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All About History Books
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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Effigy of Bishop Roger of Salisbury is in Monumental Effigies of Great Britain.
October 1812. Plate 1. Monumental Effigy. On the south side of the Nave of Salisbury Cathedral [Map].
This is a coffin lid, on which is represented in very low relief a Bishop attired in his pontifical ornaments, in the act of giving the benediction, and trampling on a dragon or serpent; the ordinary mode with the sculptors of the middle age of expressing the fulfilment of the prophecy against Satan, by the power given through Christ to the Ministers of his Church. The figure is surrounded by a border of interlacing scroll work, in which are introduced bands of beads. These characteristic points shew the sculpture to have been executed in the twelfth century, and the effigy may, with much confidence, be asserted to be that of Roger, Bishop of Salisbury. This ecclesiastic was originally the priest of a small chapel in the vicinity of Caen in Normandy, which Prince Henry, the third son of William the Conqueror, chanced to enter while engaged in a hunting party. He was so pleased with the alacrity with which this obscure priest got through the service that he took him into his Household, and, on coming to the Crown, made him his Chief Counsellor, his Chancellor, Dean of St. Martin le Grand, London, and Bishop of Salisbury; in short he was invested by Henry 1. with authority, honours, and riches. Under the following reign of Stephen the picture was reversed, and he bitterly experienced "the wretchedness of that poor man who hangs on Princes' favours." Overwhelmed by reverses of fortune he expired in a state of phrensy on the 11th of December 1139, and was buried in the Cathedral of Sarum, there can be little doubt, in the tomb which has been above described. This, with his remains, were afterwards translated to the new Church, and is placed on the South side of the nave.