Back to the Thirteenth Century Quiz

Answer: Leicester

Simon de Montfort was the 6th Earl of Leicester, a title first granted in the eleventh century by William the Conqueror to one of the Normans who accompanied him in the invasion of England. Simon de Montfort was destined to become a thorn in the side of King Henry III, leading a rebellion against the monarch and even taking overall power in the country in the 1260s. He is credited with being the first democratic leader of the country.

In 1265, de Montfort met his death in the Battle of Evesham, with royalist forces defeating the rebels, who they outnumbered by two to one.

Answer: Windsor

The sealing of the Magna Carta by King John was forced by a rebellion of barons against the abuse of power by the crown. The site of the sealing was a field on the banks of the river Thames, in an area known as Runnymede. There is no village or other settlement there, but the site was chosen as being neutral territory, with the monarch located at Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, and the rebels at Staines, in Middlesex.

The site is marked by various memorials and there are also memorials to former US President John F. Kennedy and to the Air Force personnel who died during the Second World War.

Answer: Salisbury

The foundation stone is recorded as having been laid on 28th April 1220, with enough building work having been completed by 1258 for the cathedral to be consecrated. This was incredibly quick work for the times. The spire itself was a later addition, with work on this carried out in the first twenty years of the fourteenth century. It was not the only tall spire of its era, but it is the only one to survive and has been the tallest in England since the latter years of the sixteenth century.

To add to its fame, Salisbury Cathedral holds one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta - the others are at Lincoln Cathedral and the British Library.

Answer: Provence

Although England has had queen consorts from all these regions, it was Eleanor of Provence who became the wife of Henry III. She proved to be unpopular with the English, particularly those who lived in London, mainly because of the large number of relatives she brought with her, many of whom were given influential positions at court.

Catherine de Valois was the wife of Henry V, in the fifteenth century while Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II in 1152. Navarre is in Spain, and the queen who came from there was Berengaria, wife of Richard I (the Lionheart).

Answer: Psychiatric

The hospital was originally founded as the Priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem, which soon became shortened to Bethlem and then Bedlam. It was intended to treat the poor, suffering from any disease, but began taking patients with mental illnesses until, by the early part of the fifteenth century, the majority of patients fitted into that category. Not all had what we, in the twenty-first century, would call psychiatric problems - some had dementia and others were suffering from epilepsy.

The original site of the hospital is occupied by Liverpool Street station, but its successor still exists as a psychiatric hospital, located in Beckenham as part of the National Health Service.

Answer: Polar bear

All of the creatures listed were gifts made to monarchs of England, although the elephant, lion and ostrich are not normally associated with northern Europe. The lions, or possibly leopards, were gifts to Henry III from his brother-in-law, Emperor Frederick II. The elephant was given to Henry III by King Louis IX of France. Other animals who found themselves living in the menagerie at the Tower of London were monkeys, tigers and kangaroos.

The polar bear was allowed to swim in the Thames, although still tethered, and catch its own fish.

Note - the information for this question has been taken from the official Tower of London website.

Answer: Roger Bacon

The dates of Bacon's life are unclear, with both his birth and death being approximations, but usually given as being as around 1220 to 1292. He was a Franciscan friar and took a great interest in various aspects of science, including mathematics, alchemy and astronomy as well as studying languages. Bacon was a keen experimenter, and suggested the possibility of flying machines and vehicles powered by motors.

His work brought him to the attention of Pope Clement, who requested details of Bacon's discoveries. Bacon completed the Opus majus, followed by the Opus minus and the Opus tertium in secret, on the orders of the Pope.

Eventually, Bacon was imprisoned by his fellow Franciscans, who were suspicious of his works and the date of his release and death are unknown.

Answer: Edward I

As the eldest son of Henry III, Edward inherited the throne on his father's death. His reign was marked by his efforts to subdue the Welsh, which has left his 'ring of steel' castles around that country, and the Scots. While his battles against the Welsh were successful, Edward found the Scots much less easy to control, with rebellions led by William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Edward I died in 1307 while en route to Scotland for yet another battle.

Answer: Coins

Deriving from the Latin name of pyxis, meaning a small box, the Pyx refers to the chests in which the coins are transported to be tested. In mediaeval times, the coins were tested to ensure that they met the legal limits regarding their weight, size and, importantly, the proportions of precious metals they contained.

Even in the twenty-first century, the Trials continue to ensure that all coins meet the required standards. The responsibility for this was given to the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in 1870 and the Trial has to be held once each year.

Answer: Stone of Destiny

Although the efforts of Edward I to conquer Scotland were thwarted, he did manage to take possession of one of Scotland's most treasured possessions, the Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny. Monarchs of Scotland had been crowned sitting on the stone since at least the ninth century, and Edward's removal of it to Westminster was intended to prove that the king of England was also the king of Scotland.

The stone was placed in a throne, which has been used for the Coronation of most of the UK's monarchs ever since.

In 1996 the stone was returned to Scotland and placed in Edinburgh Castle.