Bernard Knight
THE POISONED CHALICE
A Crowner John Mystery
1998
Author’s Note
Any attempt to give modern English dialogue an ‘olde worlde’ flavour in historical novels is as inaccurate as it is futile. In the time and place of this story, late twelfth-century Devon, most people would have spoken early Middle English, which would be unintelligible to us at the present time. Many others would have spoken western Welsh, later called Cornish and the ruling classes would have spoken Norman-French. The language of the Church and virtually all official writing was Latin.
At this period, the legal system for the punishment of crime was in a state of flux, as because of the financial benefits for the King’s treasury, the royal courts were competing with the old-established local courts. The legal reforms of Henry II (‘Henry the Lawgiver’) deteriorated under his sons Richard the Lionheart and John – in fact, the Magna Carta, a decade after our story, was in part intended to prevent abuses of the legal system.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the following for historical advice, though reserving the blame for any misapprehension about the complexities of life and law in twelfth century Devon: Mrs Angela Doughty, Exeter Cathedral Archivist; the staff of Devon Record Office and of Exeter Central Library; Mr Stuart Blaylock, Exeter Archaeology; Rev Canon Mawson, Exeter Cathedral; Mr Thomas Watkin, Cardiff Law School, University of Wales; Professor Nicholas Orme, University of Exeter; and to Clare Ledingham, Editorial Director of Simon & Schuster, and Gillian Holmes for their unfailing interest and support.
‘This even-handed justice commends the ingredients of the poisoned chalice to our own lips’
Glossary
ALB
A long garment, often elaborately embroidered, worn by priests under a shorter garment called the chasuble, q.v.
AMERCEMENT
The imposition of a fine for some breach of the law. The coroner would record the amercement, but usually it was not collected until after a decision by the visiting judges.
APPEAL
Unlike the modern legal meaning, an appeal was an accusation by an aggrieved person, usually a close relative, against another for a felonious crime. Historically, it preceded (and competed with) the Crown’s right to prosecute and demanded either financial compensation or trial by combat or the Ordeal.
ARCHDEACON
A senior priest, assistant to the Bishop. There were three in the diocese of Devon and Cornwall, one responsible for Exeter.
ASSART
A new piece of arable land, cut from the forest to enlarge the cultivated area of a village.
AVENTAIL
A chainmail neck-covering, similar to a balaclava, attached to the edge of the helmet and tucked into the top of the hauberk.
BAILIFF
Overseer of a manor or estate, directing the farming and other work. He would have manor-reeves under him and in turn be responsible either to his lord or the steward or seneschal.
BALDRIC
A diagonal strap over the right shoulder of a Norman soldier to suspend his sword scabbard on the left hip.
BARBETTE
A fabric band over the head and under the chin, as part of a lady’s attire.
BURGAGE
A house in a town, occupied by a burgess.
BURGESS
A freeman of substance in a town or borough, usually a merchant. A group of burgesses ran the town administration and elected two portreeves (later a mayor) as their leaders.
CANON
A priestly member of the chapter of a cathedral, also called a prebendary, as they derived an income from their prebend, a grant of land or pension. Exeter had twenty-four canons, most of whom lived near the cathedral. Many employed junior priests (vicars) to carry out their duties for them.
CHAPTER
The administrative body of a cathedral, composed of the canons (prebendaries) and the senior clergy. They met in the Chapter House, usually attached to the cathedral, so-called because a chapter of the gospels was read before each meeting.
CHASUBLE
A thigh-length garment, usually embroidered, with wide sleeves, worn by priests.
CONSTABLE
Has several meanings, but here refers to a senior military commander, often the custodian of a castle, otherwise called a castellan.
CORONER
Senior law officer in a county, second only to the sheriff. First appointed in September 1194, though there are a few mentions of coroners in earlier times. The name comes from the Latin CUSTOS PLACITORUM CORONAE, meaning ‘Keeper of the Pleas of the Crown’, as he recorded all serious crimes and legal events for the King’s judges.
COVER-CHIEF
More correctly ‘couvre-chef’, a linen veil worn by women, held in place by a band or circlet around the forehead and hanging down over the back and bosom.
CRESPINES
Gilt nets on either side of the head, to hold hair.
CROFT
A small area of land around a village house (toft) for vegetables, a few livestock, used by the occupant (cottar) who was either a freeman or a bondsman (villein or serf).
CUIRASS
A breastplate or short tunic, originally of leather but later of metal, to protect the chest in combat.
EYRE
A sitting of the royal judges, introduced by Henry II in 1166, which moved around the countries in circuits. There were two types, the ‘Justices in Eyre’, the forerunner of the Assizes which was supposed to visit frequently to try cases – and the General Eyre, which arrived at long intervals to check on the administration of each county.
FIRST FINDER
The first person to discover a corpse or witness a crime, had to rouse the four nearest households and give chase. Failure to do so would result in an amercement (fine).
GORGET
Similar to a wimple, a band worn under a veil or hood, passing beneath the chin and up to the temples: may also be a wide necklace, originating from armour.
HAUBERK
A chainmail tunic with long sleeves to protect the wearer from neck to knee.
HEAD-RAIL
Female head-covering, similar to cover-chief (q.v.).
HIDE
A measure of land, not always constant in different parts of the country, but usually between 30 and 80 acres. A hide was divided into four virgates.
HUE AND CRY
When a crime was witnessed or discovered, the First Finder (q.v.) had to knock up the nearest four households and if possible give chase to the suspect.
HUNDRED
A sub-division of a county, originally named from a hundred hides of land or a hundred families.
JURY
Unlike modern juries, the medieval jury were witnesses, local people who were obliged to gather to tell what they knew of a crime or dispute and to come to a decision on the verdict. The coroner’s jury was supposed to comprise all the males over twelve years old from the four nearest villages, though this was often a practical impossibility.