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Claudian Invasion of Britain
The Romans had been lusting after Britain for quite some time. Julius Caesar had made two passes according to Dio Cassius in 55 and 54 BCE, but did not make much headway. The first only established a beachhead, but the second established a king friendly to Rome. However, Caesar had bigger fish to fry and headed back to Rome and glory leaving Britain alone in the mists. Caligula had tried again in 40 CE, and had a lighthouse built in preparation at Gesoriacum, modern Boulogne-sur-Mer. However, according to the tale told by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars, he made less progress than Caesar. According to this story, he had the…
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Medieval Kitchens
Ask any real estate agent and they will tell you the kitchen is the heart of the home. However, in medieval times unless you lived in a castle it was not a separate room. The “kitchen area” was the area between the fireplace and entrance. Cooking on an open flame in one fashion or other was the only means of cooking, making the kitchen a dark and smoky place. In wealthier homes, the kitchen was kept on the ground floor to protect the other rooms from indoor smoke. With the advent of the chimney, the kitchen was moved from the center of the floor to the wall. In a castle,…
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Frances Howard, the Queen of Hearts and her deadly tarts
The court of James I of England was a breathtaking place, but not built for a beautiful young woman. James I was a well documented lover of male beauty, and a stunning Howard girl was wasted on him. Luckily, young Frances Howard was not one to wait around to be noticed. Born to Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, and granddaughter of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, Frances had a noble pedigree. She was married off as a child bride to Robert Deveraux, 3rd Earl of Essex. His pedigree was nothing to sneeze at either as he was the son of the infamous Lord Essex, favorite of Queen Elizabeth, and…
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The Sidney Family
As mentioned in the “Victoria Cross Recipients – Keeping it in the Family” article previously, the Sidney family was one of the premier courtiers in the Tudor dynasty. The Victoria Cross recipients in the family came by their bravery honestly as they were descended from a long line of courageous men and women. William Sidney was the eldest son of Nicholas Sidney and Anne Brandon. Anne’s father, Sir William Brandon, was Henry VII’s standard bearer at the Battle of Bosworth. On Richard III’s final charge, he attacked Brandon mercilessly while he defended the Tudor standard and was killed. The ballad The Battle of Bosworth describes it as thus: amongst all…
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The Search for Alfred the Great’s Tomb
The only monarch in English history to bestowed the title “the Great” was Alfred of Wessex. Born to King Aethelwulf and his wife Osburh at Wantage in 849 CE, Alfred as the fifth and youngest son, was never intended to be king. His intelligence and love of learning was well documented. There is story in Bishop Asser’s biography of Alfred of his mother offering a book of Saxon poetry to the first of her children to memorize it. Despite being the youngest, Alfred won. He placed much importance on education, setting up schools and promoting literacy despite more pressing concerns. However, Alfred was born into tumultuous times. Viking raids were…
