Medieval Britain in 100 Facts

Matthew Lewis

• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Year: 2015
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781445647357
• Subtopic: European Medieval History
• Index: History

The medieval period is often thought of as the Dark Ages, a period of cultural stagnation and little economic and political advancement. However, Britain in this period survived invasion upon invasion, absorbing aspects of Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman culture. Britain developed from a small and fractured island into a more unified and powerful nation that could hold its own in European politics. Medieval Britain in 100 Facts covers this extensive period of change, guiding us through the key events, such as the many invasions and internal conflicts, and the key personalities. Matthew Lewis challenges our misconceptions about this period of British history, condensing this huge story into easy-to-read, bitesize chunks. He examines some of the most important aspects of the Middle Ages, from its formation after the Roman exodus, to the Norman invasion, to its eventual decline during the Wars of the Roses.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Introduction
• 1. Edgar II Was the Last Anglo Saxon King of England
• 2. William the Conqueror’s Coronation Was a Chaotic Affair
• 3. The Harrying of the North Left Deep Scars
• 4. Medieval Land Divisions Were Inexact
• 5. The Domesday Book Quantified Only Part of England
• 6. William Rufus Was Not a Redhead
• 7. Unmaking a Deer Was an Important Hunting Ritual
• 8. William II Was Shot While Hunting, but Was It an Accident?
• 9. Castle Tower Steps Are Usually a Clockwise Spiral
• 10. A Young Boy Had to Tell Henry I His Son Was Dead
• 11. Christ and His Saints Were Asleep
• 12. Preserving Food Prevented Famine
• 13. Henry I Holds the Record for Illegitimate Children
• 14. People in Medieval Times Had a Cleanliness Regime
• 15. Empress Matilda Escaped Oxford Castle in Camouflage
• 16. Geoffrey of Monmouth Foretold the Battle of Bosworth
• 17. The Only English Pope Saved Rome
• 18. The Bishop’s Brothels Made Him Rich
• 19. Did Henry II Really Order Thomas Becket’s Death?
• 20. Thomas Becket’s Brains Were Spilled on the Floor of Canterbury Cathedral
• 21. Pottage Was the Staple Food for the Majority
• 22. Eleanor of Aquitaine Spent Sixteen Years Imprisoned by Her Husband
• 23. Henry II’s Penance Defined His Reign
• 24. The Exchequer Was a Tally Board for Working Out What Was Owed to the King
• 25. The Common Law Was Born Under Henry II
• 26. Time Immemorial Has a Date
• 27. King Arthur, Guinevere and Excalibur Were Discovered by Henry II
• 28. Virtually All Medieval People Knew the World Was Round
• 29. Richard I Was an Absent King
• 30. Droit de Seigneur is a Post-Medieval Myth
• 31. The Death of Lucy de Vere Shows Medieval Attitudes to Death
• 32. Eustace the Monk Invaded the Channel Islands
• 33. Magna Carta Defined English Law
• 34. The Charter of the Forest Was More Important than Magna Carta
• 35. Medieval Monsters Contain Moral Warnings
• 36. The Medieval Wedding Dress Was Blue
• 37. The Tournament Began as a Wide-Ranging Mass Battle
• 38. William Marshall Saved England
• 39. The Dungeon Began Above Ground
• 40. The Relationship of Villein to Lord Was Onerous
• 41. Roger Bacon Predicted the Future
• 42. Every Englishman Was Required by Law to Equip Himself with a Bow and Arrows
• 43. Possessed People and Witches Might Have Been High
• 44. Edward I’s Cunning Escape Saved the Monarchy
• 45. Simon de Montfort Redefined Parliament
• 46. Colchester Abbey Framed the Townsfolk
• 47. The Last Welsh Prince of Wales Died Fighting for Independence
• 48. Medieval Medicine Was Based upon the Four Humours
• 49. The Eleanor Crosses Mark the Stops of Edward I’s Queen’s Funeral Procession
• 50. The Stone of Destiny Was Seized from Scotland by the English
• 51. Edward I’s Son Was the First English Prince of Wales
• 52. Medieval Armour Was Designed for Manoeuvrability
• 53. William Wallace Died for Scottish Independence
• 54. Lincoln Cathedral Was the Tallest Building in Medieval Europe
• 55. Edward II’s Death Remains a Mystery
• 56. People Knew How to Find Safe Drinking Water in Medieval Europe
• 57. Edward III Seized Control and Defined His Kingship
• 58. Livery and Maintenance Meant More than Clothing and Feeding a Household
• 59. The Liturgy of the Hours Defined Monastic Life
• 60. St George Was Adopted as England’s Patron Saint for His Chivalry and to Annoy the French
• 61. Medieval Proverbs Stand the Test of Time
• 62. The First Dukedom in England Was Created by Edward III
• 63. The Prince of Wales Earned His Spurs and Stole His Feathers
• 64. Medieval Football Was a Large-Scale Brawl
• 65. Edward III Fought Under Lord Manny’s Banner in Secret
• 66. The Black Death Was a Bubonic Plague, but Might Not Have Been Carried by Rats
• 67. England’s National Identity Was a By-Product of War
• 68. Heraldic Achievements and Abatements Were Not Used by Medieval Knights
• 69. Oxford’s Town and Gown Divide Has a Long History
• 70. The Peasants’ Revolt Threatened a Republican Revolution in England
• 71. The Savoy Palace Was Looted and Destroyed During the Peasants’ Revolt
• 72. Richard II Was the First to Insist upon Being Called ‘Your Majesty’
• 73. Halloween Had Its Origins in the Medieval Celebration of a Pagan Festival
• 74. The First Reformation Was English
• 75. Richard II Commissioned the First Cookbook
• 76. Henry V Was Scarred for Life
• 77. Owain Glyndwr Nearly Won an Independent Wales
• 78. War Cries Were Dangerous and Tightly Controlled
• 79. The Battle of Agincourt Was a Hollow Victory
• 80. Henry V’s Ordinances Kept His Army Disciplined
• 81. Dick Whittington Made His Fortune Without His Cat
• 82. There Were Many Different Religious Orders in Medieval Britain
• 83. Sir John Fastolf Was Suspended from the Order of the Garter for Cowardice
• 84. Henry VI Is the Only Person Ever Crowned King of England and France
• 85. Medieval Nobles Developed a Taste for Macabre Tombs
• 86. John, Duke of Bedford, Was the Greatest King England Never Had
• 87. Marjery Kempe Wrote the First Autobiography in English
• 88. Henry VI Founded Eton College
• 89. Misericords Allowed Monks to Bend the Rules
• 90. The Wars of the Roses Between York and Lancaster Began at St Albans
• 91. Omens Foretold the Fall of Lancaster
• 92. The Largest Battle on British Soil Was Fought at Towton on Palm Sunday
• 93. The Battle of Nibley Green Was the Last Private Battle in England
• 94. Only Once Has a King Lost His Crown then Invaded and Regained His Throne
• 95. Not All Comets Were Feared as Portents of Doom
• 96. William Caxton Set Up the First Printing Press in England
• 97. The First Recorded Valentine Letter in English Was Sent in 1477
• 98. Berwick-upon-Tweed Was the Most Disputed Town in Britain
• 99. Richard III Did Not Steal the Throne
• 100. Henry Tudor’s Invasion Brought a New Dynasty, but Not a New Era