History City traces the story of York - possibly the second most important place in England - from the end of the last Ice Age to the present day.

Episode 12: 1400 to 1455 Rebellious bishops, bawdiness and feuding families

In this episode, one king (Richard II) is deposed and another takes the throne. Henry IV uses York to display his power with a tournament that attracts attention from all over Europe but he also crushes opponents – as the Archbishop of York finds out to his cost.

Meanwhile, there’s a construction boom which completes many of the classic medieval buildings we still see in York today, the Minster, the Shambles and the churches. We hear about the craft guilds and their long lasting contribution to York’s heritage -- the Corpus Christi Mystery Plays – and how they slipped bawdiness and black humour into what were meant to be sacred tales.

WARNING! there’s also an account of a divorce case which mentions body parts and the use of unusual expert witnesses……

And we’re introduced to the families whose feuding around York became absorbed into what was later to be called the Wars of the Roses.

Thanks to our guests, James Wright of the Yorkshire Museum, www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/ and also to Linda Terry and Janice Newton of York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust. You can see more of their work at https://ympst.co.uk/ and on their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@ympst.

Appropriately, we recorded their interview during rehearsals at All Saints Church, North Street,

www.allsaints-northstreet.org.uk which has one of the finest collections of medieval stained glass in England, dating from 1410 to 1440.

By the way, the voice of God you heard during rehearsals was supplied by Daniel Wilmot.

The Spirit of York is Alison Willis.

This episode of History City was made with the help of the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past at the University of York. So my thanks to Dr Victoria Hoyle and for the invaluable help of researcher Katie Vernon.

This show was recorded and produced by Guy Morgan of Soundstagenorth.

If you enjoyed the programme, why not write a review on your podcast provider’s site?

It helps spread the word.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.