map of the Holy Roman Empire is c2014 Dennis Lukowski, commissioned by the author and used with the artist's permission.
A version of this post first appeared on Charlene Newcomb's blog on 20 December 2014. This version is from the EHFA Archives, published December 23, 2015.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charlene Newcomb published Swords of the King (Book III of her Battle Scars series) in 2018. This 12th century historical adventure series is filled with war, political intrigue, and a knightly romance of forbidden love set during the reign of Richard the Lionheart.
Book links: Amazon
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