What Killed Edward IV?

 In 1483, Edward IV died. Various suggestions were given by medieval chroniclers as to what killed the king. One suggestion was that Edward, just 40, died of grief from unwelcome news that had been brought to him from the continent. To hide his sorrow, Edward had, in the months leading up to his death, put on numerous performances for his court to enjoy and presumably feasting. Given that Edward was very overweight by this point in his life, rumours that suggest he had had a stroke seem very plausible. Another possible reason was that Edward had fallen ill after a day of fishing and had never recovered. And one other possibility is syphilis. Edward liked women to say the least and it’s possible his sexual activities caught up with him. One way or another, Edward’s excessive lifestyle certainly took its toll on him and his premature death would have dramatic consequences.

Before he died, Edward, conventionally, made his peace with God before outlining his wishes for the succession. Edward died at Westminster on 9th April 1483. From there, his body was taken to Windsor Castle in a solemn procession where he was interred in St George’s Chapel. His controversial wife, Elizabeth Woodville, would join him here on her own death. So ended the life of Edward IV. A king who’d proved himself brilliantly capable militarily but was deeply flawed as king. As his first reign (1461-1470) had worn on, Edward found himself increasingly unpopular and this showed itself in the rebellions of Robin of Redesdale and Robin of Holderness. Shortly after those uprisings, Edward had been displaced as king by the unlikely union of Richard Neville and Margaret of Anjou, the queen of Henry VI.

Edward had pushed Neville into an alliance with his enemy Margaret after his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville whilst Neville had been in France, negotiating for a more high profile marriage for the king. When Neville found out that Edward had married a commoner, he was irate and turned to Margaret. Ultimately Edward survived this fiasco and reclaimed the crown in early 1471. But he would fail to leave a meaningful legacy. More interested in wine, food and women then in long term stability for England. Had Edward’s premature death been avoided, which surely it could have been had Edward shown more restraint with his diet, then the tragic outcome that awaited Edward’s two sons, “The Princes In The Tower” may never have happened and we may have seen what type of king Edward V would have been.

How Did The Hundred Years War Start?

 In 1337, Edward III of England began what would become known as the Hundred Years War by laying claim to the crown of France. Edward’s mother, Isabella, was the daughter of the French king Philip IV. Philip had three sons who succeeded him but had all died after relatively brief reigns. The throne now passed to Philip VI. On hearing that Edward was now bearing the arms of both England and France, Philip VI was disparaging of Edward, referring to him as a “poor knight of ours” and of England as well, calling it a little island in comparison to the “great kingdom of France”. Despite this bravado, Philip was obviously unsettled and the fact that Edward was styling himself king of France would have put further doubts in his minds as to who had the better claim to the French crown.

And it wouldn’t be long before doubts in Philip’s minds increased. Defeats for the French at the Battle of Sluys, a naval engagement, in 1340 before later, more famous defeats at Crecy and Poitiers must have made France fully aware that they were up against a formidable opponent. Edward was no mere “poor knight”. To the contrary, he was one of the greatest warrior kings in European history and Philip’s dismissive words had been rammed right down his throat. Ultimately, Edward’s bid to become king of France failed but he had shown what he was capable of by confronting a European superpower and besting them numerous times. Edward had also shown he was capable of winning victories on both land and sea and can perhaps be considered as an early inspiration for later English naval supremacy.

The Survival of Edward II?

 In 1330, rumours began to circulate across England that the former king Edward II had not been killed in 13+27 following his deposition after all. Supposedly, these rumours had been not only encouraged by Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, the people behind Edward’s downfall, but had, in fact, been started by them. The rumour went that Edward was in fact living, perfectly happily at Corfe Castle. After his deposition in 1327, Edward had indeed spent time at Corfe Castle before he was moved on to Berkeley Castle where, it’s generally believed, he met his end. Elaborate steps were taken to make the rumours seem believable ;entertainment, dancing and feasts were staged in the castle as though a king was truly staying there. The former king’s brother Edmund believed the rumours and would ultimately be executed for apparently conspiring to free Edward II; another victim of the tyranny of Mortimer and Isabella.

