King John - 1199-1216

John was the youngest son of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Wikipedia:

" John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was the King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216.
He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empire and contributing to the subsequent growth in power of the French Capetian dynasty during the 13th century. The baronial revolt at the end of John's reign led to the sealing of Magna Carta, a document considered an early step in the evolution of the constitution of the United Kingdom. "

John's eldest son was Henry, who succeeded as Henry III in 1216. His second son, Richard, was made Richard of Cornwall (King of the Romans).

As Henry was only 9 years old when he became king and the fact that John had not lived up to promises set out in Magna Carta the barons enlisted the French and fought them at the 2nd Battle of Lincoln in 1217

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Victoria History on the earthworks at Great Canfield:

While this may appear as somwhat random, the text wa taken from the Victoria History. Fair Eddeva is taken as Edith the Fair or Edith Swanneck - Harold Godwinson's wife or mistress.

" Fair Eddeva might fortify here before the Conquest . . .
or de Ver might do it during the war between Maud and Stephen . . .
or de Ver might fortify here upon King John's destroying the Bishop's Castle of Weytemore. "

The reference to Edith and the Conquest relates to folklore ansd the preparations for the Battle of Hastings.

" According to folklore, Edith identified Harold's mutilated body after his loss to William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings.[8] Despite pleas by Harold's mother, Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, for William to surrender Harold's body for burial, the Norman army refused, even though Gytha offered Harold's weight in gold. It was then that Edith the Fair walked through the carnage of the battle so that she might identify Harold by markings on his chest known only to her. It was because of Edith the Fair's identification of the body that Harold was given a Christian burial by the monks at Waltham Abbey. "

The dates are a bit out for a castle to be built at Great Canfield as this was probably a 12th Century construction. The reference to King John and Weytemore has yet to be researched.

Richard of Cornwall

Second son and King of the Romans from 1257 until his death in 1272

In 1242, Richard, Earl of Cornwall (1209–72) founded Hailes Abbey (Now Gloucestershire). Hailes Abbey was the "home" of the Hailes Abbey Chronicals, the origin of the Sir John de Botetourt suggestion that he was the illegitimate son of Edward I.

Richard is associated with the construction of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. He was a follower of the myths and legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Much of the Arthurian myth seems to have been perpetuated by Geoffrey of Monmouth, the 12th Century monk, (1095 – c. 1155), a Catholic cleric from Monmouth, Wales

one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. He is best known for his chronicle The History of the Kings of Britain (Latin: De gestis Britonum or Historia Regum Britanniae)[1] which was widely popular in its day, being translated into other languages # from its original Latin. It was given historical credence well into the 16th century,[2] but is now considered historically unreliable.

Matthew Paris - 1200 - 1259

Historian and artist

Magna Carta

Waytemore Castle

There are a number of mysteries surrounding the origin of Waytemore Castle, as well as the mound on which it stood, and in truth its actual beginnings may never be determined. Some historians believe the mound began as a Celtic barrow, or grave mound, while others think it was a Saxon ‘buhr’ i.e. a moated and stockaded fortress adapted early in the 10th century by Edward the Elder as a defence against the invading Danes.

Clarendon Palace

Battle of Bouvines - 1214

Taking place just before Magna Carta, the Battle of Bouvines saw the defeat of King John and his supporters from Germany (Otto IV) and other nobles to Philip II of France.

The Battle of Bouvines took place on 27 July 1214 near the town of Bouvines in the County of Flanders. It was the concluding battle of the Anglo-French War of 1213–1214. Although estimates on the number of troops vary considerably among modern historians, at Bouvines, a French army commanded by King Philip Augustus routed a larger allied army led by Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV in one of the rare pitched battles of the High Middle Ages and one of the most decisive medieval engagements.

In early 1214, a coalition was assembled against King Philip Augustus of France, consisting of Otto IV, King John of England, Count Ferrand of Flanders, Count Renaud of Boulogne, Duke Henry I of Brabant, Count William I of Holland, Duke Theobald I of Lorraine, and Duke Henry III of Limburg. Its objective was to reverse the conquests made by Philip earlier in his reign.

Runnymede

Château Gaillard

King John lost this castle to Philip Augustus in 1204, Philip Augustus (Philip II of France) defeated King John at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214.

Falkes de Breauté

Falkes de Breauté was one of John's mercenaries. Falkes de Breauté captured Bedford Castle in 1215, the year before John's death and the same year as Magna Carta.

Bad King John

King John - 1199-1216

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