A hunchbacked murderous tyrant or a much-maligned monarch? Whatever you may think about King Richard III, there is no doubt that he was greatly loved by the people of the North, and by the citizens of York in particular.
As Duke of Gloucester and as King he was a great benefactor of the city and after his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, it was recorded that ‘King Richard, late mercifully reigning over us … was most piteously slain and murdered to the great heaviness of this city.’
It was York (not London) which Richard favoured for his 3-week long coronation celebrations in 1483 and where his son, Edward, was invested as Prince of Wales.
Were he to visit today, he would immediately recognise the medieval city within its 13C – 14C walls.
He would also recognise the 13C gatehouse which is all that remains of the medieval Cawood Castle, near Selby, not far from York. It was here that a sumptuous banquet was held following Richard’s first recorded visit to York Minster in 1465 when, aged 13, he witnessed the investiture of his cousin, George Neville, as Archbishop of York. The ensuing celebration was attended by no less than 2500 guests, including Richard, and is now known as the Great Feast of Cawood.
On the menu were:
4000 pigeons, 2000 geese, 2000 chickens, 1000 capons, 400 ducks, 400 woodcocks, 400 plovers, 500 partridges, 104 peacocks, 200 pheasants
4000 rabbits, 1000 sheep, 500 deer, 304 pigs, 304 veals, 104 oxen, 6 wild bulls
608 pikes and breams, 12 porpoises and seals
For dessert: 4000 cold tarts, 3000 cold custards, 2000 hot custards, 1000 jellies
All washed down with 300 casks of ale and 25,000 gallons of wine.
Goodness knows how the kitchen staff managed and how the local bird population recovered!
Article contributed by Christine Goodwin – https://yorkshiresbestguides.co.uk/project/christine-goodwin/
