The explorer and the Clarence descendant

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Most people will be aware that Bartholomew Gosnold (1571-1607) was a Cambridge and Middle Temple law graduate born and raised at Otley Hall, a few miles north-west of Ipswich. They will also be aware that he attempted to found  British colonies in Virginia and Maine, eventually being successful in Virginia, also that his name and that of his family are indellibly linked to the area. Martha, of the eponymous vineyard, was his short-lived daughter.

This genealogy Gosnolds shows not only his parentage and his children but also his cousin’s marriage to Winifred Windsor, granddaughter of Sir Geoffrey Pole and thus great-great-granddaughter of George of Clarence.

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Free Tickets for a Performance of Richard III

It’s not every day we manage to get our hands on something for nothing. This popped into my inbox a couple of days ago and it is certainly worth sharing! Read on:

Free tickets for Richard III Society members to a one-off performance of Shakespeare’s Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon on Sunday, June 26th at 4pm, brought to you by the Combat Veteran Players Company (CVP). It’s a 2hr show with one 20-minute interval, so you’d be out by 6:30pm

The CVP is composed of a diverse range of ex-Service personnel from different branches of the military who have come together to overcome mental trauma, injury and related difficulties through immersion in drama, the development of acting skills and lively performances of Shakespeare’s plays. For this reason, the Company brings a unique perspective and authenticity to Richard III, especially to its protagonist.

In April the CVP was chosen to perform scenes from the play at Shakespeare’s home, New House, at Stratford-upon-Avon on the 400th anniversary of his death in a private audience for HRH Prince Charles. He thoroughly enjoyed it. The idea of having ex-soldiers act a play about a soldier-king is genius. Their performance is edgy, visceral and vital. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the invited audience.

Should anyone wish to take advantage of this offer, then please email cvp.richardiii@gmail.com quoting ‘Lady Anne’ before June 18th for information on how to get hold of your tickets. Should you need more than 2 tickets, that might also be possible!

If you would like to come to the show, but cannot get to Stratford-upon-Avon, there is one further performance in London’s West End at Leicester Square Theatre. Tickets can be bought online at http://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com or by phoning the box-office on 020 7734 2222.

For all involved, working on Richard III has been a life-changing and inspiring experience that we would love to share with you.

A change of schedule

Please note that, due to family reasons, our summer visits will now be as follows:

9 July                 Colchester Castle. Meet at 12:50 in Castle Park cafe.

3 September    Beccles Church and Museum. Meet at 12:45 at the King’s Head.

Our Richard’s father

https://the-hazel-tree.com/2012/09/30/richard-of-york-gave-battle/

The “Colourblind Cartographer” came to Ipswich

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Many of you will remember reading, perhaps in “The Last Days of Richard III”, how John Speed went to Leicester looking for the site of the Greyfriars but confused it with the Blackfriars which was in a far worse state of repair thus no royal body could possibly have survived.

Yesterday, I lunched at the “Robert Ransome” in Ipswich – table 22 in case you ask. On the wall were several interesting photos, including Speed’s 1610 Ipswich map. Apart from his unaccountable failure to include the railway station, it compares well with the town four centuries later.

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Portrait of a (Plantagenet?) Lady (2008)

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The House

Earlier this year, with a little time to kill in Sudbury town centre, I resolved to visit “Gainsborough’s House”, a museum in which the legendary artist (1727-88) was brought up. The work of several artists is displayed across two floors and my attention was caught by Sir Joshua Reynolds’ 1758 portrait of “Mrs. Barrington”.

The Barrington (originally de Barentone) family was well known in South Suffolk and Essex because, from 1250 to 1832, they occupied Barrington Hall, Hatfield Broad Oak near Harlow. The manor and forest of Hatfield passed to them in 1521 on the attainder of the last Stafford Duke of Buckingham and, in 1559, Sir Thomas Barrington married Winifred Pole, the younger daughter of Henry Lord Montagu and thus great-granddaughter of George of Clarence. Given that the sitter’s husband probably paid Reynolds, does this mean that he was a Clarence descendant?

Winifred’s son, Francis was created…

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June Newsletter

MAG Newsletter June 2016