Historical Characters

Since finding links into landed gentry I have been amazed by the sheer amount of information that is available if you take the time to look. I have also discovered some significant historical characters amongst my ancestors. I have added historical biographies to my computer-based tree on many of my pre 1600 relatives. A few are listed here on the website and should be recognised by many.

Walter Tyrell 2nd Lord of Laingaham, Kingsworthy and Avon. A Baron of France and England. Castellan of Pontoise. At Siege of Jerusalem 1096. Reputed to have slain William Rufus 1100. Founded Priory of St Denis 1116 and Monastery of Selincourt 1131. Made a pilgrimage to Holy Land in 1136 and there died.

Harry Hotspur Henry Percy, 'Hotspur', is one of Shakespeare's best-known characters. In Henry IV, Part 1, Percy is portrayed as the same age as his rival, Prince Hal, by whom he is slain in single combat. In fact, he was 23 years older than Prince Hal, the future King Henry V, who was a youth of 16 at the date of the Battle of Shrewsbury.

The name of one of England's football clubs, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., acknowledges Henry Percy, whose descendants owned land in the neighbourhood of the club's first ground in the Tottenham Marshes.

Hugh le Despenser, 1st Lord Despenser (c. 1286[1] - 24 November 1326), also referred to as "the younger Despenser",[2] was the son and heir of Hugh le Despenser, Earl of Winchester (the elder Despenser) by his wife Isabella de Beauchamp, daughter of William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick.[3] He rose to national prominence as royal chamberlain and a favourite of Edward II of England. A series of subsequent controversies eventually led to him being hanged, drawn and quartered.

Archbishop Kempe John Kemp (c. 1380 - 22 March 1454) was a medieval English cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England.

Lady Godiva was the lady, wife of Leofric, the Earl of Mercia. Earl Leofric was one of the all-powerful lords who ruled England under the Danish King Canute.

Lady Godiva was a rich landowner in her own right and one of her most valuable properties was Coventry.

Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (25 April 1287 - 29 November 1330), was an English nobleman and powerful Marcher lord who gained many estates in the Welsh Marches and Ireland following his advantageous marriage to the wealthy heiress Joan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville. In November 1316, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1322 for having led the Marcher lords in a revolt against King Edward II in what became known as the Despenser War. He later escaped to France, where he was joined by Edward's queen consort Isabella, whom he took as his mistress. After he and Isabella led a successful invasion and rebellion, Edward was subsequently deposed; Mortimer allegedly arranged his murder at Berkeley Castle. For three years, Mortimer was de facto ruler of England before being himself overthrown by Edward's eldest son, Edward III. Accused of assuming royal power and other crimes, Mortimer was executed by hanging at Tyburn.

Ragnor Lothbrook Ragnar Lodbrok or Lothbrok (Old Norse: Ragnarr Loþbrók, "Ragnar shaggy breeches", contemporary Icelandic: Ragnar Loðbrók) was a legendary[1][2] Danish and Swedish[3] Viking hero and ruler, known from Viking Age Old Norse poetry and sagas. According to that traditional literature, Ragnar distinguished himself by many raids against Francia and Anglo-Saxon England during the 9th century. There is debate as to whether he actually existed under this name and over the mythology associated with him.