Local History with Karen Musilová

Local History with Karen Musilová Genealogist and Local Historian based in Oxfordshire, England.

Witney's toponym is derived from Old English, meaning 'Witta's island'. The earliest surviving record of the town's name...
17/01/2023

Witney's toponym is derived from Old English, meaning 'Witta's island'. The earliest surviving record of the town's name is in a Saxon charter dated 969 AD, when it was referred to as 'Wyttannige'. The Domesday Book of 1086 called it 'Witenie'.

Image source: Pinterest.

"There was a Beldame [old woman] called the wytch of Ey,Old mother Madge her neyghbours did hir nameWhich wrought wonder...
02/01/2023

"There was a Beldame [old woman] called the wytch of Ey,
Old mother Madge her neyghbours did hir name
Which wrought wonders in countryes by heresaye
Both feendes [fiends] and fayries her charmyng would obay
And dead corpsis from grave she could uprere
Suche an inchauntresse, as that tyme had no peere."
- 'The Mirror for Magistrates', 1560.

Margery Jourdemayne was born sometime before 1415, probably in Middlesex or Surrey. Nothing is known about her origins, except for the fact that she was the wife of William Jourdemayne, who came from a yeoman family.

Margery was known as 'The Witch of Ey/Eye' (after the Westminster parish in which she resided), as she was believed to have possessed magical powers. Many noble and wealthy people used Margery's services, including Eleanor Cobham (c.1400 - 1452), who admitted to requesting Margery's help in winning the heart of her lover, Humphrey (Duke of Gloucester). After marrying Humphrey, she again sought Margery's help in producing an heir.

In November 1430, Margery - along with several others - was accused of sorcery and plotting the King's death, and subsequently incarcerated; Margery's eventual release in May 1432 was on the condition of her good behaviour, and she was told to refrain from any further witchcraft.

In 1441, the aforementioned Eleanor Cobham was charged with heretical witchcraft, and implicated Margery Jourdemayne. It was feared that Eleanor and Margery were plotting the monarch's death, as Eleanor's husband Humphrey would have been his successor.

Margery was arrested and taken to the Tower of London, and ultimately found guilty of treason and witchcraft; she was burned at the stake for her crimes at Smithfield. Eleanor miraculously avoided ex*****on, although she was divorced by her husband, forced to perform a public penance, and sentenced to life imprisonment. She eventually died at Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey, in 1452.

Image source: Jef Thompson/Shutterstock.

The image below shows Broad Street in Ottery-St-Mary, Devon, circa the early 20th century.The town began life as a Saxon...
02/01/2023

The image below shows Broad Street in Ottery-St-Mary, Devon, circa the early 20th century.

The town began life as a Saxon settlement, and the origins of its name have been heavily debated; some say that it was derived from the nearby River Otter, whereas others claim that it was from the Otrei Manor House which was occupied by the Canons of Rouen between 1061 - 1337 AD. The latter part of the name can be safely attributed to the parish church, which was dedicated to St Mary. It was first recorded as such in 1242, appearing as 'Oteri Sancte Marie'.

Housed within the church is one of the oldest mechanical clocks in the country, known as the 'Astronomical Clock', which was produced sometime during the 14th century.

Image source: Ottery-St-Mary Parish Website.

The image below depicts Charmouth, Dorset, in 1841; however, a little over 1000 years previously, it was the site of a b...
02/01/2023

The image below depicts Charmouth, Dorset, in 1841; however, a little over 1000 years previously, it was the site of a bloody battle.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:

"A.D. 833: This year fought King Egbert with thirty-five pirates at Charmouth, where a great slaughter was made, and the Danes remained masters of the field. Two bishops, Hereferth and Wigen, and two aldermen, Dudda and Osmod, died the same year."

King Egbert of Wessex was born circa 771 - 775 AD - the son of Eahlmund, King of Kent. He was involved in several notable conflicts with the invading Danes throughout his reign, until his death in 839.

Charmouth began life as an Iron Age settlement, founded by a Celtic tribe called the Durotriges. Its name is derived from the Old English 'Cernmunde', meaning 'mouth of the stony river'.

Image source: Freshford.

Two unique sites known as 'Seahenge 1 and 2' emerged from beneath the waves on the north Norfolk coast in 1998 and 2014 ...
02/01/2023

Two unique sites known as 'Seahenge 1 and 2' emerged from beneath the waves on the north Norfolk coast in 1998 and 2014 respectively, immediately captivating both archaeologists and the public alike.

These wooden posts can be reliably dated to sometime between 2050 - 2049 BC, and whilst their true usage remains a mystery, it is theorised that ancient Bronze Age funerary rites may have taken place within the circle.

The site is comprised of one huge tree stump, buried upside down with its roots exposed, surrounded by 55 timber posts. When it was constructed, Holme Beach was a salty marshland area, rather than the sandy beach it is today.

Seahenge 2 has since been reclaimed by the sea, but Seahenge 1 was painstakingly excavated and taken to King's Lynn Museum, where it was preserved by the same conservation team who saved the shipwrecked Mary Rose.

Image source: Country Life.

Thomas Becket was born in either 1119 or 1120, in Cheapside, London - the son of Gilbert and Matilda. He was Christened ...
02/01/2023

Thomas Becket was born in either 1119 or 1120, in Cheapside, London - the son of Gilbert and Matilda. He was Christened as Thomas due to his birth coinciding with the feast day of St Thomas the Apostle.

Both of Thomas' parents were of Norman descent, and he was raised in a comfortable lifestyle, as his father was a merchant; at the age of ten, he was sent to study at Merton Priory in Surrey, and later attended a London grammar school.

