My current academic research relates to the Blount family, so Bessie is a bit of a Tudor favourite of mine! She's a fascinating character and researching her life uncovered many surprises...
Friday, 24 January 2014
Bessie Blount: A Bestseller
Bessie Blount is currently listed as a bestseller in The Good Book Guide (Jan/Feb 2014): 'A readable, intelligent account of Bessie Blount, an important mistress of Henry VIII's youth, who bore him an illegitimate son'.
My current academic research relates to the Blount family, so Bessie is a bit of a Tudor favourite of mine! She's a fascinating character and researching her life uncovered many surprises...
My current academic research relates to the Blount family, so Bessie is a bit of a Tudor favourite of mine! She's a fascinating character and researching her life uncovered many surprises...
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Eahlswith - Queen of Alfred the Great
In light of the current interest in Alfred the Great occasioned by the search for his bones, I thought I would look at his wife, Eahlswith, who is now largely forgotten. Although entirely overshadowed by her husband, the queen played an important role in supporting him, as well as being an influence over her son, Edward the Elder.
Eahlswith was the daughter of Aethelred, known as Mucil, ealdorman of the Gaini. The Gaini was an old tribal group absorbed into the kingdom of Mercia and Mucil was an important figure at the Wessex court, attesting two charters of King Aethelred I in 868. Her maternal lineage was even more impressive and her mother, Eadburgh, was a member of the Mercian royal family. According to Alfred's biographer, Asser, Eahlswith’s mother was a ‘notable woman, who remained for many years after the death of her husband a chaste widow, until her death’.
Alfred married Eahlswith due to her prominent family and royal connections. At the same time as their betrothal in 868 he was also created heir apparent by his elder brother, Ethelred I. At around the same time Ethelred and Alfred received an appeal from their brother-in-law, King Burgred of Mercia, for aid against the Vikings and the marriage was celebrated during this campaign. According to Asser, the ceremony was held in the presence of a number of witnesses and accompanied by feasting that lasted both day and night. It is possible that Eahlswith met her husband for the first time at her wedding and, if this is the case, the omens were not good. Following the feasting Alfred ‘was struck without warning in the presence of the entire gathering by a sudden severe pain that was quite unknown to all physicians’. Alfred’s illness continued, on and off, for twenty years.
Alfred became king of Wessex in 871. In accordance with tradition, Eahlswith was never called queen, instead being referred to by the title ‘lady’. In spite of this, she was a prominent figure. During the reign of her son she was referred to as ‘the true lady of the English’. She played no political role during Alfred’s reign and was content to remain in a domestic sphere, accompanying her husband and children into exile in January 878 in order to avoid capture by the Vikings. This was a traumatic time, since the Viking leader, Guthrum, declared that Alfred had abandoned his kingdom and forfeited his crown. He spent the first half of 878 as a fugitive on the Isle of Athelney. From here, Alfred carried out guerrilla attacks on Guthrum, defeating him in battle at Edington later that year.
Eahlswith returned to Wessex with Alfred when he regained his throne. There is little record of her activities during Alfred’s reign and she may have devoted her energies to the church. Certainly, she had the pious example of her own mother to draw upon and Alfred was also deeply religious, founding two religious houses during his reign: Athelney for monks and Shaftesbury Abbey for nuns. That Eahlswith was involved in the foundation of these houses is suggested by the fact that her daughter, Aethelgifu was appointed abbess at Shaftesbury and lived there with other nuns of noble status. Eahlswith’s piety can also be seen after Alfred’s death as she founded the Convent of St Mary at Winchester (known as Nunnaminster) during her widowhood. Asser referred to Eahlswith as Alfred’s ‘excellent wife’, suggesting that she conformed to contemporary ideals of queenly piety.
Eahlswith bore a number of children, with five surviving to adulthood. Aethelflaed, her eldest child, married Ealdorman Aethelred of Mercia, succeeding as ruler of Mercia herself after her husband’s death. The couple’s second daughter, Aethelgifu entered the church, whilst the youngest, Aelfthryth, married Count Baldwin II of Flanders. Eahlswith also bore two surviving sons, Edward, who succeeded his father as king and Aethelweard. Eahlswith is likely to have been involved in the education of Edward and Aelfthryth, since they were raised at court.
Alfred and Eahlswith were married for over thirty years. Alfred died in 899 and, in his Will, paid Eahlswith the tribute of leaving her three estates and a share of £400 to be divided between her and her daughters. She often visited her son’s court and witnessed a charter in 901. She died on 5 December 902 and was buried in the New Minster at Winchester beside her husband.
You can find out more about Eahlswith and the other Anglo-Saxon (and later) queens in my book, England's Queens: The Biography (Amberley, 2011).
Eahlswith was the daughter of Aethelred, known as Mucil, ealdorman of the Gaini. The Gaini was an old tribal group absorbed into the kingdom of Mercia and Mucil was an important figure at the Wessex court, attesting two charters of King Aethelred I in 868. Her maternal lineage was even more impressive and her mother, Eadburgh, was a member of the Mercian royal family. According to Alfred's biographer, Asser, Eahlswith’s mother was a ‘notable woman, who remained for many years after the death of her husband a chaste widow, until her death’.
