Richard III Research and Discussion Archive

Hello, all -

In George Fox's *History of Pontefract* it is stated that Edward began his trip to the North on September 26, 1478, stopping at Pontefract for a week before continuing on to York, where he promised to repair the city's royal castle.

However, on page 78 of Robert Davies' *Extracts from the Municipal Records of the City York* covering the reigns of Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III, the portion of the Compotus that describes the visit gives a date of "September die vicesimo", or September the Twentieth. I don't know Latin at all, but shouldn't that be "September die vicesimo sexto" if the date was the twenty-sixth?

I pored over the York House Books to see if I could find anything to settle this, without success.

Any suggestions on this would be glady received.

Tamara

Hello, all -

In George Fox's *History of Pontefract* it is stated that Edward began his trip to the North on September 26, 1478, stopping at Pontefract for a week before continuing on to York, where he promised to repair the city's royal castle.

However, on page 78 of Robert Davies' *Extracts from the Municipal Records of the City York* covering the reigns of Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III, the portion of the Compotus that describes the visit gives a date of "September die vicesimo", or September the Twentieth.  I don't know Latin at all, but shouldn't that be "September die vicesimo sexto" if the date was the twenty-sixth?

I pored over the York House Books to see if I could find anything to settle this, without success.

Any suggestions on this would be glady received.

Tamara

Hi Tamara,

I've found some more info in vol 2 of the York Memorandum Book, and I think I can see what's happened. There's a long description there (which I'll try to translate and let you have) of how the Mayor and the leading citizens of York rode down to Pontefract to meet the King on 20th September, and escorted him to York, and how he left York to return to London on 28th of the same month.

This will account for claims that he stayed in York a week. But, as you already know, the King was definitely in Pontefract between 21st and 25th September. That would be why George Fox assumes the true date of his arrival in York must have been the 26th. Even the editor of the published version of the York Memorandum book has inserted "[sic]" after "Septembris, die vicesimo" though he doesn't explain why.

Hi Tamara,

I've found some more info in vol 2 of the York Memorandum Book, and I think I can see what's happened. There's a long description there (which I'll try to translate and let you have) of how the Mayor and the leading citizens of York rode down to Pontefract to meet the King on 20th September, and escorted him to York, and how he left York to return to London on 28th of the same month.

This will account for claims that he stayed in York a week. But, as you already know, the King was definitely in Pontefract between 21st and 25th September. That would be why George Fox assumes the true date of his arrival in York must have been the 26th. Even the editor of the published version of the York Memorandum book has inserted "[sic]" after "Septembris, die vicesimo" though he doesn't explain why.