News Archive 2016

March 2016 - English Groats Sale

A collection of English groats – The Motcombe Collection – is due to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in London on Thursday 17th March. The collection includes groats – designed to be worth four pennies each – dating from the reigns of Edward I (1272-1307) through to Queen Mary (1553-1554) encompassing the reign of Richard III and including those coins those struck in the name of Edward V.

March - The Fotheringhay Church Appeal

An update on the Fotheringhay Church Appeal from Phil Stone: ‘There is great news on the matter of the repairs to Fotheringhay Church, The H B Allen Trust has made a grant of £700,000 to replace, rather than repair, the roof!

‘As a result of the grant, the project has been enlarged by The Friends of Fotheringhay Church to accommodate this offer and the total amount needed has then risen from £600,000 to £1.2m.

‘As £1m has already been raised in cash and pledges – including the H B Allen grant – just £200,000 is still needed. Consequently, the appeal is most certainly NOT closed. Please continue to give if you can.

‘The administration of the Appeal wish to record their deep gratitude for the ongoing generous donations which they have received from members of the Richard III Society, whose contributions have given them great encouragement!’

26th March - Photo-Mosaic of Richard III Revealed

On 26th March 2016 the King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester unveiled a photo-mosaic of King Richard III to commemorate the first anniversary of his reinterment. The image was created using photographs sent to the Visitor Centre which were taken during the Reinterment Week of 2015. Contributions were received from members of the public. Leicester Cathedral, University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council.

The photo-mosaic forms part of the Visitor Centre’s exhibition ‘Reinterment: One Year On’ and will be on display until 2nd May 2016. For more information please go to the King Richard III Visitor Centre site.

26th March - First Anniversary of King Richard III's reburial

The reburial service was an historic and moving occasion presided over by both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Leicester with may distinguished guests including HRH The Countess of Wessex, the Society’s Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester and HRH The Duchess of Gloucester. In his sermon the Bishop emphasised that ‘we come to give this king, and these mortal remains the dignity and honour denied to them in death.’ The message from HM The Queen noted that ‘the reburial of King Richard III is an event of great national and international significance.’

The reburial events in Leicester attracted worldwide interest with extensive media coverage. This, together with the sermons and eulogies given, invariably touched on positive aspects of King Richard III’s life and reign, emphasising his commitment to the fair administration of justice and the legal reforms of his only parliament. As a result, the public’s perceptions of the king have been changed for the better.

The discovery and reburial of King Richard III’s remains have raised his profile, provided new avenues for research and increased opportunities to advance the case for a reappraisal of his life and character. In this context, we again acknowledge the achievement of Philippa Langley MBE and the Looking for Richard Team, without whose efforts the King’s remains would not have been found.

As we reflect on this first anniversary, we can all take comfort in the knowledge that after half a millennium this anointed king of England rests at last in peace and honour in consecrated ground in the heart of his kingdom.

The Richard III Society, 26th March 2016

30th March - Motcomb Collection Sale Results

The auction of the Motcomb Collection English Groats, took place on the 17th March. We have been able to obtain information on the prices achieved for the items featured in the catalogue and the auction house was pleased to report that Richard III items ‘fared well overall’. The sale prices of the individual items are included in the list here and the auctioneers have kindly offered us some clarification around the prices shown as follows:

‘The hammer prices have 20% buyer’s premium added, which is why reports of auction sales sometimes seem inconsistent (£2,000 in one place, £2,400 in another!) There’s no right and wrong about this and we would normally report a price as either ‘hammer’ or ‘incl. buyer’s premium’ to make it clear. On the list attached the individual lots are all hammer prices while the sale total at the bottom is including buyer’s premium’.

The sales relating to coins from the reign of Richard III are shown at items 144- 159.

28th April - Margaret of York, Princess of England, Duchess of Burgundy

The Richard III and Yorkist History Trust has just published the first in a series of research monographs of recently completed doctoral theses on topics related to late medieval English history. ‘Margaret of York’ by Harry Schnitker looks at all these aspects of Margaret’s life including the women who influenced her, her support for Mary of Burgundy’s crucial Hapsburg marriage, and her attempt to influence English politics by encouraging Yorkist pretenders during the reign of Henry VII. Margaret of York was the sister of Edward IV and Richard III.

The Richard III and Yorkist History Trust is a charitable trust established by the Richard III Society in 1985 to further education and research related to the history of late-fifteenth century England and to encourage the publication of such research.

