Authors: Dan Jones
The essential chronicle for the period (referenced in the text as the ‘Life of Edward II’) is
Vita Edwardi Secundi
, ed. and trans. Wendy R. Childs (2005).
The Chronicles of Lanercost, 1272–1346
, trans. Sir Herbert Maxwell (1913), is good on the war between Edward II and the Bruce family.
Peter Langtoft’s Chronicle
, ed. T. Hearne (2 vols, 1725), is also very useful. Other contemporary chronicles are extracted and translated in
English Historical Documents
vol. 3, ed. H. Rothwell (1975).
PART VI – AGE OF GLORY (1330–1360)
Edward III is the subject of a fine new biography,
Edward III
, by W. Mark Ormrod (2011), as well as another very readable recent work,
The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation
, by Ian Mortimer (2006). Also see essays, particularly on military development, in
The Age of Edward III
, ed. J. S. Bothwell (2001).
Edward, Prince of Wales and Aquitaine
by R. Barber (1978) examines the life and career of the Black Prince. Also see
John of Gaunt: The Exercise of Princely Power in fourteenth-century Europe
, by Anthony Goodman.
The best guide to the opening phases of the Hundred Years War is found in
The Hundred Years War I: Trial by Battle
, by Jonathan
Sumption (1990) and the same author’s
The Hundred Years War II: Trial by Fire
(1999). On the 1341 crisis, see ‘Edward III’s Removal of his Ministers and Judges, 1340–1’ by Natalie Fryde in
Historical Research
48 (1975). For an example of disorder in England during the early years of Edward’s reign see ‘The Folvilles of Ashby-Folville in Leicestershire, and their associates in crime’ by E. L. G. Stones in
Transactions of the Royal Historical Society
, 5th series, 7 (1957).
The Black Death: an intimate history
, by John Hatcher (2008), is one of the best recent books on the 1348 population crisis. For an introduction to Edwardian chivalry, see
The Order of the Garter, 1348–1461
by Hugh E. L. Collins (2000).
The supposed origins of Edward’s French wars can be read in
The Vows of the Heron
, ed. J. L. Grigsby and N. J. Lacy (1992).
Froissart’s Chronicles
, trans. G. Brereton (1978), is a vital, vivid if erratic chronicle of the wars and their context, and follows the model of the
Chronique de Jean le Bel
, ed. J. Viard and E. Deprez (2 vols 1904–5). A monastic perspective comes from
The St Albans Chronicle: The ‘Chronica Maiora’ of Thomas Walsingham
, ed. and trans. J. Taylor, Wendy Childs and L. Watkiss (2003).
PART VII – AGE OF REVOLUTION (1360–1399)
The Good Parliament
, by George Holmes (1975), details the events of the opposition movement in 1376.
Shaping The Nation: England 1360–1461
, by G. L. Harriss (2005), provides essential context, overview and analysis of domestic and foreign politics.
Richard II
by Nigel Saul (1997) is the key biography of the last Plantagenet.
Richard II and the Revolution of 1399
by Michael Bennett (1999) focuses tightly on the last years of the dynasty.
On declining English fortunes in France, see
The Hundred Years War III: Divided Houses
by Jonathan Sumption (2009).
Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
by Dan Jones (2009) narrates the great popular rebellion and its aftermath. ‘Richard II and the Vocabulary of Kingship’ by Nigel Saul in
English Historical Review
60 (1995) examines Richard’s ideas of kingly majesty. ‘The tyranny of
Richard II’ by Caroline Barron in
Bulletins of the Institute of Historical Research
41 (1968) shows how Richard oppressed his people in the final years of his reign; his removal from the throne is charted in ‘The Deposition of Richard II and the Accession of Henry IV’ by B. Wilkinson in
English Historical Review
54 (1939).
The documents relating to Richard’s deposition are to be found in
English Historical Documents
vol. 3 (see above). Sources concerning the great rebellion and much else about Richard’s reign can be found in
The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
by R. B. Dobson (2nd ed 1983). Other chronicles of Richard’s reign include Thomas Walsingham (see above),
Knighton’s Chronicle, 1337–1396
, ed. G. H. Martin (1995), and
The Chronicle of Adam of Usk, 1377–1421
, ed. and trans. C. Given-Wilson (1997). The sympathetic
Chronicque de la traïson et mort de Richart Deux roy Dengleterre
, published by the English Historical Society (1846), gives many personal details of Richard’s deposition.
