The Execution of Hugh Despenser the Younger: November 24th 1326
The problem with a study of Hugh Despenser’s execution is that although it appears in detail in several secondary sources, the authors...
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Who Was Hugh Despenser the Younger? - In a (very large) Nutshell
The Early Years The exact date of Hugh’s birth is not known but it was most likely between 1286 and 1290. He was the eldest son of Hugh...
The Earliest Male Ancestor of the Despenser Line in England?
In this post I shall be taking a look at earliest known male ancestors of the Despenser line. Most resources about the family are...
More Despenser Ancestors
In a previous post I looked at the earliest known ancestors of Hugh Despenser the younger (d,1326). In this one I shall continue my trip...
Hugh Despenser (the even elder) - Rebellious Knight and England's Last Justiciar
Early Years The grandfather of Hugh Despenser the younger was born around 1223 to another Hugh Despenser who was the steward of the earl...
Llywelyn Bren - Rebel With a Cause
The son of Gryffydd ap Rhys, Llywelyn Bren was the lord of Senghennydd and Meisgyn - both of which came under the overlordship of...
What Happened to Hugh Despenser's Family After His Execution?
Hugh Despenser the Younger’s disgrace and execution was just the start of years of desperation and sorrow for his family. Many of his...
The 'Trial' of Hugh Despenser the Younger
On the morning of the 24th November, 1326, just outside the walls of the city of Hereford, Despenser, Baldock, Reading and their captors...
Hugh's Last Journey 1326
There are only glimpses of what happened between Hugh and Edward’s capture at Pant-Y-Brad and Hugh’s arrival at Hereford, so much of what...
The Flight and Capture of Hugh Despenser and Edward II 1326
Invasion When Isabella, Edward’s estranged queen, and his foremost enemy, Roger de Mortimer landed on British soil near to the manor of...
Chepstow Castle
Chepstow Castle played a part in the life of both Hugh Despensers. Built originally in 1067 by, it passed through the hands of the Fitz...
The Lady Baret Incident
Of all the accusations brought against Hugh at his trial in 1326, one of the strangest has to be his mistreatment of a certain Lady...
Nicholas de Litlington - Hugh Despenser's Illegitimate Son?
According to several historians, Nicholas de Litlington, the preeminent Abbot of Westminster Abbey from 1362 - 1386, was an illegitimate...
Hugh the Elder (Hugh the Younger's dad)
A fairly long post on Hugh the Younger's father, a man who is quite fascinating in his own right. Hugh the Elder's Career and the Early...
Eleanor de Clare, Lady Despenser
This is a post about a remarkable woman, without whom Hugh’s rise to power (and later notoriety) would probably have never happened. This...
Hugh and Eleanor's Marriage - and Subsequent Children
First of all, the marriage between Hugh and Eleanor was arranged NOT by Edward II as some have presumed but actually by his father,...
The Pembroke Inheritance and the Strange Tale of Elizabeth Comyn Part 2
The most-often heard version of what happened to Elizabeth Comyn goes something like this: Elizabeth was taken prisoner at the manor of...
The Pembroke Inheritance and the Strange Tale of Elizabeth Comyn Part 1
Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, died suddenly on 23rd June 1324 at Compiègne in France, leaving a large inheritance of land and...
Lady Despenser's Scribery
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