Dr Cheryl Butler talks to the Hampshire Writers’ Society, April 2023 – Report by Sarah Noon
Dr Cheryl Butler is a historian and writer. She has written extensively on the history of Southampton. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honorary Fellow of the University of Winchester and a member of the editorial board for the Southampton Records Series and the Hampshire Papers. Her work focuses on real incidents in history. This evening, Cheryl is talking to us about Shakespeare, Travelling Players & The Historic Henry, focusing on the events of 1415, their impact on Hampshire, and Shakespeare’s interpretation.
Cheryl studied English and Drama at the University of Winchester and she tells us that for her finals, she had to research a historical incident and turn it into a play. She chose to research The Monmouth Rebellion and Alice Lisle. Doing that, she tells us “…lead my writing through the rest of my career.” This writing has included academic papers, plays and film scripts, “coffee table” books and “…very big novels.”
In 2015, Cheryl was involved in the 600th Anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Agincourt. Here she worked with many other academics including Professor Anne Curry from Southampton University who Cheryl describes as “…probably the world’s leading expert on Henry V.” This work included exploring the play as well as commissioning new dramatic work based on Richard. Pieces were written by taking themes from the play– including a piece written by Cheryl.
This evening, Cheryl is focusing on the original materials, which tell us about Southampton as well as Henry’s character. She also focuses on Agincourt and how Shakespeare fits in to this – using original sources to develop his own version of Henry V.
She shows us a slide of a map of Southampton in the 15th Century that she and someone else from the University of Southampton developed from a document known as a terrier, which records who owns which pieces of land as well as listing buildings “Primarily for defensive and taxation purposes – it’s always about the money.” The recreated map shows us a fascinating insight into how different Southampton looked at this time. “If you think of West Quay and the port, all that was just open water.”
Cheryl shows us three images of Henry V. One is a portrait of him as king, painted in profile. This, she tells us is because he was injured by an arrow in his cheek when he was a young man fighting in Wales. The other image is a photo of Laurence Olivier playing Henry V in the 1944 film. Made during the Second World War, Cheryl explains that this was done as a propaganda piece, comparing Henry in France to our fight against the Nazis – the aim was to boost the morale of Britain. The third image is from Kenneth Branagh’s production in 1989 “A sort of ‘blood and guts’ and this is what it was really like to be fighting in the medieval period.”
Cheryl asks us “What do really know about the historic Henry?” She informs us that he was also known as Henry of Monmouth as he was born in Monmouth in Wales. She continues, he was the eldest son of Henry of Bolingbroke (who was the son of John of Gaunt and later Henry IV of England). They all became part of the Family of Lancaster in the War of the Roses. Henry was brought up in the court of Richard II as a political prisoner who was taken from his family when he was about seven years old, (“Henry Bolingbroke said ‘What do I care? I’ve got four sons.’”). She explains that Richard II and Henry became very close and Henry was given much wealth.
As a child, Henry was very fond of the story of Bevis of Hampton – the founder of Southampton. Cheryl compares this to the tales of King Arthur. It was a story that was used to teach boys how to be knights.
She continues telling us Henry’s story, explaining that his father eventually overthrew Richard and became king, and Henry became the Prince of Wales, although the two did not get on (“Who could blame him when his father thought he was expendable?”). When Richard finally became king, Cheryl tells us that he had undergone a religious transformation, and was very focused on reclaiming the land from Normandy (this also conveniently got anyone who may have had a claim to the throne, out of the way). Henry V launched his invasion from several ports, one of which was Southampton, where he had a castle and walls surrounded the town. It was here where he wrote his will.
Cheryl also explains that there was a plot to kill Richard at this time, known as “The Southampton Plot,” written about in the Southampton Record Series. Cheryl also wrote a play about it as part of the anniversary commemorations, performing it at many of the places mentioned in the records, such as Portchester Castle and Otterbourne. The Southampton plot was “… more about getting power and money than getting the king overthrown” Cheryl tells us. However, their peers tried the plotters at Southampton Castle (a “foregone conclusion”). The Red Lion pub claims it was there but Cheryl says this is simply to sell more beer! She points out that at that time, it would have been a merchant’s house, and “…you’re not going to have high-level political prisoners who are plotting treason and have a trial in a merchant’s house when you’ve got a whacking great castle up the road which is much safer and secure.” She points out that there are very few remains of the castle around the town now as it was used as a quarry after it was sold, with most of the stone long-since disappeared.
Cheryl continues the story, telling us that the traitors were found guilty and sentenced to being hung, drawn and quartered outside of the town walls. Their parts were then displayed along the town walls and sent to other towns as well, as a warning to others. The Earl of Cambridge, however, was granted clemency inasmuch as he was only beheaded. He was then given a proper internment in the chapel in Winkle Street, Southampton.