The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use the search feature of your e-book reader.
Abagha Khan, 291
Aberystwyth castle, 303, 311–12
Acre: Frankish rule, 291; siege (1191), 119–22, 126, 131, 597
Adam of Domerham, 304
Adam of Usk: on Bolingbroke’s forces, 580; on Cheshire looting, 581; on Cheshire men, 574; on John of Gaunt’s funeral, 577; on Richard II, 501, 566; on Richard II’s death, 591; on Richard II’s fall, 589–90; on visit to Richard II in Tower, 583–5
Adelard of Bath, 22
Adèle of Champagne, 73
Adeliza of Louvain, 10
Adrian IV, Pope, 52, 53, 79, 599
Aethelred, king of England, 220
Agincourt, battle (1415), 598
Aiguillon, siege (1346), 473, 474
Aimery de Thouars, 163, 179, 205
Albert of Bavaria, 575
Alexander II, king of Scotland, 197
Alexander III, king of Scotland, 324–5, 425
Alexander III, Pope, 62, 65, 68–70, 79, 80
Alexander IV, Pope, 255, 257, 265
Alfonso VII, king of Castile, 481
Alfonso VIII, king of Castile, 84, 94, 175, 179
Alfonso XI, king of Castile, 480–1, 488, 511
Alfonso, son of Edward I, 313
Alice of France, 75, 105–6, 116–17, 131, 132
Alice de Lacy, 405
Alix, countess of Blois, 29, 31
Alnwick, battle (1174), 90
Amadeus, count of Savoy, 488
Amaury de Montfort, 242
Amicia, daughter of Robert Beaumont, 185, 239
Andreas of Marchiennes, 155
Andrew of Wyntoun, 325
Angers: capture (1202), 163; capture (1214), 206
Angevins, 12
Anglesey, 302, 307, 308, 310, 314, 334
Anglo–Saxon Chronicle
, 1, 10, 20
Angoulême: county of, 74, 145, 158–9, 179; overlordship, 140
Anjou: barons, 151; Breton–French attacks, 154, 159; castles, 95; Geoffrey’s rebellion (1156), 51; Henry II’s control of, 31, 470; Henry II’s homage to Louis VII, 52; Henry II’s will, 99; Henry the Young King’s inheritance, 83; Henry the Young King’s position, 91; Henry III’s renunciation of, 264; John’s defence of, 154; John’s losses, 163, 164–5, 169, 174; Montmirail peace, 76; Plantagenet patrimony, 31, 74, 149, 250; Plantagenet sovereignty, 498; relationship with Normandy, 8, 12; Richard’s rebellion, 107–8
Annalist of St Paul’s, 363
Anne of Bohemia, 540–1, 542, 555, 560, 561, 595
Anonimalle Chronicle: on Edward II, 357, 359; on letter to London citizens, 413; on parliament (1376), 520, 522–3; on Peasants’ Revolt, 533–4, 537, 538
Antioch, 291
Appellant, Lords, 551–5
Aquitaine: barons, 27–8, 74, 102, 103; Black Prince’s rule, 506, 508, 512, 514–15; castles, 95; culture, 28; duchy, 26–7, 29, 31, 52, 54, 144, 209, 557; Edward III’s control of, 493; Edward III’s homage for, 424; English invasions (1372), 519; fiefdom of France, 264; French occupation (1369), 515, 519; government, 27–8; Henry II’s control of, 470; Henry II’s disposal of, 84; Henry II’s homage to Louis VII, 52; John’s position, 169, 175, 180; John’s succession, 152, 156; losses, 226; Plantagenet patrimony, 31, 149, 250; rebellions, 72, 76, 102, 164; relationship with French Crown, 28, 52, 75–6, 102, 447; Richard’s inheritance, 75, 85; territory, 27
Ardres, peace celebrations (1396), 563, 564
Arlot, papal envoy, 259
Arques, lordship, 140
Arthur, King: birthplace, 162; development of cult, 595–6; Edward I’s vision of, 298–9, 304, 309, 312, 313, 329,
351–2, 453, 486, 559, 596; Edward III’s vision of, 442–3, 486, 490, 559; Glastonbury tomb, 239, 298, 304, 442; Henry II’s view of, 298; legend, 297–8; Mortimer’s pose, 428–9; Nine Worthies, 442; sword, 115; unified kingdom of Britain, 598; Welsh dimension of legend, 298, 299, 304, 312
