Warning I can feel this blog is about to deteriorate into a bit of a history episode - you have been warned!
In the great year of 1386 or 1387, 9 August or 16 September (as Henry wasn't in close line of succession to the throne his birthdate wasn't exactly documented!), Henry was born in the tower above the gatehouse of Monmouth Castle.
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Henry's father was Henry Bolingbroke later Henry IV, and his mother was sixteen-year-old Mary de Bohun. In fact Mary gave birth to a baby before, Edward in 1382 who only lived a few days, and then buried at Monmouth Castle.
yet Monmouth Castle was a wonderful place to be born at the time. Monmouth has long acted as a gateway from England into Wales. William Fitz Osbern, nephew of William the Conqueror, was granted the lordship of Hereford back in 1067 and soon used Monmouth as a strong base over the Monnow and Wye rivers. The first castle built in Monmouth wasn't a beautiful stone building, but probably a wooden keep tower inside an oval ditch, until the early twelth century when the curtain walls and Great Tower were built in stone. In 1230 a round keep was built here (similar to the one at Skenfrith Castle, but it was demolished in the seventeenth century to make way for the new improved castle house.
Skenfrith Catle
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Only a fragment is left of this important castle - all that is left really is the Great Tower. Okay bloggers let's be honest, this isn't the biggest set of castle ruins I have ever seen, especially if you compare them with the likes of Raglan Castle.
Raglan Castle Roo Copyright 2013
But guys, this castle has a charm and beauty all of its very own, which just seeps out of the sleeping stones. And hey, for the boys Monmouth Castle's always got the regimental museum!
Below shows a photo of a plaque outside the castle, showing a plan of Monmouth town in 1610 by John Speed. The castle, with its prominent round tower, appears at the upper right.
Below some photos of Monmouth Castle
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Due to his battle successes Henry V has been described by many historians as maybe Britain's greatest king. That definately says alot about a Monmouth upbringing!
As a child Henry, often known as Harry, loved the outdoors riding, swimming, hunting and the good ole bow. But his talents didn't stop there bloggers, he was an awesome musician, full of chivalry, who was also a great tactician - political and military. At 16, Prince Henry was appointed Royal Deputy of Wales - and began his fight to stop Owain Glyndwr (bloggers Glyndwr is well known as a Welsh hero who fought against the English for a free Wales.)
In 1405, 18 year old Henry overwhelmingly defeated the Welsh army at Grosmont.
Photos of Grosmont and Grosmont Catle
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Glyndwr retaliated by attacking English forces at Monmouth, but he should never ever ever have tried that on Henry's home town! Anyways, Glyndwr had already lost 1500 men at Grosmont and many more were deserting his lost cause daily.
When Henry suceeded his Dad to the throne on 9 April 1413, he was a veteran soldier, well respected at home and abroad. Glyndwr had been ground into the dust and his feared Gwent longbows were now a crucial part in the famous Battle of Agincourt in France in 1415. Hey bloggers, the great battle has given its name to Agincourt Square in Monmouth! This battle was Henry's greatest victory and a sign to Henry that his outright claim to the French throne might become a reality! And the guy did good, through peace negotiations and battles, Henry and his army found themselves outside the walls of Paris...and by 10 September 1419 the French court threw themselves into Henry's arms - almost waving the white flag! There followed six months of hard negotiations - and finally the French and English agreed upon the Treaty of Troyes which saw Henry as the heir and regent of France to Charles VI. To cement this new relationship, Henry married the King of France's daughter, Catherine of Valois, on 2 June 1420. They had one baby, who would become Henry VI. Henry carried on the French campaign capturing Dreux and Meaux. It all came to a dramatic end, when Henry suddenly died from dysentry on 31 Aug 1422 at the Chateau de Vincennes. Sadly Henry never became King of France as Charles VI outlived him by two months. Poor Henry never was to see marvellous Monmouth again...but his birth in this fair town does make Monmouth marvellous...and the battle of Agincourt remains forever immortalised in Monmouth's Agincourt Square...which seems a good place to investigate next... until next time ... Roo
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