The Men Helping the Jews, Part 3

That title is not meant to justify or praise the men of whom I'm speaking. At the time it was thought by Christians that the best approach to dealing with the "problem" of Jews was to kill them or force them to be Christian.

Yesterday I discussed Walter Mauclerc, bishop of Carlisle and first warden of the Domus Conversorum. Today is about Peter des Roches, a soldier and diplomat from Poitou who served King John and then Henry III. He spent time on the Sixth Crusade (1228 - 1229).

In 1205 he was named bishop of Winchester by John, though he seemed unsuitable. Pope Innocent III confirmed him for John's sake. Peter stayed loyal to John when Innocent placed England under interdict because John did not want to accept Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Peter's loyalty prompted John to name him Chief Justiciar (equivalent to prime minister), but by 1215 he was replaced with Hubert de Burgh, one of the other witnesses to the charter establishing the Domus Conversorum. des Roches also led opposition to de Burgh on behalf of the barons.

He founded several monasteries, and when Dominicans first came to England in 1221 he supported them.

Peter des Roches (like Hubert de Burgh and Walter Mauclerc) eventually fell out of favor with Henry, in his case in 1234. He died in 1238.

There is an odd legend about des Roches in the Lanercost Chronicle, a history covering 1201 to 1346. It records that des Roches was out hunting and came upon King Arthur. The two dined together, and des Roches asked for a token from Arthur so that he could prove that they had met. Arthur told him to close his hand and open it again. When he did so, a butterfly appeared. The Chronicle says that des Roches could repeat this trick for the rest of his life.

As for the issue with John and Stephen Langton, I should explain that more next time.

Alexander's Fatal Marriage

After the death of his first wife, Margaret of England, Alexander III did not marry again for a decade. There was no "need," since he had three children by Margaret, any of whom could inherit the throne. Margaret (born 1261) was married to King Eric II of Norway. Alexander (born 1264) was heir, and David (born 1272) was only three at the time of his mother's death, but was next in line. (Alexander himself had come to the throne in his minority, and a regency council managed things until he was 21.)

Fate had other plans for the children of Alexander and Margaret, however. David died young, in 1281. Margaret died giving birth to her only child, also named Margaret, in 1283 (she was only 22). Then Prince Alexander died in January 1284, a week after he turned 20, leaving a widow and no offspring.

Alexander senior had to act. Now in his 40s, a direct heir would mean marrying again and impregnating a wife, and quickly. In the meantime, he persuaded the Parliament of Scotland to recognize Margaret, his granddaughter in Norway, as his heir. This was in 1284. On 1 November 1285, he contracted marriage with Yolanda de Dreux, the 22-year-old daughter of the Count of Dreux (near the boundary between Normandy and the Île-de-France).

Alexander was far from celibate for the decade between becoming a widower and getting engaged to Yolanda. The Lanercost Chronicle (an online translation is available), produced at the Augustinian Lanercost Priory, covers the years 1201 to 1346 in Northern England and Scotland. Of Alexander's decade as a widower it says:

...he used never to forbear on account of season nor storm, nor for perils of flood or rocky cliffs, but would visit none too creditably nuns or matrons, virgins or widows as the fancy seized him, sometimes in disguise.

Satisfying his carnal desires despite dangerous weather was his undoing, since it seems from the above statement that the next (and last) anecdote of his life was likely the reason for what transpired (or he just wanted to surprise her). On 19 March 1286, the queen was at Kinghorn in Fife. The king was at Edinburgh with his royal advisors. The next day was the queen's birthday. Alexander decided to ride to Kinghorn, a distance of at least 30 miles with the need to cross the Firth of Forth. The March weather was bad, and his advisors tried to dissuade him, but he was determined. He crossed the Forth, and arrived at Inverkeithing. It was dark and stormy, and he insisted on not stopping despite the late hour but continuing the last 10 or so miles. Supposedly one of the burghers in town said:

"My lord, what are you doing out in such weather and darkness? How many times have I tried to persuade you that midnight traveling will do you no good?"

Alexander wouldn't listen, but set off into the dark with a small retinue. At some point he was separated from the retinue. The next morning, near Kinghorn, he was found with a broken neck. The likeliest assumption was that his horse lost its footing in the dark, he was thrown, and therefore never made it to Yolande.

...and that is how a three-year-old Norwegian girl became the Queen of Scotland. Let me tell you about her tomorrow.