The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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Archaeologia Volume 19 Appendix is in Archaeologia Volume 19.
1st April 1819. William Daniell, Esq. presented to the Society a drawing of an Urn, found in a Pictish Cairn, at Crakraig, in the county of Sutherland, North Britain, on the farm of Major Clunes, in the spring of 1818. Its dimensions are: Height 7½ inches. Superior diameter 6½ inches.
The material is clay, and the colour yellowish grey: when found it lay in an obliquely inclined position, and on the lower side, near the bottom, there were indications of a liquid, which had apparently lodged so long as to produce an indelible stain on the substance of the vessel.
The drawing of the Urn was accompanied by a sketch of the country, including the two cairns, from one of which the Urn was taken. [See PI. XLIII.] The cairns are distant not more than two miles from the sea, and near the great parliamentary road leading through the Eastern side of Sutherlandshire.