The arms of Stephen as King of England

The arms of Stephen as King of England. These show two golden lions with blue tongues and claws in the pose known as “passsant gaurdant” on a red field. At this date heraldry was being codified and systemised as knights used emblems on their shields to identify themselves in battle. Earlier kings had used two lions in a variety of poses and colours. The familiar third lion was added by King Richard I in about 1095.

from "The Battle of Lincoln 1141" by Rupert Matthews.
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Book Description

Publication Date: 28 April 2013 | Series: Bretwalda Battles No 4

A book dedicated to the Siege of Lincoln that marked a turning point in the Wars of Anarchy during the reign of King Stephen. A civil war between King Stephen and his rival Empress Matilda broke out in 1136. By 1141 England had fallen in to near anarchy with nobles using the unrest to pursue local feuds, slaughter rivals and pillage each other's land. In 1141 Stephen moved to capture Lincoln Castle and put down one such recalcitrant nobleman. While there he was surprised and attacked by a larger army led by Matilda. The ensuing battle was complex and confused, but it ended with Stephen utterly defeated - for now. This book follows the standard pattern set by others in the Bretwalda Battles series. The reasons for and course of the war in question are outlined, then detailed analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies are given with particular reference to this battle. The course of the battleis then followed, with comment on what there is to see at the site today. Short biographies of the commanders are also given. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described. The "Bretwalda Battles" series has been running with increasing success as ebooks for some time. Now the first books in the series are being published in print format.

Billy Wyor - another of the Devil's Dozen

Billy Wyor  is 11 years old at the start of the story but readers do not meet him until five years later. He is 5'7" tall and lightly built with flaxen hair and pebble-grey eyes. As wild as his brother, Billy is crueller. So far, he has not turned his worst thoughts into actions.

Another character from Devil's Dozen

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Book Description

Publication Date: 5 April 2012

Violence, love, loyalty and betrayal among the smugglers who terrorise the coasts of southern England.  For years the Aldington Blues and the Burmarsh Gang have fought each other over the lucrative smuggling trade in Kent.  The rivalry was bitter and the stakes were high.  Now the feud between the two smuggler leaders, George Ransley and James Hogben, is played out in deadly earnest. While their men grow rich, fall in love or gamble away their loot, the intense struggle between Ransley and Hogben follows a twisted route through bloodshed, treachery and wealth. But times are changing and the spectre of the gallows hangs over them all when a popular naval officer is killed by a smuggler. As the government men close in, the gangs join forces. But will it be enough to stave off defeat, capture and death?Meticulously researched and based on contemporary court papers and other records, “A Devil’s Dozen”
recreates the vanished world of the smugglers who were once the kings of the British underworld.

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Product details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Bretwalda Books (5 April 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1907791299
• ISBN-13: 978-1907791291
• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 0.9 x 21.6 cm

A knight's equipment 1141

This figure of a heavily armoured knight is based on the funerary monument of Sir Geoffrey de Magnaville, buried in the early 13th century. He is wearing what would have been the most modern and advanced style of armour available in the 1140s and so must be a rich and noble lord, perhaps one of the earls. This figure wears an iron helmet padded with leather over a mail coif. This type of helmet first appeared about 1140 and remained common for more than 80 years. The heraldic charge on his shield is repeated on the side of the helmet. The mail hauberk reaches to his knees and is slit front and back to allow him to sit astride his horse. His mail leggings reach from above the knee to the toes. His right arm would have been covered in mail to the wrist, with a mail gauntlet protecting his hand and fingers. The left arm, protected by the shield, lacked mail. The shield is attached to a strap to save it being dropped. His lance is not shown, but his long sword hangs from his belt.

from THE BATTLE OF LINCOLN by Rupert Matthews.
Buy your copy HERE

Book Description

Publication Date: 28 April 2013 | Series: Bretwalda Battles No 4

A book dedicated to the Siege of Lincoln that marked a turning point in the Wars of Anarchy during the reign of King Stephen. A civil war between King Stephen and his rival Empress Matilda broke out in 1136. By 1141 England had fallen in to near anarchy with nobles using the unrest to pursue local feuds, slaughter rivals and pillage each other's land. In 1141 Stephen moved to capture Lincoln Castle and put down one such recalcitrant nobleman. While there he was surprised and attacked by a larger army led by Matilda. The ensuing battle was complex and confused, but it ended with Stephen utterly defeated - for now. This book follows the standard pattern set by others in the Bretwalda Battles series. The reasons for and course of the war in question are outlined, then detailed analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies are given with particular reference to this battle. The course of the battleis then followed, with comment on what there is to see at the site today. Short biographies of the commanders are also given. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described. The "Bretwalda Battles" series has been running with increasing success as ebooks for some time. Now the first books in the series are being published in print format.

