Historical Characters of British Middle Ages

    Early Britain     Saxons and Normans     Early Plantagenets     Lancastrians and Yorks     Tudors and Reformation     Stuarts and Civil War     Scotland     Ireland



Early Britain—43 to 800

Roman Conquest of Britain to First Viking Raid


Character/Date Short Biography

Roman Britain

Caswallon
~ 54 BC
Celtic chieftain in Britain who resisted the invasion of Julius Caesar.
Boadicea
d. 61
Queen of the Iceni. Led the largest revolt of Celtic Britons against the Romans.

Dark Ages

Vortigern
~ 488
King of the Britons. Usurped the throne from rightful heir. Invited Hengist and Horsa to settle Britain.
Sir Galahad
~ 500
Knight of the Round Table. Considered the noblest and worthiest of knights.
Sir Gawain
~ 500
Knight of the Round Table. Famous for his encounter with the Green Giant.
King Arthur
460–510
Legendary king of the Britons.
Sir Perceval
~ 500
Knight of the Round table. Raised in the woods by mother who didn't want him to be a knigtht.
Hengist and Horsa
d. 488
Two Jute princes were invited to Britain in order to help fight the Picts.

British Saints

St. Alban
d. 304
First martyr of England. Killed for hiding a priest in his home.
St. Patrick
389–461
Kidnapped as a child and brought to Ireland, returned later to spread Christianity.
St. Brigid
451–525
Patron saint of Ireland (with Patrick). Founded a monastery at Kildare in Ireland.
Augustine of Kent
d. 604
Sent by St. Gregory to Britain to preach to the Saxons. Converted Ethelbert.
Bertha
539–612
Christian princess who married the Saxon king, Ethelbert. Helped convert him to Christianity.
Ethelbert
552–616
First Christian Saxon King. Invited St. Augustine to Kent to preach in Britain.
Cuthbert
634–687
Bishop at Lisdisfarne. Helped to unify the Celtic and Roman Churches.
Venerable Bede
672–735
Monk at Jarrow. Scholar and author of The Ecclesiastical History of English People.
St. Mungo
~ 540
Early Christian missionary to Scotland.
Columba
521–597
Missionary who helped to christianize Scotland. Founded a monastery on Iona in Scotland.
St. George
275–303
Patron saint of England. Soldier who killed a dragon and died a martyr's death.



Saxons and Normans—800 to 1154

House of Wessex to Death of Stephen


Character/Date Short Biography

Saxons

Egbert the Saxon
770–837
United the Saxon and Angle kingdoms in a federation to resist the Danes.
Alfred the Great
849–899
Noblest of Saxon kings. Fought the Danes and made peace. Built churches and schools.
Athelstan
895–939
Grandson of King Alfred. Fought the Danes and Celts at the Battle of Brunanburh.
Elfrida
~ 960
Saxon queen, wife of Edgar, mother of Athelred the Unready. Thought to be involved in her stepson's murder.
Dunstan
909–988
Influential archbishop at the court of Edgar of England.
Aethelred the Unready
968–1016
Acsended to the Saxon throne at a young age, ruled poorly and was unable to effectively resist the Danes.
Edmund Ironside
988–1016
Eldest son of Aethelred the Unready, fought Canute for the throne, but then died.
Godwin
1001–1053
Very influential Earl of Wessex during reigns of Canute and Edward the Confessor. Father of Harold.
Hereward the Wake
~ 1066
Saxon rebel who led resistance to William the Conqueror for many years.
Harold Godwinson
1022–1066
Son of Godwin. Ascended to the Saxon throne when Edward the Confessor died childless.
Tostig Godwinson
1026–1066
Brought an army of Vikings to fight his brother, Harold Godwinson, at Stamford Bridge.
Edward the Confessor
1004–1066
Last Saxon king of the Wessex line. Raised in Normandy, befriended William the Conqueror.
Margaret of Scotland
1045–1093
Wife of Malcolm III of Scotland. Pius and noble Queen. Mother of Maude the Good.
Maude the Good
1080–1118
Scottish wife of Henry I. Grandmother of Henry II. Patron and benefactor to poor of England.

