The Household Roll of Eleanor de Montfort, 1265
Joan M. Fawcett utilises the household records for the Countess of Leicester, sister of Henry III, to retrace a crucial year for the de Montfort fortunes.
Personal documents are a fascinating source of historical knowledge which, although they cannot re-create for us a complete picture of any period, at least provide a vivid impression of its human background. This is particularly true of the Household Roll of the Countess of Leicester, sister of Henry III and wife of the great rebel earl, Simon de Montfort. The roll begins in February 1265, the crucial year of the de Montfort fortunes, when the earl reached the height of his power, only to plunge with startling suddenness to defeat and death. The Countess’s household accounts give us remarkable glimpses of those vital months.
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