Fergal Leonard
@fergalleonard.bsky.social
Historian of the sixteenth-century Anglo-Scottish frontier. PhD from Durham University (mostly) on the evolution of the early modern state in the English west march, and the relations between march elites and the 'riding surnames'.
Recent purchase at a second-hand bookshop based mostly on how fantastic the cover art is--although I have heard a little about the strange and tumultuous careers of the Shirleys, so I'm sure it'll be an interesting read!
September 23, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Recent purchase at a second-hand bookshop based mostly on how fantastic the cover art is--although I have heard a little about the strange and tumultuous careers of the Shirleys, so I'm sure it'll be an interesting read!
...but their presence may explain the high opinion of the diplomat and military theorist Sir John Smythe, a witness to the wars in Flanders, who praised the skill of "Light horsemen borderers" with "speares in the field" as "they... by their continuall exercise are so skilful with al such weapons".
September 4, 2025 at 2:03 PM
...but their presence may explain the high opinion of the diplomat and military theorist Sir John Smythe, a witness to the wars in Flanders, who praised the skill of "Light horsemen borderers" with "speares in the field" as "they... by their continuall exercise are so skilful with al such weapons".
On the other side of the border, Martin's Arch Elliot was particularly dangerous because "he hath been brought vpp in the warrs, in ffladers, & Fraunce"--or at least, so Lord Warden Ralph Eure claimed when he reported that Elliot had been slain on an illegal cross-border incursion.
September 4, 2025 at 2:03 PM
On the other side of the border, Martin's Arch Elliot was particularly dangerous because "he hath been brought vpp in the warrs, in ffladers, & Fraunce"--or at least, so Lord Warden Ralph Eure claimed when he reported that Elliot had been slain on an illegal cross-border incursion.
The warfare of the Dutch revolt offered opportunities for the skilled horsemen of the 'riding surnames'.
One was the infamous Redesdale murderer George Hall, who fled and was outlawed but allowed to return home at the request of Sir Philip Sidney, "w[ith] whome he s[er]ued in the Lowe cuntries".
One was the infamous Redesdale murderer George Hall, who fled and was outlawed but allowed to return home at the request of Sir Philip Sidney, "w[ith] whome he s[er]ued in the Lowe cuntries".
September 4, 2025 at 2:03 PM
The warfare of the Dutch revolt offered opportunities for the skilled horsemen of the 'riding surnames'.
One was the infamous Redesdale murderer George Hall, who fled and was outlawed but allowed to return home at the request of Sir Philip Sidney, "w[ith] whome he s[er]ued in the Lowe cuntries".
One was the infamous Redesdale murderer George Hall, who fled and was outlawed but allowed to return home at the request of Sir Philip Sidney, "w[ith] whome he s[er]ued in the Lowe cuntries".
A particularly stark example of iconoclast damage: the tomb of Jan van Arkel, bishop of Utrecht from 1342 to 1364, damaged in 1580, in Domkerk, Utrecht.
August 28, 2025 at 1:52 PM
A particularly stark example of iconoclast damage: the tomb of Jan van Arkel, bishop of Utrecht from 1342 to 1364, damaged in 1580, in Domkerk, Utrecht.
Wonderful artefact at the Plantin-Moretus museum in Antwerp: weights for dozens of different coins from a range of countries! I noticed ones for English angels and rose crowns.
August 22, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Wonderful artefact at the Plantin-Moretus museum in Antwerp: weights for dozens of different coins from a range of countries! I noticed ones for English angels and rose crowns.
At the Bourse in sixteenth-century Antwerp you could enter a sweepstake for the Papal election, where you were assigned a random cardinal and won the pot if they were chosen!
(Geoffrey Parker, The Dutch Revolt).
(Geoffrey Parker, The Dutch Revolt).
August 18, 2025 at 11:56 AM
At the Bourse in sixteenth-century Antwerp you could enter a sweepstake for the Papal election, where you were assigned a random cardinal and won the pot if they were chosen!
(Geoffrey Parker, The Dutch Revolt).
(Geoffrey Parker, The Dutch Revolt).
We might have missed them but St George's church and its graveyard is wonderfully cared for by volunteers.
August 9, 2025 at 8:28 AM
We might have missed them but St George's church and its graveyard is wonderfully cared for by volunteers.
While wandering around Portland Island yesterday we came across the graves of Mary Way and William Lano, two of the four people killed by a press-gang in the Easton Massacre, 1803.
August 9, 2025 at 8:24 AM
While wandering around Portland Island yesterday we came across the graves of Mary Way and William Lano, two of the four people killed by a press-gang in the Easton Massacre, 1803.
New word of the day: desideratum.
From Janette Dillon, Performance and Spectacle in Hall's Chronicle, a chance charity shop find.
From Janette Dillon, Performance and Spectacle in Hall's Chronicle, a chance charity shop find.
July 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
New word of the day: desideratum.
From Janette Dillon, Performance and Spectacle in Hall's Chronicle, a chance charity shop find.