What the 17 year old Edward III thought of these rumours is an interesting matter to ponder but what is clear is that he had now had just about enough of Mortimer. Mortimer had, instead of being a regent acting in the best interests of the country, acted like he was the king and it was said that he would enter Parliament and received a louder ovation then Edward himself. Repeatedly, Mortimer would be in the presence of the king and would show a remarkable level of arrogance. Very often, he would, defying convention, walk in front of the king, instead of just behind or, at the least, to the side. Edward's mother Isabella was little better and she would be exiled in disgrace. When Edward's patience with the pair finally ran out, he cornered them, on one dramatic night at Nottingham Castle. Despite Isabella's pleas, Mortimer could expect no mercy. He was arrested and hanged. Thus, Edward III's reign truly began. As for his father, despite the rumours, there is no real plausible reason to believe Edward II was not murdered at Berkeley Castle in 1327. Mortimer and Isabella had shown how thirsty for power they were and, to keep hold of it, the old king had to be out of the way.

William The Conqueror's Speech Before The Battle of Hastings

 According to the chronicler Henry of Huntingdon, William The Conqueror gave this speech to his men before the battle of Hastings .”Ah! let any one of the English whom our predecessors, both Danes and Norwegians, have defeated in a hundred battles, come forth and show that the race of Rollo ever suffered a defeat from his time until now, and I will submit and retreat. Is it not shameful, then, that a people accustomed to be conquered, a people ignorant of the art of war, a people not even in possession of arrows, should make a show of being arrayed in order of battle against you, most valiant?”

 Did William actually speak these words? It seems unlikely. For one thing, the speech, if true, ran the risk of making the Normans TOO confident, such is the disparaging nature of William’s words about the English. He is almost making it seem that they were not fit to be on the same battlefield as the Normans. His references to the Normans Vikings origins and portraying the earlier Norse armies as being almost invincible would have been careless in the extreme and it seems likely that the men in William's ranks would not have believed his words given they would have been aware of recent event. The English had their fair share of success in the Viking wars in the centuries prior, not least at the Battle of Stamford Bridge just 3 weeks before Hastings where Harold II had defeated Harald Hardrada of Norway. Calling the English ignorant of war and being accustomed to being conquered could surely have been of very little benefit to William. 

Even if William did say and believe these words, he would find in the years to come, despite his triumph at Hastings, that the English would not simply roll over and would, in fact, resist his rule fiercely. And they would, at an incredibly heavy price, earn his respect. In 1087, as he lay dying, William referred to the English as “that fine race.”  He may have held them in contempt before his conquest of England but his attitude towards the natives would certainly change over the course of his reign.

The Arrival of In Britain of Hengist And Horsa

 

In 449, the Angles Saxons and Jutes were invited to Britain by King Vortigern who wanted help against the Picts, a vicious Northern tribe. Help had been sought elsewhere on the continent by the Britons but they found help was in short supply. A contributing factor in that was the increasingly menacing threat of Attila and the Huns. And so Vortigern turned to the Germanic tribes for assistance and, led by two brothers Hengist and Horsa, they heeded the call

In return for fighting the Picts, Vortigern offered his "guests" territories in which to settle. If he thought that would bring peace, he was badly mistaken. The Germanic tribes initially did as they were asked, attacking the Picts and defeating them in battle. But soon after, Hengist and Horsa turned on the Britons, rather predictably, and attacked them viciously. However, the Britons did fight back and Horsa was killed at the Battle of Aegelsthrep in 455.

After a period of relative calm in the mid to late 5th century, the Britons turned on each other in a series of civil wars and in the 470s, Hengist forced the Britons to surrender Kent before he turned his attentions Westward where he advanced ruthlessly. He was eventually defeated in battle and executed in the aftermath.