Aged twenty, he spent a year in Paris, France; he then acquired a position in the house of Theobald of Bec (the then Archbishop of Canterbury).

Theobald entrusted Thomas with several missions to Rome, and also had him study Canon Law. In 1154, Thomas was named as Bec's successor, although he didn't officially become Archbishop of Canterbury until Bec's death in 1162 (when he was also ordained as a priest). Thomas accepted an additional role as Lord Chancellor under King Henry II in 1155. The monarch clearly trusted Thomas, as he sent his son - the future King Henry III - to live with him, as it was the custom at that time to foster out Royal children to other noble families.

Following Henry the Younger's coronation in 1170, tensions began to arise betwixt he and Thomas, as Thomas chose to resign his Chancellorship in order to focus on his religious duties. This culminated in what may well have been a catastrophic misunderstanding.

On 29th December 1170, four knights named Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton set out to Canterbury, believing that they were following the King's orders. The men burst into the cathedral, allegedly shouting: "Where is Thomas Becket, traitor to King and Country?". Becket is said to have replied: "I am no traitor, and I am ready to die."

According to eyewitness Edward Grim:

"...the impious knight... suddenly set upon him and [shaved] off the summit of his crown which the sacred chrism consecrated to God... Then, with another blow received on the head, he remained firm. But with the third the stricken martyr bent his knees and elbows, offering himself as a living sacrifice, saying in a low voice, "For the name of Jesus and the protection of the church I am ready to embrace death." But the third knight inflicted a grave wound on the fallen one; with this blow... his crown, which was large, separated from his head so that the blood turned white from the brain yet no less did the brain turn red from the blood; it purpled the appearance of the church... The fifth – not a knight but a cleric who had entered with the knights... placed his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr and (it is horrible to say) scattered the brains with the blood across the floor, exclaiming to the rest, "We can leave this place, knights, he will not get up again."

Following Becket's assassination, many throughout Europe began to venerate him as a martyr, and about two years later, Pope Alexander III canonised him posthumously.

The King insisted that his knights had misinterpreted his exasperation with Becket as a direct order to kill him, and performed a public penance beside Becket's tomb. The assassins fled north, fearing that the King would have them executed; luckily for them, Henry chose not to do this, but refused to provide them with any further assistance. Pope Alexander later excommunicated all four of them, and forced them to serve as Knights in the Holy Lands for a minimum term of 14 years.

Becket's tomb became a popular site of pilgrimage, and many cults and myths sprang forth following his tragic demise.

The image below was produced circa 1175 - 1225, and depicts Thomas Becket's assassination.

There have been many outbreaks of Plague throughout the centuries, but the one which occurred between 1665 - 1666 was pe...
02/01/2023

There have been many outbreaks of Plague throughout the centuries, but the one which occurred between 1665 - 1666 was perhaps one of the most devastating.

In London alone, 68,596 deaths were recorded; however, the true figure is estimated to have been closer to 100,000. Roughly 15% of the city's population succumbed to the deadly disease, and the economic impact of the restrictions imposed during that period would have a knock-on effect for years to come.

Image source: Wellcome Images.

On the morning of 20th November 1300, Cristina de Menstre was discovered lying dead in the churchyard of St Mary Woolchu...
01/01/2023

On the morning of 20th November 1300, Cristina de Menstre was discovered lying dead in the churchyard of St Mary Woolchurch Haw, situated on Lombard Street in the parish of Walbrook, London. Her demise had been caused by a deep stab-wound, which had been inflicted with a dagger.

At the subsequent inquest, it transpired that a man called William Sawyer had met Cristina in the churchyard, just as it was getting dark. He had asked her to spend the night with him, but when the poor woman refused, he had angrily drawn his knife, and stabbed her under her right shoulder blade. Cristina had died almost instantly.

Sawyer was captured soon afterwards, and taken to Newgate Prison, where he was eventually hanged for the crime.

The church was constructed during the reign of William the Conqueror (11th century), but was sadly destroyed during the Great Fire of London (1666). I have circled its location on the old map below, which was produced in the 16th century. The site is now occupied by an 18th century mansion. Source: The Lost City of London.

LADY MARGARET BEAUFORT (c.1443 - 1509)Margaret was born at Bletsoe Castle, Bedfordshire, likely on 31st May 1443 - the d...
01/01/2023

LADY MARGARET BEAUFORT (c.1443 - 1509)

Margaret was born at Bletsoe Castle, Bedfordshire, likely on 31st May 1443 - the daughter of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset and his wife, Margaret (née Beauchamp).

She was married four times, but produced only one child - Henry, born 1457 - with second husband Edmund Tudor. She would have been around 13 years old at that time, and after a traumatic birth, she was unable to have anymore children.

Margaret played a key role in ensuring that her only child eventually claimed the throne of England, thereby becoming King Henry VII. She died in London on 29th June 1509, aged around 66 years. She was buried in the Henry VII Lady Chapel at the far-eastern end of Westminster Abbey.

The portrait below was painted during the 16th century, some years after Margaret's death.

Bedford Modern School was established in 1764 by The Harpur Trust, who were responsible for distributing the legacy of S...
01/01/2023

Bedford Modern School was established in 1764 by The Harpur Trust, who were responsible for distributing the legacy of Sir William Harpur (c.1496 - 1574) - a Bedford-born merchant who had made his fortune in London, but had never forgotten his roots.

The school originally operated out of a building on St Paul's Square, but moved to a new premises on the aptly-named Harpur Square (pictured below circa the late 19th/early 20th century) in 1834.

Address

Witney

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Local History with Karen Musilová posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category