CHARACTERS FROM CHESTER - STARTING "H"

BY PHILLIP E JONES

[Hadrian], [Henry III], [Henry VII], [Henry Bolingbroke], [Henry Bradshaw], [Henry Brown], [Henry de Bradford], [Henry Francis], [Henry Gee], [Henry Hardware], [Henry "Hotspur" Percy], [Henry Wood], [Howel-y-Fwym], [Hugh Brickhill], [Hugh Calveley], [Hugh Kevelioc], [Hugh Lupus], [Hywel ap Cadel ap Rhodri]

Hadrian

The Roman Emperor was thought to have visited the British Provinces around 120 AD, during which time he ordered the construction of the northern defences that continues to bear his name. Milestones found in the northwest region of Britain suggest that he may well have visited and stayed at the new legionary fortress at Chester.

Henry III

Henry was the English monarch and father of Edward I who summoned his nobles and bishops to Chester in 1257 to launch a military campaign against the Welsh prince Llewellyn whose forces were raiding English lands.

In the latter years of his reign Henry was in almost constant dispute with a large number of rebel Barons, which resulted in the Battle of Lewes in 1264, where he and his son Edward were taken prisoner by their enemies.

As part of the agreement to secure their release, Prince Edward was required to surrender the Earldom of Chester to Simon de Montford, the Earl of Leicester one of his captors. The Earldom reverted back to the Crown though, following the kings victory at the Battle of Evesham.  

King Henry VII

On 13^th July 1494, the king along with his mother and his Queen came to Chester with a large retinue. The royal party later visited the nearby castle at Hawarden.

It was thought to be during a later visit in 1506 that the king granted Chester its Great Charter, creating it a County town. The city’s new corporation was reported to have included a Mayor, 24 Aldermen, 40 Councillors, 2 Sheriffs and 2 Murengers, who were held to be responsible for maintaining Chester’s walls.

Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV)

Bolingbroke was the eldest son of John of Gaunt, and a grandson of the late Edward III, giving him a direct lineage to the throne of England. He was made the Earl of Derby and following his father’s death was the legitimate heir to inherit the title of Duke of Lancaster.

However, the family were distrusted by their relative, King Richard II, who suspected that his late uncle, John of Gaunt and his sons were all conspiring to usurp him as the ruler of England and to seize the crown for their own.

Perhaps to forestall any attempt by the Dukes of Lancaster and their supporters to oust him, on the death of his uncle, John of Gaunt, the suspicious Richard seized the lands and titles of his relatives and exiled his cousin Henry Bolingbroke from the country.

Being able to claim direct descent from King Edward III, Bolingbroke had a large number of supporters within England and Richard’s often brutal suppression of his political opponents or those that had a direct claim to his throne simply drove them closer to the exiled Henry’s cause.

Confident that he had strong support within the country, Bolingbroke returned to England in 1399, determined to reclaim his position and titles from the unpopular Richard. Having landed back in England, the exiled Duke made his way to London and enlisted the aid of a large number of the nobles within Richard’s court, having first persuaded them of his good faith and intentions.

Bolingbroke now had the military strength and popular will to confront his cousin King Richard and to settle their differences by force of arms. Marching north, first to Shrewsbury and then on to Chester, Bolingbroke was joined by a large military force to support his cause. King Richard was in Ireland at the time and the rebel Duke knew that he would have to land in North Wales before having a chance to confront his opponents.

The Lancastrian leader knew that Richard’s military support in the country was waning, as his was increasing and it was perhaps in view of this that he chose to illustrate his resolve and lack of pity for Richard or his followers. A leading supporter of the king, Sir Piers Legh, who was seized in the city, was executed on the orders of Bolingbroke and his decapitated head was displayed for all to see. It was a stark reminder to those that might question their loyalty to him or were considering any possible support for his opponent.

It was possibly a sign of his confidence in his own military position that Bolingbroke does not appear to have marched into North Wales to meet the returning Richard. Instead it was reported that he sent a small party of nobles, headed by another cousin, Henry “Hotspur” Percy, to meet with and deliver the monarch to the Castle at Flint, where the two cousins might finally meet.

It has been suggested that Percy had received an undertaking from Bolingbroke that he had no plans to seize the crown for himself, but was simply seeking to restore the family titles and lands which had been sequestered by the king. At the behest of the Duke, Percy and his small band of men rode into North Wales and met the sovereign and having assured him of his safety, escorted him, first to Rhuddlan Castle and later to Flint Castle.

Richard was accommodated overnight at Flint and the following day Bolingbroke arrived at the Castle to speak directly with the monarch. The meeting between the two cousins was a brief affair, with both of them being aware of the situation and of the likely outcome, little or nothing that was said was going to change their individual fortunes.

Following the reportedly tense exchange, Bolingbroke ordered that Richard and his companions be transported to Chester, where the prisoners were temporarily held in one of the gateway towers. Some short time later, the Lancastrian Duke, escorted the king to London and to his imprisonment at the Tower, prior to being deposed by Bolingbroke who subsequently ascended the English throne as Henry IV. Perhaps aware of the damage that murdering Richard might do to his cause, the new king was thought to have ordered that his cousin be abandoned in his prison and left to die of sickness and malnutrition, which he did some weeks later.

Bolingbroke, as Henry IV reigned for a period of 14 years or so, between 1399 and 1413 and was then succeeded by his son Henry V, who is regarded by many as possibly the greatest warrior king that England ever produced.          

Henry Bradshaw

Bradshaw was a monk at the Benedictine Abbey in Chester and was a noted historian and writer. Sometime before 1500 he wrote a history on the life of St Werburgh whose dedication the Abbey carried during his lifetime. He has also been suggested as the writer of Chester’s Mystery Plays, as opposed to Ranulph Higden, one of Bradshaw’s contemporaries.

