Articles by Simon Payling
-
Thomas Burdet of Arrow, MP for Warwickshire in 1455, and the execution of George, duke of Clarence
The execution of Thomas Burdet has long been linked to that of George, duke of Clarence a few months later.…
-
Parliament and the Politics of intimidation in Medieval England
As some of our previous blogs demonstrate, Medieval parliamentarians were no stranger to acts of physical violence. However as Dr…
-
‘Am I not your uncle?’: John of Gaunt, the murder of Friar Latimer and the Salisbury Parliament of 1384
Recently on the History of Parliament blog we have been looking into some of the occasions when Parliament met away…
-
‘There is no more accoumpt to bee made of them than the kylling of ij sheep’: Charles, Lord Stourton (d.1557), and the murder of the Hartgills
Last year Dr Simon Payling from our Commons 1461-1504 project explored the case of the first peer to be executed…
-
The hanging of Thomas Fiennes, Lord Dacre: Henry VIII and the abuse of law
On our blog today Dr Simon Payling, Senior Research Fellow in our Commons 1461-1504 project, looks into the landmark case…
-
‘He knewe the slaightes, stratagems, and the pollecies of warlike affaires’: Richard Neville, earl of Salisbury, and the battle of Blore Heath
On 23 September 1459 the battle of Blore Heath took place. In today’s blog, marking the anniversary of the battle,…
-
‘It was the dissimulation of this one man that stirred up that whole plague of evils which followed’: William Catesby, Speaker in the Parliament of 1484, and the accession of Richard III
On 25 August 1485 William Catesby, Speaker of the House of Commons, was executed. But what brought about the downfall…
-
The elusiveness of divorce in medieval England: the marital troubles of the last Warenne earl of Surrey (d.1347)
In today’s blog Dr Simon Payling from our Commons 1461-1504 project continues our ongoing look into the marriages of Parliamentarians,…
-
How not to fight a battle: William Herbert, earl of Pembroke, and the battle of Edgcote 24 July 1469
Senior research fellow for our House of Commons 1461-1504 project Dr Simon Payling continues his look at significant battles during…
-
A Spectacular Memorial: the Tomb of Thomas and Edith Babington in the church of Ashover, Derbyshire
Despite their positions in Parliament, it is not uncommon to come across MPs in our research who had a reasonably…
-
The hunting down of Queen Margaret: the battle of Tewkesbury 4 May 1471
Today we mark the anniversary of another key battle within the Wars of the Roses: the battle of Tewkesbury. As…
-
‘How much ancient divisions survive’: unnatural alliances and the battle of Barnet, 14 April 1471
On 14 April 1471 a crucial battle of the Wars of the Roses was fought. Just outside the town of…