Alfred married Eahlswith due to her prominent family and royal connections. At the same time as their betrothal in 868 he was also created heir apparent by his elder brother, Ethelred I. At around the same time Ethelred and Alfred received an appeal from their brother-in-law, King Burgred of Mercia, for aid against the Vikings and the marriage was celebrated during this campaign. According to Asser, the ceremony was held in the presence of a number of witnesses and accompanied by feasting that lasted both day and night. It is possible that Eahlswith met her husband for the first time at her wedding and, if this is the case, the omens were not good. Following the feasting Alfred ‘was struck without warning in the presence of the entire gathering by a sudden severe pain that was quite unknown to all physicians’. Alfred’s illness continued, on and off, for twenty years.
Alfred became king of Wessex in 871. In accordance with tradition, Eahlswith was never called queen, instead being referred to by the title ‘lady’. In spite of this, she was a prominent figure. During the reign of her son she was referred to as ‘the true lady of the English’. She played no political role during Alfred’s reign and was content to remain in a domestic sphere, accompanying her husband and children into exile in January 878 in order to avoid capture by the Vikings. This was a traumatic time, since the Viking leader, Guthrum, declared that Alfred had abandoned his kingdom and forfeited his crown. He spent the first half of 878 as a fugitive on the Isle of Athelney. From here, Alfred carried out guerrilla attacks on Guthrum, defeating him in battle at Edington later that year.
Eahlswith returned to Wessex with Alfred when he regained his throne. There is little record of her activities during Alfred’s reign and she may have devoted her energies to the church. Certainly, she had the pious example of her own mother to draw upon and Alfred was also deeply religious, founding two religious houses during his reign: Athelney for monks and Shaftesbury Abbey for nuns. That Eahlswith was involved in the foundation of these houses is suggested by the fact that her daughter, Aethelgifu was appointed abbess at Shaftesbury and lived there with other nuns of noble status. Eahlswith’s piety can also be seen after Alfred’s death as she founded the Convent of St Mary at Winchester (known as Nunnaminster) during her widowhood. Asser referred to Eahlswith as Alfred’s ‘excellent wife’, suggesting that she conformed to contemporary ideals of queenly piety.
Eahlswith bore a number of children, with five surviving to adulthood. Aethelflaed, her eldest child, married Ealdorman Aethelred of Mercia, succeeding as ruler of Mercia herself after her husband’s death. The couple’s second daughter, Aethelgifu entered the church, whilst the youngest, Aelfthryth, married Count Baldwin II of Flanders. Eahlswith also bore two surviving sons, Edward, who succeeded his father as king and Aethelweard. Eahlswith is likely to have been involved in the education of Edward and Aelfthryth, since they were raised at court.
Alfred and Eahlswith were married for over thirty years. Alfred died in 899 and, in his Will, paid Eahlswith the tribute of leaving her three estates and a share of £400 to be divided between her and her daughters. She often visited her son’s court and witnessed a charter in 901. She died on 5 December 902 and was buried in the New Minster at Winchester beside her husband.
You can find out more about Eahlswith and the other Anglo-Saxon (and later) queens in my book, England's Queens: The Biography (Amberley, 2011).
Margaret Beaufort Audiobook
My book, Margaret Beaufort, has just been released as an audiobook. It sounds great and I am looking forward to listening to the whole book.
Margaret was one of the most important women of the late medieval/early Tudor period. It was through her that her son, Henry VII, claimed the throne. She also kept his hopes of the throne alive through years of exile. Find out more and listen to a sample at:
http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/History/Margaret-Beaufort-Audiobook/B00HWF6PPU/ref=a_search_c4_1_4_srTtl?qid=1390309752&sr=1-4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Margaret-Beaufort-Mother-Dynasty-Unabridged/dp/B00HWN28WG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1390309649&sr=8-5&keywords=Amberley+Publishing+Audio+Books
Margaret was one of the most important women of the late medieval/early Tudor period. It was through her that her son, Henry VII, claimed the throne. She also kept his hopes of the throne alive through years of exile. Find out more and listen to a sample at:
http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/History/Margaret-Beaufort-Audiobook/B00HWF6PPU/ref=a_search_c4_1_4_srTtl?qid=1390309752&sr=1-4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Margaret-Beaufort-Mother-Dynasty-Unabridged/dp/B00HWN28WG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1390309649&sr=8-5&keywords=Amberley+Publishing+Audio+Books
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Henry VIII's Last Portrait
Longleat's portrait of Henry VIII, which was long thought to be a copy, has now been shown to be contemporary to the Tudor king. The wood in the painting has been dated to 1529 and this, coupled with an inscription dating it to 1544, suggests that it may well be the last portrait that Henry sat for. It's a fascinating discovery. I was asked to comment on it for the article in the Daily Mail below:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2539831/Henry-VIIIs-painting-uncovered-Wiltshire.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2539831/Henry-VIIIs-painting-uncovered-Wiltshire.html
Monday, 13 January 2014
The Reeds Oatlands: A Tudor Marriage Settlement
I have an article published in the new volume of the journal, Surrey History (vol XII, 2013), which is printed by the Surrey Archaeological Society.