His second celebrated work, “De Antiquitate Et Magnificentia Urbia Cestriae” was published in around 1513. It is speculated that Bradshaw was a local Chester man who had been educated at the Collegiate Church of St John’s in the city.

According to this monastic writer, the relics of St Werbugh were reported to have saved the city from a Welsh army, led by a ruler called Griffin who was besieging Chester. Reportedly the Saints remains were brought to the city’s defences and caused the rebel troops to become temporarily blinded, forcing them to withdraw and to lift their blockade.  

Henry Brown

One of two brothers that were Silk merchants and Milliners that founded the “Browns” store in the city that was said to rival the very best London stores of the time

Henry de Bradford

Bradford was thought to be a courtier of Edward I who was granted the sergeancy of Chester’s ancient East Gate, presumably for his help in Edward’s wars against the Welsh. The grant was later reported to have been passed first to the De Vere family and then onto the Crewe family.

Henry Francis

Francis was recorded as being a monk at the Abbey in Chester, who has been credited with providing Plays for the city’s Goldsmiths and Masons Corpus Christi Pageants.

Henry Gee

Regarded by many as a reforming Mayor, Gee was reported to have held the office in both 1533 and 1539 and was thought to be responsible for introducing the city’s Assembly Book, creating a list of previous office holders within the city and recording details of the city limits, list of custom duties and official fees.

A Draper by trade he was reported to have enacted a raft of city ordinances, including legislation preventing unlawful gambling, excessive drinking and celebrations and introduced local standards regarding women’s dress and behaviour. He also brought in local ordinances, which required Chester’s unemployed and able bodied to present themselves for work.

During his second term of Office in 1539, Gee issued local ordinances which forbade the owning or running of an Ale House, by a woman aged between 14 and 40 years of age, under pain of a £40 fine.

He also introduced local statutes requiring all children over 6 years of age to attend school and forbidding single women from wearing white or coloured hats. All townswomen were forbidden from wearing hats, unless they were out riding or “abroad in the country”. When he died in 1545 Gee was thought to have been laid to rest at the Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in Watergate Street, which now serves as Chester’s Guild Hall.

Henry Hardware

Hardware was the Mayor of Chester between 1599 and 1600 and was reported to have been fairly unpopular with the citizens of Chester, because of his suppression of the city’s traditional bull and bear baiting contests and the annual fairs. He also ordered that the Midsummer Giants, a feature of the city’s fairs should be broken up.

The Midsummer Giants were reported to be constructions of wicker, paper and cloth which represented mythical and legendary creatures, such as dragons, asses, camels and unicorns.

Henry “Hotspur” Percy (1366 – 1403)

The son of the Duke of Northumberland and his wife Mary Plantagenet, herself a grand-daughter of Edward III, Henry “Hotspur” Percy was reported to have been the “shining light” of his generation. At 11 years of age, he was said to have been knighted by the then king, Richard II and within a few years was being celebrated throughout England for his dashing good looks, his personal valour and chivalrous behaviour.

Still at the relatively young age of 21, Percy was reported to have led the final charge in the relief of Berwick, which had been captured and occupied by Scottish forces, which had crossed the border on one of their regular incursions in around 1388. Commanding his forces from the front, the young knight was said to have been surrounded by a large body of faithful Northumbrians who were dedicated to keeping their young Lord safe from harm.

Having lost Berwick to the Northumbrians and the young Lord Percy, the Scots, under the command of the Earls of Montgomery and Douglas, once again invaded northern England with an army of some 50,000 men. As before, they were to be faced by the Northumbrians and their charismatic young leader, Hotspur.

Instead of confronting the Scottish army head on, Percy was said to have allowed them to pass by his own force, only moving against them once he was sure that he had cut off any possible lines of retreat. Effectively trapped by the English, the Scottish leader, Douglas, challenged Percy to a bout of single combat, which the young knight perhaps foolishly accepted. Douglas was a much more experienced knight than Percy and was thought to have easily unseated his young challenger.

Having lost his seat to the Scottish noble, Percy might well have been captured by his enemies, had his comrades at Newcastle not rushed out to recover the incapacitated young lord from the dangerous situation. Later, as he slowly recovered his senses, Percy realised that he had not only lost his seat to Douglas, but more importantly, he had lost his lance to the Scottish leader, a disgrace he was honour bound to redress.

Douglas too, recognised the importance of the captured lance to Percy and was reported to have publicly belittled “Hotspur” regarding its loss. Having defeated the Northumbrian leader in single combat, the Scottish army besieged Newcastle and made several attempts to take the defences by force. With Percy now fully recovered, he and his brother Ralph were to be found in the vanguard of the defences and engaged in fierce hand to hand fighting. Time after time the Scots attacked the city, but each and every time they were repulsed by the valiant defenders.

Realising that they were unable to capture the city, Douglas and Montgomery decided to lift the siege and withdraw back into Scotland. As they withdrew, Douglas was thought to have taunted Henry Percy for a final time with his captured lance. It was an insult that “Hotspur” vowed to avenge.

As the Scots withdrew northward, towards the safety of their borders, Percy quickly gathered his forces and set off in pursuit of them. By the end of the day, he had caught up with the Scottish army and immediately engaged them in fierce hand to hand fighting. The resulting Battle of Otterburne, which involved much bitter fighting between the two armies, saw Percy victorious and Douglas defeated. True to his nature though “Hotspur” made the reckless decision to pursue the remnants of Douglas’ army across the border and was subsequently captured by the Scots.

Although held captive for a period, “Hotspur” was eventually freed, a ransom having been paid to guarantee his release. Following the bitter battle at Otterburne and the death of Douglas, the border area between the two countries remained relatively settled, apart from minor disputes which arose occasionally.

In the same period when the Scottish border area was becoming settled and peaceful, the rest of England was beginning to fracture and divide, as opposing factions within the country vied with one another for influence and power. The sovereign, Richard II, had appointed a number of highly unpopular individuals to positions of power within the country and in doing so had alienated some of his previously loyal and most influential supporters.