The Battle of Bannockburn: A Calamity for Edward II

 In 1314, at the Battle of Bannockburn, England and ,in particular, king Edward II suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Robert The Bruce and his Scottish army. The following is an extract taken from the Life of Edward II describing the English retreat; "Thus, while our people fled following in our king's footsteps, lo! A certain ditch entrapped many of them and a great many of our army perished in it.

The king came to the castle thinking to find refuge there, was repulsed by those inside as if he were the enemy. The drawbridge was raised and the gate closed." The retreat had proved to be as farcical as the battle itself for the English. The English army had heavily outnumbered the Scots but this had made very little difference as the English suffered catastrophic losses with the Scots comparatively unscathed.

Ultimately, Edward II would lose his throne in 1327, mainly due to his excessive favouritism of people like Piers Gaveston and then, in his final years, the Despensers who only had their interests in mind when it came to their relationship with the king. However, even though it was some years prior to the deposition, the military disaster at Bannockburn did nothing for Edward's reputation and can be viewed as a contributing factor towards his final fate.

learnhistorywithrich
.Battle of Bannockburn 1314

In 1314, at the Battle of Bannockburn, England and ,in particular, king Edward II suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Robert The Bruce and his Scottish army. The following is an extract taken from the Life of Edward II describing the English retreat; "Thus, while our people fled following in our king's footsteps, lo! A certain ditch entrapped many of them and a great many of our army perished in it.
The king came to the castle thinking to find refuge there, was repulsed by those inside as if he were the enemy. The drawbridge was raised and the gate closed." The retreat had proved to be as farcical as the battle itself for the English. The English army had heavily outnumbered the Scots but this had made very little difference as the English suffered catastrophic losses with the Scots comparatively unscathed.
Ultimately, Edward II would lose his throne in 1327, mainly due to his excessive favouritism of people like Piers Gaveston and then, in his final years, the Despensers who only had their interests in mind when it came to their relationship with the king. However, even though it was some years prior to the deposition, the military disaster at Bannockburn did nothing for Edward's reputation and can be viewed as a contributing factor towards his final fate.

The Demon Countess of Anjou

 

According to legend, The Plantagenets, the dynasty that ruled England for more than 300 years, was descended from the devil. Gerald of Wales tells the colourful tale of the demon countess who the Plantagenets were descendants of...

"there was a certain countess of Anjou, of remarkable beauty, but of an unknown nation, whom the count married solely for beauty, who was in the habit of coming very seldom to church, and there manifested no devotion in it, she never remained in the church until the celebration the mass, but always went out immediately after the gospel.

she was eventually noticed by the count; and when she had come to the church, and was preparing to depart at her usual hour, she saw that she was kept back by four soldiers at the command of the count; leaving behind her two little sons, she took up under her arm the two others, and in the sight of all flew out through a lofty window. And so this woman, was never afterwards seen there."

This obviously ridiculous tale, however colourful it may be, is outdone by the dynasty that was supposedly spawned by this demon countess. The fact of the matter is that, no matter how imaginative medieval chroniclers were in their writing, and they were certainly imaginative, this was a case of the truth being stranger than fiction. The story of the Plantagenet kings, whether it be the sorrowful tale of Bad King John, the chivalric heroics of Edward III, the brilliance of Henry V and so on could never be outdone. In fairness to Gerald, he died in the first quarter of the 13th century so he would not be able to grasp how influential this dynasty would become. In his own time though, he bore witness to the horrors of John's reign and no doubt he must have seriously questioned, at the very least, what made John the man he was. Certainly, some of John's actions were demonic like.