For further information about ‘Margaret of York’ and details of how to purchase the book (there is a special offer for Richard III Society members) click here.

14th May - No hunchback

Sue Wells’ rebuttal to the Mail on Sunday regarding their article about the prosthetics used in the BBC’s production of ‘The Hollow Crown’.

Sirs,

No hunchback

‘The short piece by Chris Hastings in today’s Mail on Sunday about the prosthetics used by Benedict Cumberbatch for his performance as Shakespeare’s fictional ‘Richard III’ is misleading. It implies that the real Richard III also had a ‘hunchback’. This is untrue. He suffered from scoliosis not kyphosis which can result in a hunchback. The king led an active life as an effective administrator and military commander; if he had a disability he clearly overcame it. It is time to end the lazy acquiescence with the Tudor and Shakespearean myths about Richard III: he was no hunchback and if he suffered from scoliosis that is no reason to denigrate him. We celebrate the achievements of our Paralympians and others who overcome disabilities. Let us do the same for Richard III.’

Sue Wells

14th May - 'The Hollow Crown - The Wars of the Roses'

The BBC’s series The Hollow Crown features William Shakespeare’s history plays from Richard II to Richard III; the first cycle ending with Henry V was shown in 2012 to critical acclaim. The BBC is now broadcasting in the UK the final cycle – The Wars of the Roses – from Henry VI Part 1 to Richard III.

The Shakespearean character ‘Richard III’ – played in the series by Benedict Cumberbatch – is apparently portrayed as a psychopath whose villainy comes about because of the violence he’s seen as he is growing up. While it is not our role to interfere with artistic freedom, it needs to be strongly emphasised that these plays are fictional drama and not factual history.

Benedict Cumberbatch read the Poet Laureate’s poem ‘Richard’ at King Richard’s reburial service last year and he is a collateral descendant of the king. In light of this, the Chairman of the Richard III Society has written to ask if he could publicly reiterate that his portrayal of the king in The Hollow Crown is fictional and not related to the historical facts.

Most people will know and understand that Shakespeare was a playwright not an historian, and that dramatic license often distorts facts and characters. For a full discussion about his play Richard III and its relation to the historical facts, click here.

Following the discovery of Richard III’s remains and their honourable reburial in 2015 there has been a greater focus on the positive aspects of his character and his real achievements as king of England during his short reign; facts viewers of The Hollow Crown should bear in mind whilst watching this latest portrayal of the fictional ‘Richard III’.

14th June - King Richard III Visitor Centre Quotations

It is with great pleasure that we see quotations about Richard III are now being applied to the walls of the King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester. The Society asked for them shortly after the Centre was opened. The quotes featured are:

‘…for many a poor man hath suffered wrong many days, hath been relieved and helped by him…On my troth I never liked the condition of any prince so well as his. God hath sent him to us for the weal of us all…’ Thomas Langton, Bishop of St David’s, Letter to a friend, September 1483.

‘The good reputation of his private life and public activities powerfully attracted the esteem of strangers.’ Dominic Mancini, December 1483.

‘The most famous prince of blessed memory.’ City of York records, October 1485.

The quotes will be accompanied by a notice which reads:

‘So much of what has been written about Richard III dates from after his death, by those who never knew the man himself. The three quotes painted onto the walls in this stairwell were written during (or shortly after) his lifetime and they give us a glimpse of how Richard was spoken of in his own time. Kindly supported by the Richard III Society.’

The display is being paid for by the Society.

23rd June - Richard III tops History Hot 100

Richard III has come top of BBC History Magazine’s ‘History Hot 100’ for the second year running. The results are published in the July edition of the magazine.

‘It’s great to see that King Richard is still topping the polls in the media. Let’s hope it continues and people start to read serious material about the subject. Who knows, given time, the public – and some historians – might one day get the message that Shakespeare’s plays aren’t to be trusted as history? As great drama but not history. Meanwhile, especially while Richard III lives in the popular imagination, the Society will continue to promote research into the life and times of this much maligned monarch’ commented Society Chairman Phil Stone.

11th July - New Feature about York

In June’s Bulletin we announced that there would be a new feature on York added to the Ricardian Sites section of this website during the summer. This has now been uploaded and can be accessed here. The feature includes details about buildings and sites in the city that Richard III would have known together with other information of interest to Ricardians. The full text of the York Vellum is also included, this contains contemporary accounts of King Richard’s post-coronation visit to York in 1483, during which time his son, Edward of Middleham, was created Prince of Wales. The vellum was presented to York Minster in July 1966, so it is a fitting commemoration of this event that we launch the York feature on its fiftieth anniversary.