Danes

Guthrum
d. 890
Danish king defeated by Alfred the Great. Agreed to become Christian and settle in England.
Canute the Great
994–1035
Danish king of Britain who ruled well. Married Emma, the wife of his enemy, Ethelred the Unready.

Normans

Emma of Normandy
988–1052
Norman princess, wife first of Aethelred, then of Canute. Mother of Edward the Confessor.
William the Conqueror
1028–1087
Claimed the crown of England and won it at the Battle of Hastings. Ruled forcefully but justly.
William Rufus
1056–1100
Son of William the Conqueror. A bad and brutal king. Killed in the New Forest.
St. Anselm
1033–1109
Archbishop of Canterbury under William Rufus and Henry I. Feuded with both kings.
Henry I
1068–1135
Son of William the conqueror. Competent king who reigned for 35 years. Left throne to Matilda.
Stephen
1096–1154
Grandson of William the Conquer. Usurped the throne from Matilda. Was profligate and weak.
Matilda of England
1102–1167
Daughter of Henry I. Fought her cousin Stephen for the throne. Her son Henry II won the crown.



Early Plantagenets—1154 to 1350

Henry II Plantagenet to Reign of Edward III


Character/Date Short Biography

Henry II and Sons

Henry II
1133–1189
Reclaimed kingdoms in England and Normandy after chaotic reign of Stephen. Founded Plantagenet dynasty.
Eleanor of Aquitaine
1122–1204
Wife of Henry II, queen of Aquitaine. Led dramatic, adventurous life.
Thomas a Becket
1118–1170
Appointed Archbishop by Henry II, but strove for an independent church. Martyred.
Richard I
1157–1199
Son of Henry II. Spent almost his entire reign crusading and fighting in France.
Robin Hood
~ 1200
Leader of a legendary band of benevolent bandits who stole from rich and gave to the poor.
John I
1167–1216
Wicked king, murdered his nephew and usurped throne. Forced to sign the Magna Carta.
Archbishop Langton
1150–1228
Archbishop who rallied opposition to king John and forced him to sign Magna Carta.
Richard de Wyche
1197–1253
Appointed by the Pope against the wishes of Henry III. Faithful servant of the poor.
Henry III
1207–1272
Blundering king whose government lay largely in the hands of Simon de Montfort throughout his reign.
Simon de Montfort
1208–1265
French nobleman who led resistance to Henry III and laid foundations of English Parliament.

Edward I, II, III and Richard II

Edward I
1239–1307
Competent and decisive king of England. Reformed government, pacified Wales and Scotland. Ruled 35 years.
Edward II
1284–1327
Weak and profligate son of Edward I. Lost all his father's holdings in Scotland.
William Wallace
1272–1305
Commoner who led resistance to Edward I's conquest of Scotland.
Robert the Bruce
1274–1329
Scottish nobleman who claimed the crown and led resistance to England at Bannockburn.
James Douglas
1286–1330
Associate of Robert the Bruce. Fought in wars of Scottish Independence.
Philippa of Hainault
1313–1369
Wife of Edward III and mother of 13. Intervened at siege of Calias in favor of citizens.



Lancastrians and Yorks—1337 to 1485

Hundred Years War to War of the Roses


Character/Date Short Biography

Edward III, Black Prince, and Richard II

The Black Prince
1330–1376
Excellent general and leader who ruled alongside his father, Edward III. Victor at the Battle of Poitiers.
Edward III
1312–1377
Reigned for nearly 50 years. Invaded France, and won the Battles of Crecy and Calias.
Wat Tyler
d. 1381
Leader of a peasant rebellion during reign of Richard II. He was killed during talks.
John Wycliffe
1335–1384
Early proponent of reform in the Catholic Church. Favored power of state over church.
Geoffrey Chaucer
1340–1400
Wrote the first widely read epic poem in the English language, Canterbury Tales.
Richard II
1367–1400
Son of the Black Prince. Reigned after Edward III. Deposed by Henry Bolingbroke.