From Janette Dillon, Performance and Spectacle in Hall's Chronicle, a chance charity shop find.
The 'border causes' resolved by the commissioners for the treaty of Carlisle (1597) feature many bills entered by women, complaining of the theft of their livestock and goods, but only one against a woman: this complaint that the goodwife of Newham had been involved in the theft of two oxen.
July 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The 'border causes' resolved by the commissioners for the treaty of Carlisle (1597) feature many bills entered by women, complaining of the theft of their livestock and goods, but only one against a woman: this complaint that the goodwife of Newham had been involved in the theft of two oxen.
Supposed parallels between the 'border reivers' and Robin Hood and his merry men have sometimes been made--my favourite example is this wonderful picture of the arrest of Kinmont Willie Armstrong by Carlisle artist Joseph Simpson, where he's dressed in the classic green tunic and feathered cap!
July 15, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Supposed parallels between the 'border reivers' and Robin Hood and his merry men have sometimes been made--my favourite example is this wonderful picture of the arrest of Kinmont Willie Armstrong by Carlisle artist Joseph Simpson, where he's dressed in the classic green tunic and feathered cap!
In 1597, the Northumbrian John Brown described some of the infamous thieves of Tynedale and Redesdale as, "as notoryous in this age... as ever was Robyn Hoode in his tyme”--drawing on older versions of the myths where Robin could be more of a violent anti-hero than the egalitarian version we know.
July 15, 2025 at 9:02 AM
In 1597, the Northumbrian John Brown described some of the infamous thieves of Tynedale and Redesdale as, "as notoryous in this age... as ever was Robyn Hoode in his tyme”--drawing on older versions of the myths where Robin could be more of a violent anti-hero than the egalitarian version we know.
On the other hand, the pub has a gorgeous pub dog.
July 13, 2025 at 5:59 PM
On the other hand, the pub has a gorgeous pub dog.
A bit disappointed that this random pub game where you guess the year of various events had one answer in the nineteenth century, one from WWII, and the rest were 'remember when?' politics and pop culture questions from the 90s and 2000s.
July 13, 2025 at 5:58 PM
A bit disappointed that this random pub game where you guess the year of various events had one answer in the nineteenth century, one from WWII, and the rest were 'remember when?' politics and pop culture questions from the 90s and 2000s.
Random, lovely image I've came across while reading about the history of Antwerp: Maria of Austria, Queen Dowager of Hungary and governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1530 to 1555, sister of Charles V, by Cornelis Anthonisz. Maria was a keen hunter and became Chief Huntmaster of Brabant in 1543.
July 13, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Random, lovely image I've came across while reading about the history of Antwerp: Maria of Austria, Queen Dowager of Hungary and governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1530 to 1555, sister of Charles V, by Cornelis Anthonisz. Maria was a keen hunter and became Chief Huntmaster of Brabant in 1543.
Absolutely incredible workshop led by Cameron Maclean at @kingjamesconf.bsky.social, handling some absolutely beautiful Jacobean coins and medals!
July 10, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Absolutely incredible workshop led by Cameron Maclean at @kingjamesconf.bsky.social, handling some absolutely beautiful Jacobean coins and medals!
In 1582, Captain of Bewcastle Thomas Musgrave met with Sim Armstrong of Whithaugh to fight to the death. In 1599, Sim--by then married to Musgrave's daughter--came to Bewcastle for “football playing and... a drynkyng”. Both incidents ended in fights between the Scots and uninvited English guests.
July 8, 2025 at 7:49 AM
In 1582, Captain of Bewcastle Thomas Musgrave met with Sim Armstrong of Whithaugh to fight to the death. In 1599, Sim--by then married to Musgrave's daughter--came to Bewcastle for “football playing and... a drynkyng”. Both incidents ended in fights between the Scots and uninvited English guests.
A snippet which may not fit into my talk at the @kingjamesconf.bsky.social: Lord Warden Thomas Scrope offering unsolicited advice to James VI that he should copy his grandfather James V and summarily execute his border thieves--a reference to the infamous execution of Johnnie Armstrong in 1530.
July 6, 2025 at 3:42 PM
A snippet which may not fit into my talk at the @kingjamesconf.bsky.social: Lord Warden Thomas Scrope offering unsolicited advice to James VI that he should copy his grandfather James V and summarily execute his border thieves--a reference to the infamous execution of Johnnie Armstrong in 1530.
I had a fantastic time at the @srsrensoc.bsky.social #RenSoc25! My talk included the exceptional concord the Grahams of Esk agreed in 1598, that a panel of twelve arbitrators would meet once a week so that "all quarells & debaites shalbe decided”--ending decades of inter-family feuding.
July 5, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I had a fantastic time at the @srsrensoc.bsky.social #RenSoc25! My talk included the exceptional concord the Grahams of Esk agreed in 1598, that a panel of twelve arbitrators would meet once a week so that "all quarells & debaites shalbe decided”--ending decades of inter-family feuding.