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sends Beaumys into Crisis
- Nicholas, Lord De La Beche was an important man in Medieval times.
He was 'Seneschal' of Gascony, a big area of France which he looked
after for the King of England, Edward III.
- When he was in England, he lived at one of his two Berkshire
castles: La Beche Castle in Aldworth or Beaumys Castle in Swallowfield.
He was teacher to the King's eldest son and often looked after the
Royal children at these places too.
- Nicholas' wife, Margery, was young, beautiful and very rich. When he
died, lots of men wanted to marry her. She married Thomas Ardene but
he quickly died of the Black Death!
- A lad from Lancashire called Sir John Dalton had also fallen in love with Margery.
He decided he was going to
marry her next. She wouldn't have anything to do with him though and
got engaged to Lord Lisle from Kingston Lisle in North Berkshire.
- So, in 1347, Dalton got a group of his mates together, including the
nephew of Sir William Trussell. They got
drunk, armed themselves and marched on Beaumys Castle. Margery was
there, looking after Prince Lionel.
- They broke their way in and there was lots of fighting. They killed Margery's uncle and another man, and
frightened a priest to death!
- Lots of things were stolen and Margery was kidnapped. She was forced to marry
Dalton at Basildon and then taken North.
- However, the King took quick action. John was soon arrested and
thrown in the Tower of London. The marriage was annulled but poor
Margery never got over the shock. She died only 2 years later.