This morning, I remembered a wonderful day 10 years ago, when I had the opportunity to see Richard III’s Book of Hours and the Middleham Jewel, both in one day. I wrote afterwards about the visit on the blog of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society, but it was such a memorable experience that it is also a suitable Dottie Tale.
Continue readingRichard III
The duke of Buckingham haunts Salisbury

The duke of Buckingham in the Cathedral Close
For Halloween, the Salisbury Journal told his readers a ‘Ghostly tale of Henry, Duke of Buckingham’. It seems that the ghost of Henry Stafford is haunting the Salisbury Museum in the Cathedral Close, which used to be the Diocesan Training College. The college was established in 1841 to train female teachers for Church of England schools in the diocese of Salisbury.
For his involvement in the 1483 rebellion against King Richard III, Henry Stafford, second duke of Buckingham was beheaded in the Market Square in Salisbury on 2 Nov. 1483.
Continue readingBerkhamsted in Hertfordshire, Part III
Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire
Part III: A look around town
This is the last of three parts dealing with Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire.
St Peter’s Church
I made my way back to the High Street along Castle Street, the original access route to the castle. It used to end at the South Gate, the main entrance to the castle. However, both the gate and the moat in that part were knocked down to make place for the railway in the 19th century.
I walked past Berkhamsted School to St Peter’s Church, at the corner of Castle Street and the High Street. Continue reading
Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, Part II
Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire
Part II: Berkhamsted Castle
This is the second of three parts dealing with Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire.
When I visited Berkhamsted, rather than the town itself, my first stop were the ruins of the castle. As the reason for my visit was to pay my respects to Cecily Neville, the mother of Richard III, it was only polite to go to where she had resided.
The castle is located a bit away from the town, on higher ground, instead of the marshy river area. Berkhamsted was an important strategic location, as it was on one of the main routes between London and the Midlands, approx. 30 miles (= 48 km) from the capital.
Don’t be confused by today’s entrance to the castle area. You will pass the Keeper’s House, but this is only from the 19th century. Continue reading
Richard Pottyer
Richard Pottyer –
a man who could predict the future?
Richard Pottyer’s claim to fame is his ability to predict the future in Thomas More’s unfinished The History of King Richard III. The main problem with this work is that nobody can be sure today what is actually true and what is not. Continue reading
The Blue Boar Inn in Leicester
The Blue Boar Inn in Leicester –
A ‘Grand Hotel’ of Richard III’s time
On his way to the battle of Bosworth, Richard III stayed in Leicester, leaving on 21 August. According to tradition, he spent the night at the Blue Boar Inn[i], though Peter Hammond thinks it more likely that he stayed at the castle.[ii] However, as this post is about the inn, it doesn’t really matter where Richard actually resided.
Hunsdon House
Hunsdon House –
One of the most important medieval houses in Hertfordshire
A few years ago, an attempt to find traces of Richard III’s family in Hertfordshire led me to Hunsdon. This is a small village in the south-east of Hertfordshire, near the border to Essex. The former manor house, Hunsdon House, is situated to the south of the actual village, next to the church of St Dunstan (find it on a map here).
The Book of Hours of Richard III on-line
I just heard the fantastic news that the Book of Hours, which had belonged to Richard III, has been digitised and is now available in pdf format on-line. This was Richard’s personal prayer book, which was found in his tent after the battle of Bosworth.
So far, we could only see one page at a time, when the book was exhibited, for instance at its present home of Lambeth Palace Library, or when it played a part in the Reinterment events of Richard III at Leicester in 2015. Now we are able to see the entire book.
Anne F Sutton and Livia Visser-Fuchs wrote a book about Richard’s Book of Hours, The Hours of Richard III, which was originally published in 1990. This has been out-of-print for years and finding an affordable second-hand copy is virtually impossible. This book is also part of the digitisation and is now freely available.
The process was carried out by Leicester Cathedral, after Lambeth Palace Library gave its permission to this project. The digitisation of this manuscript was made possible with the financial support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Richard III Society and the University of Leicester. Thank you to all involved! This is fantastic news indeed.
You can find the digital version here: http://leicestercathedral.org/about-us/richard-iii/book-hours/
Thomas Barowe – Richard III’s Master of the Rolls: Part III
Thomas Barowe –
Richard III’s Master of the Rolls,
churchman, administrator,
and bound by loyalty
Part III: the Later Years
How the young man from Winthorpe in Lincolnshire became very successful as the man of Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III, was dealt with in Part I and Part II. Part III will look at his later years under Henry Tudor. Continue reading
Thomas Barowe – Richard III’s Master of the Rolls: Part II
Thomas Barowe –
Richard III’s Master of the Rolls,
churchman, administrator,
and bound by loyalty
Part II: Richard’s Man
While Part I dealt with Thomas Barowe’s family background and early career, Part II will look at him as Richard’s man from 1475 onwards. Continue reading