Son of Prophecy – Nathen Amin
Our March talk was from Nathen Amin. He was so popular we had a packed room without even posting a link on here.
The only way to be sure you hear about our speakers is to join the Society.
Author: Graham Evans
Women in the Middle Ages – Gemma Hollman
Medieval women seem to be largely invisible in our sources, yet we know that they ruled over kingdoms, convents and households and acted as the chatelaines of castles. They produced stunning works of art and craft and did the hard work that kept families fed and clothed.
Our speaker, Gemma Hollman, is a firm Society favourite, having both informed and entertained us previously with her talks on Royal Witches and Edward III’s women. We’re delighted to invite her back to mark the launch of her latest book as she shines a light on the lesser known (but not less important) bits of our medieval past
Tickets are now available on the Society’s Ticket Source page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles . These 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.
Tea and coffee will be available before hand, provided by the Abbey volunteers. Please make an appropriate donation.
These tickets are for personal attendance at Delapre Abbey ONLY. Members joining in by Zoom do not need to book a ticket.
Atlantic outpost: the Isles of Scilly under the Tudors and Stuarts – Julian Humphrys
By the middle of the 16th century there was a growing realisation that Scilly’s location at the western approaches of the English Channel was so strategically important that it was vital to defend the islands – not just against the ships of opportunistic raiders but also against the fleets of rival foreign powers.
Sir Francis Godolphin, the governor of Scilly during much of the reign of Elizabeth, would sum up the islands’ value when he wrote ‘there are good roads (anchorages) and convenient harbours, and it would be mischievous for the enemy to take them.’ In short there was a real risk that in the wrong hands Scilly could become a base from which an enemy power could harass English shipping or, worse still, launch an invasion of the mainland.
As a result the next three hundred years would see sporadic bursts of fortification building on the islands, normally in response to the political and military situation at the time. In this illustrated talk Julian Humphrys will take a look at the development of the defences of Scilly in the Tudor and Stuart period and discuss the one time that they were seriously put to the test, ironically by the islanders’ compatriots at the end of the British Civil Wars.
Julian Humphrys is a well known battlefield guide and expert who has authored numerous books and articles on a wide range of military subjects. He is also a Trustee of the Battlefields Trust.
NB This is a change to our previously advertised speaker, Matt Lewis. Julian very kindly stepped in when asked to take his place.
Tickets are now available on the Society’s Ticket Source page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles . These 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.
In all the excitement last month I updated the merchandise menu, but forgot to put the advert on the front page! I need hardly add that this would make a great Christmas gift for the wargamer and/or heraldry enthusiast in your household or social circle.
Graham Evans
Chair
Women of the Anarchy with Sharon Bennett Connolly
The “Anarchy” that followed the death of Henry I saw Stephen claim the throne ahead of Henry’s daughter, the Empress Matilda. To complicate matters for those of us studying the period subsequently Stephen’s wife was also called Matilda. The two Matildas both played important roles in the struggle for the throne and Sharon will shine a light on this murky period of English history.
Sharon may be known to many of you as a successful writer of popular history books, often focussing on the role of women in the pre-modern period.
NB This is a change to our previously advertised speaker, Matt Lewis. Sharon very kindly stepped in when asked to take his place.
Tickets are now available on the Society’s Ticket Source page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles . These 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.
This month we welcomes Dr David Grummitt as our speaker. David has written books on the Calais Garrison, Henry VI and has also published “A Short History of the Wars of the Roses”. He has also worked on the History of Parliament project. He is currently working on a major book covering the military aspects of the Wars of the Roses and the importance of chivalry. He is a member of the Research Committee of the Richard III Society, and was recently elected to the Board. He is also a member of the Society.
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 6:30pm. The AGM will start at 7pm, and this will be followed by our speaker at about 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.
Change to published speaker
Our advertised speaker is unwell, so the society Chair, Graham Evans, will be speaking instead on the subject of what the battle of Northampton tells us about Warwick as a military commander.
To attend, please book a ticket to the “The Life and Times of a British Nuclear Weapons Negotiator” through the following link: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles/the-life-and-times-of-a-british-nuclear-weapons-negotiator/e-vkdbal
The Anglo-Hanseatic War 1469-74 – Graham Evans
NBS Chair Graham Evans returns to the troublesome middle years of the reign of Edward IV to look at one of the less well covered and understood conflicts of the time. With civil war re-ignited by Robin of Redesdale’s rising, eventually leading to the Readeption of Henry VI, the traders of the Hanseatic League launched a sea war against England – only against which government and why?
Graham will take you through the intricacies of what the Hanseatic League was, how it operated and how it fought its sea wars. He will also be looking at the importance of this conflict in the difficult relationship between Warwick the Kingmaker and his protégé, King Edward IV.
Tickets are now available on the Society’s Ticket Source page: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/northantsbattles . These 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.
Merlin, Henry Tudor and the Royalists – Dr Jenny Day
Dr Jenny Day of the University of Wales returns to speak to us again about the rich but poorly known historical source that is Welsh poetry. For this talk she takes us into the world of Welsh prophetic poetry attributed to mythological figures like Merlin and the Welsh wizard Taliesin.
Predicting the future was as much a way of talking about the present as it was presenting aspirations and desires. The poems that are the subject of this talk are not well known even by the standards of the whole body of medieval Welsh poetry, so this will be a truly unique opportunity to hear about it.
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.
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.
Northamptonshire Battlefields Society 