Henry IV, V, and VI (Lancasters)

Henry IV
1367–1413
Son of John of Gaunt. Assumed the throne after Richard II was deposed.
Owen Glendower
1359–1416
Last Welshman to be crowned Prince of Wales. He led an unsuccessful Welsh revolt.
Henry V
1387–1422
Led a victorious army of longbowmen against France at Agincourt.
Jack Cade
d. 1450
Led a rebellion against Henry VI's government. Rebels looted London and many were killed.

Edward IV and Richard III (Yorks)

Duke of York
1411–1460
Aspirant to the throne in the early years of War of the Roses. Killed in action with eldest son.
Earl of Warwick
1428–1471
Primary figure in war of the Roses. Changed sides from York to Lancaster. Killed at Barnet.
Margaret of Anjou
1429–1482
Ruled in stead of her weak husband, Henry VI. Led armies against Yorks. Deposed after the York victory at Hexham.
Edward IV
1442–1483
Son of the Duke of York. Became king of England when other aspirants were dead or deposed.
Richard III
1432–1485
On death of his brother Edward IV, he killed his nephews and usurped the throne.
Margaret Beaufort
1441–1509
Mother of Henry Tudor. Benefactor of Cambridge University.



Tudors and Reformation—1485 to 1603

Henry VII Tudor to Death of Elizabeth I


Character/Date Short Biography

Tudor Monarchs

Henry VII
1457–1509
Descendent of John of Gaunt (a Lancaster) who fought Richard the Usurper for the throne.
Henry VIII
1491–1547
King of England famous for marrying and dispensing with six wives.
Anne Boleyn
1502–1536
Second wife of Henry VIII. Executed when she fell from grace.
Lady Jane Grey
1537–1554
Young noblewoman executed for involvement in conspiracies engineered by ambitious relatives.
Edward VI
1537–1553
Raised as a protestant, Edward's brief reign was controlled largely by his uncles, the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland.
Mary Tudor
1516–1558
Eldest daughter of Henry VIII. Tried to restore Catholicism to England.
Elizabeth I
1533–1603
Led England through tumultuous age of reformation and discovery. Reigned 45 years.
James V
1512–1542
Father of Mary Stuart. He was defeated in battle and died shortly after Mary was born.
Mary Stuart
1542–1587
Queen of Scotland. Deposed and exiled. Held captive and executed by Queen Elizabeth.

Statesmen/Military

Thomas Wolsey
1471–1530
Rose from humble beginnings to become Chancellor of England. Stalled on Henry VIII's divorce.
Thomas Cromwell
1489–1540
Minister under Henry VIII. who encouraged his divorce and helped dissolve the monasteries.
Thomas More
1478–1543
Lord Chancellor under Henry VIII. Fired and later executed when he opposed Henry's divorce.
Margaret Roper
1501–1544
Daughter of Thomas More. Supported him throughout his ordeal.
Philip Sidney
1554–1586
Favorite of Queen Elizabeth's court. Was a poet, soldier, courtier, and adventurer.
Robert Dudley
1532–1588
Favorite courtier of Queen Elizabeth. Granted many favors, but not much power.
William Cecil
1520–1598
Minister of Queen Elizabeth throughout her entire reign.
Earl of Essex
1566–1601
Favorite of Queen Elizabeth. Involved in a conspiracy and died in prison.

