Shrewsbury link to Richard III mystery

I was interested to read the story over the weekend that historians believe they have finally discovered where King Richard III is buried – under a car park in Leicester.

It brought back memories of the story in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel when Henry Tudor decided to cross from Wales into England at Shrewsbury in August 1485 on his way to do battle with Richard III, pictured below, at Bosworth Field.

But Shrewsbury’s then first resident Thomas Mytton refused to let him over the Welsh Bridge, saying: “We know no King but Richard, Henry Tudor shall not enter this town but over my belly,” i.e. over his dead body.

However, after seeing Henry’s large army and following advice from colleagues he decided it was more prudent to let Henry into Shrewsbury.

So as not to lose face, Mytton lay in the road on the bridge ‘belly upward’ for Henry to step over him.

The royal visitor is believed to have stayed at Tudor House, which is still there on Wyle Cop below The Lion, before marching to Bosworth where Richard III was killed and the last medieval king of England was buried in a Franciscan friary in the area.

However, the friary was knocked down during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and it is believed the most likely site for the church is the car park of a county council social services office in the centre of Leicester.

Archaeologists from Leicester University, along with members of the Richard III Historical Society, hope the two-week excavation will change the way the monarch is viewed historically, who is traditionally seen as a tyrant who murdered his way to the throne, disfigured by a hunchback and withered arm.

If any remains of the king are found, his DNA will be matched against that of Joy Ibsen, a 16^th century generation descendant of Anne of York, the sister of Richard III.

Mrs Ibsen died four years ago aged 82 and her son, 55-year-old Michael, watched the dig begin.

After the battle of Bosworth Field Henry became Henry VII, ending the War of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.

To find out more about this Shrewsbury link to Richard III signed copies of The Lion Hotel book are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £7.50 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com