Wednesday 30 June: Henry V and the Conquest of Normandy 1417-1422
In 1417, two years after his army’s victory at Agincourt, Henry V returned to France with an equally large force. Within two years he had conquered virtually the whole of Normandy. This conquest is a truly remarkable campaign for which we have an exceptional, vast, and largely unexploited source in The National Archives. Almost as soon as Henry V landed a new chancery enrolment, the Norman rolls (C 64), was started to record the King’s acts in Normandy. This source gives detailed information not only on military aspects but also on relations with inhabitants of the duchy, reflecting Henry’s commitment to winning hearts and minds as well as territory. Anne Curry’s talk will show how these Norman rolls enhance our understanding of Henry as conqueror.
Anne Curry is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of Southampton, where she was also Dean of the Faculty of Humanities from 2010 to 2018. She is a past president of The Historical Association and past chair of The Battlefields Trust, and has also served as Trustee of the Royal Armouries. She is Master elect of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers. She has published many books and articles on the Hundred Years War, and especially on the battle of Agincourt, which draw heavily on records in The National Archives. She edited the Parliament Rolls of Medieval England and co-directed the Gascon rolls project (www.gasconrolls.org) as well as a database of late medieval soldiers (www.medievalsoldier.org).
The event is free to members but guests are welcome to attend for £5 (+ booking fee) per head. The £5 ticket price will be refundable against the cost of membership. Please log in as a member to see the booking link on ‘The Talks Programme’ page.
