Pontefract final siege map
We have recently been contacted by Ben Hardiment, a descendant of Charles Fairfax, uncle of renowned Parliamentarian commander-in-chief during the English Civil War, Sir Thomas Fairfax. Ben has kindly contributed a map of Pontefract Castle’s final siege, dated 1648, which he inherited.
Danielle Burton
We have recently been in contact with Danielle Burton, who has for the last seven years been researching the life of Anthony Woodville, who was executed at Pontefract Castle on 25th June 1483, with the hope of publishing a book in the near future. If you would like to follow her blog, the link is here; https://voyagerofhistory.wordpress.com/category/fifteenth-century/
Meeting with Sharon Bennett-Connolly
On 24th May, we met historian Sharon Bennett-Connolly. Sharon’s new book – ‘Defenders of the Norman Crown – Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey’ – was published on 31st May 2021. This is an enthralling insight into the owners of Sandal Castle from the 11th to the 14th centuries.
Comments from Dr J L Laynesmith
We have recently received the following feedback from Dr J L Laynesmith, Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading and Richard III Society Research Officer: “ so much fascinating information and so many interesting links with key events”. For anyone with a specific interest in the Wars of the Roses and/or Richard III, please click on the following links:
Andy Blight joins the team
Andy Blight has kindly volunteered to take over the website maintenance. He has been volunteering at Pontefract Castle since the summer of 2019 and has been creating and maintaining websites for clubs and societies for over 20 years.