Exploration

Humphrey Gilbert
1537–1583
Sea-faring adventurer. Founded the first English colony in Canada.
Martin Frobisher
1535–1594
Explored much of Canada in seach of the Northwest Passage. Fought in the Armada.
Francis Drake
1540–1596
Greatest sea adventurer. Sailed around the world, harassed Spanish ships. Fought in Armada.
John Davis
1550–1605
British explorer who sought the Northwest Passage through Canada.
Walter Raleigh
1552–1618
Courtier of Queen Elizabeth. Explorer, mastermind of the Jamestown colony in Virginia.

Arts/Science/Religion

William Shakespeare
1564–1611
Greatest dramatist in the history of the English language.
Edmund Spenser
1552–1599
Elizabethan era poet. Wrote The Fairy Queen.
John Knox
1533–1603
Religious leader in Scotland who embraced Calvinism, founder of Presbyterian Church.
Thomas Cranmer
1489–1556
Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII. Broke with Rome. Founded Anglican Church.



Stuarts and Civil War—1603 to 1688

First Stuart king to Glorious Revolution


Character/Date Short Biography

Stuarts

James I
1566–1625
First Stuart king of England. Intelligent and competent, but unable to work effectively with Parliament.
Charles I
1600–1649
Second Stuart king. His quarrels with Parliament led to civil war and his execution.
Charles II
1630–1685
Restored to the throne after death of Cromwell. Presided over the great fire and plague of London.
James II
1633–1701
Catholic king of England, deposed by his daughter Mary and William III.
William III
1650–1702
King of Netherlands, called to be king of England when James II, his father-in-law, was deposed.
Henrietta
1609–1669
Daughter of Henry IV of France, and Queen of Charles I, and mother of Charles II and James II.

Political/Military

Oliver Cromwell
1599–1658
Military leader of Parliament who headed the Commonwealth government after death of Charles I.
Robert Blake
1599–1657
Military commander turned admiral who took a leading role in the Anglo-Dutch Naval Wars.
Samuel Pepys
1633–1703
Kept a diary during the reign of Charles II; mentions the plague, the great fire, and much else.
Earl of Strafford
1593–1641
Minister of Charles I and governor of Ireland. Impeached and executed by Parliament.
Lady Rachel Russell
1636–1723
Wife of Lord Russell, who was executed for opposing the restoration of Charles II.
Guy Fawkes
1570–1606
Explosives expert of the infamous "Gunpowder Plot" to blow up Parliament.

Arts and Sciences

Francis Bacon
1561–1626
Chancellor of England, and advocate of the scientific method of experiment and induction.
John Milton
1608–1674
John Milton was friend of Cromwell and a poet. His most famous work was Paradise Lost.
Isaac Newton
1642–1727
Outstanding scientist. Made important breakthroughs in physics, optics, and mathematics.

Exploration

Henry Hudson
1575–1611
Explorer who discovered Hudson Bay and other parts of North America.
John Smith
1580–1631
Adventurer, leader and early settler at Jamestown. Befriended Pocahontas.

Religion

Archbishop Laud
1573–1645
Governed the Church of England during the reign of Charles I. Very unpopular with parliament.
George Fox
1624–1691
Founder of the 'Society of Friends,' better known as Quakers.



Scotland—1403 to 1707

Macalpine Unifies Scots to Act of Union


Character/Date Short Biography

Early Kings and Heroes

Kenneth Macalpine
800–859
United the Scots and the Picts into a single kingdom, reigned as first King of 'Alban' or Scotland.
Macbeth
1005–1057
Murdered Duncan, the rightful king of Scotland. Ruled until he was murdered by MacDuff.
Malcolm Canmore
1030–1093
Long reigning King of Scotland, married St. Margaret, befriended Saxon exiles from Normans.
Alexander III
1241–1286
Last direct descendant of Malcolm Canmore. His death ushered in years of turmoil in Scotland.
William Wallace
1272–1305
Commoner who led resistance to Edward I's conquest of Scotland.
Robert the Bruce
1274–1329
Scottish nobleman who claimed the crown and led resistance to England at Bannockburn.
James Douglas
1286–1330
Associate of Robert the Bruce. Fought in wars of Scottish Independence.
John Balliol
1248–1297
Appointed King of Scotland by Edward I on the condition that he surrender Scotland's independence.
Black Agnes
1312–1369
Favorite Scottish heroine who opposed the English, with great flair, during the Scottish war of Independence.

