Excerpts

Friends, Enemies & Contemporaries

The People in

Henry Bolingbroke's World

There were three young men whose lives were to continually revolve around one another: King Richard; Thomas Mowbray; and Henry Bolingbroke. They were all born within a year of each other, and the decisions made by one would entangle, affect, or defeat the others. The destinies of the three were intertwined, and yet they had very little in common.

Richard II (1367-1400): Richard was Richard - unique - and not just because he was king! Perhaps Richard's character was formed more because he was the son of a very famous father, than because he was king. Perchance both Richard's greatness and his problem lay in the fact that he came to the throne at the age of ten - when he was helpless and at the mercy of those who controlled him during his minority. Whatever the cause, Richard was on a fast track to become one of the most autocratic rulers in history.
Thomas Mowbray (1366 - 1399): Thomas Mowbray, earl of Nottingham, was suave, charismatic, and convincing (especially when he lied). He was also a bit of a dandy, and took on the affectation of wearing green almost always; somehow thinking that it symbolized his unexpected earldom.¹ The joke was that he wore Sherwood green much like that ill reputed Sheriff of Nottingham in the Robin Hood legends, but that he had got the parts wrong - it was the good guy who was supposed to wear green! Thomas Mowbray, his whole life long, would have trouble distinguishing who was the good guy in any given situation!; Mowbray was not above taking advantage of any line of promotion whenever opportunities might present themselves to him - he felt no moral qualms about utilizing any method of advancement that was within his reach. There were even whispers that the death of Thomas' older brother in a hunting accident was more than a fortuitous circumstance. There were those who thought it suspicious that Thomas should come into his earldom in such a fashion.; Whether or not Thomas had a hand in his older brother's death, there is one thing that can be confidently stated about this man who wanted to have so much influence with King Richard.; Thomas Mowbray only studied outcomes - and the risks of taking certain actions - no thoughts of right or wrong would ever trouble Mowbray's conscience.
Henry Bolingbroke (1368-1413): By contrast Henry Bolingbroke (John of Gaunt's son and heir) was serious, gallant, and chivalrous - part champion in search of a cause - part student of history; for Henry absorbed everything he could glean, learn, uncover, or guess at, when it came to the history of English royalty. When Henry stopped in his travels for an overnight visit in an abbey or monastery, his men always knew they must cool their heals in the morning. For Henry Bolingbroke would spend his morning amidst the archived books and dusty manuscripts. It was a treat young Henry would not miss - and his bewildered retainers neither understood Henry's unusual passion, nor wished to share in it - most men in the 14th century could not even write their own name - let alone read for pleasure!²

¹ There is no historical reason to think that Mowbray wore green. It is pure invention on my part. A literary allusion to the fact that he was the earl of Nottingham.

² Signet rings were not merely a frivolous convenience; nor a display of ostentation or wealth. They were a necessity. Signet rings and seals for documents were an absolute necessity of business during the lifetime of John of Gaunt and his son, Henry Bolingbroke. When men could not affix their signature to a legal document, seals and signet rings accomplished this legal essential, while still proving the authenticity of the document's author.

Consider two facts about this period of history. Richard II was the first king of England capable of signing his own name! And John of Gaunt's household was fairly unique in the realm because of the fact that the duke of Lancaster considered the ability to read a necessary skill for his children to acquire. Most noble and royal families thought it was more than enough to teach their sons the essential skills for warfare and knighthood. John of Gaunt breached the social norms of his time, by educating not merely his sons, but also his daughters! This fact was to play a significant roll in history, when his daughter, Philippa Lancaster married into the Portuguese royal family and her son, Henry the Navigator, arranged what we would nowadays call a Think Tank - on navigational problems. The new world would likely not have been discovered without this little known wrinkle in history.