I began with Katherine Swynford. Now I’m following her descendants, the people around Edward II and the places where their stories still leave traces.
Here you’ll find my visits, photographs and the questions behind my books. Choose a story to begin, or browse every article below.
Fotheringhay and its royal lives
A church, a vanished castle and the Neville family behind the royal names.
Eleanor Neville at Northampton
The battlefield and the losses that shaped a woman at the heart of my next book.
Latest articles
Newest first. For a route through the people and themes, visit Medieval Lives.
What Happened to the Jewels of the Lancaster Women?
Medieval gold posy ring, England, late 14th–15th century (Portable Antiquities Scheme). Rings inscribed with brief phrases invoking love, loyalty, or…
Where Was Katherine Swynford Born?
Evidence, Assumption, and the Comfort of a Good Story One of the most frequently repeated statements about Katherine Swynford…
The Katherine Swynford Film That Never Happened
Charlton Heston 1952 (image public domain) Susan Haywood 1953 ( image public domain) It comes as a surprise to many…
Seeing Katherine Swynford: A Method-Led Visual Interpretation
Evelyn circa 1930 Tomb effigy of John Beaufort Wimborne Minster William Dugdales record of Katherine’s tomb prior to English civil…
John Bokyngham and the Quiet Authority of Record
John Bokyngham served as Bishop of Lincoln from 1363 until his death in 1398, presiding over the largest diocese in…
The Priory, Lincoln: Katherine Swynford’s Last Home and Its Long Afterlife
The Priory today: note proximity to close wall For me not enough attention is paid to Katherine’s final home in…
