I sighed, “Your majesty it was you who encouraged him to go the aid of the Irish King. You were there when the matter of matrimony was introduced. Did you not think he might be in line for the throne?”
He threw me a sharp look and then smiled, “I did not think he would be so successful! He defeated the Irish and the Vikings?” He shook his head and then gave me a shrewd look. “Of course, it was you defeated them.”
“He could have done it without me.”
“That I doubt. Do not forget, Earl Marshal, that I have seen you fight and know that when you fight you win.”
Eleanor sipped her wine, “Is the land valuable?”
“It could be. The land looks to be perfect for farming. They have rain but little snow. The ground is largely flat and they have many rivers. The Irish fight amongst themselves. That has been their problem. They rarely have peace. England was the same when we had the civil war. Now that we have peace then prosperity brings a bounty to the land. The Irish are brave but we took more than a third of the country with just a thousand men.”
The King looked up, suddenly interested, “Then the other two thirds could be conquered easily?”
Eleanor said, “Do not forget the French, husband. If you were to go and take the rest then you might lose Normandy and Anjou too.”
He nodded, “Damned French.” He sat and sipped his wine. I could see his mind working as he devised a way to take the island whilst holding on to power in Normandy and Anjou. “Then here is what you can tell de Clare. He can have his titles returned and the lands he holds in Wales, England Normandy and Anjou. I will recognise him as King of Leinster.”
“That is generous your majesty.”
The King nodded, “Aye, I know. He must publicly acknowledge me as his liege lord. He will make obeisance to me.”
I was relieved. That was what Richard wished. “I know that he will do that, your majesty.”
“And…I will have his fortresses including Waterford, Wexford and Dyflin given over to me as Royal fortresses. I will let him keep Ferns. I believe you when you say he does not wish to challenge me but if I hold his mighty castles then he cannot, can he? In addition, he will bring men to support me in the war with France.”
I admired my son, Henry the King. He was ruthless and he was ambitious. Without lifting a finger, save send me to fight for De Clare, he had gained another kingdom to add to his Empire. He had also gained large numbers of experienced men to fight in his French wars. What worried me was that if he wanted de Clare then he would want me. When would I get home?
I smiled and bowed, “I am certain he will agree.”
“If he does not then he will lose more than his lands.” He smiled and put his arm around my shoulder, “Stay awhile but I need you to return with my message by the end of the week. I would have this in writing.”
“Of course, your majesty.”
“Thank you, Earl Marshal, you are still my mother’s faithful knight and mine too. What would we do without you?”
Eleanor smiled, “Let us hope that we never have to, my husband.”
There was little to say. I would have to take another three-week voyage to Dyflin. After I had spoken with Count Striguil I would have to take his answer and the agreement back to King Henry. I would not be home for another four months. It might be longer if he wished me to begin war against the French. I served my king and I served my country. When would I be able to serve myself?
The End
Glossary
Akolouthos – the leader of the Guard
Aldeneby - Alston (Cumbria)
Al-Andalus- Spain
Angevin- the people of Anjou, mainly the ruling family
Arthuret -Longtown in Cumbria (This is the Brythionic name)
Bannau Brycheiniog – Brecon Beacons
Battle- a formation in war (a modern battalion)
Booth Castle – Bewcastle north of Hadrian’s Wall
Bachelor knight- an unattached knight
Banneret- a single knight
Burn- stream (Scottish)
Butts- targets for archers
Cadge- the frame upon which hunting birds are carried (by a codger- hence the phrase old codger being the old man who carries the frame)
Caerdyf- Cardiff
Caparison- a surcoat for a horse; often padded for protection
Captain- a leader of archers
Chausses - mail leggings. (They were separate- imagine lady's stockings rather than tights!)