True to his highly erratic and unpredictable nature, the monarch rewarded and punished members of the nobility in an often arbitrary and casual manner, with his decisions often made on the basis of a perceived slight or unproven act.

Henry Percy seems to have remained largely in Richard’s favour and was reported to have been appointed as Justice of North Wales and Constable of the castles at Chester, Flint, Conway, Denbigh and Caernarvon, by the king. He was also made a Knight of the Garter, Governor of Carlisle and Warden of the Western Marshes.

The Percy family’s successes were eyed with great suspicion and jealously by their cousins, the Dukes of Lancaster, who saw them as potential rivals to the English throne. The death of John of Gaunt, the king’s uncle, in 1399, marked a pivotal point in the fortunes of the family, caused in part by the actions of the king himself.

Because of his uncle’s conniving and plotting, Richard deeply distrusted all of his relatives, including Henry Bolingbroke, John of Gaunt’s eldest son, who was the rightful heir to the lands and titles of his late father. Instead of allowing Bolingbroke to succeed his father as the Duke of Lancaster, Richard seized his lands and titles instead and exiled his cousin to France.

Dismayed by the sovereign’s actions, Hotspur later found himself under suspicion because he had dared to question Richard’s behaviour. It has been suggested that warrants were issued for the Percy’s arrest, but that the family were forewarned by their allies at court and left London for their estates in Northumbria.

Fortunately for Hotspur and his family, trouble in Ireland distracted Richard and the warrants were never served on the family. These events however, did illustrate to Hotspur the erratic and tenuous nature of the family’s relations with the king and perhaps informed their future dealings with and attitudes towards Richard II.

While the sovereign was occupied in Ireland, his cousin Henry Bolingbroke had returned from France, having been persuaded by his supporters that the time was right to contest his claim against Richard. Two of the first nobles to meet with him on his return were Henry Percy, along with his father, the Earl of Northumberland. They requested Bolingbroke to forego any claim against the crown, but to simply settle for the return of his inheritance that had been unjustly taken from him by the king. Whether or not Bolingbroke was genuine about the undertaking he gave the Percy’s in respect of his claim to the crown isn’t known, but his later actions tend to suggest that he agreed the Percy’s terms simply to reassure them.

Richard had returned from Ireland to find the majority of the country set against him and his army either disbanded or fragmented. As he arrived at Conway, instead of being met by a loyal army waiting to fight his cause, he simply found messengers carrying news of his opponent’s gains and military assets. With few options left open to him, Richard sent the Earl of Essex to meet with Bolingbroke at Chester, where the exiled Duke was mustering his men.

Having imprisoned Essex, Bolingbroke asked Percy and his father to meet with Richard, who was likely to be more trusting of his relatives, than he would of a stranger. Riding westward along the North Wales coast, the Earl and his son Hotspur, soon met up with the king, who reluctantly accepted their guarantees for his safety and their offer of escort. Having issued arrest warrants against the Percy’s, there was little reason for Richard to trust them, but given the situation he found himself in, he had little if any choice.

For their part, whether or not Hotspur and his father believed that Richard would remain safe wasn’t an issue. They had received an oath from Bolingbroke that he would not pursue his claim to the throne and they were content that he would stand by that solemn undertaking.

In the first instance, Richard was conveyed to Rhuddlan Castle by the Percy’s and shortly afterwards was moved to Flint Castle. Having sent a messenger to Bolingbroke at Chester, the king and his escorts had to wait overnight for him to arrive. The two cousins met and spoke together for a short time, before the entire party made their way back to Chester, the king and his companion astride two poor quality horses. Richard was held in a tower at the Castle’s gateway and watched over by the sons of two noblemen that the king had previously ordered to be executed.

The hapless monarch was later transported to London where he was held at the Tower, while Bolingbroke engineered his deposition as King of England and later, according to legend, his untimely death. Having already broken his sacred vow to the Percy’s not to pursue the crown, the new monarch Henry IV, now sought to exclude Edmund Mortimer, the rightful heir to the throne who was in the care of the Percy family.

Perhaps recognising that Henry Percy had the same rights and claims to the English throne as he had himself, Henry IV now sought to reward the family’s services to him. The Earl of Northumberland was made the Lord High Constable of England, while his son Hotspur was appointed as the Warden of the Eastern Marshes and named Governor of Berwick, Chester and Flint. The Percy family also gained possession of the Isle of Man and its dominions.

Despite the granting and receipt of lands and titles between the two parties, the relationship between the Percy’s and Henry IV continued to be cool and fractious. Charged with holding the troubled North Wales area for the king, Hotspur had to continually demand payment from the monarch to pay his troops and maintain the regions defences. Eventually, the young Knight became so exasperated by the task that he resigned his post, much to the displeasure of Henry IV.

Around 1402, a series of border skirmishes allowed Hotspur to distract himself from the political intrigue and factional infighting that was circulating throughout the country. These incursions were only finally stopped when Percy met and defeated the Scottish raiders at the Battle of Nesbitt Moor. In response to this defeat the Scots once again launched a full scale invasion of England with a force of over 10,000 men. Yet again, Hotspur was called on to meet the military challenge and repeated his earlier strategy of allowing the invaders to pass by, before blocking their retreat and then attacking them with his troops. Percy’s force now included a large number of Cheshire Archers, who devastated the Scots lines and led to a relatively easy victory.

Having captured a number of the Scottish leaders, Hotspur had planned to adopt the custom of the time and ransom them back to their families or exchange them for English prisoners. However, these plans were upset by the king, Henry IV, who demanded that the Scottish leaders should be held as hostages in London, to prevent further incursions from the north. Outraged by the demand, Hotspur was not inclined to comply with the sovereigns orders. When he finally did obey the king’s command, he ensured that the main Scottish leader, the Earl of Douglas, was not amongst their number. Furious at Percy’s refusal to hand over Douglas, Henry IV demanded that the young Lord appear before him personally to explain his actions.

