This isn’t quite the Valentine that Isabella had in mind for Roger Mortimer, but maybe Edward II could modify it (courtesy of the Valentine Generator) for one of his good friends: To my Virile Roger, You are the knight of my armour. I want to shine with you more than any shield in the whole […]
Not Quite There . . . Read More »
No, not mine: they’re way too boring. Thanks to Nan Hawthorne‘s suggestion, these are New Year’s Resolutions of some people we all know and love. And Gabriele is joining in over at The Lost Fort! If everyone keeps to their promises, it should be a productive year. Nan’s: Henry II: To spend more time with
New Year’s Resolutions Read More »
So what are some famous folk (and some lesser known beings) asking for as Christmas presents? Fellow blogger Nan Hawthorne and I have devoted some thought to this burning question: Ethelred the Unready — a day planner Alfred the Great – an oven timer Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians – for Bernard Cornwell to get
Historical Stocking Stuffers Read More »
If Onslow hasn’t brought down the Christmas tree by tomorrow morning, I’ll be doing a joint post with Nan Hawthorne about what certain historical figures want in their Christmas stockings. (In some cases, that will mean some mighty big stockings.) Merry Christmas, if it’s not yet arrived in your part of the world, and if
As promised, I was able to unearth the Christmas newsletter of Isabella, queen of Edward II and mother of Edward III, over the weekend. From the intimate tone of it, I suspect it was intended primarily for her female relatives in France rather than for general consumption._______________________ Wallingford, 1326 My, time has flown since my
Yet Another Medieval Christmas Newsletter Read More »
Ah, the annual Christmas newsletters people send out this time of year. You probably thought they were a recent development, but naturally, you’re dead wrong, because I’ve discovered one from 1483, which bears every mark of having been written by Richard III’s wife, Anne Neville. And who knows? There might even be one from the
Christmas Newsletters, Medieval Style Read More »
I’ve been swamped the last few days, and will probably be for some time, but I couldn’t let Thanksgiving pass without some sort of post before I go and chow down with the family. A while back, I read Brenda Honeyman’s Good Duke Humphrey, which is more about the early days of the Wars of
Happy Thanksgiving! Read More »
In honor of income tax filing day here in the United States, here’s some tax questions that some men and women in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries might have asked: Can I deduct the cost of clothing I need to impress the nobles? Piers G.In some cases, you may be able to deduct the cost
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I’m working on a very long post for my recently neglected Unromantic Richard III blog, so this is just a quickie. I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions in general (for one thing, other than Teddy Grahams and GummiSavers, I don’t have much to give up, unless I cut my Amazon expenditure in half, which
(It is closing time on Christmas Eve at Debenhams department store in Salisbury. As the last customer leaves the Mens department, the staff mills around, tidying up, counting the day’s receipts, chatting idly, and so forth. The employees leave in several groups, until at last, two employees shut off the lights in the department and
The Duke of Debenhams: A Christmas Eve Playlet Read More »