Articles by Simon Payling
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Hugh Oldham, bishop of Exeter, ‘hath more poison in that grete fowle bely of hys then all the Bysshoppes in Englond’: scandalum magnatum in early-sixteenth century England
For the first article of 2025, Dr Simon Payling of our Commons 1461-1504 Section, explores the use of a unique…
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A disputed election in the wake of the battle of Bosworth: the Shropshire election of 1485
Following the battle of Bosworth and Henry Tudor’s accession to the English throne, the country’s gentry who had sided with…
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John, Lord Clifford, ‘the butcher’ and the killing of Edmund, earl of Rutland, at the battle of Wakefield, 30 December 1460
In the 15th Century, the killing of rival faction leaders were commonplace, especially throughout the Wars of the Roses. However,…
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A Medieval Monk’s View of Parliament: Thomas Walsingham’s Chronica Maiora and the Parliaments of 1376 to 1410
Thomas Walsingham is best known for his role as a chronicler of his own religious life, but he was also…
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A King’s Sister buried in a Shropshire church: Elizabeth of Lancaster, sister of Henry IV, at Burford
For Women’s History Month, Dr Simon Payling from our Commons 1461-1504 project discusses the life of Elizabeth Lancaster, the sister of Henry IV,…
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The Tomb of Sir Richard and Eleanor Croft in Croft Church, Herefordshire
Sir Richard Croft’s career spanned the entirety of the Wars of the Roses; he was able to adapt and maintain…
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The tomb of William Rudhale (d.1530), Queen Katherine’s attorney-general, in the church of Ross-on-Wye
William Rudhale had a successful career in the medieval legal profession culminating in his promotion to serjeants-at-law. Simon Payling from our Commons…
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‘No deed of shame so foul’: the treachery of Edmund, Lord Grey of Ruthin, and the battle of Northampton, 10 July 1460
On 10 July 1460 the Battle of Northampton was fought. This was a major battle in the Wars of the…
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Preparations for the Coronation of Richard II
Continuing our blog series on coronations, Simon Payling from our Commons 1461-1504 project, reflects on the Coronation of the young…
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‘Oh! Earl of Lancaster! Where is your power, where are your riches, with which you hoped to subdue all?’ Thomas of Lancaster’s defeat at the battle of Boroughbridge, 16 March 1322
On this day 1322, Thomas, earl of Lancaster was defeated at the battle of Boroughbridge. Simon Payling from our Commons…
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The capture and execution of Sir Robert Tresilian, chief justice of King’s bench, and the ‘Merciless Parliament’ of 1388
On the 19th February 1388, one of the most dramatic events of medieval parliamentary history took place. Simon Payling from…
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‘Always look a gift horse in the mouth’: the abbey of Louth Park and the deathbed of Sir Henry Vavasour (d. 1342) of Cockerington, Lincolnshire
On his deathbed, Sir Henry Vavasour reflected on life after death and made some changes in his will to ensure…