Vere family between 1098 and the lifetime of Sir John Hawkwood? If it was
bestowed consistently then the argument might hold water.
But the fame of the capture of Antioch, and the lingering lure of the
Crusading ideal, might account for such a name surfacing at this date.
John P.
From: mark_bridge@hotmail.com (Mark)
To: GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@rootsweb.com
Subject: Sir John Hawkwood's 1st wife. A Vere?
Date: 17 Oct 2004 02:13:50 -0700
In her new book Hawkwood: Diabolical Englishman (Faber & Faber),
Frances Stonor Saunders states that Antiocha Hawkwood's name suggests
that her mother, Sir John Hawkwood's first wife, was a Vere.
Apparently Antioch was ingrained in Vere legend, as the account below,
from http://www.castles-abbeys.co.uk/Hedingham-Castle.html, suggests:
"Aubrey II took part in the First Crusade in 1098. There is a legend
that while Aubrey was engaged in the fierce battle for Antioch against
the Sultan of Persia's troops, darkenss was starting to fall and there
was great confusion on the battlefield. At the very moment when it
seemed the Saracens were about to be saved by the darkness, a
brilliant five-pointed star appeared on the standard being carried by
de Vere. The battlefield was said to have been completely illuminated
and a great victory was won over the Sultan's troops."
I hadn't heard this Antiocha/Vere theory before and couldn't find
anything on it in the archives. What do people think? I only flicked
through the book in Borders, so can't provide a longer reference, but
the relevant paragraph is ultra short and cites no further evidence.
Also, what's the current thinking on Beatrice Hawkwood, wife of John
Shelley (MP for Rye 1415-23)? Is the chronology that places her as a
daughter of Sir John by his first wife secure?