Saturday 22 January 2011

Some interesting finds in Swansea Museum

I found myself visiting Swansea museum last week. It's an old, small Victorian building with some curious artefacts. There is a small medieval gallery upstairs, and I was delighted to find a couple of interesting artefacts. I took some pictures, and here they are. They show a gold ewer that belonged to Gilbert de Clare, Edward I's grandson, whose sister Margaret was married to Piers Gaveston. I've never really warmed to Gilbert because he abandonned Piers - when Pembroke asked for his help after Piers' capture by Warwick at Deddington, Gilbert did nothing to help his brother-in-law. I'm sure youth played its part - as it probably did when he was killed in battle at Bannockburn when he rode in without his 'coat'. The other pictures are of a stone head, thought to be Alina de Mowbray, and tiles from Neath Abbey.

4 comments:

Kathryn Warner said...

Oh wow, I had no idea a ewer belonging to Gilbert de Clare had survived! Thanks for posting the pic, Anerje!

Gabriele Campbell said...

Heh, those guys liked shiny objects. Maybe the Medieaval variant of a Rolex. :)

Anerje said...

Kathryn - I was stunned when I just saw it there in the case! How many other 'finds' are just sitting in small museums?

LOL Gabriele! the bigger the better, as well:>

Queen Echo said...

I have a question. In an earlier blog you stated that Piers' father fought in the Flanders campaign but then returned to Gascony. Do you remember the reference for that? Hamilton in his bio of Piers does not seem to mention his father going to Flanders, but in his latest book he does state this (although without giving a reference) Do you think Piers' brothers went to Flanders too? I wonder why they (apparently) did not remain in England afterward, especially Guillaume Arnaud who obviously wasn't going to inherit anything in Gascony.