King Aethelwulf: Father of Alfred The Great

 In the late 830s, Aethelwulf became king of Wessex, succeeding his father, Egbert. The Viking threat to the Anglo Saxon kingdoms during Aethelwulf's near two decade long reign was growing ever more sinister and Aethelwulf would suffer defeats in battle against them and areas like London and Kent would be ravaged by vicious Viking attacks. Aethelwulf, however, was surrounded by capable and proactive advisers including a bishop by the name of Swithun, who would later be made a saint. Wishing to ensure that the Vikings were kept at bay as much as physically possible, Swithun demanded that the king respond to the raids as swiftly as possible. Aethelwulf was described as being a mild mannered man and it would seem that warfare went against his natural instincts. He was certainly a man who preferred times of peace where he could perhaps enjoy more leisurely pursuits.

But for Bishop Swithun and the other advisers, they knew that the Viking threat had to be dealt with forcefully and they did their best to ensure that the king was kept on his toes by constant and firm reminders of what it took to govern a kingdom. Another man close to Aethelwulf, Ealstan, took it upon himself to not only ensure that the army was kept in good order as well making significant financial contributions to the crown. Ealstan was accused of being a greedy man but his contributions were vital nonetheless Aethelwulf may not have been perfect in terms of his character but he deserves credit for having advisers around him that could help provided strong resistance against the Vikings.

In the late 840s, around the half way point of Aethelwulf's reign, his youngest son Alfred was born who, on two occasions during his childhood, was sent to Rome. On the second occasion, Aethelwulf accompanied his son and ,on the way back, he would take back to Wessex Judith of Flanders, daughter of Charles The Bald, the king of West Francia and future Holy Roman Emperor. On his return to Wessex, Aethelwulf had found his son Aethelbald had gone into rebellion against him, with the assistance of Ealstan and others, and aimed to deprive his father of the crown. However, support for Aethelbald was in short supply and in the end Wessex was divided into two with father and son getting a half each. 

The episode with his son may have demonstrated that Aethelwulf was not an overly ruthless man. Aethelbald perhaps should have been put in his place a little bit more. But what it also demonstrated is that Aethelwulf had a reasonably unified nobility behind him, crucial in this day and age were the wars against the Vikings had only just begun. Aethelwulf was also praised for his treatment of the church and his general, day to day governance of his kingdom seems to have been sensible enough. So it was into this world that young Alfred was born. Things would be tougher during his reign then it had been during his father's rule but Aethelwulf had certainly set a good example of kingship to not only Alfred but to his other four sons, all kings themselves, as well. Even if it wasn't an example they wished to follow.

History For Kids: Tommy's History Adventures!

 Tommy’s History Adventures: Tommy And 1066

Tommy is a 10 year boy who lives with his Mum and Dad and his two sisters. In most ways, Tommy is like most other children his age. He likes going to the park and playing with his friends. He likes watching cartoons and he likes eating ice cream. Tommy also really likes History. It’s this last interest that makes Tommy a little bit different. Not that he likes History, lots of children like History although many don’t as well! No, what makes Tommy different is that he has a superpower! 

When you think of superpowers, you might think of a person who can fly or make themselves invisible. But Tommy’s superpower is that he can travel back in time! All he has to do is say the year and place he wants to visit and with a hop, skip and a jump, he gets taken back in time to that exact year and that exact place. For example, if Tommy wanted to see the Great Fire Of London in 1666, all Tommy would have to do is say London, 1666 and his Superpower would know exactly where to take him. Isn’t that cool? But don’t worry. Tommy is always safe. Nobody in the past knows he’s there and he can’t be hurt by anything that’s happened as he has a special protective pod to protect him. So, if he visited London in 1666, the fire wouldn’t be able to hurt him. And Tommy also has a special watch which he can set to however long he wants to stay in the year he visits. So, if he wanted to spend an hour in 1666, he’d set the timer on his watch to one hour. Although one hour doesn’t sound like a lot, events would move quicker than they normally do in real time so Tommy and whoever went with him could see as much as possible. Cool, eh?

Tommy has two friends called Tammy and James. They both know about Tommy’s superpower but are the only other children in the world, apart from Tommy’s sisters, who Tommy has told. As Tommy’s Dad said, if Tommy told everyone, then everybody would be asking Tommy to take them back in time and Tommy wouldn’t have time to do anything else! Tommy knew he could trust both Tammy and James not to blab his secrets to anyone else as they had all been best friends for years.