The article, which is called 'The Reeds of Oatlands: A Tudor Marriage Settlement', considers the marriage arranged between the gentlewoman, Isabel Blount of Kinlet (the younger sister of the famous Bessie Blount) and the goldsmith, William Reed of Oatlands in Surrey. Although of lower social status that his bride, William Reed, who was a widower and twice the bride's age, was very wealthy. As the nephew and heir of the prosperous goldsmith, Sir Bartholomew Reed, it had been hoped that he would take over the family business. William, however, wanted to be a gentleman and quickly expelled from the goldsmith's company.
William made his home at his uncle's manor at Oatlands, which was so splendid that Henry VIII ultimately acquired it. He already had an heir when he sought marriage to Isabel but, in spite of this, his wealth and connections made him a good match. Due to William's age, the marriage settlement was tightly drafted to ensure that Isabel and her future children were protected when he died. In addition, William promised to pay for the wedding food and, even, the bride's wedding dress!
The marrriage settlement - which is a rare survival - provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the upper middle class in Henrician England.
The article, which is called 'The Reeds of Oatlands: A Tudor Marriage Settlement', considers the marriage arranged between the gentlewoman, Isabel Blount of Kinlet (the younger sister of the famous Bessie Blount) and the goldsmith, William Reed of Oatlands in Surrey. Although of lower social status that his bride, William Reed, who was a widower and twice the bride's age, was very wealthy. As the nephew and heir of the prosperous goldsmith, Sir Bartholomew Reed, it had been hoped that he would take over the family business. William, however, wanted to be a gentleman and quickly expelled from the goldsmith's company.
William made his home at his uncle's manor at Oatlands, which was so splendid that Henry VIII ultimately acquired it. He already had an heir when he sought marriage to Isabel but, in spite of this, his wealth and connections made him a good match. Due to William's age, the marriage settlement was tightly drafted to ensure that Isabel and her future children were protected when he died. In addition, William promised to pay for the wedding food and, even, the bride's wedding dress!
The marrriage settlement - which is a rare survival - provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the upper middle class in Henrician England.
Isabel Blount from her parents' tomb
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Anne of Cleves, A Flanders Mare: Part 1
In keeping with this month's Anne of Cleves theme, my guest post was published today on Royal Central. It's part 1 of a two part review of Anne's life. In the sources Anne, who was the luckiest of Henry VIII's wives, comes across as very human and likeable. She was certainly a lot shrewder than usually acknowledged. She had to be to survive marriage to Europe's most notorious husband.
http://www.royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/history/anne-of-cleves-a-flanders-mare-part-1-22063
http://www.royalcentral.co.uk/blogs/history/anne-of-cleves-a-flanders-mare-part-1-22063
Friday, 10 January 2014
The Creation of Anne Boleyn
I received a copy of Susan Bordo's The Creation of Anne Boleyn today, for which I contributed a jacket quote.
It's a fascinating book and one that I highly recommend. Susan Bordo looks both at Anne Boleyn's life and her 'afterlife' in popular culture. I found the later chapters, which focussed on how Anne has been portayed in popular culture the most fascinating - it's a great read!
The book actually reminded me of another book that I recently read (and which I have reviewed for a forthcoming issue of Women's History Magazine). This was the reissue of Marina Warner's Joan of Arc: The Image of Female Heroism. Like Bordo, Warner seeks to understand both the life of her subject and the way that she has been portayed and understood in the centuries that followed.
In an age where the 'feminisation' of history has been criticised, I take the view that there is considerably more to be said about the lives of women in the medieval and early modern era. Books such as Bordo's and Warner's help illuminate both the lives of these important women and also assist us in understanding how they are perceived in popular culture. Claims of the 'feminisation of history' are effectively just another stage in the way that such powerful women still manage to stir emotions - and debate - today.
It's a fascinating book and one that I highly recommend. Susan Bordo looks both at Anne Boleyn's life and her 'afterlife' in popular culture. I found the later chapters, which focussed on how Anne has been portayed in popular culture the most fascinating - it's a great read!
The book actually reminded me of another book that I recently read (and which I have reviewed for a forthcoming issue of Women's History Magazine). This was the reissue of Marina Warner's Joan of Arc: The Image of Female Heroism. Like Bordo, Warner seeks to understand both the life of her subject and the way that she has been portayed and understood in the centuries that followed.
In an age where the 'feminisation' of history has been criticised, I take the view that there is considerably more to be said about the lives of women in the medieval and early modern era. Books such as Bordo's and Warner's help illuminate both the lives of these important women and also assist us in understanding how they are perceived in popular culture. Claims of the 'feminisation of history' are effectively just another stage in the way that such powerful women still manage to stir emotions - and debate - today.
Anne Boleyn, depicted without the trappings of queenship
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