Northamptonshire Battlefields Society

Edward III’s Women – Gemma Hollman

Gemma Hollman returns to speak to us about the two very different women in the life of Edward III, one of England’s greatest kings. His Queen, Philippa of Hainault, was of typical European noble pedigree and was everything expected of a medieval royal consort. Englishwoman Alice Perrers, his mistress in later life, was a very different proposition. Both had to use their charm and personal skills to navigate their way through what could be a tumultuous royal court to ensure their survival and win the heart of the same man.

Tickets are now available on the Society’s Ticket Source page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles . Tickets are free to Northamptonshire Battlefields Society members, £5 to non-members. Talks are held at Delapre Abbey. Doors open about 7pm, with the meeting starting at 7:30pm. There is ample free parking on site. Entry is through the Orangerie Restaurant.

These tickets are for personal attendance at Delapre Abbey ONLY. Members joining in by Zoom do not need to book a ticket.

February’s talk looks at the ever popular medieval subject, heraldry. Much has been written about coats of arms and what could and couldn’t be used. This month’s speaker, Richard Lindley, will be looking beyond that at why heraldry and your coat of arms was so important and what it said about you. He will examine the choices open to the armigerous and how you made sure everyone knew who you were.

Tickets are now available on the Society’s Ticket Source page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles

These tickets are for personal attendance at Delapre Abbey ONLY. Members joining in by Zoom do not need to book a ticket.

Our first meeting of the new year will feature a unique look at one of the most influential and controversial figures of late 15th century England. William Hastings was Edward IV’s trusted friend. They shared much – including it is said Jane Shore as a mistress. He also had a key role after the death of Edward IV, informing Richard of Gloucester so that he could take his appointed role on the council. What happened next is the matter of debate – why did Richard have him executed? Was it because he was plotting against the then Lord Protector, or was it because he was a serious obstacle to Richard’s plans to seize the throne?

Last year published the only dedicated biography of Hastings, so expect to here a fully rounded picture of an otherwise shadowy figure.

The talk is free to paid up members. Non members may attend for £5, payable when you book your ticket. If you join on the evening (£20 single, £30 family) this will be deducted from your membership fee. Tickets can be booked through our dedicated Ticket source website: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles . These tickets are for attendance at Delapre Abbey ONLY.

The meeting will start at 7:30pm, with doors open at 7pm. Tea and coffee will be available in the Salon beforehand. This is arranged by the Delapre Abbey volunteers, and a donation box is provided for payments.

Members attending by Zoom do not need to book a ticket

Back on programme this month, with Mike Constable. Retiring early from a career both in Teaching and Museums, Mike was persuaded to become Joint Honorary Curator of the Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne. As a result of preparing an exhibition Mike became interested in The Training Scheme for Women Trainees to operate Canal Boats on the Grand Union Canal in The Second World War.

His talk will look at the background for the need for women to work on the Waterways, some of the Trainees and also their lives during and after Training.

The talk is free to paid up members. Non members may attend for £5, payable when you book your ticket. If you join on the evening (£20 single, £30 family) this will be deducted from your membership fee. Tickets can be booked on our Ticketsource page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles

The meeting will start at 7:30pm, with doors open at 7pm. Tea and coffee will be available in the Salon beforehand. This is arranged by the Delapre Abbey volunteers, and a donation box is provided for payments.

Members attending by Zoom do not need to book a ticket

Unfortunately Harry Sidebottom is unwell, so we have arranged a replacement talk at short notice.

This month we welcome Dr Harry Sidebottom. Harry is a Sunday Times best seller for fiction , with his “Warrior of Rome” series and his biography of Heliogabalus was the Financial Times non-fiction book of the year. Harry teaches classics at Oxford as well as writing superb historical thrillers. He has also written OUP’s really handy guide to Ancient Warfare. His subject for us will be “The Roman Army and Roman Britain”. Having heard him speak before, I can tell you he’ll be both informative and very entertaining. Tickets are free to Members, £5 to non-members.

NB This meeting will start half an hour earlier than normal at 7pm with the Society’s AGM. This normally lasts about half an hour, and will be followed immediately by Harry’s talk. Book your tickets at Ticketsource: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles

Change to published speaker

Unfortunately Catherine Brooks is unable to be with us in September due to personal circumstances. However, we’re really pleased to have instead Dr Lara Thorpe, an expert on plague and how people dealt with it in the 17th century. This talk will focus on the experience of the devastating plague in Northampton in 1638 through the diary and records kept by a local Puritan, Robert Woodford. Puritan diaries offer us a fascinating insight into the period, and were a form of spiritual account book where God’s Providence and Punishment could be recorded in equal measure.

Tickets for attendance in person at Delapré Abbey are available from our page at Ticketsource on the link below. This is a change from our usual ticket website, and will be used for all events in future:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles/lord-be-a-wall-of-fire-around-us-robert-woodford-and-northampton-s-plague-of-1638/e-vmkepa

We are pleased to announce that the Society won the Award for Best Special Project for the information panels on the 1460 battle recently installed at Delapre Abbey.

In his acceptance speech Society Chair, Graham Evans, thanked the many partners who helped bring this long desired project to fruition. This included Nenescape, the Battlefields Trust and the Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust. He also thanked the Society’s membership for their dedicated support and contributions that have made this possible.

In an emotional speech, he dedicated the award to our founder, Mike Ingram, who loved his home county so much, and was a tireless champion for the region’s heritage.

In July 1469, Edward IV’s supporters were defeated at the battle of Edgcote, and Warwick the Kingmaker seized power, capturing the king and imprisoning him. In less than 10 months the situation was reversed, with Edward triumphant and Warwick fleeing for his life. What changed in that short, hectic period of time?

Society Chair, Graham Evans, author of “The Battle of Edgcote 1469 – Re-evaluating the evidence” will unravel what happened and why, and hopefully make clear this somewhat murky period in the Wars of the Roses.

Tickets for PERSONAL ATTENDANCE only are available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-edgcote-to-empingham-what-edward-did-next-tickets-653030119667 .

The talk is free to paid up members. Non members may attend for £5, payable when you book your ticket. If you join on the evening (£20 single, £30 family) this will be deducted from your membership fee.

Tea and coffee will be available in the Salon beforehand. This is arranged by the Delapre Abbey volunteers, and a donation box is provided for payments.

Members attending by Zoom do not need to book a ticket