This is Tammy, who is one of Tommy’s best friends!

One day, Tommy, Tammy and James were walking home from school. They were talking about the day they had. In the morning, they had Maths and English, after break Science and Geography and, after lunch, their favourite subject, HISTORY! Today, they had been learning all about the Battle of Hastings. Tommy asked the others if they thought King Harold II had really been hit in the eye with an arrow.

“Hmm, I’m not sure,” said Tammy, “Seems unlikely to me”.

“Well,”interjected James, “ William The Conqueror did have a lot of archers so it’s definitely possible!”

They argued all the way back to Tommy’s house which was the closest to the school. Tommy’s Mum invited Tammy and James in for a drink and a snack. They were both very hungry and, whatsmore, they wanted to continue their boisterous argument! So, they accepted and sat down on the sofa with their snacks and watched TV. Tommy’s favourite programme was on and he sat watching that contentedly but both Tammy and James were STILL arguing! This time they were arguing over whether… 

This is James who is Tommy’s other best friend!

…William The Conqueror was really the rightful king which is what caused the Battle of Hastings to be fought in the first place. Tommy was used to their squabbling but their loud talking was interrupting his programme, He turned the volume up and tried to ignore his friends. 

When the programme was over, Tommy got up.

“Right,” he said, “There’s only one thing for it. We’re going back in time!” 

For the first time in about an hour, Tammy and James finally shut up!

“Are you sure, Tommy?”asked James,”Will your Mum let us?”

Tommy’s Mum didn’t like Tommy going back in time. She worried he might get stuck there! Also, Tommy’s 

sisters, Amelia and Paige, didn’t have superpowers and became very jealous of Tommy when he used his time travelling ability which caused a lot of arguing! But even Tommy’s Mum knew she couldn’t let her son waste his superpower so she allowed him to use it once a month AS LONG AS one of her or Tommy’s Dad went with him.

“Yes, that’s fine.” Tommy’s Mum said when he asked her if he could go,”But Tammy and James can’t go!”

Tommy’s Mum didn’t like Tammy and James going as they weren’t her children. But this caused a lot of protest from Tommy’s two friends.

“My mum doesn’t care if i get lost or stuck or whatever!” Tammy argued. “She’s too busy at the betting shop!”

“And my Dad allows me to do anything!” James chirped up. After twenty minutes of arguing, Tommy’s Mum relented.

“But,” she said,”We’ll have to wait for your dad so one of us is here to watch Paige and Amelia!”

“Maybe they’ll want to come?” Tommy suggested.”I’ll go ask.”

Tommy asked if the girls wanted to come on this exciting journey. Neither girl said a word. Instead, in response, they both threw heavy books at Tommy which narrowly missed him. Tommy’s Dad came home from work at 4:30 PM and was instantly excited at the thought of going back in time. Tommy’s Dad was much more excitable than Tommy’s Mum and it was normally he who took Tommy on his incredible adventures.

“Remember, one hour and you must be back for dinner. It’s a school night!” Tommy’s Mum said. Tommy, his Dad, Tammy and James went into the back garden where they formed a line by holding hands. They then did a HOP! A SKIP AND A JUMP AND SHOUTED ENGLAND, 1066! The world started to spin. They were now going back in time!

Round and round they spun. The further back in time Tommy’s superpower had to go, the more it made him and his companions spin. And the Battle of Hastings was nearly a 1,000 years ago so that meant a lot of spinning. Eventually, they began to slow down and they landed with a thump. After taking a minute to get their bearings, Tommy, his Dad, Tammy and James looked around.

“Where are we?” James asked.

To answer his friend’s question, Tommy looked down at his watch which, apart from telling and controlling the time when he was in the past, could also tell Tommy where his exact location was.

“York,” he replied to James, “Or just outside of York.”