Having got rid of the conspirators Henry goes to France to “Make his presence felt,” and prepare to take back Normandy. A massive campaign is launched (Cheryl compares it to a “middle-ages D-Day.”) with many local merchants forced to lend their ships to the cause, which in turn disrupts trade, causing upset in the town. Henry is concerned that Southampton might be the focus of a counter-attack, as this had happened before. With this in mind, a giant tower was built (now known as God’s House Tower) in the southeast corner of the town where it could be easily seen by anyone sailing up Southampton Water. Cheryl explains that the tower has many gun ports so that Henry could make use of gunpowder – a new weapon at the time. She shows an image of a reconstruction of what the tower looked like compared with what it looks like today.
Sometime later, Henry added a gun battery (“…real cutting edge design for gun-based defences in the early 1400s,”). He also builds some ships – the Grace Dieu being the biggest one. It was in fact the biggest ship to be built in Europe at the time. Cheryl explains that nothing as large as the Grace Dieu is built again until the likes of HMS Victory many years later. She shows an image of a reconstruction of the ship, based on archaeological evidence (the remains of the ship are still moored in the mud in Hamble). This reconstruction was done as part of the 600th anniversary commemorations. However as Cheryl explains, the Grace Dieu was “totally unseaworthy.” It only sailed once from the port, we are told, and it was so difficult to sail that the crew mutinied and it was thereafter moored and used as a something with which to impress dignitaries. It was eventually struck by lightning whilst moored up on the Hamble River and its remains are still there today.
Cheryl goes on to talk about Sir Bevis – the story Henry was so fond of as a child. She tells us about the many images of him that can be found in Southampton. In Holyrood Church for example. There were also paintings in the Bargate at the time.
Henry was successful in gaining not just Normandy, but the whole of France. We are told how he was outnumbered by the French and how the English had an advantage through the use of their archers. Morale is high. He goes on to lead another campaign and marries Catherine of Valois. A treaty is also signed which states that when the king of France dies, Richard will take the throne. As Cheryl says, “He’s got it all. He’s succeeded in doing everything.” However, she goes on to say, “The only problem … he dies.” He was 33 and died months before the king of France dies, so he never becomes the king of France. Such was his reputation however, that his six-month old son becomes king of England and France.
Cheryl asks us “That’s the historic Henry. Where does Shakespeare come into all of this?” Cheryl points out that what most people know about Henry V, they have got from Shakespeare. “They’re not reading what I read,” she says. This is Shakespeare’s Henry V. She describes him as Henry’s “P.R Agent.” When Shakespeare wrote Henry V, he had already written several other historical plays.
Cheryl tells us that one of the pivotal scenes of the play is often cut out – and this is the scene that explains the Southampton Plot and therefore why Henry wanted to go to France in the first place. She explains that Shakespeare makes a lot of the role Southampton plays in Henry’s story and ponders how well he knew the town. She reminds us that he was a member of a theatre company, and would therefore have travelled. “All the top companies and players would have played in Southampton.” She shows us images of contracts showing actors and players who would have performed in Southampton, including William Shakespeare in 1593. She tells us that “We know they stayed at The Dolphin.” Cheryl tells us about what The Dolphin would have looked like as a performance area, and how purpose-built theatres such as The Globe were based on the performance spaces created by actors who were travelling from town to town. They would have brought costumes and staging etc.
Additionally, Shakespeare’s patron was the Third Earl of Southampton – another link to the town. His country seat was in Titchfield. He had a playhouse there, near the abbey. There is a belief that Romeo and Juliet was premiered there. He also had a townhouse in Southampton. Stories of the Earl are referenced in King Lear and Shakespeare also dedicated a number of his works to him. Cheryl tells us that some historians believe that Shakespeare spent his “missing years” in Titchfield with the Earl (although others believe he was in Italy “You pays your money and you takes your choice” says Cheryl).
When considering the play Henry V, Cheryl asks, “Where did Shakespeare go for his source material?” She tells us that the first thing he turned to was a book called The Life of Henry the Fifth which was written by someone who was with him during the Agincourt campaign – but as she points out, “this might have been slightly biased.” However, Shakespeare has taken details from it such as Henry disguising himself the night before the battle to find out what the troops are saying. He then, as Cheryl describes it, “sprinkles stardust on it to turn it into this wonderfully evocative play.” Cheryl reminds us that when Shakespeare wrote Henry V, it was not long after the Spanish Armada, and a time of recession. Shakespeare’s play reflected the political climate of the time.
Cheryl ends her compelling talk by reminding us that with Shakespeare “you can take his play and you can make it relevant to your time,” just as Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh did.
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