Arthur of Brittany: betrothal, 159; captured by John, 161; character, 150; childhood, 106, 142–3, 162; death, 166–7, 174, 192, 194, 215, 377; duchy of Brittany, 162; imprisonment, 161–5, 166; inheritance issues, 124–5, 149–50, 154, 162; John’s order for his blinding and castration, 164; knighthood, 159; relationship with Philip II, 142–3, 145, 154, 159, 162; reports of his death, 164–5; siege of grandmother Eleanor, 158, 159–60; submission to John, 154–5 ‘Articles of the Barons’, 213
Artois, 139, 144
Arundel, Edmund Fitzalan, earl of: death, 417; Edward II’s coronation, 363; Gaveston’s capture and death, 375, 376; Gaveston’s return, 368; pardoned by Edward II, 382; Scottish campaign issue, 383, 386; support for Edward II, 398, 404
Arundel, Richard I Fitzalan, earl of, 343
Arundel, Richard II Fitzalan, earl of, 495
Arundel, Richard III Fitzalan, earl of: Appellant, 552, 565, 566; death, 568, 571, 579, 583; imprisonment, 566–7; lands, 574, 578; pardon revoked, 568; relationship with Richard II, 543, 547, 561, 564; trial and sentence, 568, 573
Arundel, Thomas, bishop of Ely, archbishop of Canterbury, 547, 557, 568, 585, 587, 589
Assassins, 128
Assize of Arms (1181), 98–9
Assize of Clarendon (1166), 96–7
Assize of Northampton (1176), 96–7
Audley, Hugh the elder, 399, 403
Audley, Hugh the younger, earl of Gloucester: earldom, 451; favourite of Edward II, 390–1, 398; imprisonment, 403; opposition to Despensers, 394, 396, 397; rebellion, 394, 397, 398–9; royal grants to, 390–1
Avignon, peace conference (1354–5), 495
Aymer de Valence, bishop of Winchester, 252–3, 259, 261
Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke: death, 405; Edward II’s coronation, 364; at Gaveston’s burial, 388; Gaveston’s capture and death, 374–7; government role, 389; nicknamed by Gaveston, 368; opposition to Edward II, 365, 397; Paris visit (1313), 379; relationship with king’s favourites, 391–2; Scottish campaign (1314), 383, 385; Scottish expedition (1307), 352; support for Edward II, 398, 403–4
Badlesmere, Bartholomew, 388, 391–2, 397, 398, 402
Bagot, Sir William, 578
Bakewell, Sir John, 362
Baldock, Robert, 416
Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, 111–12
Baldwin, count of Flanders, 143, 144, 154, 155
Baldwin, count of Hainault, 101
Baldwin II of Constantinople, 236
Ball, John, 532–3, 537, 583
Ballan, peace (1189), 108, 109
Balliol, Edward, 445, 446–7
Balliol, John, king John of Scotland, 327–9, 331, 332, 335, 339–40
Bannockburn, battle (1314), 384–6, 445, 446, 476, 597
Bardi family, bankers, 426, 429, 461, 471
Barfleur: Henry II in, 88, 91; John in, 168–9; Richard I in, 138–9;
White Ship
, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 168–9
Basilius, Peter, 146, 147
Basset, Ralph, 281
Battle Abbey chronicler, 65, 81
Baybars, Mamluk sultan, 288, 291–2
Beatrice of Savoy, 238
Beauchamp, Sir John, 542, 555
Beauchamp, Sir William, 583
Beauchamp earls,
see
Warwick
Beaufort, John, earl of Somerset, marquis of Dorset, 569
Beaugency castle, 95
Beaumaris castle, 312, 314, 334
Beaumont, Henry, 379, 388, 409, 445, 446
Beaumont, Louis, bishop–elect of Durham, 391
Becket, Thomas: appearance, 61, 64; archbishop of Canterbury, 64–5; blessed martyr, 88–9, 350; career, 60, 61, 64; character, 59, 64; death, 78–9, 89, 377; education, 61; excommunications, 78; exile in France, 71–2, 74, 392–3; flight to France, 70; Henry’s penance for murder, 89–90; lifestyle, 61–2; Montmirail conference, 76–7; Paris mission, 59–60; relationship with Henry II, 58, 60, 62, 76–8, 466; relics, 392–3, 589; shrine, 95, 245, 493, 524, 596; Toulouse campaign, 55, 56, 57