“Why are we in York? Thought we were going to Hastings?” Tommy’s Dad said, scratching his chin and looking bemused.

Tommy thought for a moment. 

“In 1066, there wasn’t just one battle in England. In fact, there wasn’t just two battles. There were THREE!”

“THREE!” Tommy’s Dad exclaimed!

“Yes! People know all about William The Conqueror and Harold II and Hastings but there was another man who thought he could or should be king of England. That was King Harold Hardrada of Norway!”

Harold Hardrada was a powerful and mighty king. His name Hardrada means “Hard Ruler” and It’s said that he was 7 feet tall! Hardrada had seen and done a lot of things in his life, travelling far and wide. Now he wanted to become king of England. Whether his right to become king of England was actually strong enough was something that WASN’T going to bother him!

King Harold II knew he had big problems. He was expecting an invasion from William, Duke of Normandy but knew he couldn’t ignore the danger from Hardrada. What made things worse for Harold II was that Hardrada was being helped in his invasion of England by Harold II’s own brother Tostig!

“So, in September 1066,” Tammy said, as they stood in a wet and soggy field in Yorkshire,” King Harold of England was in a really bad position! He faced invasions from both the North with Hardrada coming from Norway and William coming from the South, crossing the English channel”.

“Yes,” Tommy replied,” Harold knew he needed help in seeing off both dangers and he relied on two of his Northern nobles to try and beat Hardrada. The battle we are going to see first is called the Battle of Fulford and is one that not many people know about”.

After waiting for another couple of minutes, two armies began to appear, as if by magic, in front of Tommy’s eyes. At the same time, a bubble surrounded Tommy, his Dad and Tammy and James to shield them from all the flying arrows but still let them see the fierce fighting. On one side was the English army, on the other the Norwegians, led by Hardrada.

The battle began and was fought ferociously. It looked as though the English army were going to win!

“Hardrada’s going to lose!” Tommy’s Dad shouted!

“Oh no, he isn’t,” Tommy replied,” He’s got reinforcements!”

What the English didn’t know is that not all the men in Hardrada’s army had disembarked from their ships. As a result, they were late arrivals to the battle. 

“Look!” James said, pointing at some men marching in the distance. These were members of Hardrada’s army! As soon as they arrived, the course of the battle was changed and the English were defeated. If he didn’t know before, Harold II knew he had problems now!

“This is incredible!” Tommy’s Dad exclaimed. “It was during these exact moments that the course of this country’s history could have changed forever!” The children all nodded fervently in agreement. They were still processing what they had seen at Fulford when the scene in front of them changed. They were now standing near a river with a bridge crossing it. 

“Where are we now?” James asked.

“This must be Stamford Bridge!” Tammy responded excitedly.

“Where the Chelsea football team play?”

“NO!” Tammy laughed.”Where the Battle between Hardrada and Harold II was fought!”

After Hardrada’s victory at Fulford, Harold knew he had to respond quickly otherwise the King of Norway, with the help of Tostig, might make his army even bigger and capture towns across the North of England. Harold II gathered his men and marched up north.

The armies of Harold II and Hardrada fought fiercely. Both sides knew what was at stake. If Harold II won, he would then only have Duke William as his rival. If Hardrada won, he might be able to have himself crowned king of England! Eventually both Hardrada and his ally Tostig would die in the fighting and Harold II won the battle.

“Wow! That’s the end of Hardrada!”Tommy's dad said.

“Yep,”Tommy replied,”As brave a warrior as he was, it wasn’t meant to be for him that year.”

As Tommy, his Dad, Tammy and James watched on, they could see the English army were exhausted. They’d not only had to fight a hard battle but the march from the south to the north of England would have been tiring in itself. What they would hope for now was a nice, long period of rest.

But they wouldn’t get it! Soon, the English king had some unwanted news. Duke William had finally landed in England. This left Harold II with a problem. Did he give his men the rest they badly needed? Or did he go and meet the danger posed by William head on.