The fearless young knight travelled to London to face his monarch and to explain his refusal to hand over his prisoner. No doubt aware, that his position still remained highly tenuous, the sovereign refrained from punishing Hotspur, aware that the young lord could easily become a focal point for his enemies. Instead, the king granted Percy and his father, the Earl of Northumberland, the lands and titles of their prisoner Douglas. It was a deliberate and planned act by the monarch, who was relying on Hotspur and his father pacifying these new lands, at no financial or military cost to the English crown.

Henry IV already had it in mind to seize the Percy lands and estates at a point in time of his own choosing, an act deliberately designed to force the family into a military conflict with the crown. Given the Percy’s claim to the throne, which was equal to his own, the king had decided on a winner takes all strategy, which would either end or ensure his right to rule England unopposed.

The king’s antipathy towards the Percy family may well have been strengthened by Hotspurs marriage to Elizabeth Mortimer and the later birth of a son to the couple. Elizabeth was an aunt of Roger Mortimer, the Earl of March and the legitimate heir to the English throne. The young son born to Percy and his wife was also a threat to Henry IV’s role as monarch and simply reinforced the Percy/Mortimer claim to the crown, at the king’s expense.

Having been made aware of the king’s plans, Hotspur decided to pre-empt the monarch by publicly proclaiming for the Earl of March and disputing the kings right to the English crown. Making sure that his wife and young son were safe, Percy rallied his forces and began his fateful journey southward, towards Cheshire and North Wales. The Earl of Northumberland, Hotspur’s father did not immediately join his son, but remained in the North, to gather allies that might support a rebellion against Henry IV, citing him as a common enemy.

Around July 1403 Percy was reported to have been in Chester, where he was seeking men to support his cause on behalf of the Earl of March and to publicly denounce Henry IV for his treatment of the ousted king Richard II. It was said that Percy announced that Richard was still alive and being held prisoner by the former Henry Bolingbroke, but this is unlikely, as Percy and most of the assembled men that were present, must have known that Richard was dead and had been for some time.

Hotspur’s other reason for being in the region was thought to have been to meet with Owain Glyndwr, the rebel Welsh leader that was an opponent of Henry IV and a potential military ally for his cause. In earlier times, Glyndwr had held Edmund Mortimer as a captive for his own ends, but following the Earl of March’s marriage to Glyndwr’s daughter, had now become a supporter of the young Edmund’s claim to the English throne.

From an early age Henry Percy was famous for his gallant and chivalrous behaviour and the treatment he accorded those under his care or in his custody. Despite having a distant claim to the English crown himself, history suggests that he sought to serve his monarch, regardless of the financial or physical cost to himself or his estates. It is not unsurprising therefore, that following Henry IV’s decision to renege on his earlier promises, Percy took the young Edmund Mortimer, the rightful heir to the throne, into his personal care.

A number of leading English noblemen, who were disgruntled with Henry IV, joined Percy’s rebellion, supported as he was by Glyndwr and Edmund Mortimer, a legitimate candidate for the English Crown. There were also those that would not openly declare for Hotspur’s cause, but decided to remain neutral in any future engagement and would wait to see the result.

Along with his assembled force, Percy left the city of Chester and moved to Sandiway, where he was to be joined by his uncle, the Earl of Worcester with his own armed retinue who would join the rebellion against the king. After mustering their combined forces, Hotspur and his uncle moved towards Shrewsbury, where they expected to confront their enemy.

Prince Henry, later the famed warrior king, Henry V, who had been accompanying Percy on his earlier travels, was thought to have been stationed at Shrewsbury with his own forces. Some historians have suggested that the young prince participated in the later Battle of Shrewsbury against Percy. Others have said that he withheld his force from the confrontation, simply because he could not face having to oppose his former friend in armed combat.

Having arrived at the gates of Shrewsbury, the presence of Henry’s standards confirmed to Hotspur that his opponent was already in attendance and was prepared to meet him. Moving his forces slightly northwest of the town, Percy and his retinue were thought to have stayed at the nearby Berwick Grange on the eve of the Battle. He was still hoping to be joined by the Welsh leader Owain Glyndwr and the Earl of Northumberland in his fight against the king and was confident that their combined forces would be more than a match for the king’s army. Sadly as it later transpired both of these allies were more than a day’s ride away and would afford Percy little aid in his subsequent battle against the king. His father, the Earl of Northumberland had been struck down by illness, which had delayed his arrival from the North.

The following morning, Percy and Worcester began to assemble their forces in a field which was a little over 2 miles outside of Shrewsbury in the parish of Albright Hussey and lying close to the Whitchurch Road. Opposite them, the army of Henry arrived from Shrewsbury and as both sides began to settle themselves into their military formations, the scene was slowly beginning to be set.

In a final bid to try and prevent a bloody confrontation between the two armies, the king was said to have sent a messenger forward, requesting Percy and his uncle to come before him, in order that they might resolve their differences in a peaceful manner and without having to resort to force of arms. Unfortunately, by now he was so mistrusted by Percy and his uncle that they simply refused his invitation and so an armed conflict became inevitable.

Having been rejected by his former allies and aware that Percy might be reinforced by Owain Glyndwr or the Earl of Northumberland at any time, the Battle of Shrewsbury was thought to have been started by the king’s army. His opening act was immediately met by a hail of arrows fired by Percy’s Cheshire Archers who were in the vanguard of his force and devastatingly effective. Having decimated the leading ranks of Henry’s army, the fearless and headstrong Hotspur instinctively galloped forward to engage his enemy.

Fighting his way into the main body of the opposition forces, Percy caught sight of what he thought was the king and pushing himself forward fell upon Henry and cut him down. A shout went up, that the king was dead, but then yet another figure appeared dressed in the royal attire. It soon became evident that Henry had arranged for a number of knights to carry his colours, in order to distract and confuse Hotspur and his men. The king himself was safe at the rear of his forces, having been escorted there by a number of his leading supporters.

