After the murder of Piers, chronicles claim that some shoe-makers recovered his body where it had fallen, and took it to Warwick Castle, where the Earl of Warwick refused to receive it. It was then taken by the Dominican friars to Oxford. There the body lay in state awaiting burial. Piers had died whilst excommunicated and Edward had wanted to exact revenge upon his murderers before finally burying him. Piers was finally laid to rest in January 1315 at the Dominican house in Kings Langley. This ‘house’ was built in the grounds of the palace of Kings Langley.
Dodge has inquired into churches in Kings Langley, and the ‘Church of the Friars Preachers was long gone’. All Saints Church is still standing, and Edmund of Langley's tomb was removed there. Dodge says that the altar tomb of Sir Ralph Verney, who died in 1528, was once mistaken for Piers’ monument. Edward would surely have given Piers a fine tomb – and it makes me wonder why that to wasn’t removed to All Saints? I have the feeling it would have been defaced etc during the Reformation.
Such a terrible shame that Piers' tomb disappeared. :( (If someone saved Edmund's and his wife's, why the heck couldn't they save Piers' as well??)
ReplyDeleteerm, 'unpopular favourte of Edward II'? and probably destroyed in the Reformation. It must surely have been a fine tomb though.
ReplyDeleteWhy "shoe maker's" I wonder. When a trade is mentioned, there is usually a reason.
ReplyDelete