18th July - Nottingham Castle Transformation

Nottingham Castle, a former royal palace and a residence of significant strategic importance to Richard III during his short reign, is shortly to undergo a dramatic transformation. Plans for the Castle include a new Visitor Centre situated near the medieval gatehouse, tours through the Castle caves with access to previously unseen areas and a range of new exhibitions, including an interactive experience in the Robin Hood Gallery and a new Rebellion Gallery exploring four major periods of social unrest and rebellion in Nottingham, from the medieval period onwards.

Earlier this month, representatives of the Society were invited to a presentation explaining full plans for the transformation. This was followed by a meeting with the project team to talk about the many important connections which Richard III had with Nottingham Castle, not least the fact that he rode out from there on his way to Bosworth Field in 1485. Discussions included the length of time he spent there, the role of the Castle during rebellions against his rule, the visit by Scots ambassadors in September 1484 and of course the fact that both Richard and his queen were in residence at Nottingham Castle when they heard of the death of their only son, Edward. He was afterwards known to refer to Nottingham as ‘the castle of his care’. The team considered different ways in which Richard’s story could be included as the project moves through its phases and we are very pleased to announce that we will be working with the project team going forwards.

Cal Warren, Nottingham Castle Project Programme Manager said: ‘Nottingham Castle has a rich history dating back nearly 1,000 years. It has been shaped by Norman and Medieval kings, 17th and 18th century nobility, and by the Citizens of Nottingham.

‘Through the centuries, our Castle has been transformed through power, battles, rioting, culture and now inspiration. Its history charts its progression of destruction and reinterpretation from a medieval motte and bailey fortification through to Royal stronghold and onwards to the existing Ducal Palace – an impressive and imposing example of a 17th Century mansion which today is a landmark feature of the city.

‘Over the next 4 years, we will develop research projects in partnership with the Richard III Society, to establish more about the intriguing Richard III and the role he played in the Castle’s history.’

For more information on the transformation project:

http://www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/transformation

4th September - Middleham Castle Noticeboard Portrait

‘Members and others may be aware that the noticeboard at Middleham Castle displays the National Portrait Gallery picture of King Richard and that it is now looking rather shabby. On hearing about this, and a rumour that the picture was to be replaced with one of the statue that stands in the bailey of the Castle, the Society contacted English Heritage, in order to confirm or deny the rumour and to protest if it was true. We were then advised that the picture, indeed, is to be replaced but with another copy of the same. It is to be hoped that it will not be too much longer before the work is undertaken – perhaps EH are waiting for the winter months when visitor numbers go down.’

Phil Stone, Richard III Society Chairman

7th September - New Richard III Standard

Following recent discussions with English Heritage, the Society is pleased to announce that it is donating a new Richard III standard to Middleham Castle. By providing a standard made of a more robust material than the current one, it has been agreed that the number of times when the banner will fly can be increased. The Society is pleased to announce that the dates when Richard III’s standard will be flown above Middleham Castle have now been confirmed and are listed below. The dates when the standard will fly at half-mast are now 22nd August and the 16th April.

• 1st February: Richard III marries Anne 1473.
• 16th March: Queen Anne’s death 1485.
• 26th March: Reburial in Leicester of Richard III in 2015.
• 16th April: Edward of Middleham died 1484.
• 29th June: Richard III granted the Neville strongholds of Middleham, Sheriff Hutton and Penrith 1471.
• 1st-2nd July: Middleham Festival.
• 6th July: Richard III crowned 1483.
• 22nd August: Richard III died 1485.
• 2nd October: Birth of Richard III 1452.

Many thanks to Annette Carson and Marie Barnfield for advising on the dates for the marriage of Richard and Anne and the death of Edward of Middleham. These are believed to be the best we can estimate until further research reveals more accurate dates.

The standard will officially be donated to the Castle on behalf of the Society on 2nd October at 2.30pm by Susan Wells, Deputy Chairman.

20th September - Richard III and Sir Henry Wyatt

October’s issue of the BBC History Magazine includes an interesting and informative article by Steven Gunn entitled ‘Henry VII’s brilliant upstarts’ which explores Henry’s use of men in prominent government positions who were not members of the nobility. This group included Sir Henry Wyatt.

Unfortunately it repeats as fact the story that Sir Henry was imprisoned and tortured ‘at the hands of Richard III’. There is no contemporary evidence to support this; the story, as with so many of the myths about the king, appeared many years later by which time the post-Bosworth legend of the villainous Richard III had already been well established.