In the heat of the battle and perhaps to try and clearly identify his enemy, Hotspur was thought to have lifted his visor, a fatal mistake that would have dire consequences. A stray crossbow bolt, fired by a member of the king’s contingent, found its way through the young knight’s armour and bit deep into his unprotected forehead, killing him instantly. Immediately a shout went up from Henry’s men that the Lord Percy was dead, revitalising their attack upon the rebel army.

Another version of Hotspur’s death, suggests that the young knight was killed as a result of individual combat between himself and the monarch, with King Henry proving to be too great an adversary for the Northumbrian leader. Some 600 years after the event it is uncertain which version of Percy’s death is the truth, but from King Henry’s perspective this latter account would have helped to reinforce both his military legend and his position as monarch.

With their charismatic young leader dead, Hotspur’s forces began to waver and in some areas they began to flee the field, anxious to escape the inevitable fate of a defeated army. The battle now swung in the king’s favour and within a short time there were few of Percy’s men left alive and those that had survived soon faced Henry’s revenge. For those that had fled the field in the hope of surviving the king’s wrath, it was a forlorn hope, as each one was hunted down by their enemy and forced to face his retribution.   

Following the end of the Battle, Henry ordered a search to be made for the body of Hotspur. The young knight’s remains were reported to have been taken to a Chapel near Whitchurch, where prayers were said for his eternal rest. Initially, Henry was said to have been distraught at his former ally’s death, but shortly afterwards ordered Hotspur’s body to be dismembered and one quarter displayed on the city gate at Chester, as a deterrent to any other would be rebels.

Because of the city’s perceived support for Percy’s cause, Henry continued to mistrust the people of Chester as well as their Welsh neighbours for the rest of his reign. He ordered the city authorities to issue a series of local ordinances which restricted the rights and movements of Welsh citizens within the city limits, with severe penalties applied for any infraction of these new laws. 

Henry Wood

Wood was reported to be a businessman who founded a chain and anchor company in the Saltney area of Chester in 1846/7. Although the chain works has long since gone, its former presence is remembered in “Chainmakers Row” which lies along the main thoroughfare in Saltney.

Howel-y-Fwym

Howel was said to be the constable of Criccieth Castle who fought with Edward, the Black Prince at the Battle of Poitiers. He was recorded as having captured the French king during the battle and was rewarded with the grant of the Dee Mills at Chester. In later years the mills were thought to have descended to the Wrench family.

Hugh Brickhill

Sheriff of Chester around 1280 and said to have been city Mayor numerous times between 1293 and 1314. He was thought to be a major wine importer in the late 13^th Century with his ship the “Nicolase”.

Hugh Calveley

Calveley was the son-in-law of Henry Hastings (1586-1643), the 5^th Earl of Huntingdon and holder of the manor of Lea. Sir Hugh was also thought to have held rights at Shotwick Park, near Saughall, as well as being appointed as the Governor of the Channel Islands.  

Hugh Kevelioc (1147-1181)

The eldest son of Ranulph de Gernon, Hugh was reported to have been born at Gyffylliog near Ruthin in North Wales in around 1147 and immediately inherited his father’s title on Ranulph’s death in 1153. As he would have been only 6 or 7 years old at the time of his succession, it was usual practice for such lands and estates to be managed on the minor’s behalf by an authorised guardian appointed by the king. Although it isn’t entirely clear what arrangements were made for the young Hugh Kevelioc, his inheritance of the title seems to have coincided with the reigns of two English monarchs, King Stephen who died in 1154 and his successor King Henry II who succeeded to the throne in the same year. Either one of these monarchs may have acted as a royal guardian for Hugh, until such time as he achieved his majority, but exactly which one is unclear.

By around 1165 Hugh was thought to have reached his majority and become responsible for the extensive lands and estates which had been bequeathed to him by his late father and which made him one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the whole of England. He was reported to have married Bertreda, the daughter of Baron Simon de Montford a leading nobleman of the age and between them had 6 children, Ranulph III, Maud, Mabel, Alice, Hawise and Margaret.

Ranulph III who was surnamed Blundeville, from his association with the market town of Oswestry in Shropshire, was Earl Hugh’s only son and therefore his legal heir. He was known to have married Constance of Brittany, the widow of Geoffrey of Plantagenet and mother to Arthur Plantagenet, a later claimant to the English throne. Hugh’s eldest daughter Maud was reported to have married David of Huntington and his second daughter Mabel, married William D’Aubigny. His third daughter Alice married William de Ferres and his fourth daughter Hawise married Robert de Quincy. Hugh’s youngest daughter, Margaret married John de Lacy, an individual whose successors would be inextricably linked to the Earls of Chester.

In 1163 Henry II was said to have publicly quarrelled with his leading churchman Thomas Beckett, a dispute which reverberated throughout the country and threatened to divide both church and state. The Welsh Princes, Owain Gwynedd and Rhys ap Gruffudd were thought to have taken full advantage of the uneasy situation and launched a rebellion in around 1164 which forced Henry to act against them. By the following year, the king, no doubt accompanied by Earl Hugh II of Chester was said to have launched a military campaign against the Welsh rebels, but was unable to penetrate any further than the town of Rhuddlan. Prevented from forcing a decisive battle on the Welsh and being constantly subjected to ambush and raids, the king and his nobles were eventually forced back to the English side of the border. At around the same time Owain Gwynedd’s rebel forces were reported to have completely razed Basingwerk Castle to the ground, the site of which would later became a monastery.

Having taken control of his own affairs sometime around 1165, Earl Hugh was said to have been an active military commander, particularly in the ongoing campaigns against the neighbouring Welsh Princes who continued to dispute the border area which lay close to Chester. In 1170 he was reported to have killed a “multitude” of Welshmen at the Battle of Baldert Bridge and used their severed heads to build a mound at Boughton on the outskirts of Chester to celebrate his victory.

