By the dawn of 1318, Edward II’s royal favourites, Roger Damory, Hugh Audley the Younger and William Montacute still dominated at court. Thomas of Lancaster, the king’s cousin, remained in the north, isolated from his peers and repeatedly refusing to attend upon the king because of his suspicions of Edward’s motives for revenge for the … More All the King’s Men: The Forgotten Royal Favourites (Part Two)
It’s been a good few months since I last made an update to my ‘Writer’s Journey’ theme and so on a windy lunchtime such as this I thought I would put pen to paper, or rather fingers to MacBook. The journey to produce my book, Edward II the Man: A Doomed Inheritance, continues at great pace … More A Writer’s Journey #4
I have been asked many times how I went about securing a publishing deal. The truth is, I had no idea how to do it when I first set out. I did not know anyone personally who had travelled down the publishing path; I had never even spoken to an agent or publisher before; and … More Writing Tips #3: The Elusive Publishing Deal
Whilst out on my castle hunting road trip a few weeks ago through southern Scotland and northern England, I took the time to visit many historic sites relating to the fourteenth century, and Edward I and II in particular. Caerlaverock is just one of them with a particularly exciting story. Caerlaverock castle sits in a strategic … More The Siege of Caerlaverock Castle: A Herald’s Eye-Witness Account
Last week I was fortunate enough to have been granted special permission by Lord and Lady Berkeley to visit their magnificent home, Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, which is closed to the public during winter. Berkeley has a rich heritage and is perhaps most infamous for the traditional tale of the murder of Edward II, held … More Berkeley Castle: A ‘Murderous’ Prison Cell
Following on from part one, those called to parliament still have much to do and many rules to abide by. The studious clerk who started penning his treatise must have been either very keen, on a good commission or had underestimated the enormity of his task. There are still nine ‘rules’ left to discuss. He … More How to hold a Medieval Parliament: By those who were there (Part Two)
Recently, I was interviewed by the very talented team at ‘The History Geeks’. These are the guys who run the globally renowned history site on Facebook. It was a real blast and I have to say I enjoyed every minute of it. Below is what they grilled me on; Nb: where it says ‘see more’, … More My Recent Facebook Interview with ‘The History Geeks’
At some point during the reign of Edward II a studious clerk, most likely between 1316-1324, sat down to work one evening and took his pen to parchment and wrote a treatise. This treatise set out, rather helpfully for us seven hundred years later, the ‘dos’ and ‘dont’s’ of holding a medieval parliament as dictated … More How to hold a Medieval Parliament: By those who were there (Part One)
I am a self-confessed bibliophile. You only have to walk into my study, bedroom, bathroom, or in fact any room in my house to know that I speak the truth. I am surrounded by books in all their glorious shapes, sizes and bindings. There is nothing more reassuring than the smell and feel of a … More Writing Tips #2: Out on Location
Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger are two names that are synonymous with Edward II. The first, the royal favourite and lover who was brutally murdered for his control of royal patronage and in consequence of his dramatic elevation to the highest ranks of medieval fourteenth century English society, still dominates the popular imagination. … More All the King’s Men: The Forgotten Royal Favourites (Part One)
During the evening of 23 September 1327, the young Edward III received news at Lincoln that his recently deposed father, Edward II, was dead. According to the letter written by Thomas de Berkeley and delivered by Thomas Gurney who had set out from Berkeley castle on 22 September, the late king had died of natural causes … More The Funeral of a King? – 20 December 1327
Edward II is so often remembered because of his close male favourites. The one that history records with the greatest of infamy is Piers Gaveston. His twelve years spent at the side of the king, beginning when Edward was still heir to the throne and ending with Gaveston’s untimely and dramatic death in 1312, is marked … More Piers Gaveston: Life, Love & Death (An Overview)
I thought I would post an update on my progress to date, especially as my last in my ‘Writer’s Journey’ series talked about my wobble. I am still going. My beard has grown all woolly and my fingers are sore from all the typing and hand written notes, but like I said before, I am … More A Writer’s Journey #3
Guest Post by Sara Hanna-Black. Artwork by Matthew Ryan. Every so often something really special happens. Not so long ago, I was introduced to the highly talented writer, blogger and historian Sara Hanna-Black. Over the last few months we have, rather excitingly, spent many happy hours talking specifically about all things Edward II related, which includes of … More “The King of Folly”: The death of Roger Mortimer, 1st earl of March
Writing my first book feels both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I can only imagine it’s a bit like going to war in medieval England. You prepare your battle plan, you ready your armies of knights, archers, infantry and siege engines; you pick the best spot to have a bruising battle, and you … More A Writer’s Journey #2 (The Wobble)
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