“The course of English history rested on this decision!”Tammy said excitedly.

“Ooh, yes.” Tommy’s Dad responded,”I wonder what he’ll do?” 

They soon had their answer. Harold and his men began their long march South where they would meet Duke William at Hastings. Tommy, his Dad, Tammy and James watched as the soldiers marched off into the distance before, suddenly, the scene in front of them changed again. This time they were stood on top of a hill.

“We’re at Hastings!” Tommy exclaimed excitedly. He didn’t even need to check his watch to know this. He knew that the English army had the advantage as they were at the top of the hill and Duke William’s Normans would have to charge up the hill to try and break through the enemy lines.

“Look, it’s King Harold!” James said, pointing to a man riding on his horse, in front of his men. He was shouting words of encouragement to his soldiers as they prepared to give battle. And soon, the fighting had begun!

The Normans charged up the hill time and time again and the loud clangs of swords rang through the air. 

“They’re not getting anywhere, are they?” Tommy’s Dad said in wonder as he watched the Normans being repulsed over and over again. He was right, the Normans made little progress for hours and hours (remember, time moved forward quicker for our Time Travellers then it did for the men in the battle). As the battle wore on, something caught Tommy’s eye. Some of the Normans appeared to be agitated. James had seen this also .

“Are they retreating?”He asked, pointing at some men who appeared to be leaving the battlefield.

“No,” Tommy responded,”At this point, a rumour had gone round that Duke William had died. He hadn’t and he had to make it known by lifting up his helmet!”

It was getting late in the day now and still the battle was a stalemate.

“Looks like the Normans are giving up now!” Tommy’s Dad shouted as it appeared that the Normans had really begun to retreat.Tommy’s dad didn’t know as much about History as his son.

“Oh no, they’re not!” Tommy replied. 

The Normans, sick and tired of trying the same tactic over and over again, had tried a different idea. To lure the English from their safe position on top of the hill, they pretended to flee the battle in large numbers. And the tactic worked, as Tammy explained.

“On seeing some of the Normans riding away,” she said,”some members of the English army, going against what King Harold had told them, broke away from the rest of the army and pursued the Normans.”

But it was a dastardly trick! The Normans doubled back and encircled the men who had been following them. Realising their mistake, the English tried to rejoin the rest of the army that had stayed in position. But it was no good.

“Look,” Tommy’s Dad shouted, “They’re all falling into a ditch!” The Normans had a dug a secret ditch that hindered the English escape. And now the rest of the English army joined in, desperate to help their countrymen. It was chaos! Duke William, at this point, ordered his archers to unleash a volley of arrows which came raining down on the English, including King Harold and…..BLEEP! BLEEP! BLEEP! Tommy, his Dad, Tammy and James all started at the noise.

“It’s my watch, our one hour is up!” Tommy said.

“Has it been an hour already? Time flies when you’re having fun!” Tommy’s Dad said excitedly.

“Time does fly when you come back in time thanks to this watch.”

Tommy, his Dad, Tammy and James all held hands, shouted HOME! And with a hop, skip and a jump, they arrived back at Tommy’s house.

Tommy’s Mum was waiting for them in the living room. 

“How was it?” She asked.

The four all burst into excited chatter as they told of the incredible things and people they had seen.

“Sounds fantastic,” she replied, barely stifling a yawn. Still buzzing, Tommy sat down at the dinner table, ready for some food. Time travelling was hungry work! Tommy’s Mum had offered Tammy and James some dinner but they decided to go home. 

“Thanks for that Tommy!” James said enthusiastically.

“Yeah,” Tammy chipped in,” I think that was my favourite adventure yet!”

“You say that every time!” Tommy replied grinning. After saying bye to his two friends, Tommy began to get stuck into his dinner which his Mum had ready early, as she did every time Tommy went on an adventure.

“Where’s your father?” Tommy’s Mum muttered. As she said this, Tommy heard a slow, rumbling noise coming from the living room. Tommy’s Dad was snoring the house down! 

