(King Richard visiting Leicester - University of Leicester image)
The Roman Touch
Between the year 47 and the year 500, a Roman military fort was erected, attracting traders to an ever-growing community which would later on be known as Leicester City.
The Roman houses of the time were built from stone or dry clay bricks. Most of the houses had cheap thatched roofs, but some of the richer people could afford proper roofs made of slate or tiles. And some even richer people could afford to install a concrete floor, or maybe even a mosaic.
(The Story of Leicester: Blackfriars Mosaic, discovered in 1832)
Some of the most finest mosaic pavements in the country are found in Leicester.
You can read more here: https://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/1979-80/1979-80%20(55)%201-10%20Johnson.pdf
Leicester has its very own Curse Tablet.
It's made of lead and was found during the excavation of one of the largest townhouses ever found in Leicester, which is now just a John Lewis Multi-Storey Car Park.
However, in 2004-2006 it was a 40m by 40m zone with at least 26 rooms, many of which were painted and furnished, some of them would have even had underfloor heating! And this was all stationed alongside a posh courtyard, an ornamental pool and a big but long lost garden.
(Vine Street Courtyard House, Leicester)
This is where a lead Curse Tablet was discovered.
Curse tablets were meant to call upon the gods for assistance in seeking justice and acted as a popular form of magic throughout the Roman world.
This one was found near the Vine Street courtyard house and it describes a theft of someone's coat from a slave's quarters. 19 suspects are listed!
The first castle
Duke William of Normandy is believed to be the first person to have ordered Leicester to build a castle, way back in 1068. It was placed to the South-West corner near some Roman town walls, surrounded by a ditch and a defensive wall that overlooked 350 houses and a river. A Norman family first owned it before forfeiting it in 1101 when a rebellion happened under King Henry I's reign.
The First Earl of Leicester then moved in and got to work modifying and rebuilding the damaged parts.
(Leicester Castle Motte)
The reign of the Earl's grandson, the Third Earl of Leicester, saw him sitting in the castle whilst having an issue with the new King, Henry II. This brought trouble to Leicester as significant efforts were made to beseige the town. The castle constable held the defence line and resisted for 3 weeks until a massive fire broke out which caused the townsfolk to sue for peace.
Their plea was granted and the royal army was called off, but the city of Leicester had to pay a fine of 300 marks and were forced to demolish some of their defence walls.
During 19th century excavations, 8 skeletons were found, believed to have been criminals put to their deaths there.
Leicester Cathedral and The Heart of the Town
The church was actually built on ancient Roman ruins and is dedicated to a Roman officier who became a bishop.
Today over one hundred thousand people visit Leicester Cathedral every year, primarily to see the tomb of King Richard III, the last English monarch to die in battle.
Founded in 1209 by Saint Francis of Assisi, The Franciscans are a group of related Christian orders, primarily Catholic.
Franciscan friars first arrive in Leicester in the early 13th century, occupying a small precinct just to the South of Leicester Cathedral.
The Countess of Leicester was King Henry III's sister, and in 1255 she got the King to grant oak trees to the Leicester friary to help complete the new church choir chapel.
By the early 1300's, Leicester saw as many as 30 friars residing within its community. This encouraged the city to further develop its buildings and community. Sadly the Black Death of 1348 wiped many people, including most of the friars, out.
Franciscan friars where known as Grey Friars because of their grey clothing. Leicester named their church, Grey Friars. And this was where King Richard III's body was brought for burial after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
Murder
There was once an elaborate timber-framed building known as the Blue Boar Inn. Here, by tradition, Richard III spent a final night or two before the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Medieval inns like the Blue Boar were the grand hotels of their day, providing food, lodgings and stabling for travellers, including wealthy merchants, aristocrats and royalty.
King Richard III would drive his Nottingham bed around with him as he couldn't sleep in strange beds. His bed was left in Leicester and was handed down from tenant to tenant, and it now exists to this day in a museum.
In 1604, one of the tenants discovered a hoarde of gold coins in the bed. She was murdered for it by two men who were in collaboration with the her servant. The men were hanged for it, the female servant was burned at the stake.
After the murder the bed became quite infamous and in 1611 ‘King Richard’s bed-sted I’ Leyster’ was included on a list of sights and exhibitions in England which could be seen for a penny.
End of Part 1
Thanks to https://www.storyofleicester.info/ for allowing me to access some really insightful information about Leicester's past.
I'm looking forward to learning and sharing the next batch of knowledgebits :)