The English political scene remained fragmented throughout the period and in common with his late father Hugh II seems to have been pre-disposed to being actively involved in the political intrigues of the day. Along with a number of other leading noblemen, Earl Hugh seems to have been resentful of King Henry’s open interference in their affairs and rather foolishly was reported to have given his tacit support to the monarch’s son, also called Henry, the Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou. Not content with simply transferring his allegiance, the Earl was also thought to have spoken out against the king in both Normandy and Brittany and generally spread revolt throughout the kingdom. As part of this conspiracy, Hugh and his allies were thought to have been supported by the French king, who was reported to have sent troops into both of these now disaffected areas in order to further undermine King Henry.

Unfortunately for the conspirators and their French supporters, the English king was a shrewd and extremely able military commander and was able to crush the revolt quite quickly. The French forces were driven out of Normandy and Brittany without a fight, while the English rebels, including Earl Hugh were cornered at the town of Dol, close to St Malo. With the leaders of the proposed coup besieged, the rebellion against Henry collapsed and the Earl of Chester and his allies were forced to surrender, having received guarantees for their lives.

By 1174, Hugh II of Chester was said to have been transported back to England as a captive of the king and was then held prisoner at Southampton. Around a month later it was reported that Keveliok was once again transferred across the channel, this time to be held at Falaise in Normandy. However, by the end of the year he was said to have sufficiently ingratiated himself with the king that he was released and permitted to return home to England. Although he had managed to escape with his life, the cost of his actions against the monarch had proved to be expensive, particularly in terms of the lands and titles which were sequestered by the Crown as punishment for his rebellion.

For Earl Hugh, it was a lesson well learned and for the remainder of his life he was reported to have been a most loyal and faithful servant to the Crown. Despite his return to the good graces of the king and the later restoration of many of his holdings, the still relatively young Earl was not fated to enjoy his good fortune for long. Although only thought to be in his late thirties Hugh began to suffer from regular bouts of ill-health which would plague him through to his death in 1181. He was reported to have passed away at Leek in Staffordshire and his remains were later transported to the Abbey of St Werburgh’s in Chester where he was interred in the Chapter House.

Hugh Lupus (D’Avranches)

Appointed by William the Conqueror to replace Walter de Gerbod in 1071, Hugh was the son of Richard of Goz, the Viscount of Avranches and Margaret, a sister of the newly crowned English King. He was said to have had two sisters, Judith and Mathilda and it was the second’s sister’s son Ranulph de Mescines who would later be granted the Earldom of Chester by the king Henry I.

Although it has often been presumed that Hugh was not present at Hastings due to his youth, it has been suggested that he remained in Normandy ostensibly to watch over the interests of his relatives that were campaigning in England, but was said to have provided a large number of the ships that transported William’s invasion force to England. It is known that William the Conqueror returned to the continent after Hastings and returned to Britain in 1067 in order to lead the militarily suppression of the rebel English nobles who were challenging his right to rule the kingdom. Sometime after 1068 and before receiving the Earldom of Chester, the young Hugh was recorded as having held Tutbury Castle, which is thought to have been built in the first round of Norman fortifications undertaken by William after his victory at Hastings.

In addition to his duties and responsibilities as the Earl of Chester, Hugh was also thought to have been appointed as the “sword bearer” of England, a post which involved the young Earl carrying the sword of St Edward, which is alternatively known as the “Curtana”, or the “Sword of Mercy” at state occasions. The weapon which is held by the British Museum bears the inscription “Hugo comes Cestriae” which translates as “Hugh our brother at Chester”. Married to Ermentrude of Claremont, Hugh was known to have had one legitimate heir, although he was reported to have sired numerous illegitimate children, most of which died in their infancy. His one and only legitimate son Richard, later married Maud, daughter of Stephen of Blois, who was a direct relative of William, the Duke of Normandy.

Although he was still a comparatively young man at the time of his being granted the Earldom of Chester, Hugh was obviously deemed capable enough by his uncle to undertake the civilian and military administration of the remote north western territories. He was aided in his military command and civil administration of the Earldom by a council that was made up of his most trusted lieutenants including; Nigel the Baron of Halton, Robert the Baron of Montalt, William Maldebeng the Baron of Mallbank, Richard Vernon the Baron of Shipbrook, Robert Fitzhugh the Baron of Malpas, Hamo de Mascy the Baron of Dunham and Gilbert Venables the Baron of Kinderton. These Barons were in day-to-day control of their own areas, except in matters pertaining to Earl Hugh himself or to the king. Nigel, the Baron of Halton was also appointed as the Constable of Chester, which required him to lead the vanguard of any military force authorised by the Earl of Chester. For his part Robert, the Baron of Montalt was known to have been appointed as the High Steward of the County.

Although it is unlikely that Chester was ever completely deserted during or after its capitulation to Duke William, a reduction in the local population does seem to have taken place in the immediate aftermath of the Norman attack. In order to address this particular problem and to further extend and enlarge the city’s limits Hugh was reported to have ordered the creation of 3 separate “asylums” within the county. Located at Hoole Heath, Over Marsh and Rudheath in Cheshire, these areas permitted wanted men and those living outside of the law to settle down, without the fear of being arrested by the authorities. As a result of their creation, Cheshire was thought to have become one of the most colourful and dangerous regions of England for the next 600 years and it was only at the beginning of the 17^th Century, during the reign of James I that these asylums were finally abolished.

At the time of Hugh receiving the Earldom of Chester in 1071, the city itself was known to have been part of the Diocese of Lichfield. However, in 1075 Chester became a cathedral city in its own right after the former collegiate church of St John the Baptist became the see of the new Bishop. Although the church itself was said to have been founded in the late 7^th Century, it was thought to have been re-founded in 1057 as a Collegiate church by Earl Leofric of Mercia. In 1095, the see of the Diocese was removed from Chester once again this time to Coventry by the then Bishop Robert de Limesey.

