Daily Medieval

Yesterday I mentioned how Roger de Lacy was required, as Constable of Chester, to support Ranulf de Blondeville. Ranulph was his overlord, ...

When King John of England died on the night of 18/19 October 1216, he was in the middle of warring with his barons, who wanted more control ...

The Cinque Ports (Old French: "Five Harbors") were five towns on the southeast coast of England where the distance to the continen...

John of Brienne may have been intended for the monastery by his father, but circumstances turned him into a far busier player in the politic...

Alexander II came to the throne of Scotland at the age of 16 with two missions in mind: ensure Scotland's unity by subduing attempts by ...

The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as Salisbury Cathedral, is noted for having the tallest church spire in England,...

Although we associate the feudal system in the European Middle Ages with a way in which knights and soldiers were provided for the king'...

The oath of frankpledge (mentioned here ) was a promise of mutual aid between members of a community, used throughout several centuries of ...

de lacy Coat of Arms de Clare Coat of Arms Maud de Lacy was an "independent-minded" woman of the 13th century. (To be fai...

The remains of Lewes Castle King John wasn't the only English monarch who had his barons turn against him (forcing him to sign the...

19th c. painting of William [ link ] The Battle of Damme (mentioned yesterday) was led by the 3rd Earl of Salisbury, a man named William...

A naval battle, from a ms. dated late 13th/early 14th century We are accustomed to summing up the reign of King John (1199 - 1216) as a ...

The week, as you can imagine, is very hectic around the world for many people, and I am no exception. In  lieu of a regular post, here is a ...

Gold coin depicting Clothar II The Edict of Paris, an outline of laws and rights in the kingdom of the Franks, has been called "the...

Henry III (1207-1272) spent much of his reign of 56 years dealing with fallout from the reign of his father, King John. For one thing, ...

The Wash, with Norfolk on right and Lincolnshire on left King John of England (1166-1216) has so many misfortunes attached to him that i...

The "Great Charter" was signed on June 10, 1215 by King John. After the Norman Invasion of 1066, the kings of England started to...