JAMES DICKINSON HISTORY TALKS
The Bayeux Tapestry
Bayeux Tapestry is a medieval embroidery depicting the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is remarkable both as a work of art and important as a source for 11th-century history. The talk will tell the story of the tapestry in full and illustrate and explain most of the important scenes displayed.
Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340 – 1400) was an English poet and author, bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat and member of parliament. He wrote many works of literature, but is best known for The Canterbury Tales. This talk concentrates on the so-called marriage tales. Most famously that of the Wife of Bath but also the Merchant’s Tale, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale and the Franklin’s Tale.
Arundel Castle and the Fitzalan-Howards
Arundel Castle is home to the Fitzalan- Howard family, the Dukes of Norfolk. Next to the royal family they are the most aristocratic family in the country. They are the hereditary Earl Marshals of England. But their history is a chequered one. The talk outlines the turbulent history of the Howard family from the late 15th century to the early 19th century. The talk also tells the story of Arundel Castle from medieval times to the present day
The Cathedral City of Chichester
The ancient city of Chichester lies in the far west of West Sussex along the south-west shore of the county. Chichester is renowned for its Georgian 18th and early 19th century architecture. But the city has a Roman past and strong Saxon influences derived from the fact that the city is named from a Saxon chieftain called Cissa. Above all the city has a great medieval history the prime example of which is the Norman cathedral dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The talk takes the form of a tour of the city starting from the Market Cross and describing each of the four sectors; South-East, North-East, North-West and South-West.
The changing fortunes of the Cinque Ports
When you see the sign the ‘Cinque Ports’ have you ever thought what it really means? This talk tells the story of what lies behind the name.
Dover Castle: A fortress down the Ages
Dover Castle lies at what has been the most strategically important part of England since ancient times. Dover is at the shortest point between England and the continent and has been the focal point of this country’s defensive and offensive operations for centuries. This talk covers the history of Dover Castle from Iron Age times to Operation Dynamo, the emergency evacuation of over 330,000 British, French and Belgian troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in May-June 1940 under the direction of Rear-Admiral Bertram Ramsay.
The Medieval Castle and Cathedral of Rochester
The city of Rochester is one of the best places to get a flavour of the medieval period. It is home to a great castle ruin and one of our finest Norman cathedrals.
Pevensey Castle: Its intriguing history and changing fortunes
Pevensey Castle lies on the south coast of England between Bexhill-on-Sea and Pevensey. It is an intriguing place to begin a look at English medieval history as, in one sense, this is where it all started. In 1066 William of Normandy landed at Pevensey. The talk introduces and tells of the great characters associated with the castle’s history such as King John and Simon de Montfort whose actions so influenced the story of this country.
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William the Conqueror: A Justified Invader?
This talk describes the central moment in English history when William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and became King of England himself. It is from William that all subsequent Kings of England are descended and the conquest fundamentally shaped the rest of English medieval history and continues to resonate to the present day.
King John and Magna Carta
This talk tells the story of King John who was the second of Henry II’s sons to succeed him as king in 1199. John was not just a pantomime villain. He was a truly evil and dreadful man. He drove the English barons to outright revolt and they forced John to grant Magna Carta in 1215. This is a truly great tale of how ultimate good emerged from great evil.
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King Henry III and the Battle of Lewes
Henry was the son of King John. Henry was a great contributor to medieval art and the talk colourfully demonstrates his work at Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and other great English buildings. He was not evil like his father, but he was a weak and simple man. It was these characteristics which incited a baronial revolt against his inept rule and
defeat of the King’s forces by Simon De Montfort at the Battle of Lewes in 1264.
King Richard II and the Peasants’ Revolt
This is the story of how the 14-year-old King Richard II dealt with the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, the high point of his reign. The talk covers the remainder of his rule which ended up with him being deposed and murdered.
The In-Laws: Princess Joan of Kent and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster
Joan of Kent was the granddaughter of King Edward I and a royal princess. Joan became the first Princess of Wales when she married Edward the Black Prince. Their son was Richard of Bordeaux. John of Gaunt was the Black Prince’s younger brother and Joan’s brother-in-law. By his first marriage he had a son and heir Henry Bolingbroke. It was Bolingbroke who seized the throne from his cousin Richard of Bordeaux in 1399. Gaunt took a long-term mistress called Katherine Swynford. On his second wife’s death Gaunt married Katherine and it is from one of their children that today’s royal family are all descended.
Margaret Beaufort 'My Lady the King's Mother'
Margaret Beaufort was the great mother of the Tudor royal dynasty. She was the great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, one of the younger sons of King Edward III. By her second marriage to Edmund Tudor, she had her only child Henry born when she was only 13. When Richard III became king in 1483 Henry rapidly became the only realistic challenger to his rule. Margaret played a major role in establishing her son's credentials to be king.
The ‘Strenuous Life’ of Theodore Roosevelt
Not a tale of English medieval history certainly! Inspired by a biography of TR that the writer read during the Covid lockdown period, it tells the story of one of the most extraordinary personalities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries whose exploits deserve to be better known.
Stephen and Matilda
Tells the story of the civil war between the cousins, Stephen and Matilda, for the throne of England following the death of King Henry I in 1135. It was this period of history that formed the background to the Cadfael stories. Eventually peace was reached on the basis that Stephen would remain king for life, but would be succeeded by Matilda’s son, Henry of Anjou, who would become one of England’s greatest, if not the greatest, of our medieval kings.
King Henry II and the Empire of the Devil
Henry was Matilda’s son and became King of England in 1154. He was an extraordinarily able man both in terms of administration and law giving. At the height of his powers Henry was known as the greatest ruler in the world. Henry, his ancestors and descendants were all renowned for their fearsome tempers which sometimes made their behaviour appear almost demonic. Hence the title of this talk.
King Henry V and the long road to Agincourt
The high point of the the history of Anglo-French rivalry during the Middle Ages at least from the English point of view! The talk tells the story of Henry V and his epic quest to claim the throne of France. Cry God for England, Harry and Saint George!
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