The King's Chalice - Reading Notes

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SOURCES

Hutchins History of Dorset                        3rd Edition

RCHM Dorset

The Collegiate Church of Wimborne Minster    Patricia Coulstock

The Early Charters of Wessex                              H P R Finberg

Feudal Britain                                                           C W S Barrow

Anglo Saxon Chronicle                   Various translations

A History of Dorset Vols I + III        Victoria History of the Counties of England

Place Names of Dorset

Raymond’s History of England published 1784

Key to Domesday                            Eyton

Translations of Charters for Uddings etc.

Regia Anglorum web site

National archives records

Product Description

After the death of King Alfred, a small town in Wessex is plunged into conflict and kinship rivalry. A royal prince flees leaving his slave behind. Udda lives in hiding but renders a service to a noble.
From slavery to owning land, the Saxon descendants of Udda are involved in murder and conflict in order to keep what is theirs.
Brutal Danish raids threaten the very existence of the family and the town; tales of brutality and cruelty lingering in the memories and sagas of the times. Each successive ruler struggles to impose his will on the people to whom survival is more important than allegiance. Love and duty collide in the brief lifetime of the Saxon people when invasion, plague and hunger are everyday hazards.
Remarkable events follow the owners of the farm, whose loyalty to their King brings riches and tragedy in equal measure.



About the Author
Brought up in Lancashire, followed by boarding school, language school in Switzerland and a secretarial course in London, Janet Seal now lives on the outskirts of Wimborne in East Dorset with her husband. Most of her time is spent writing, researching, gardening or looking after her elderly horse. She leads a U3A debating group and attends a Creative Writing course with the same organisation.

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NEW BOOK OF THE MONTH - The Battle of Lincoln 1141

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A book dedicated to the Battle of Lincoln that marked a turning point in the Wars of Anarchy during the reign of King Stephen in the 12th century.
A civil war between King Stephen and his rival Empress Matilda broke out in 1136. By 1141 England had fallen in to anarchy with nobles using the unrest to pursue local feuds, slaughter rivals and pillage each other’s land. In 1141 Stephen moved to capture Lincoln Castle and put down one such recalcitrant nobleman. While there he was surprised and attacked by a larger army loyal to Matilda. The ensuing battle was complex and confused, but it ended with Stephen utterly defeated - for now.
The reasons for and course of the war in question are outlined, then detailed analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies are given with particular reference to this battle. The course of the battle is then followed, short biographies of the commanders are also given. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described.
The “Bretwalda Battles” series has been running with increasing success as ebooks for some time. Now the first books in the series are being published in print format.

Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 When God and his Angels slept
Chapter 2 Leaders at Lincoln
Chapter 3 Men, Weapons and Tactics
Chapter 4 The Battle of Lincoln
Chapter 5 Aftermath

FIRST ebook sale of April is - The Female Pope

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Product Description

For many centuries it was accepted almost without discussion that the priesthood, and pastoral work more generally, was exclusively a male domain. Women had a role within the Christian Church, as nuns or lay workers, but the giving of the sacraments was seen as a male preserve. And yet for centuries rumours and legends have swirled about that one woman did get to be pope in Rome. The Catholic Church has always denied the stories, but they refuse to go away.
It is now time to look anew at these old stories and try to discover the truth that lies behind them.
In this book Oliver Hayes looks at the legends of a Female Pope and uncovers the startline truth that lies behind them.

Contents

Foreword
Chapter 1 - The Legend of the Female Pope
Chapter 2 - The Legend under Scrutiny
Chapter 3 - The Real Female Pope