Firstly an account of the two talks given by Michael K. Jones on the Saturday, followed by a report on this year’s event.

Michael K. Jones gave two talks on the Saturday afternoon in the Borough Council Offices. Not many people attended (about sixteen I think) which is a shame as he was in top form and as fascinating as ever. It was advertised once over the tannoy system but with all the hubbub at the fair it was difficult to hear what was said.

Both talks lasted over an hour and were full of anecdotes and new (to me anyway) information, and both were delivered without notes. The mayor attended the second talk which was followed by a reception for Michael and the audience, but we had to miss this and return to the Worcestershire Branch’s stall in the main marquee. The four of us who had the pleasure of attending Mike’s talks were very aware that we only left a couple of members behind in the heat to man the stall!

The first talk was about chivalry and warfare. What inspired men to sign up with a magnate to fight, and what kept them on the battlefield when things were going badly? Some answers: discipline and training meant knowing what to do and doing it instinctively; men didn’t want to abandon the others by fleeing; the leadership qualities or charisma of the magnate inspired his men; trust.

Michael stressed the importance of the standard as a rallying point and a place where information could be passed on. It was crucial that it was kept aloft so someone always took over if the original standard bearer was injured. It was very difficult to keep track of what was happening once the battle started because of the dust and noise.

Men fighting a battle needed breaks in the action to recover from the exertion, so would all stop by mutual agreement then resume. Michael envisioned them having a quick chat with the enemy in this brief period of truce.

Battles could be won by the outnumbered side if they believed strongly enough in their cause and their leader. Holding the line was very important.

Before the battle men put their affairs in order, made wills, wrote to their loved ones - exactly as modern soldiers do. The night before the battle was a frightening time as for many it would be their last night on earth. Michael really conveyed the sense of terror the men would feel, knowing what lay before them the next day, however much they believed in their cause.

Richard had leadership qualities. Mike reminded us that Edward Woodville had failed to raise troops in East Anglia in 1469, but that these men had signed up to fight for Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

The second talk covered the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury and Richard’s role in both. Richard proved in both that he was a good soldier and leader as he recovered from potentially disastrous situations and kept his men with him. At Barnet the fog meant that Richard’s line outflanked his opponents and he had to turn his line to find someone to fight. Though injured himself and with his men dying around him, his line held and drove the Lancastrians back. At Tewkesbury Beaufort’s charge into Richard’s men failed to break his line, and so didn’t succeed.

After Barnet Richard was compared to Hector. (1) The victory at Barnet saved London from the Lancastrians. His reputation as a leader was made.

Richard remembered the names of ordinary soldiers who fought and died for him at Barnet and Tewkesbury, and commemorated them in his 1477 endowment to Queens’ College Cambridge. (2) Mary Friend of the Worcestershire Branch was able to give a delighted Michael another example of this care for the ordinary men in his service. Bewdley received its charter in 1472 from Edward IV as Richard wanted to acknowledge the bowmen from the town who had fought with him at Tewkesbury, and helped Edward to another decisive victory. (3) Medieval people weren’t interested in how things had been fought but in who had shown valour, heroism, loyalty to his cause and men.

Naturally Michael mentioned Bosworth. (4) He said the Stanleys did not defect and openly support Tudor before the battle, despite William Stanley having been declared a traitor by Richard III. Northumberland may have been unable to find out what was happening and not been summoned. Richard probably didn’t have chance once the charge began. It’s very likely that the Stanleys betrayed Richard, not for any of the things he is supposed to have done in his reign, but because of a good deed he did years ago, when he supported the Harrington family against the Stanleys. He fought for them because they were loyal supporters of the House of York, and found their inheritance under threat from the predatory Stanleys. Edward IV just ignored the situation. Another fact which rubbishes the claim that Richard was plotting for the throne for years!

(1) Page 229 of Arthurian Myths and Alchemy The Kingship of Edward IV by Jonathan Hughes.
(2) Pages 100 - 101 of Bosworth 1485 Psychology of a Battle.
(3) Dickon Independent issue 8, July 1993, pages 5 - 6.
(4) Michael K. Jones is the author of Bosworth 1485 Psychology of a Battle, which can be found in our branch library. An excellent book and a pleasure to read.

I was at Tewkesbury all weekend but didn’t get to see the battle as it was too hot stood outside in my medieval woollen dress. How the men in armour coped, and those wearing thick padded jackets, I don’t know. They are obviously built of sterner stuff than me!

Both days the stall was very busy, thanks to its prime position in the main marquee courtesy of Steve Goodchild and the Tewkesbury Battlefield Society. We shared the tent with Graham Turner and his magnificent paintings of Wars of the Roses battles, the Tewkesbury Battlefield Society and the Richard III Foundation, plus an unmanned stand of leaflets promoting south Wales and the medieval village of Cosmeston.

Geoffrey Wheeler from the Richard III Society’s committee joined us for most of Saturday. As well as visiting the fair he went round Tewkesbury itself and the museum, which is in a bit of a state and difficult to find unless you know where it is.

About ten members of the branch helped on the stall over the weekend. Lots of other people dropped by to say hello, and I’m ashamed to say they usually had to introduce themselves as my memory of faces was distinctly out of order that day! Ricardians were there from all over the country and from America, as Linda Treybig organised her annual tour to coincide with the Tewkesbury weekend this year. One of her party, Dave Luitweiler, took some great photographs which I’ve added to the web site.

There was a lot of interest in our display of information panels on the battle, local connections with Richard III, how to join the society and branch, plus a small part of the society’s travelling exhibition. We do have the whole of Geoffrey Wheeler’s exhibition, which was all on display at the Much Wenlock festival last year, but would need the whole marquee to do it justice.

Sales were better than last year with some items from the society selling out, and more society leaflets were needed for Sunday. We sold several of Geoffrey Richardson’s books, and all the spare copies of the last issue of “Dickon Independent”, which featured him on the cover.

Michael K. Jones spent time with everyone in the marquee. The Tewkesbury Battlefield Society stall featured models of the two statues to commemorate the battle which will be erected next year to mark the 21st anniversary of the Medieval Fair and Battle Re-enactment.

This year I think we got our display and space just right. Many thanks to all the branch members who helped on the stall, and especially to Ralph for his tireless efforts to persuade people to think favourably about King Richard III.