Coningestun- Coniston
Conroi- A group of knights fighting together. The smallest unit of the period
Corebricg – Corbridge
Cuneceastra- Chester-Le-Street
Demesne- estate
Destrier- war horse
Doxy- prostitute
Dyflin- Dublin
Fissebourne- Fishburn County Durham
Fess- a horizontal line in heraldry
Galloglass- Irish mercenaries
Gambeson- a padded tunic worn underneath mail. When worn by an archer they came to the waist. It was more of a quilted jacket but I have used the term freely
Gonfanon- A standard used in medieval times (Also known as a Gonfalon in Italy)
Hartness- the manor which became Hartlepool
Hautwesel- Haltwhistle
Hulle- Rhyl (North Wales)
Liedeberge- Ledbury
Lusitania- Portugal
Mansio- staging houses along Roman Roads
Maredudd ap Bleddyn- King of Powys
Martinmas- 11th November
Mêlée- a medieval fight between knights
Morthpath- Morpeth (Northumbria)
Moravians- the men of Moray
Mormaer- A Scottish lord and leader
Mummer- an actor from a medieval tableau
Musselmen- Muslims
Nithing- A man without honour (Saxon)
Nomismata- a gold coin equivalent to an aureus
Novo Burgus -Newport (Gwent)
Outremer- the kingdoms of the Holy Land
Owain ap Gruffudd- Son of Gruffudd ap Cynan and King of Gwynedd from 1137
Palfrey- a riding horse
Poitevin- the language of Aquitaine
Prestetone- Prestatyn- North Wales
Pyx- a box containing a holy relic (Shakespeare’s Pax from Henry V)
Refuge- a safe area for squires and captives (tournaments)
Sauve qui peut – Every man for himself (French)
Serengford- Shellingford Oxfordshire
Sergeant-a leader of a company of men at arms
Striguil- Chepstow (Gwent)
Surcoat- a tunic worn over mail or armour
Sumpter- pack horse
Theophany- the feast which is on the 6th of January
Ventail – a piece of mail which covered the neck and the lower face Al-Andalus- Spain
Veðrafjǫrðr -Waterford (Ireland)
Veisafjǫrðr- Wexford (Ireland)
Wulfestun- Wolviston (Durham)
Maps and Illustrations
Henry’s Empire in 1154.
By Reigen - Own work. Sources: Image: France 1154 Eng.jpg by Lotroo under copyleftfrance_1154_1184.jpg from the Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1911., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37306574
As you can see Henry ruled more of France than the French king.
The Welsh Kingdoms prior to the Norman invasion of 1066
Source: File: Medieval Wales.JPG - https://en.wikipedia.org
Wales in 1234
Source: File: Wales 1234 (Marchia Wallie and Pura Wallia). svg - https://en.wikipedia.org
The Green is the land ruled by the Kings of Wales. The brown is the land ruled by the Welsh Marcher lords.
Ireland at the time of the Norman invasion
Chepstow Castle (1825) known in 1156 as Striguil
This was the castle of de Clare.
Norham Castle
As finished by Bishop Puiset.
An artist’s impression of Carli
sle Castle
Carreg Cennen Castle
Courtesy of Wikipedia
This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. See this photograph's page on the Geograph website for the photographer's contact details. The copyright on this image is owned by Humphrey Bolton and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license.
Kerns Castle (the remains of)
The top one shows the remains of the curtain wall while the second the square keep with the two remaining towers.
By Andrei nacu at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Gpedro. Mason (2001), p. 128. Valeria Victrix was based at Deva Victrix., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3575904
These roads would have been the main roads in Norman England.
Historical Notes
Those who have read my earlier books have read most of what follows. They should go to Malcolm IV for the new material. (It is four pages down).
Alfraed is not a real person. He is based upon a number of people, most notably William Marshal. The title of Earl marshal was a real one. Earl Marshal (alternatively Marschal, Marischal or Marshall) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England. He is the eighth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Constable and above the Lord High Admiral. The Earl Marshal has among his responsibilities the organisation of major ceremonial state occasions like the monarch's coronation in Westminster Abbey and state funerals. He is also a leading officer of arms and oversees the College of Arms.