In September 2011 in response to a query raised about a similar reference in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, the Ricardian Bulletin published an article that sought to establish the facts about Sir Henry Wyatt and these claims of torture at the ‘hands of Richard III’. An extended version of this article can be accessed here.

5th October - Sandal Castle

It was with great dismay that we heard about the recent vandalism carried out at Sandal Castle, once the home of King Richard’s father, Richard, Duke of York.

The site is of significant local and national interest, being the location of the Battle of Wakefield where both the Duke of York, and his son, Edmund Earl of Rutland, lost their lives in December 1460. The Society is very aware of the recent publicity surrounding these despicable acts and is currently considering if there is anything they can do to assist the local authority and other interested parties in protecting the site from further attacks of this nature.

10th October - Royal Photographic Society Award

The Society would like to congratulate Professor Caroline Wilkinson on receiving the Combined Royal Colleges Award from the Royal Photographic Society for ‘an outstanding contribution to the advancement of medical photography or medical imaging.’

The citation states that she is an authority on facial reconstruction and often called on as an expert in the media. Also, Professor Wilkinson is a leading figure in facial anthropology and the developments used to reconstruct/identify individuals without DNA, fingerprints and dental records.

Her reconstruction of the face of Richard III is feature in a small film about her on the RPS website and the reconstruction can be seen in the King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester where it is on permanent loan from the Society.

More can be seen here.

16th October - New Membership Cards

At the 2016 AGM we reported on the introduction of annual membership cards from this year for all members. These will be included as a ‘peel off’ section of a letter confirming receipt of subscription payment which will be sent with the December Bulletin. The category of membership will be included and family members wishing to have more than one card should contact E-Mediacy who will provide additional cards on request. If it appears that no subscription has been received a letter to this effect will be included with the December Bulletin. If payment has been made, you should advise E-Mediacy of the payment details so a correction can be made.

25th October - King Richard's visit to Bridport Commemorated

On Saturday 5th November a memorial will be unveiled in Bridport commemorating Richard III’s visit to the town in 1483. The unveiling takes place on the exact 533rd anniversary of this event.

The ceremony will take place at 2pm by the East Bridge,; the memorial is being placed beside the River Asker facing the oriel window one of the few remaining parts of the Priory of St John the Baptist. It is here that King Richard is likely to have stayed.

The memorial’s cost has been met by public donations, including one from the Richard III Society. It will be made of white Portland stone and will have details of the 1483 visit, a depiction of Richard III’s White Boar and his motto ‘Loyaulte me lie’.

There will be an illustrated account of the unveiling in the March 2017 issue of the Ricardian Bulletin.

30th October - Middleham Castle Richard III Statue

We have been contacted by Gillian Savage, the Manager of Middleham Castle, who has given us the following statement from English Heritage with regards to recent publicity about replacement of the statue of Richard III at the castle.

‘We have been approached by various people who are keen to see the statue reviewed in the light of the discovery of Richard’s remains and the discoveries over the last few years. In support, people have been looking at fundraising opportunities but any statue replacement would have to be authorised by and designed in conjunction with English Heritage and the English Heritage curatorial team.’

1st November - Junior Membership - Reduction in Subscription Rate

As part of the Society’s Schools Education Programme it has been decided to offer school students, under the age of 18, a special annual membership rate of £12. With the tremendous interest that has been generated in the finding and reburying of the earthly remains of King Richard III, plus the recent films and documentaries on the Wars of the Roses period of the 15th century, the Society felt that it was an appropriate time to encourage young students to develop an interest in the medieval history of the 15th century and the key role played by Richard III in the history of this period.

1st November - New Membership Category - Schools Membership

As part of the Society’s Education Programme it now offers Schools/Academies/Colleges an institutional membership at £35 per year. This category includes one issue of The Ricardian, the Society’s historical journal which publishes original articles on Ricardian and associated topics together with book reviews of recent historical publications; three copies of each issue of the quarterly Ricardian Bulletin the Society’s lively and informative members’ magazine published in  March, June, September and December. Schools would have the other benefits of membership and it is hoped to add to the benefits of school membership.

5th November - Bridport Memorial Unveiled

A memorial commemorating King Richard’s visit to Bridport during November 1483 was unveiled in the town on 5th November by the High Sheriff of Dorset, Sir Philip Williams. Over sixty people attended the event, considerably more than were anticipated. There will be a full report in March’s Ricardian Bulletin.