Stuart Kings

James I
1394–1437
King of Scotland, who as also a poet. Imprisoned for many years by the King of England.
James II
1430–1460
King of Scots who brought rebel Barons under control. Destroyed power of Black Douglases. Died at Roxburgh.
James III
1452–1488
Weak ruler of Scotland who tried to make alliances with England, but was unpopular with nobles.
James IV
1473–1513
Strong and effective ruler of Scotland. Brought the Barons under control. Died at Flodden Field.
James V
1512–1542
Father of Mary Stuart. He was defeated in battle and died shortly after Mary was born.
Mary Stuart
1542–1587
Queen of Scotland. Deposed and exiled. Held captive and executed by Queen Elizabeth.

saints

St. Mungo
~ 540
Early Christian missionary to Scotland.
Columba
521–597
Missionary who helped to christianize Scotland. Founded a monastery on Iona in Scotland.
Margaret of Scotland
1045–1093
Wife of Malcolm III of Scotland. Pius and noble Queen. Mother of Maude the Good.

Art, Science, Religion

John Knox
1533–1603
Religious leader in Scotland who embraced Calvinism, founder of Presbyterian Church.
Adam Smith
1723–1790
Leading theorist of modern capitalism. Wrote The Wealth of Nations.
Robert Burns
1759–1796
Romantic Poet, who wrote in a Scottish dialect. National Poet of Scotland.
James Watt
1736–1819
Inventor of the Steam Engine, and founder of the Industrial Revolution.
Sir Walter Scott
1771–1832
Author best known for novels set in Scotland.
Jenny Geddes
~ 1637
Commoner who led a rebellion against Church of England in Scotland.

Jacobite Rebellions

Duke of Argyll
1678–1743
Led royalist forces loyal to George I against the Jacobites in 1715.
Young Pretender
1720–1788
Grandson of James II, led Jacobites in bid to restore Stuarts to the throne of England.
Flora MacDonald
1722–1790
Heroine who help Bonnie Prince Charles escape from Scotland.



Ireland—450 to 1922

Life of Saint Patrick to Irish Independence


Character/Date Short Biography

Heroes

Edward Bruce
1275–1318
Declared himself king of Ireland and led a rebellion against the English governors of Ireland.
Brian Boru
941–1014
King who unified all of Ireland briefly before the Norman invasion.
Cuchulain
~ 1000 BC
Legendary hero of the Irish folklore.
Lambert Simnel
1477–1534
Pretender to the throne of England during the reign of Henry Tudor.
Shane O'Neill
1530–1567
Chieftain of the O'Neill clan of Ulster, under Queen Elizabeth.

Saints

St. Patrick
389–461
Kidnapped as a child and brought to Ireland, returned later to spread Christianity.
St. Brigid
451–525
Patron saint of Ireland (with Patrick). Founded a monastery at Kildare in Ireland.
Columba
521–597
Missionary who helped to christianize Scotland. Founded a monastery on Iona in Scotland.

Statesmen/Imposters

Henry Grattan
1746–1820
Irish politician who strove to create and independent Irish Parliament. He resisted the Union of 1801.
Daniel O'Connell
1775–1847
Political leader of Irish Catholics during early 19th century. Promoted Catholic Emancipation.
Charles Parnell
1846–1891
Irish Catholic politician who fought for home rule for Ireland.

Arts/Literature

Edmund Spenser
1552–1599
Elizabethan era poet. Wrote The Fairy Queen.
Jonathan Swift
1667–1745
Poet, essayist, and satirist. Best known as author of Gulliver's Travels.
Oliver Goldsmith
1730–1774
Poet and novelist, best known for The Vicar of Wakefield