Source: Earl Marshal - https://en.wikipedia.org
The March of Wales in the Middle Ages
Immediately after the Norman Conquest, King William of England installed three of his most trusted confidants, Hugh d'Avranches, Roger de Montgomerie, and William Fitz Osbern, as Earls of Chester, Shrewsbury and Hereford respectively, with responsibilities for containing and subduing the Welsh. The process took a century and was never permanently effective. The term "March of Wales" was first used in the Domesday Book of 1086. Over the next four centuries, Norman lords established mostly small marcher lordships between the Dee and Severn, and further west. Military adventurers went to Wales from Normandy and elsewhere and after raiding an area of Wales, then fortified it and granted land to some of their supporters. One example was Bernard de Neufmarché, responsible for conquering and pacifying the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog. The precise dates and means of formation of the lordships varied, as did their size."
Source: Welsh Marches - https://en.wikipedia.org
Rhys ap Gruffydd or ap Gruffudd (often anglicised to "Griffith") (1132 – 28 April 1197) was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197. Today, he is commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys, although this title may have not been used in his lifetime. He usually used the title "Proprietary Prince of Deheubarth" or "Prince of South Wales", but two documents have been discovered in which he uses the title "Prince of Wales" or "Prince of the Welsh". Rhys was one of the most successful and powerful Welsh princes, and, after the death of Owain Gwynedd of Gwynedd in 1170, the dominant power in Wales."
In 1171 Rhys made peace with King Henry II and was confirmed in possession of his recent conquests as well as being named Justiciar of South Wales. He maintained good relations with King Henry until the latter's death in 1189. Following Henry's death Rhys revolted against Richard I and attacked the Norman lordships surrounding his territory, capturing a number of castles. In his later years Rhys had trouble keeping control of his sons, particularly Maelgwn and Gruffydd, who maintained a feud with each other. Rhys launched his last campaign against the Normans in 1196 and captured a number of castles. The following year he died unexpectedly and was buried in St David's Cathedral.
Source: Rhys ap Gruffydd - https://en.wikipedia.org
Geoffrey Fitz Empress did rebel and took refuge in Chinon. The siege of Chinon ended much as I describe it. Young William Fitz Empress did read Vegetius and devise the plan to break down the defenders’ resistance. The two other castles held by Geoffrey capitulated when Henry approached them. At the end of the siege, when Chinon surrendered, Henry gave Brittany, whose people had asked for Henry to appoint a leader, to Geoffrey. As he died a couple of years later it did not make much difference but I do not think that I would have been quite as forgiving. The ramp I mention is now enclosed by a wall on either side. There is also an extra gatehouse. The castle was a simpler structure in 1156. The tower you can see in the photograph below is the Tour de Moulin. The royal quarters are visible but these are the much later and grader apartments. In 1156 there would have been functional rather than grand. This was not yet Henry and Eleanor’s grand house.
Henry and Eleanor had eight children. As they grew up, tensions over the future inheritance of the empire began to emerge, encouraged by Louis and his son King Philip II. In 1173 Henry's heir apparent, "Young Henry", rebelled in protest; he was joined by his brothers Richard and Geoffrey and by their mother, Eleanor. France, Scotland, Flanders, and Boulogne allied themselves with the rebels. The Great Revolt was only defeated by Henry's vigorous military action and talented local commanders, many of them "new men" appointed for their loyalty and administrative skills. Young Henry and Geoffrey revolted again in 1183, resulting in Young Henry's death. The Norman invasion of Ireland provided lands for his youngest son John, but Henry struggled to find ways to satisfy all his sons' desires for land and immediate power. Philip successfully played on Richard's fears that Henry would make John king, and a final rebellion broke out in 1189. Decisively defeated by Philip and Richard and suffering from a bleeding ulcer, Henry retreated to Chinon in Anjou, where he died.
Source: Henry II of England - https://en.wikipedia.org
The Bretons did ask Henry to choose their next Count and, despite all that he had done to him, Henry chose Geoffrey. He did not rule for long. He died two years after he was appointed Count. Brittany was then subsumed into Normandy and Anjou. William also died young, at the age of 27 but as his death influenced Henry’s rule I will leave those details for a later book! No plot spoilers.