Two years earlier Earl Hugh had re-founded the Abbey of St Werbugh in the city and requested that Anselm of Bec witness the new charter for his new church. A religious centre of some description is thought to have stood on the site prior to the building of the earlier Roman military fortress and more than a thousand years before Earl Hugh invited the leading cleric to witness his new foundation. The site has been successively recorded as the site of a temple to a local heathen deity, a temple to the Roman god Apollo, a late Roman Christian Church, a Saxon church dedicated to St Peter and Paul and then a church for secular canons which was dedicated to St Werbugh by the Saxon Countess, Aethelflaeda around 907 AD.

Werburga was the daughter of Wulfhere the king of Mercia and a grand-daughter of King Penda who was reported to have defeated Oswald of Northumbria at the Battle of Oswestry in 641 AD. Werburga was thought to have entered the convent at Ely and later rose to become the General Superintendent of all the convents within Mercia. Reported to have died at Threckingham in Lincolnshire sometime between 690 AD and 707 AD she was initially buried at her convent at Hanbury. Around 875 AD her final resting place was threatened by Danish invaders and her remains were then removed to the church of St Peter and St Paul in Chester for safe keeping. Some years later, Aethelflaeda, the Lady of the Mercians was said to have rededicated the church to the memory of St Werbugh and enlarged its precincts. This same church was later granted extensive holdings in and around Chester by King Edgar in 958 AD and was reported to have been extensively refurbished by Earl Leofric of Mercia in 1057.   

Hugh Lupus has often been regarded by historians as something of a wastrel who had little interest in the mundane day-to-day running of the region, but was a man who was most content indulging in his favourite pastimes of fighting, hunting, womanising and generally entertaining himself and his fellows. According to Orderic Vitalis;

“Earl Hugh, with the help of many cruel Barons shed much Welsh blood and was not so much lavish as prodigal. His retinue was more like an army than a household and in giving and receiving he kept no account. Each day he devastated his own lands and preferred falconers and huntsmen to the cultivators of the soil and ministers of heaven. He was so much a slave to the gluttony of his belly that weighed down by his fat he could hardly move. From his harlots he had many children, nearly all of whom came to an unfortunate end”.

The young Earl was reported to have established several forested areas for his own amusement, including those at Delamere, Macclesfield and the Wirral. He was also thought to have been responsible for a fourth much smaller hunting area which ranged from the western outskirts of the city through to Hawarden on the border with Wales.

Orderic also noted; “Hugh loved the world and all its pomp, which he regarded as the chief part of human happiness. He was an active soldier, an extravagant giver and took great pleasure in gambling, debauchery, jesters, as well as his horses and hounds. Hugh’s enormous household resounded to the noise of youths, both noble and common who were always in attendance on him”.

Despite the apparent distraction caused by his sporting interests, Hugh was still first and foremost a soldier and his military control of the region was underpinned by the construction of a chain of castles which protected the area’s border with Wales. These defensive positions included the castles at Shotwick, Truman’s Hill, Dodleston, Pulford and finally at Aldford. The castle at Shotwick was thought to have been built around 1093 and it has been suggested that the Norman Motte and Bailey design actually replaced an even earlier Saxon defence. Some 60 or 70 years after it had first been constructed and because of the silting of the River Dee, Shotwick was thought to have become the main embarkation point for English troops making their way into Wales in order to suppress rebellions that broke out in both 1156 and in 1165. The castle was also thought to be a place of imprisonment for the Welsh Prince Gruffudd ap Cynan, who had initially helped Earl Hugh in his military campaigns against the Welsh leadership, but had later turned against his Norman masters and was subsequently incarcerated for his troubles.

Gruffudd ap Cynan was reported to have succeeded to the Crown of North Wales following the death of Trahaern ap Caradog sometime around 1081, but was said to have been captured by Robert of Rhuddlan, Earl Hugh’s lieutenant, before he could claim his title. Legend suggests that he spent at least 10 years as a prisoner of the Earl of Chester before making good his escape from the castle at Shotwick. If these events were true, then that might indicate that he had indeed been captured by Robert of Rhuddlan around 1081/2, reinforcing the timescale which has been reported. With the young Welsh ruler imprisoned, the Earl and his allies were said to have fully exploited the power vacuum which had been left in the region and used his enforced absence to extend their control over the region.   

One of Hugh’s most trusted lieutenants, Robert of Rhuddlan was said to have assisted Hugh in the continuing military control of the region throughout the period, but following Robert’s death at Deganwy in 1088, Hugh was thought to have personally taken over military operations on the Welsh borderlands and even managed to establish a Norman outpost at Tomen Y Mur in Merionethshire by about 1094. Robert was thought to have been killed by a band of Welsh rebels who were raiding around the Norman castle at Deganwy in 1088. Inexplicably, the French knight was reported to have ridden out alone to challenge the rebels, without having first arranged his own protection. Said to have been incapacitated by an arrow or bolt fired from some distance, Robert was then thought to have been attacked by the group, who decapitated the unfortunate nobleman and carried his severed head away as a trophy. Following the attack, the dead knight’s body was reported to have been recovered by his friends and later transported to Chester for interment at St Werburgh’s Abbey.  

Later in 1094, the Welsh people led by Cadwan were reported to have rebelled against the Norman Marcher Lords and aided by Gruffudd ap Cynan who had earlier escaped captivity at Shotwick Castle, initially managed to force the Norman’s back into England. However, William II having reorganised his forces, brought the full military weight of his Earls and Marcher Lords to bear and was able to re-establish control of the area soon afterwards. The Welsh rebels, rather than engage in a full-scale battle with Rufus simply withdrew to the mountains of North Wales, well away from harm and leaving the frustrated Norman’s with little option but to withdraw to their former positions.

