Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Thursday, 8 June 2017

Battle of Medway 1667


The BBC News website has a post about the 350th anniversary of the Battle of Medway in 1667. This raid by the Dutch on Chatham was a humiliation for the English government.

The article, which is illustrated with contemporary illustrations of the fighting and also of the remains of the stern of King Charles II's yacht the Royal Charles which was captured by the Dutch can be seen at Battle of Medway: The English defeat that's largely forgotten







The Battle of Medway
A painting in the Rijksmuseum

Image: Rijksmuseum and BBC

The BBC article has a very useful link to the website of  The Historic Dockyard Chatham - Battle of Medway which gives additional information about the events of that week in early June 1667.

The commemorations of the battle this year include a visit from Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, Prince of the Netherlands, who is a first cousin of the King of the Netherlands.





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