A sad tale from the commonplace and account book of Francis Stringer of Sharlston, near Wakefield in the West Riding of Yorkshire: Francis Stringer (1565-1637) lived at Sharlston, and was twice married. His first wife having died, he married Dorothy, the widow of Cuthbert Fleming of Sharlston Hall, and the Stringers subsequently lived at the […]
Today is a beautiful sunny Maundy Thursday in Durham. In light of the day, we’re reposting this Flower from a few years back: How did the medieval monks of Durham celebrate Maundy Thursday? A work known as the Rites of Durham – a mid 16th-century account of the earlier, pre-Reformation rites and practices of […]
See REED N-E’s Professor John McKinnell discussing the death of Durham’s 13th-century tightrope walker* on BBC Television! John can be seen (briefly) on BBC North-East’s Inside Out programme from 23rd February. The programme is available on BBC iPlayer until the last week of March. Click on the link below. John appears in the final piece […]
A Flower of the Well for the Flower of the Month – conflicts over old customs in Aldborough Cause papers in the Diocesan Registry of York (Borthwick Institute, York, H.C.C.P. N.D./11 [1594-5]) provide two records of conflict over the performance of folk customs in Aldborough: 1. In July 1594, Robert Rodes (alias Scotson) heard that […]
A play festival to accompany the fifteenth triennial colloquium of the Société Internationale pour l’étude du Théâtre Médiéval – jointly sponsored by the North East research team of Records of Early English Drama – will be held in Durham, England on 7-12 July, 2016. If you’re interested in contributing a production to the festival, please […]
The fifteenth triennial colloquium of the Société Internationale pour l’étude du Théâtre Médiéval, jointly sponsored by the North East research team of Records of Early English Drama, will be held in Durham, England on 7-12 July, 2016. You can find the official Call for Papers for the colloquium here: https://reed-ne.webspace.durham.ac.uk/?page_id=650.
Hear our own Chief Investigator Professor John McKinnell talk to BBC Radio Newcastle’s Ingrid Hagemann about the work of the REED-NE project, including last month’s Flower (the death of Durham’s medieval tightrope walker), the infamous ‘Mother Naked’ and other interesting findings. For subscribers based in the UK, the interview will be available on BBC I-Player […]
This month’s flower comes from the catalogue of Locelli in the Durham Cathedral Muniments (Loc. VI.20), and seems to record the death of a 13th-century tightrope walker, performing on the towers of Durham Cathedral! The record concerns the King Henry III’s objections to the election of of a new bishop. It seems the the […]
‘William our bishope, hath oppugnant been … Confirme our graunt good King‘. This month’s Flower follows on from April’s, both of which concern James I royal visit to Durham in 1617. It too comes from the Order Book of the City of Durham (Durham County Archives ref. Du 1/4/4). In April’s Flower we noted that […]
Here are some photos of last Sunday’s York Mystery Plays (13 July 2014). They include: 1. The procession of The Shepherds’ Play, by the The Guild of Scriveners, showing the pageant wagon and a team of angels (processing up Minister Yard towards Deangate) 2. Christ before Annas and Caiaphas, by The Company of Cordwainers in […]