Sieges at this time relied on starving to death the occupants. Wooden castles, the early motte and bailey, could be fired but a stone one with a good ditch could defeat most enemies. The ditches they used were copied from the Roman ones. Once an enemy was in a ditch it was almost impossible to retreat. The trebuchet was in its early stages of development and the onagers and other stone throwers had to be used close enough for them to be subject to archers. Rams were useful but they were not particularly robust and could be set on fire. They also needed a smooth surface. That was not common in the twelfth century. Chinon was unusual in that it had a ramp. Wooden towers were used at the siege of Ascalon and they were burned. The resulting inferno caused a breach and the Templars disobeyed the king to attack immediately. Their heads were displayed on Cairo’s walls. Sometimes the onager was called a mangonel. I have used the Roman name here.
Source: File: Roman Onager.jpg - https://en.wikipedia.org
Source: File: Battering ram.jpg - https://en.wikipedia.org
The ram used at Warkworth would have been lower and covered in hides. This replica gives a rough idea of the construction.
Especial thanks are due to Rich Sankovich. He allowed me to use his crossbow. I now understand how hard it is to fire one. The end is very heavy. You have to be kneeling or resting to use one. Its accuracy is also not as good as that of a bow despite the mechanical nature of the beast. Pulling back the cord to fire it is also a challenge. I would defy anyone to send more than a couple of bolts in a four-minute period. I am also indebted to the Essex re-enactors who told me of a competition held between muskets and war bows. Even tap firing the muskets (apparently an unsafe procedure) the war bow sent more arrows further and at a greater rate than the musket. Wellington, it is alleged, wondered about having a battali
on of archers!
The leaders and kings were, in the main real people. William de Beauchamp was the Sherriff of both Hereford and Gloucester. I have changed some of the dates slightly to make a tighter novel- this is fiction but the events concerning King Henry really happened. In North Wales, he barely escaped with his life. His cousin did die when his knights disobeyed their orders. The story will continue for the Scots have yet to be brought to heel. Of course, that may well involve his son William. The saga is of a family and not a man.
Malcolm IV
Malcolm was not only King of Scots, but also inherited the Earldom of Northumbria, which his father and grandfather had gained during the wars between Stephen and Empress Matilda. Malcolm granted Northumbria to his brother William, keeping Cumbria for himself. Cumbria was, like the earldoms of Northumbria and Huntingdon, and later Chester, a fief of the English crown. While Malcolm delayed doing homage to Henry II of England for his possessions in Henry's kingdom, he did so in 1157 at Peveril Castle in Derbyshire and later at Chester. Henry II refused to allow Malcolm to keep Cumbria, or William to keep Northumbria, but instead granted the Earldom of Huntingdon to Malcolm, for which Malcolm did homage.
Wikipedia.
I have changed the dates but the events happened roughly at the times I indicated.
An artist’s impression of the Roman Bridge and fort at Newcastle on Tyne.
Wikipedia
Posset- From medieval times to the 19th century, in Britain, it was a hot drink of milk curdled with wine or ale, often spiced, which was popular and used as a cold and flu remedy or as a catch all for being unwell.
Strongbow (Richard de Clare) in Ireland
Diarmait Mac Murchada (Dermot MacMurrough) was deprived of the Kingdom of Leinster by the High King of Ireland – Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair. The grounds for the dispossession were that Mac Murchada had, in 1152, abducted Derbforgaill, the wife of the King of Breifne, Tiernan O'Rourke (Irish: Tighearnán Ua Ruairc). To recover his kingdom, Mac Murchada solicited help from the King of England – Henry II. The deposed king embarked for Bristol from near Bannow. Henry could not help him at this time, but provided a letter of comfort for willing supporters of Mac Murchada's cause in his kingdom. However, after his return to Wales, he failed to rally any forces to his standard. He eventually met the count of Striguil (nicknamed "Strongbow") and other barons of the Welsh Marches. Mac Murchada came to an agreement with Richard de Clare: for the Earl’s assistance with an army the following spring, he could have Aoife, Mac Murchada's eldest daughter in marriage and the succession to Leinster. As Henry’s approval or license to Mac Murchada was a general one, the count of Striguil thought it prudent to obtain Henry's specific consent to travel to Ireland: he waited two years to do this. The license he got was to aid Mac Murchada in the recovery of his kingdom of Leinster.
Irish War (Anarchy Book 16) Page 26