Sir Walter Mauny (sometimes 'Manny') was described as Edward III's 'faithful knight'. He distinguished himself as a soldier, naval commander and diplomat, amassing a large fortune along the way. Beginning life as an orphaned younger son, his story is one of spectacular success in service to the king of England.
The image of King Arthur's Round Table is well-known. An archaeological find at Windsor Castle sheds new light on the idea of a round table as a gathering, in the shape of the 'House of the Round Table' which Edward III ordered to be constructed in 1344.
The essays collected here present the fruits of the most recent research on aspects of the history, politics and culture of England during the long' fourteenth century - roughly speaking from the reign of Edward I to the reign of Henry V. Based on a range of primary sources, they are both original and challenging in their conclusions. Several of the articles touch in one way or another upon the subject of warfare, but the approaches which they adopt are significantly different, ranging from an analysis of the medieval theory of self-defence to an investigation of the relative utility of narrative and documentary sources for a specific campaign. Literary texts such as Barbour's Bruce are also discussed, and a re-evaluation of one particular set of records indicates that, in this case at least, the impact of the Black Death of 1348-9 may have been even more devastating than is usually thought. Chris Given-Wilson is Professor of Late Mediaeval History at the University of St Andrews. Contributors: Susan Foran, Penny Lawne, Paula Arthur, Graham E. St John, Diana Tyson, David Green, Jessica Lutkin, Rory Cox, Adrian R. Bell
Sir Walter Mauny (sometimes 'Manny') was described as Edward III's 'faithful knight'. He distinguished himself as a soldier, naval commander and diplomat, amassing a large fortune along the way. Beginning life as an orphaned younger son, his story is one of spectacular success in service to the king of England. Sir Walter Mauny was described as Edward III's 'faithful knight'. That accurately summed up his life and career as a loyal servant of the king, distinguishing himself as a soldier, naval commander and diplomat. From the profits of war and royal favour he amassed a fortune, while gaining the respect of his contemporaries in both England and France for his abilities, courage and chivalric conduct. He used some of his wealth to acquire a burial ground in London for the victims of the Black Death, where he later established a Carthusian priory, for the monastic order favored by kings and princes. Mauny, an orphaned younger son from a frontier area of the Low Countries, forged a spectacularly successful career in the service of the king of England. With his position, wealth and philanthropy Mauny made an enduring mark on the landscape of what became one of the world's great cities and his legacy there is still readily identifiable today. Mauny's abilities as a raconteur when telling the tales of his adventures enlivened the contemporary chronicles, and the popular impression of the Hundred Years War owes much to his narratives. His fascinating life, achievements and legacy stand out, even from the crowded chivalric world of Edward III's long reign.