The History Lady

The remarkable story of Margaret Paston, whose letters form the most extensive collection of personal writings by a medieval English woman.

Drawing on what is the largest archive of medieval correspondence relating to a single family in the UK, God’s Own Gentlewoman explores what everyday life was like during the turbulent decades at the height of the Wars of the Roses. From political conflicts and familial in-fighting; forbidden love affairs and clandestine marriages; bloody battles and sieges; fear of plague and sudden death; friendships and animosity; childbirth and child mortality, Margaret’s letters provide us with unparalleled insight into all aspects of life in late medieval England.

Diane Watt is a world expert on medieval women’s writing, and God’s Own Gentlewoman explores how Margaret’s personal archive provides an insight into her activities, experiences, emotions and relationships and the life of a medieval woman who was at times absorbed by the mundane and domestic, but who also found herself caught up in the most extraordinary situations and events.

This book was a fascinating biography of Margaret Paston, the 15th century matriarch of the Pason family. Much has been written on the Paston family, famous for their Letters which are windows into the lives of a Medieval gentry family. Margaret wrote many of those letters but has yet to receive a treatment of her own. Until now.

God’s Own Gentlewoman uses Margaret’s letters as a basis for sketching out her life and relationships with family members, but don’t be fooled: it is not just The Paston Letters #5. It is much more of a biography of a Medieval woman living during a period of political turbulence, war and uncertainty which very few in England escaped.

There’s more than just the politics though: the book recounts how women ran households and estates like businesses, defying the stereotype that women were powerless pawns. The passages detailing social and economic history were great. It is only sad that most of the places and sites related to Margaret are gone.

Discover more about Margaret and the Paston Family via Paston Footprints

My Fourth Book Henry V’s Brother is due out in January 2025 from Pen and Sword

Named after his famous grandfather, John of Gaunt, John of Lancaster Duke of Bedford, has been largely forgotten and sidelined in history. As the third of four sons, he was not his father’s heir, but he nonetheless distinguished himself in his youth in his service on the Scottish borders.

As an adult, he was overshadowed by his charismatic older brother, the warrior king and victor of Agincourt, Henry V. Yet Henry trusted John the most of all his brothers and twice left him to rule England during his expeditions in France. John Duke of Bedford was the man who really governed England for almost half of his brother’s nine-year reign.

John reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed Regent of France. As Regent, he governed a polity that had not existed for three centuries: a truly Anglo-Norman realm. It was not just ruled by England but populated by English settlers who lived & fought alongside the French.

For thirteen years, John held the English kingdom of France together on the negotiating table and often on the battlefield. He struggled against renegade soldiers and his adversary, Charles VII of France, but sometimes against the political machinations of his relatives to keep his late brother’s dream alive.

John became a man noted for equitable rule and an unshakeable commitment to justice. In England, people looked to him to heal the divisions which poisoned Henry VI’s government, and in France, they viewed him as the only statesman fully committed to the good governance of Normandy and Paris.

Today, John is only remembered as the man who condemned Joan of Arc, even though he was not involved. This biography provides a much-needed reassessment of John’s life and political career.

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