“For goodness sake!” Tommy’s Mum muttered as she went to wake him. Grinning, Tommy carried on eating and started to daydream about all that he had seen that day.

Edward II's Deposition And Death

 In January 1327, Queen Isabella and her ally Roger Mortimer held a remarkable parliament. In the months prior, Isabella and Mortimer had arrested King Edward II, Isabella's husband, and killed his closest allies,  the Despensers, in brutal fashion. Edward was being kept in captivity at Kenilworth Castle where it was said his living conditions were relatively comfortable. However, his time as king was about to be brought to an end. The Earl of Lancaster as well as the Bishops of Winchester and Lincoln held a secret meeting with the king to try and persuade him of the benefits of surrendering his crown to his 14 year old son, Prince Edward. First, they played on the king's piety and conscience by implying that the king could expect religious rewards if he were to give up his crown. They also made it plain that it would benefit England as a country were Edward to surrender his throne and they claimed there would be a return to peace and stability in the land. Gentle persuasion was not the only tactic used by the two bishops and Earl. They also employed threats such as the possibility of Prince Edward being disinherited also if king Edward did not comply. Reluctantly, the king realised he had very little option. He was, after all, a prisoner of Isabella and Mortimer and they now held all the cards. However, Edward's deposition would not bring about the peace that the bishops and Earl had effectively promised.

Arriving at Kenilworth Castle soon after was the Bishop of Hereford, a key supporter of Isabella and Mortimer, along with a number of knights, barons, abbots and bishops from across the country. Edward, on seeing them, was evidently overwhelmed with emotion and fainted. After some assistance, the king recovered himself somewhat and faced the bishop of Hereford who addressed the king and told him that it was his duty to hand over the crown and that if Edward did not do so, then another man would be elected not only in Edward's stead but also, as the Earl of Lancaster and Bishops of Lincoln and Winchester had told the king, in place of the young Prince Edward. Homage to the king from the nobility was then renounced and other formalities took place before Edward was officially declared to be no longer king. His son was now King Edward III. Isabella and Mortimer, now regents for the young boy king, would do very well for themselves financially.

As for Edward II, he remained in the custody of the Earl of Lancaster. The former king's upkeep was maintained by a relatively generous pension paid to him by the treasury. Edward is said to have borne his troubles manfully and complained little although he despaired that his estranged wife not only refused to visit him but also prevented the young king from seeing his father also. Whilst Edward bemoaned his pitiable situation, Isabella remained unmoved. Fearful of Edward becoming too familiar with his keeper, the Earl of Lancaster, Isabella had her husband carted around the country. First of all, he was taken to Corfe Castle, then to Bristol before he was eventually settled at Berkeley where Edward's life would become much harder and where it would also meet its end. Meanwhile, Isabella and Mortimer's power continued to grow at an alarming rate and anyone who dared to challenge them could expect confiscation of money and property and possibly death as well.

Edward's guards at Berkeley were certainly of a harder disposition then those at Kenilworth had been. They taunted the former king and placed a crown of hay upon his head. Edward remained steadfast despite these provocations. It was clear though, that while Edward remained alive, he was still a threat to the self serving and power mad pair Isabella and Mortimer. The two regents were making new enemies all the time and Edward was a clear figurehead for potential rebellions. Whilst Edward was alive, there was every possibility he could be set free and restored to power. And so, one night in September 1327, Edward II died at Berkeley Castle. The most famous story that has circulated around Edward's death is that he was killed by a red hot poker which is unlikely but there is certainly an air of mystery surrounding the death of the former king. Whilst Edward had been a poor king, it is hard not to feel some sympathy with him. Isabella and Mortimer's regency was no better than Edward's reign had been and it could be said that Edward was far less malicious. However, their time would be short and in 1330, Isabella and Mortimer were brought crashing down to earth by the now maturing 17 year old Edward III who had his mother exiled in disgrace and Roger Mortimer hanged.