England was in a very weak state with a reduced (and severely malnourished) population. We were just trying to get over the Great European Famine of 1316 – 1322, and the Cattle Plague of 1319 – 1321 when half the cattle in England died. We had suffered years of summer droughts followed by devastating autumn floods and long, bitter winters. This was followed by Civil War in 1322, (with Thornton at least choosing the wrong side!). The kingdom was being ruled by greedy, idle favourites. Then, in 1324, war broke out between England and France….. so things were not good.
National problems aside; from 16th – 23rd January 1325, we had in our midst the then King of England, Edward II and presumably also his adored ‘favourite’ Hugh Despenser. (Many of you will know about their grizzly fates). Edward had been touring the Midlands, staying previously at Tutbury Castle then at Melbourne. The night before he arrived at Bagworth, the King had slept in Whitwick.
The whole of Edward’s life could be described as somewhat ‘unusual’ (as we’re being polite), but 1324/1325 was a ‘make or break year’ for the King, so it makes you wonder why was he in our Parish for a week? Hunting perhaps? Grabbing more land to give to his abhorrent favourite? Or keeping an eye on the county that had provided so many willing traitors in the recent Civil War?
While the King was here, his counsellors were meeting in London. Although England was at war with France, Edward was still obliged to go there regularly to pay homage to the King of France for lands held by the English royal family. He did not want to go. As the two monarchs were at war, any meeting was going to be difficult. So on 13th January 1325, as Edward rode from Melbourne to Whitwick, the royal counsellors decreed that he should not go abroad at this time.
Also in autumn 1324 / winter 1325, Edward’s queen, Isabella, had finally had enough. After years of cruel treatment and insults from her husband (and from the evil Despenser), she had decided to try to escape to Paris. At about the same time he was in the Midlands, King Edward was trying to find a way to divorce his queen and to separate her for ever from her children, so diplomats were being sent to Rome to test the ground with the Pope. However, a miraculous escape route offered itself to the tormented Queen.
Isabella suggested that she should go to France in her husband’s place to pay homage to the French King for Edward’s French lands. And luckily for her, he agreed to let her go, on condition she came straight back. Isabella also suggested that as she would not be away for long, perhaps she could take their eldest son with her? The King agreed.
Suffice to say that from this point, with at least one of her children with her, she had no intention of coming back – unless it was at the head of an army. Which she did, just over a year later, and the men of Leicester gladly joined her – stopping first to ‘collect’ for their Queen the favourite Despenser’s gold and jewels, stored in Leicester Abbey.
Researched and written by Jo Leadbetter
Thornton 