Although efforts were made to reduce the influence of the Welsh rebels within the border area, the Norman’s were unable to force a decisive meeting upon the Welsh Princes and their armies. In 1097 Earl Hugh had once again attempted to resolve the situation militarily, but as before found his adversaries hard to find and it was only in the following year, 1098, that plans were put in place for a extensive militarily campaign against the Princes of North Wales.

Earl Hugh of Chester, along with his neighbour Hugh of Shrewsbury assembled a large Anglo-Norman force with which to finally pacify the whole of North Wales. With this well provisioned and well armed force, within a matter of months the two Norman Earls and their army had managed to dislodge many of the Welsh rebels from their mountain fortresses and force them back to the Isle of Anglesey. With nowhere to go and nowhere to hide the Welsh leaders, along with most of their troops were forced to retire across the sea to Ireland.

With a decisive victory within his grasp, misfortune then intervened to rob Hugh and his compatriot the Earl of Shrewsbury of total dominance within North Wales. At the same time that the Welsh rebels were evacuating Anglesey, the Norwegian king Magnus Barefoot was said to be leading a large scale raiding party in the Irish Sea area and reportedly against the Danish inhabitants of the Isle of Man. Having become aware of the Norman presence, the Norwegian fleet was said to have changed its course and landed troops to engage the Anglo-Norman force. Following bitter fighting between the two sides, Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury was reported to have been killed along with a large number of his entourage and forcing Earl Hugh of Chester to withdraw from the area. Consequently, the region was soon reoccupied by the Welsh rebels who had subsequently returned from Ireland and replicating the military stalemate which had existed before the ill-fated campaign had even begun. This relatively unsuccessful campaign was reported to have been both Earl Hugh’s and the Norman’s final large-scale military intervention in Wales and one that would only be repeated by the Plantagenet Edward I, nearly 80 years later. Despite his failure to defeat the Welsh Prince’s in battle, records suggest that a peace settlement was eventually agreed between the two sides which allowed the native Welsh Lords to have authority in their own lands, provided they made no further claims on the Norman held districts which lay under Hugh’s protection.     

As well as the lands he held in the Earldom of Chester, Hugh also held properties in many other parts of England and had extensive family holdings in Normandy. Many of these possessions had been granted to Hugh by his uncle William I and reflected the young Earl’s faithfulness and loyalty to the Crown which was almost total. However, in 1082 Hugh was reported to have committed his only known act of disobedience against William which could so easily have cost the young Earl much, if not all of his hard earned inheritance.

William and his half brother Earl Odo were said to have entered into a dispute with one another regarding Odo’s attempts to secure the Papacy of Rome by employing English troops as a form of leverage to support his claim. William was reported to have forbidden his relative from employing such tactics, shortly before he left England to visit his estates in Normandy. Making the most of his half brothers absence, Odo was thought to have approached Earl Hugh at Chester and persuaded him to furnish him with troops for his unauthorised venture.

Unfortunately for the two Earls, William was notified about their proposed actions and was able to intercept his two erring subjects and their forces on the Isle of Wight, before they managed to reach the continent. Having chosen to ignore the king’s implicit instructions Earl Odo was subsequently arrested and imprisoned. His young accomplice, Earl Hugh, was more fortunate and somehow managed to avoid any sort of outright punishment by the king and was thought to have retained his good standing with William. It was a mistake that the young Earl would not make again and for the rest of his life he remained a completely loyal and obedient servant of the Crown.

His loyalty to the Crown was tested once again in 1087, following the death of William I. The late king’s rightful heir to the English throne was his second son William Rufus, but his claim was openly disputed by William’s half brother Earl Odo who had the support of a number of leading Barons. Hugh of Chester though was not likely to repeat his earlier mistake of allying himself to Odo and instead offered his support and loyalty to William Rufus. As it turned out, it was a wise move on his part, as Odo’s potential rebellion was crushed a short time later and the hapless Earl Odo was banished from England forever.

D’Avranches was given a further opportunity to prove his loyalty and military worth to the new king when the Scottish ruler Malcolm Canmore tried to take advantage of Rufus’s difficulties with Earl Odo and marched his army southward as far as Chester. Fortunately for the new king Earl Hugh and his lieutenants were more than a match for the northern invaders and prevented the Scottish forces from advancing any further. He was also reported to have been busy helping to pacify a Welsh rebellion which had broken out around the same time, but was once again unable to achieve a definitive victory over the unruly Welsh Princes. 

In his final years, Hugh’s earlier lifestyle of debauchery and gluttony began to have a serious effect on his health, it being reported that he was so fat that he could hardly move and there are suggestions that eventually he had to be carried around because he was so incapable of movement. Despite his incapacity, it has been reported that Hugh was still ale to act as an advisor and counsellor to the king and was even thought to be advising Henry I who had succeeded to the throne in 1100, just a year before the Earl’s own death in July 1101. Three days before he departed this life, Hugh was recorded to have entered the Abbey at Chester as a simple monk, no doubt hoping that the Christian centre that he founded in 1093 would help to preserve his everlasting soul.

Following his death on 27^th July 1101 Earl Hugh was thought to have been interred in the churchyard of the Abbey, but some years later his body was said to have been re-interred in the Abbey’s Chapter House, reportedly on the order of Hugh’s later successor Ranulph de Gernons.

At the time of his death, Hugh was known to have held extensive properties in Cheshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. He was said to be the largest landowner in England and second only to the king and his two half brothers, Earl Odo and Robert, Count of Mortran.     

Hywel ap Cadell ap Rhodri

Also known as “Hywel the Good”, the Welsh Prince was reported to have had his coinage minted at the city of Chester, presumably by one of the many moneyers that existed there at the time. One of these recovered coins shows Hywel’s head and serves to demonstrate his high status within North Wales.

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