Soldier, Rebel, Traitor
Lots of books about traitors out at the minute. Not sure what that’s all about. But with Hotspur read yesterday, today I turn my attention to John Wenlock, the first lord of Wenlock. Again like Hotspur, this guy had a lot of hats to wear. Soldier, diplomat, politician and courtier. Also ends up being labelled a Prince of Turncoats.
Wenlock was a busy man, he served in Henry V’s military campaigns in France in the 1420s before moving on to a career in the royal households of Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou and Edward IV.
As a diplomat, he led multiple embassies to Burgundy and France and, in addition to the kings he served, he was closely connected with other notable figures of the age such as Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick.
But Wenlock’s speciality was on the battlefield – he took part in many raids, skirmishes and sieges and in three major battles including the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 where he lost his life.
At the end of the book, the authors discusses if Wenlock was really as bad as his label and punishment at the end was. He was stripped of his titles and therefore had nothing to pass down. No seemingly positive legacy to live on. I finished the book feeling quite sad for him really. He wasn’t the worse person at being flexible with his loyalties and this bloody period of English history was certainly complex to navigate. The whole House York and Lancaster, and the War of the Roses, gives me a nosebleed if I try and think about it for too long.
In all, a very good read for anyone interested in one of the periods important figures.
You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.
Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.
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